Reputation System on the Team

The reputation system on the women's squash team has a variety of measures and contributing factors. The most obvious reputation system is the ladder. The ladder, numbered 1-12, is almost purely based on the player’s ability on the court. This is a combination of her racquet skills, speed, consistency, and mental toughness. It is however, occasionally altered (not manipulated) by an individuals commitment to the team, presence at practice, and input at practice (how hard the player is working). This reputation system could be manipulated by the coach's biased opinion, as she has the ultimate say the in the playing ladder. This manipulation is often seen, not to reward or punish a player on the team; however, to strategically match our player with a specific member on the opposing team, a move commonly referred to as "stacking". For example, if Cornell #1 player has a specific weakness against Harvard's #1 player, and the coach thinks that Cornell #2 player would have a better chance of beating Harvard's #1, then the coach might switch Cornell's #1 and 2 players, or "stack" the ladder. This is not allowed in the College Squash Association (CSA), however many coaches manipulate the ladder in subtle enough ways to get away with it.

Another reputation system, which is less structured than a numbered ladder, is our awards system at the end of the season. As ours is coming up, each player on the team has to think about which player she wants to nominate for the following awards: Sportsmanship Award, Most Improved Player, Best Match of the Season, Most Valuable Player, and Captain. Each award rewards different admirable behavior of the specific athlete. The kind of behavior is indicated by the name of the award- (I won't bore you stating the obvious). Captains however, are generally elected if the individual exemplifies dedication to the team, leadership and initiative, enthusiasm, and excellence on the court. This reputation system works based on nominations from each individual player. You are not allowed to vote for yourself. The system could be manipulated by individuals voting based on personal ties rather than the appropriate characteristics; In other words, girls voting for their friends.

Although immeasurable, the underlying reputation system on this team is respect for each other, which is where and why trust is so important. We trust each other to be committed to the team—to show up physically and mentally for practice, to motivate each other, and to never give up. I trust that my teammates are giving 100% to the team, as they trust that I am doing the same.