Player Profiles!
Ariana Rivera
Ariana is a rising eighth grader at Roberto Clemente in New Haven, CT. with a driven personality and a sense of what she wants to achieve. She decided to join the program because she saw the opportunities that she could obtain. Ariana also has an older brother who joined the program a year before she did and she believed it would be fun.
Ariana is a very serious student. During summer programming, in the classroom she took an interest in learning about physics and took it as an elective at Squash Haven. She particularly liked it because she better understood and applied to her every dat life to how things work motion wise. In the classroom she becomes a leader by participating a lot and staying engaged. Ariana is a diligent student and serves as an example for her teammates.
On the squash courts, Ariana always gives her best effort. She doesn't get frustrated easily which takes a lot of self control for someone so young. Over the course of her summer squash practice, Ariana worked hard to complete her technique tasks. For her the backhand volleys were the most challenging and didn't quite pass the task the first time, nevertheless she still cheered on for teammates with whom she shared the court.
In just her first year of being part of the team, Ariana recounts her favorite team memory when Squash Haven took a Fun-Friday trip to the Zonis's for a pool day. She says she had lots of fun swimming with her friends while enjoying some snacks by the pool. To add on to the perfect day, Ariana said her favorite part was when the 1967 vintage ice cream truck arrived and everyone had a chance to get the ice cream of their choice.
Witten by Tiffany M. Cervantes, Rising Sophomore at Bates College
Atziyadet Cervantes
Atziyadet, preferably called Atzi, is in her third year at Squash Haven. She graduated middle school at Conte West Hills and now will be entering her freshman year of high school at ESUMS in West Haven, CT. She joined the program because her two older sisters really seemed to enjoy it and she was curious about the sport.
In the classroom, Atzi strives actively take part in discussions by bringing up questions to engage her classmates. She often leads with new ideas in the classroom to open up discussions. She takes pride in her completion of homework and quizzes as she properly prepares by either taking the time to complete assignments or study. Atzi has demonstrated to be extremely outgoing and not afraid to try new things. She has a great sense of humor and a contagious laugh that could disrupt the class if it is the wrong time. Atzi gets along great with all of her peers and likes to often take opportunities to get to know the younger middle schoolers who she doesn't always get to interact with.
On the squash courts Atzi has worked hard to improve her technique. She says her favorite shot is the drop shot and uses it every chance she gets. This summer she has been working closely with her squash coaches to further improve her drops with more precision in her approach. Atzi enjoys playing competitively against her best friend Vanessa and says they both push each other to play their best squash. She mentions how she wants to take advantage of this year's summer programming to work on her agility and movement on the court.
Atzi's favorite memory at Squash Haven would be the summer trips to the beach. She recalls it as her favorite because she says she gets to swim, eat delicious fruit with her friends and read a book.
Written by Tiffany M. Cervantes, Rising Sophomore at Bates College.
Adiel Nelson
Adiel is one of our outstanding newbies who attends school at Roberto Clemente in New Haven, CT.
In his first year at Squash Haven, Adiel has proven to be a strong student-athlete with great sportsmanship. On the squash court, Adiel always put his best foot forward, literally, and explodes with energy during practice time. He is very practical about his racquet technique and footwork. When he applies the techniques, he get some really great shot in. At the beginning of the summer, Adiel attended his very first SEA Individuals Tournament in Williamstown, Mass. He was a good team member and participant. He proved to be a strong player in his first year with the program by making it to the quarterfinals. Adiel played very good squash and did Squash Haven proud. He never failed to cheer on his teammates in between his matches during the tournament. All of his teammates appreciated his support and example he set. During this summer's Green Black Challenge, Adiel took it very seriously and competed very well while providing positive energy for his team to succeed.
In the classroom, Adiel take it upon himself to exercise one of Squash Haven's seven values by showing curiosity for his learning. He always has great questions and is respectful of the time, environment, as well as his peers' enrichment time. Another characteristic that distinguishes Adiel is that he cares about the quality of his work. Despite his seriousness in the classroom and on the squash courts, Adiel has demonstrated to have a good sense of humor which can be appreciated by anyone he may encounter.
Written by Tiffany M. Cervantes, Rising Sophomore at Bates College
Jacqueline Rojas
Jacqueline Rojas, also known as Jacky, is a rising Senior who attends Wilbur Cross High-School in New Haven, CT. Jacky is in her fourth year at Squash Haven.
