Squash. No, not the vegetable most commonly found in stews and icky casseroles, but the sport played with rackets and protective eyewear.

While by no means the most familiar sport to Bulldogs, squash has found its fans. Well… fan, really. Senior Noah Cohn is one of the few squash players at Garfield, and he doesn’t mind the funny name one bit.

“At first, my friends didn’t really know what [squash] was all about,” shrugged Cohn. “No one really knows what’s going on if they don’t play.”

For those Bulldogs who aren’t in the know, squash is a sport that is similar to tennis but played in a room in which all of the walls are legal to hit against. ‘Singles’ squash pits two players against each other, who are free to roam the court as they wish as long as they are not serving. Controlling the center of the room, or “the T” as it is referred to in squash lingo, is the most important and dominating move for any player. The ball can bounce against any wall except for the ceiling, but the point ends if a player can’t get to the ball before it bounces twice on the ground.

There is also a ‘doubles’ version of squash where two people form a team and play on a larger court, but Cohn has never played this version before, and according to him, “it’s totally confusing and doesn’t make any sense.”

Surprisingly, Noah only became interested in squash a short nine months ago. On the suggestion of his dad, an ex-squash player himself, Cohn picked up a racket and began to take lessons at the Seattle Athletic Club.

“I really got into squash this year,” says Cohn. “I used to only play once a week, but now I take one lesson and play [matches] every week.”

It’s not just playing the sport that keeps Noah on his toes, it’s the varied opponents he faces week to week. Ranging from little kids who have been playing for years to senior citizens who play to keep in shape, it’s always an adventure scouting out opponents.

“It’s always awkward playing against the old guys,” said Noah. “I try not to beat them too badly but then they turn around and beat me ‘cause I’m not trying to be mean.”

While he hasn’t played any tournaments yet (they tend to fall on weekdays), Noah plans to put his skills to the test in the near future, with upcoming opportunities in November and December. Cohn also plans to play in the Seattle Academy of the Arts and Sciences squash league for the opportunity to train every day.

With additional tournament play combined with daily training with the SAAS program, Noah is already looking towards the future.

“I’d definitely like to keep playing in college,” said Cohn. “Varsity would be nice, but any type of playing would be great.”

So, Bulldogs, maybe this unknown sport with a funny name is something worth looking into. After all, according to Cohn, “they play it in the Olympics, so that makes it a real sport!”