Sideline Stories: Barrett Takesian
My name is Barrett Takesian. My license says I’m 29, but I’m still the six-year-old kid running around Southwest Harbor, ME, swinging a club, throwing a ball against the barn, and fishing for trout. Since graduating from Bowdoin, I have always called myself a community builder. While there are many effective tools for building community, my favorite is the sport squash. Maybe it’s the friendships that come out of the shared struggle, the happiness that comes from the active meditation chasing the ball, or the comradery that’s formed lounging outside the courts. Between 2013 and 2017, I collaborated with the squash community in Portland, ME, to pioneer ‘the community squash model’ – a mixed-use facility that would support intentionally diverse adult leagues and college-oriented youth programs. In 2017, we opened our squash and education facility in a former synagogue. We now have 100 students and 200 adults using the facility every week. Our youth programs go far beyond squash. Students are enrolled in our program from sixth grade to college graduation, and they spend just as much time in our classrooms, wellness studio, and traveling beyond the building, as they do on the squash court.
This past weekend, some of our student’s rep’d the SHIELD at Urban Squash Individual Nationals. The tournament was a culminating event for our community – much like a theatre’s spring play or a church’s Christmas dinner. Our team’s positive culture was on display in every match. On the last day, two matches triggered my emotions in a way that only special sporting events can. The first match was Iman competing in the semi-final of her draw. Iman’s family is from South Sudan, and you can’t miss her smile, her identical twin sister, Inas, or her speed – she is a decorated track athlete. Squash matches are won when a player wins 3 games; each game is played to 11 points. The most dramatic matches are settled in the deciding 5th game. Iman was tied 10 all in the 5th game awaiting a backhand volley serve return – the hardest shot in squash. She was visibly shaking, and while she is all smiles, all the time, everyone could feel the intensity of the moment. After walking off-court, victorious, Iman couldn’t hold back the tears, and she fell into the arms of her twin sister. Later in the day, Tommy found himself in the 5th game with a great opponent from CitySquash in the Bronx. Coming down the stretch, students from all over the country were cheering for Tommy. After winning in dramatic fashion, Tommy was swarmed by players from Chicago to Baltimore. On the drive home, I was feeling grateful for another day working where community and sport meet.
