Day 1
Our trip has begun!
After departing from Philadelphia at 5:30 PM on the 27th, most of the team landed in the Dublin Airport at 5 a.m. local time. Fortunately, the flight went very quickly as most of the team immediately fell asleep in preparation for the double session when we landed abroad. Aaron Kim had a little trouble with his bags so some of the team took the opportunity to get a quick nap in at the airport or enjoy the café located just outside of baggage claim.
After meeting the rest of the squad at the airport and getting Aaron's luggage sorted, the team rode to the Marine Hotel which was a short 20-minute drive from the airport and located in the town of Sutton overlooking the Dublin Bay. After a quick debrief and checking into the hotel, the team headed to the Sutton Lawn Tennis Club, where we were warmly greeted by the local players and professionals.
Even with little sleep, we had a solid morning hit and training session. We were greeted by head pro Eoin Ryan who welcomed us and told us a little history of the club. After the session, the team took the train from Howth into the center of Dublin for lunch and to walk around the city. We visited many of the local stores and walked through the holiday markets with Gilly buying a hat.
Although most of the group did not find the hat appealing or good looking, coach was convinced it was a great purchase. The team returned once again to the courts for a more intense and successful afternoon session. During the session, we performed a mixture of drills and intensive conditioning games with much of the club overlooking the practice. After the last session of the day, the team returned to the hotel and ended the long day with a nice meal at the restaurant at the hotel. Tomorrow, we will continue our training with two sessions and have a walk near the famous Dublin Cliffs. The team is looking forward to bonding even more than we already have this year, as we know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thank you for all your support back home, go Quakers, and slainté!Â
- Jonathan ZeitelsÂ
Day 2
The team's day started off with a productive hit. As our jet lag faded, the squash quality improved. Gilly and Dylan put together a tough session followed by some fitness to close out the first squash portion of our first full day in Dublin. We focused on finding the form we had before break as this was onlu the second time that the team has been together since exams. The quality was extremely high for how early it was in the trip and the team was excited to get back on the court in the afternoon. After the squash, the team headed out on a tremendous hike.
The route took us along the beach, up some cliffs, and through the forest and culminated with looking around a magnificent 14th century Irish castle. Our tour guide Shane gave us the history of Ireland along the way and described why the land that we were hiking was so valuable. While it was definitely a harder and longer hike than we had expected, it was something that the team will never forget.
The three-hour hike left some players a little worn out, but everyone was raring to go for matches later in the day. The club came out in full support as they wanted to see us in action. The atmosphere was electric! After the matches, the team had dinner at the club, socialized with the members, and made friends for life.
Mike gave a great speech thanking the club for hosting us during our stay in Dublin and presented Eoin with some Penn SWAG. We will see how much he wears it though as he has a son who went to Harvard and a daughter that goes to Drexel! It was a fantastic day for the team as the quality on court was extremely high, we had a great day hiking around the country, and we created lasting friendships in Sutton!Â
- James FlynnÂ
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Day 3Â
The day started with a quick breakfast and 9:30Â a.m. practice at the courts. Practice today was mainly a tuning session allowing the sore team to recover from previous days of sprints, matches, and hikes. The energy this morning was very high with everyone taking advantage of the only session of the day to nail down their length and continue to improve.
After hitting, we grabbed quick showers at the hotel and then made our way to the train station for an afternoon of exploring Dublin. By getting Hop On, Hop Off tickets, we were able to easily hit all the best sites and attractions that Dublin has to offer including Dublin Castle, St. Stephens Green, and the St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Dublin Castle, which we learned that until 1922 was the seat of the British government's administration in Ireland, was incredibly gorgeous and extravagant. That then led to a quick walk to Stephen's Green to relax and enjoy the park's gardens. As it was getting closer to dinner, we made a quick trek over to St. Patrick's Cathedral which was also elegant and beautiful, especially given it was founded all the way back in 1191.
We had a great time finding our way around Dublin and popping in and out of local shops to see various local treasures, the most important of which was the classic Irish style cap. The team split up for dinner with half eating at a small Indian restaurant and the other's going to an American style restaurant. As dinners concluded, we were excited to get back to the hotel to get some much-needed rest and prepare for a busy and good day of training tomorrow!Â
- Marker Angelakis
Day 4
After three incredible days in Sutton and Dublin, the team arrived at the Sutton Lawn Tennis Club on Monday morning for our final day in Ireland. Unlike the other days, which involved on court training, Matt, one of the trainers at the club, guided the team through a rigorous hour long spinning session. Although short in time, the intensity of the workout and guided instructions made it one of the best fitness sessions of the year. It was fitting that the last sprint was to the Rocky theme song as we pushed through to the last second.
The team then returned to the hotel and gathered together for our last meal in Sutton. The Thai restaurant across from the hotel had been a popular choice. After a few hours of rest, we headed to the squash courts for the last time. Our final practiced involved an exciting doubles tournament. The bracket saw many upsets, but at the end of the tournament , Andrew Douglas and Wil Hagen were victorious after beating Alex Norman and James Flynn in a tightly contested matchup.
