Senior Essay: Richard Hill

When I look back on my four years here on the Harvard men’s squash team, I cannot help but feel nostalgic. I can remember all the matches that I played here, from the most painful defeats to the best victories. However, what I will truly cherish is the time that I spent with my teammates. What I will always remember will be the times we, as a team, spent together whether during training, on the road, or during matches.

My most important lessons at Harvard came from my teammates. They taught me how to improve my game. They inspired me to overcome adversity under immense pressure. Lastly, they showed me that Harvard squash was about being part of a team, of a family and of something truly special. All these lessons could not have been taught in a classroom on a blackboard. I believe you best absorb these lessons when you unselfishly strive for the greater good of the team and your teammates.

Being a student-athlete is never an easy undertaking. One has to constantly balance one’s sport commitments with one’s academic work and social life without compromising one over the others. My time on the squash team was never a smooth ride. There were many ups and downs. There were times when I felt burnt out, times when I questioned my own desire to compete and win. What kept me going was my own love for this beautiful game which has taken me very far in life. What kept me going was the desire to not let my teammates down. What kept me going was the passion that all my teammates showed for our sport.

My college experience at Harvard has been a truly rewarding and fulfilling one because of my teammates. It saddens me that I am leaving the Harvard squash team, but the Harvard squash team will never leave me. It will always be a special part of my life, because long after the silver on the trophies has rusted away and long after the awards have collected dust, all that will be left will be a lifetime of memories and of friendships forged by my time on the squash team and with my teammates. Those memories and friendships are the greatest gifts that the Harvard squash team has given to me, and I will always be grateful. I have won as many times as I have lost. I have failed as many times as I have succeeded. Yet, at the end of it all, I have no regrets and I wish future Harvard students my kind of success.