Jacky is a student who strives to excel academically, pushes herself to the next level on the squash courts and always tries to be the best she can be. Jacky joined Squash Haven in 2015 as a 9th grader. She has been nothing but an amazing student and teammate since her first day here. Jacky joined Squash Haven because she decided she wanted to find something else to do after school that wasn’t just soccer. She felt soccer was not enough in relation to helping her become a better student or athlete and wanted to try something new and different that could help her find the balance between both sports and academics. Jacky was encouraged to join the team by her friend Tiffany, who is a rising sophomore at Bates College, and who was also already in her third year in the program. Jacky then tried out for the team, fell in love with the sport and the program and was selected to join the Squash Haven family.
Academically, she exemplifies her hard work through her grades, mainly having straight A’s, as well as having a perfect and organized planner, which shows how focused and serious she is about completing all assignments on time. She recently finished 4 AP courses and had one of the highest GPAs of the year of any high schooler in Squash Haven. In the classroom she is quick to participate to emphasize her interest in the lesson and to show how driven she is to improve in her academics. Jacky also attended all her SAT sessions in order to get the most out of it and she hopes to apply to a prestigious college her upcoming senior year.
While she prioritizes her academics, she also is great on the squash courts, giving 100% during all practices and matches. Her ability to take feedback and apply it to her squash game shows how committed she is to improving becoming a better player. Jacky is also one of the many Squash Haven students who uplifts her teammates during practice. She shows enthusiasm and joy for the game and is always happy to be able to play with her close friends/family after school.
Jacky’s time here at Squash Haven has not only been a great experience for her, but impactful in regards to her life outside of Squash Haven. She has been able to learn more time management & organization skills in regards to being a student athlete, and she has been able to devote more times to her academics. She also said that SH has helped with the college process in terms of SAT prep and college visits, and having the opportunity to have multiple resources in choosing the right college.
A favorite memory of Jacky’s was going to her first Urban Team Nationals Tournament her freshman year. She says that it was her favorite memory because of the greater team aspect she got from being there and experiencing that with her team. It was a great feeling to her to have teammates who really had her back, cheering her on during her match and having her best friend Itzell supporting her along the way.
Written by David Aldaz Jr, Rising Senior at Connecticut College
Jacky is a student who strives to excel academically, pushes herself to the next level on the squash courts and always tries to be the best she can be. Jacky joined Squash Haven in 2015 as a 9th grader. She has been nothing but an amazing student and teammate since her first day here. Jacky joined Squash Haven because she decided she wanted to find something else to do after school that wasn’t just soccer. She felt soccer was not enough in relation to helping her become a better student or athlete and wanted to try something new and different that could help her find the balance between both sports and academics. Jacky was encouraged to join the team by her friend Tiffany, who is a rising sophomore at Bates College, and who was also already in her third year in the program. Jacky then tried out for the team, fell in love with the sport and the program and was selected to join the Squash Haven family.
Academically, she exemplifies her hard work through her grades, mainly having straight A’s, as well as having a perfect and organized planner, which shows how focused and serious she is about completing all assignments on time. She recently finished 4 AP courses and had one of the highest GPAs of the year of any high schooler in Squash Haven. In the classroom she is quick to participate to emphasize her interest in the lesson and to show how driven she is to improve in her academics. Jacky also attended all her SAT sessions in order to get the most out of it and she hopes to apply to a prestigious college her upcoming senior year.
While she prioritizes her academics, she also is great on the squash courts, giving 100% during all practices and matches. Her ability to take feedback and apply it to her squash game shows how committed she is to improving becoming a better player. Jacky is also one of the many Squash Haven students who uplifts her teammates during practice. She shows enthusiasm and joy for the game and is always happy to be able to play with her close friends/family after school.
Jacky’s time here at Squash Haven has not only been a great experience for her, but impactful in regards to her life outside of Squash Haven. She has been able to learn more time management & organization skills in regards to being a student athlete, and she has been able to devote more times to her academics. She also said that SH has helped with the college process in terms of SAT prep and college visits, and having the opportunity to have multiple resources in choosing the right college.
A favorite memory of Jacky’s was going to her first Urban Team Nationals Tournament her freshman year. She says that it was her favorite memory because of the greater team aspect she got from being there and experiencing that with her team. It was a great feeling to her to have teammates who really had her back, cheering her on during her match and having her best friend Itzell supporting her along the way.
Written by David Aldaz Jr, Rising Senior at Connecticut College
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Summer Life at Squash Haven-
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