At the conclusion of the tournament we said our final goodbyes to the members of the club and returned to the hotel to pack and prepare for our final meal in Ireland. After a short walk to the neighboring town of Howth, we settled at a restaurant with a few of the members and the director of the club. The restaurant served authentic Irish food and many people ate traditional dishes from the area. We remained at the hotel for a few hours and rang in the New Year together as a team.
We returned to the hotel to prepare for our departure to the Dublin Airport early in the morning. Dublin was more than we expected. The people and the town treated us like we were a part of their own family. We cannot thank Eoin and Suzanne Ryan enough for their hospitality as well as the Sutton Lawn and Tennis club for being an amazing host!
- Jonathan Zeitels
Day 5
HAPPY NEW YEAR! The team started the new year early as our driver, Tom, pulled the bus up to the Marine Hotel at 7:30 a.m. to leave for the airport. The players jumped on the bus eagerly looking to get to Amsterdam, but it was sad to leave as the community treated us to such a great experience. We made our way to the airport and met the now defending US Junior Open Champion Aly Abou Eleinen at the airport where he had just arrived from Philadelphia. Not only was the team excited to have one of its own back on the team, but they greeted him with birthday wishes as Aly turned 19 years old on New Year's Day!
The team then took taxis to Slotermeer to get settled into the hotel. Unfortunately, the with the rooms not being ready we had to leave their bags and find some lunch before checking in. After a quick lunch and checking into our rooms, we ventured into Amsterdam to walk around the city. The city center, located just a short 20 minute bus ride away, was still vibrant from new years with people enjoying the holiday spirit. You could feel the energy from the team as they embarked on a new experience and for most members their first time is this incredible city.
The team decided that an Argentinian steakhouse was the spot to eat as we all enjoyed a delicious meal to celebrate our first day in Holland. To finish the day, the team sang happy birthday to Aly and made our way back to the hotel to prepare for our first day of training at Squash City, located right next to Central Station.
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Day 6
The team started the day bright and early with an 8:00 a.m. breakfast as the first session of the day started at 10:00 a.m. The practice revolved around conditions of which isolated certain parts of the court to increase the frequency of hitting in those sections. This allowed the team to focus more intently on these aspects of their games.
After practice, we departed to downtown Amsterdam where we were fortunate enough to putter through the canals of Amsterdam on a guided boat tour. During this tour, the guide provided information on the history of Amsterdam. For example, the Amsterdam flag contains three X's and each represent a different triumph; The black plague, Fires from the old wooden buildings, and flooding from the canals. In addition, we learned about the buildings that seemed to be leaning outwards; coupled with a ledge at the top level of the buildings allows for homeowners to reel-up items to the high stories of their homes.
At 3:30 p.m. the team played matches against the natives of the Squash City club. Each match was best two out of three games and players rotated around playing multiple different members. The level of squash that these members put forth was very high, each one challenging their respective opponent. By 5:30 p.m. the team was ready to go for dinner and head in to bed as we were quite tuckered out from the past day of training and previous day of travel. Tomorrow the team will be playing at the Meersquash club which is located just outside of Amsterdam in a town called Hoofddorp.
Day 7
It was an early wake up for Penn squash today, breakfast at 8 a.m., and then a 25-minute car ride to MeerSquash in Hoofddorp. MeerSquash turned out to be a nicely situated club, with eight courts and a nice bar/viewing area. The club is owned by Tommy Berden, who is the ex-coach of Penn coach Gilly Lane. Tommy was the Dutch national champion and former number 20 in the world before injuries shortened his career. Tommy's wife Natalie, former world #2 and a three-time commonwealth gold medal winner, welcomed us to the club in the morning and looked in on both of our sessions providing insight throughout the day.Natalie was a training partner of Gilly when the two were playing professionally, so she was well acquainted with American college students.
The first session started with some intense ladder drills that left a few stunned. Most of the team were still sore from the previous day, so while it was tough to get going, it was necessary in order to make the morning session productive. We then moved into some drills and condition games and finally finished with games and some core. The highlight of the morning however had to be the core session. The whole team sang along to a YouTube song called "baby shark" which had core drills associated with each change in verse.
After the session, we were treated to a great lunch of pasta and meat sauce, with some famous dutch cheese. The chef prepared the meal for 14 players, however the team could have eaten three helpings a piece. The club is located in a sports park, so while some of the team took a quick nap to prepare for the afternoon session, some ventured out and watched as kids were being taught how to ski at the ski park located next to the club. It was very impressive to see these kids in action as they maneuvered down what looked like a metal slope perfecting their skills.
We regrouped for the second session which was similar to the first with more games, conditioning, and then another "baby shark" core session to finish. Tommy Berden joined us before dinner and talked about how he thought we could be successful going forward. Tommy works with New Zealand number 1 Paul Coll. He spoke about Paul's determination to be great every day, and that while he might not be the most skilled played on the tour, his work ethic is second to none. It was inspiring to hear this message as it is something that went deeper than just squash.
We finished the day at Meersquash with a traditional meal of Kip saté with peanut sauce, potato salad, and bread. It was a great day of training at this vibrant club and the whole Penn Squash team is incredibly grateful to MeerSquash, Tommy, and Natalie for their hospitality.
