Ford’s squash is off to a smashing start, opening the season 7–1, with both its only loss and its most dominant win coming against reigning national champion Brunswick. Despite recently dropping a narrow 4–3 road match, the Fords had a commanding 6–1 home victory earlier in the season, a result that highlighted the team’s strength.
“We had a great home win against Brunswick, and we lost an extremely close 4–3 at their place,” Coach Alex Stait explained. “We had two five-game losses in that match. It could have gone the other way. It just was not our day that day.”
Sixth Form captain Grant Oliver agreed.
“The loss was definitely tough,” Oliver said. “So many of our guys play outside of school in national tournaments, and the second Brunswick match lined up right after one of those, unfortunately. Additionally, we did not have home-court advantage. The crowd really helps. Brunswick has very different courts, which gives their team a physical and technical advantage. It’s a very different atmosphere. When we played here [at Haverford], a lot of our guys played very well—especially Peter Pierce, who beat one of the top guys in the age group he had just moved into.”
With the majority of the players competing outside of school as well, the season demands an intense weekly schedule. As a result, managing player health has been a priority.
“A lot of these guys play seven days a week. I need to make sure they are not pushing themselves too hard. One of the really good things about this team is that I can always count on the guys giving 100 percent,” Coach Stait said. “However, I need to make sure they can last the season. It’s definitely easy to burn out. Quite a number of our guys are carrying little injuries. Everyone has some sort of problem. Playing squash at this level, you’re never 100% fit. However, we have no major injuries. I also make sure they take rest days, see the trainers often, and do lots of stretching.”
Additionally, with Haverford’s wealth of talent, the team can rest players during matches to help them recuperate.
“For all of the Inter-Ac matches, Coach Stait will send a very good squad,” Oliver shared. “He will send Peter and me down to every match, but he will let some of the other guys relax. He’ll send some lower-down guys so they can get more experience.”
Beyond roster depth, new coaching additions have also played a major role in the team’s success this season.
This year, the team has added Mr. Nick Platt, a new English teacher who previously coached at the Gilman School, another squash powerhouse, and professional player Mr. Nathan Keuh from Malaysia. Keuh is currently ranked 140 in the world and, during his collegiate career at Penn, won two national championships and posted the best win-loss record in the program’s history.
“It’s really great for the boys to be able to play with a pro,” Coach Stait said. “It gets them used to the physicality and pace of the pro game. He really pushes them hard and brings the intensity of the sessions up. It’s very helpful to the boys.”
Sixth Former Aiden Chiang agreed.
“Coach Nathan is tough, but getting to hit with him is really good exposure,” Chiang said. “It’s helped my individual results a lot.”
“We play an individual sport, but we play as a team. It’s all about the culture of the team.” – Coach Alex Stait
While new coaches have elevated the team physically, Stait emphasized that squash is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. Coach Stait explained his coaching philosophy to address this challenge.
“It varies from player to player,” he said. “We play an individual sport, but we play as a team. It’s all about the culture of the team. Everyone is at different parts of their training. We need to set really good principles. They’re set well in middle school, so I can continue moving them forward into the more tactical and mental side instead of hand-holding.”
Even with the team’s strong start, Stait believes there is still room for growth.
“I would like to improve the team’s mental toughness. One of the biggest areas is sticking to a good strategy when under pressure. It can become very emotional, and you don’t think as well when that happens,” he stated. “It’s hard to be cold and collected when your heart rate is at 200, but that’s what we need to do. Being brave is not running hard and bumping people. It’s about staying calm, stepping on the court, and making good decisions. Beat them with our brains. It’s tough, but Aiden [Chiang] and the seniors do it very well and set a great example.”
Chiang shared how he prepares mentally for matches.
“I need to be really consistent with my warmup, as it gets me into the right mindset,” he said. “Just be consistent. Know all of the little things, like that it takes five steps to cross the court. Also, get off to a better start. Once you’re winning, the pressure starts.”
The team’s close-knit culture has reinforced that mental preparation.
“We have an interesting dynamic,” Oliver shared. “Almost everyone is Haverford-grown and has been here throughout middle school. We also do outside practices, and almost everyone shows up. Most of the team already knows each other. All of the freshmen were acclimated very fast—they can all talk to us. We don’t have the normal dynamic. It’s a lot closer. We only have twelve guys on the team.”
Despite competing against some of the most established programs in the country, the Fords rely on a roster that blends experienced leadership with emerging young talent.
“We have a lot of young guys with a lot of potential,” Coach Stait said. “We’re a dangerous team because of that.”
Leading the lineup is Chiang, whose consistency and professionalism have made him a cornerstone of the team.
“He’s one of the best players in the country for his age. He’s truly exceptional—both physically and mentally. He’s very mature, and he handles pressure incredibly well. He’s so far unbeaten, potentially the best Haverford player of all time. Sometimes I feel bad for him with all of the pressure, but he’s really capable of handling it,” Coach Stait said. “If someone’s going to beat him, they’re going to have to play for an hour and a half. The first game in our last match was half an hour. He’s a great role model, and the other players can really learn from that.”
Third Former Peter Pierce has also emerged as a major contributor, delivering one of the season’s most memorable performances with a win over a top player during the team’s first Brunswick match.
“That was one of the most unexpected wins I’ve seen in school squash,” Coach Stait said. “His opponent is one of the best players in U17 and is going to play squash at Virginia. Peter performs well with a crowd and really showed up that day.”
As the regular season winds down, the Fords enter the most important stretch of the year. The upcoming Inter-Ac Championship matchup against Episcopal Academy looms large.
The team also has a Second Former on the roster, Arnaam Burhan.
“It’s great to have him,” Oliver shared. “He’s been beating people out of his weight class all year.”
Coach Stait also expressed appreciation for the team’s senior leadership.
“Grant Oliver and Grayson Morgan have been great captains in different ways,” he said. “They are both very good at preparing and helping the team. We are going to miss them next year.”
As the regular season winds down, the Fords enter the most important stretch of the year. The upcoming Inter-Ac Championship matchup against Episcopal Academy looms large, followed closely by Senior Day against Lawrenceville and High School Nationals in February.
“Inter-Ac against EA next week is the big one,” Stait said. “That’s always a battle.”
Two years ago, Haverford was in the same position and came up short.
“We’re excited for it,” Chiang shared. “Two years ago, when Drew Glaser was captain, we lost at EA. It’s a big deal for us to reclaim the Inter-Ac. We’re dangerous because we’re a really deep team. It’s a good opportunity going into nationals.”
After, EA only nationals remain. The team will be able to rest, as well as have more time on the courts, as JV will be done.
Looking ahead to nationals, Stait expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete with the country’s best.
“One team is clearly the best, but the next five—including us—are all very close,” Coach Stait said. “Our goal is to be top five in the country, and we definitely have the ability to beat teams above us.”
Oliver agreed.
“Our players know that they can rely on their teammates if they drop a game,” Oliver said. “We trust each other and stay strong.”
With a deep lineup, a strong mental approach, and a growing sense of belief, the Fords enter the postseason with confidence and ambition.
“We’re dangerous,” Coach Stait added. “This is the time of year when that really matters. These next four weeks decide whether our season is good or great.”
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