Squash

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Regardless of your level of play, take advantage of two - 1 hour lessons with top professional coach and Harvard Squash Coach, Mike Way.  Your lessons will take place in Murr Center, the home of Harvard's national-powerhouse squash teams. 

Date and Time to be mutually agreed upon.

Way, a professional coach for more than 25 years and one of the best teachers of the game in the world, was hired as Harvard's Gregory Lee ’87 and Russell Ball ’88 Endowed Coach for Squash at Harvard University on Aug. 9, 2010.

In his seventh season at the helm of the Crimson, Way led the women's squad to its third-straight national championship as it finished the season a perfect 15-0. Harvard went undefeated for the second consecutive season, marking the 13th time it has gone unbeaten in program history. Harvard went on to win its 21st Ivy League championship and 17th national championship. Ranked No. 1 for the entire season, the Crimson dominated opponents with 10 sweeps on the year while finishing perfect in the Ivy League for the 19th time in program history. Way guided freshman Gina Kennedy to an individual national title, and helped four student-athletes gain CSA-All American recognition. On the men's side, Harvard rolled to its 41st Ivy Championship in program history after posting a 7-0 mark in Ivy action. The Crimson finished the year 13-2 overall, earning a runner-up finish in the national championship. Harvard picked up its fourth Ivy title in the last five years, and Way coached freshman Saadeldin Abouaish to an Ivy Rookie of the Year and CSA All-American first team selection. 
 

Way has coached several players of the Professional Squash Association and Women’s International Squash Players Association, including world champion and seven-time Canadian champion Jonathan Power, as well as Australian world champion Sarah Fitzgerald.  In addition, Way guided Graham Ryding to three Canadian titles, Shahier Razik to four Canadian championships and Marine Baizley and Melanie Jans to six Canadian national titles between them.  He has also been a frequent guest speaker at coaching conferences held by the World Squash Federation and both the Canadian and U.S. Squash Associations.

Way was the driving force behind the National Squash Training Center for Canada, training most of the country’s national team. The center was based at the Toronto Racquet Club for many years before his protégé, J Power, took over the reins. During that time he was an integral figure in developing players to over 100 national titles. Way has coached some of the most successful US college squash players over the last 10 years from the under 13 level upwards, including  Harvard’s Laura Gemmell, the 2010 CSA national champion and Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Year. From 1991-97, Way was the head coach professional at the Toronto Athletic Club, developing a strategy for the eventual creation of the national training center, while still training elite athletes.

A native of England, his formative squash years were in Nottingham where he won a state championship, and helped his team reach the finals of the national championships. After moving to Canada in 1981, he worked his way on to the national squad and helped the Canadian team win the Pan American squash championships in 1985.

"My real strength in the sport of squash has clearly been from the coaching perspective. I have been a sponge for everything and anything in order to be more effective," said Way. "I pride myself on taking pains to really understand the needs and personality of the individual and my passion for squash is maintained through teaching and the fact that I'm still learning!"