- Andrew Douglas
Day 8
Day eight proved to be yet another successful day for the men's squad. The morning started with a fantastic breakfast at the hotel at 9:30 a.m. and then we took the bus into the city at 10:30 a.m. While we are not located in the city center, the transportation system has been amazing here in Holland. The bus, which is a 4-minute walk from the hotel, has allowed the entire team to get into the city center in just 15 minutes while allowing us to see various parts of the city along the way.
The guys took full advantage of the day off of training to take in some of the sights and tourist attractions that Amsterdam had to offer. Our first stop was the world-famous Rijksmuseum. This is one of the Dutch national museums and is filled with art and history from Amsterdam including the works of artists Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt. and Frans Hals. Some of our favorite aspects of Rijksmuseum were "The Battle of Waterloo" by Jan Willem Pieneman, models of 17th century Dutch warships, and the Rijksmuseum Research Library.
After leaving Rijksmuseum we grabbed a quick bite to eat at a local Italian spot and then moved on. Some of the boys went to tour the Johan Cruijff Stadium, home of the AFC Ajax, a professional Dutch soccer team based in Amsterdam. The stadium is also used by the Dutch national team for matches. During the stadium tour, we were able to see the team locker rooms, press conference rooms, tunnels for the players, as well as even getting onto the pitch. Gilly even did a fake press conference with Aly asking the questions from the press seats. It was quite the experience and hopefully some day we can come back to see a game here!
The team wandered around the city for the rest of the day and took in all of the breathtaking sights that the city provided. We were able to see the sun set over the trademark canals of Amsterdam, as well as pop in and out of different bakeries to try Amsterdam's famous dessert waffles and pancakes. We were also able to walk through Dam Square, a town square near the center of the city. Here we saw many unique markets, shops, restaurants, as well as the National Monument which is a massive 72-foot-tall white stone monument built in 1956 to honor the victims of World War II.
After a long day of walking all over the city, we finally settled for dinner as half of the team ate at an Indian restaurant per Yash Bhargava's request and the other half sat down across the street at a Thai restaurant. It has been amazing to have so many different options to eat as Amsterdam is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. The team is finally back in the hotel to recharge as tomorrow we will spend the last day of our trip returning to Squash City for training and then some more sightseeing!
- Aaron Kim
Day 9
The team started with a quick breakfast at the hotel before heading into Amsterdam. For the final day, we started with a trip to the Van Gogh Museum. The museum had on display many famous artworks, including multiple self-portraits and "Seascape near Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mar". A particular favorite of the team's was "The Yellow House", which depicted a time in Van Gogh's life when he was living in France. Van Gogh envisioned the house as a place for multiple artists to live in (similar to the team's 'squash house'), during his time there in 1888. The painting was an opening into Van Gogh's life during that time, as it included Van Gogh's favorite restaurant next to the house.
Since the museum was relatively strict on picture taking, some of the team bought Van Gogh artwork for their rooms back in Philly. It was interesting to learn about Van Gogh's friendship with Guaguin and the true reason he eventually cut his ear off. The museum was buzzing with excitement and curiosity as we were among people from all over the world taking in the classic artwork.
After the museum trip, the team enjoyed a great Greek lunch filled with Souvlaki and Gyro's before heading to the final international practice at Squash City. With Yale and Brown upcoming, the team knew it was important to make the most of the time on court before the long travel day tomorrow. It turned out to be the best practice of our time in Amsterdam. The team was focused, energized and looking to capitalize on our final hit in this great city. We were all entertained as Michael Mehl fed Andrew Douglas for an extra 20 minutes after the practice, inspiring the entire team as he does on a daily basis. Following the practice, we headed off to the final dinner of the trip at the nearby Italian restaurant that we had frequented during our stay as they were able to fit a large group of people comfortably in a short times notice.
- Alex Norman
Day 10
What an amazing trip it was! While the last day was a travel day, it is hard not to reflect on this trip as something special. Not many teams get the opportunity to travel abroad for a training trip during their time in college. The team got to experience the beautiful culture of Ireland, sightsee in Dublin while having the opportunity to hike through the cliffs of Howth. They experienced the culture of Amsterdam as they took a canal tour, visited Dam square, the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Arena, the national monument, and the Van Gogh Musuem. They had the chance to train at three of the best clubs in Europe while showcasing their skills to a new audience. They had traditional Irish meals like fish and chips, as well as the desserts of Holland which included stroop waffles, and the classic dessert waffle which Aly had on his birthday.
But the most important thing about this trip is the bonding that took place. This is time that cannot be reproduced and these student athletes will look back and realize how special this trip was. I couldn't help but think as we started our descent in Philadelphia with the sun setting on our trip about my experience in 2007. It was a trip that my teammates and I talk about each time we get together. I can only hope that this is the case for these young men in ten years when they get back together. No matter where we finish this year, this trip will be one of the highlights of these student athlete's careers while at Penn. Thank you to everyone that made this possible and your continued support is everything to us.
- Gilly Lane
