Varsity Squash Coaches

Head Coach: Bjorn Runquist, at Kent since 1993

Message from the Coach:
I came to squash late in life after many years as a tennis player (Stefan Edberg has apparently made a similar switch after his retirement from tennis) and this has, I think, given me even greater respect and love for the sport. I have coached the Girls Varsity Squash for more than a decade at Kent and am continually fascinated by the combination of physical skills and quick judgment needed to do well in squash. It is not for nothing that it is know as chess with racquets and it is so exciting to help players develop these skills.

Most players here learn the game at Kent so there is plenty of room for novices on the team. A good athlete can learn squash here, make a varsity team and compete at a high level in a wonderful sport. Finally, the college squash scene is such that we can produce players here that will play in college. My own daughter is in her final year of playing at college on a team that was ranked 12th in the nation last year. Each year, members of the team are capable of playing at college.

What is important to me as a coach is that the player measures herself against her own progress and effort. I care less that a player wins than that she knows she has given her best, has demonstrated good sportsmanship and comes off every match knowing that she has learned something. With those critical issues in mind, the winning takes care of itself and we grow as people.

Squash is a fantastic lifetime sport. It can be enjoyed at many levels – as a hard hitting teenager who can run all day, through to the wily old expert who has shots you didn’t know existed when you were 17. We are here to grow, work hard and learn, to enjoy the results of hard work and focused concentration. I never put winning above sportsmanship and I never put winning above a girl’s wellbeing. My teams always know that I believe in them, win or lose.

Click here to contact Coach Bjorn Runquist