COURTING SUCCESS: Jackson Rho displays his squash form. Rho, an 8th grader at John Witherspoon Middle School who took up the sport through the Princeton Junior Squash program, is currently ranked 26th nationally among U-15 boys.

Jackson Rho was looking for a new winter activity five years ago and his mom came up with an idea.

“At the time I was playing tennis and a little bit of baseball in the winter,” said Rho, 14, an eighth grader at John Witherspoon Middle School.

“My mom heard about Princeton Junior Squash (PJS) from a friend so I tried a trial class. I ended up loving it right from the start.”

It didn’t take long for Rho to relish the challenges presented by squash. “It was really fun to play,” said Rho.

“When I first looked at it, it didn’t seem that complicated. I thought it would be a slow paced game but when I started getting into it I realized it is a lot more than that.”

Rho, a standout pitcher/infielder over the years in the Princeton Little League program, has applied some of his skills from the diamond to the squash court.

“I think the hand-eye coordination carries from baseball over to squash,” noted Rho.

The format of the PJS sessions, which take place at the Jadwin Gym courts, has helped Rho develop his game.

“They do a variety of stuff; you do drills with other people and at the end, they play games and points,” said Rho, who typically takes part in two PJS sessions a week and also works with a private coach.

“The coaches at PJS give you pointers on what you did well and what you can improve on.”

Due to Rho’s growing affection for the game and rapid improvement, he soon starting playing competitively.

“I waited around a year and then I started competing in national tournaments,” said Rho, who is currently ranked 26th nationally among U-15 boys.

“There is a lot of traveling. I do tournaments on the east coast in places like New York and Connecticut.”

While Rho feels some butterflies before matches, he lets his training take over in the heat of battle.

“Before the match I am a little bit nervous,” said Rho. “When I am in the match, I seem to forget all that is in my head and just play.”

Princeton University women’s squash head coach Gail Ramsay, the executive director of PJS, sees Rho’s experience as emblematic of what the program can do for someone taking up the game.

“It is all for the growth of the game, I think the basic philosophy of the program is exposing the game to kids and giving them opportunities,” said Ramsay.

“It evolved a bit more into the higher, more performance end of it. Kids who do well want to play some tournaments and we encourage them to play tournaments. We can give them access to more individual lessons and training. Jackson is a good athlete, he started four or five years ago. There are a couple of people like Jackson in the program. Will Hagen has ended up in the top 8 in the nation at U-18 and was recruited at one of the top four teams in the country this year over at Penn.”

Ramsay, who has been guiding the Tiger women’s program since 1994 and has led it to five national titles, has gained coaching insight through her involvement in the program.

“I like the diversity of having different skill levels, everybody learns a little differently, which is what is so hard about teaching and coaching,” said Ramsay, who assumed a hands-on role in PJS 12 years ago. “It always gives me insight on my own teaching.”

The PJS program boasts a number of accomplished coaches in addition to Ramsay.

“It is a really nice program, we have a lot of great caring coaches,” said Ramsay of PJS, that was founded in 1988 by former nationally ranked squash players Nina Moyer and Dede Webster and had five players at the outset.

“We have six to eight core coaches. My brother Bill is the administrative director, he orchestrates where the sessions happen. He does the day-to-day logistics of it. He is a very good coach and has a really nice way with the kids so it has stepped up the program the last few years.”

There are approximately 130 players enrolled in PJS, which offers three sessions, fall (September-October), winter (October-March), and spring (March-May) and meets three times a week.

“Some kids come all three seasons; the kids have school teams so those kids come in the preseason in the fall and come back in the spring,” said Ramsay

“We offer Princeton University Squash camps in the summer so there is something year round.”

Having the Jadwin squash complex as its home helps the PJS attract players.

“It is 10 courts, it is easy to find, and it is well known,” said Ramsay of the venue which was the site for the 1998 World Junior Squash Championships and many other major squash tournaments.

“It is a privilege having Princeton let us bring the kids in three times a week. We have our junior staffers who play at Princeton. The students at Princeton have a lot on their plates but we have a few kids who are pretty steady and a few kids who are in and out but they enjoy coming.”

Rho, for his part, has been inspired by being around the Princeton players.

“It is also fun to go to the college matches, they are at Jadwin so you can watch them,” said Rho. “I think I am going to try and play squash in college.”