SQUASH? AT WEST 47TH AND LORAIN? HUH?

Last summer, Urban Community School (UCS) opened a new squash facility on its campus at West 47th Street and Lorain Avenue.  The $3.5 million, 10,000 SF facility features two (2) classrooms and four (4) squash courts – including an all-glass court transported from Europe.  It is expected eventually increase its enrollment to 100 students.

Since 1968, UCS has provided an individualized, innovative and challenging education to children living in Cleveland's Near West Side neighborhoods – with a particular focus on serving primarily low-income children.  UCS is a fully-accredited elementary school educating students from preschool (age three) thru the eighth level.

So, how is it that kids from one of Cleveland's poorest neighborhood are being recruited to play the blue-blood sport of squash?

The answer is Urban Squash Cleveland – a member of the international Squash & Education Alliance (SEA).  SEA’s mission is to support the creation, development and improvement of urban squash and education programs across the nation and around the world.  SEA’s 19 member programs operate in 21 US cities and enroll approximately 1,700 elementary, middle- high-school students.

Urban Squash Cleveland empowers students to reach their potential. It offers instruction in the sport of squash, academic support, and enrichment opportunities for 4th thru 12th grade students in the following ways:

• Through regular squash practice and competitions, students' passion for the sport helps them develop healthy habits, endurance, coordination, physical and mental awareness, hard work and discipline;
• Students receive academic support via homework help, literacy development, ACT & SAT tutoring, and college support to help them pursue personally meaningful post-secondary opportunities; and
• Enrichment for team members is provided by participation in community service, field trips, internships, camps, and travel to cities and colleges across the nation.

UCS owns the facility and can use its classrooms during the school day, as well as the four (4) squash courts for indoor recess during inclement weather.  Half of the Urban Squash Cleveland slots will belong to UCS kids.

According to UCS President Tom Gill the partnership is “a game changer.”  Further, he noted that the school also will become a center for youth lacrosse when Maryland-based US Lacrosse refurbishes a craggy 7,500 SF lot on the campus to be used as a regional youth lacrosse center.  And UCS also has partnered with the “The Foundry” – an indoor rowing facility about a mile away at the foot of Columbus Road hill, so that its students can be immersed in that sport, too.

"This is really about youth development – and we are committed to the whole child approach and to the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and academic development of a child.  You can't do all of that in a classroom during the school day," he said.

Blue bloods at West 47th and Lorain?  Huh?

Z