We have so much to celebrate at CitySquash! As we settle into the new year, we feel proud to reflect on all that we accomplished this fall and all that is to come as we begin the new year in our new building. Our program is growing and changing, while at the same time, we remain committed to serving our students with the same level of dedication we have had for the past two decades. We hope you enjoy some updates -- and we hope you'll come get on court with us in our new building soon. |
| WELCOME HOME
The Grand Opening of the Julian H. Robertson Jr. CitySquash Center | | In case you missed it, we have moved into our new building! Click here to see videos from the Grand Opening and here for photos. Please come visit us in the Bronx! | | NEW TEAM MEMBERS
43 New Students Join CitySquash | | With our new facility now open as well as our continued partnership with Fordham University, we can now begin the process of doubling our enrollment. We have added new partner schools, and in December, we welcomed 25 new 3rd graders and 18 new 6th graders, bringing the total number of 6th graders to 25 as well. These two classes will be more than double the size of our previous classes. We are proud to be growing and offering the CitySquash experience to more students. | |
COLLEGE NEWS
Early Decision Excitement!
| We are proud to celebrate five students who have gained early admissions to their top choice of colleges! Ashley Amaro will head to Bates College, Xochil Argueta will be attending Hobart Williams Smith and Camille Millan, Stephanie Rojas, and Kimberly Montesinos will all be freshman at Bard College this fall. Congratulations to these five on all their hard work and these exciting new opportunities. We will be cheering you on from the Bronx. | |
SUPER FANS
CitySquashers with the Pros!
| | CitySquashers love the opportunity to watch top level squash. We had the opportunity to attend the Tournament of Champions this January and the US Open this fall! There's nothing like the pros to get our students excited and inspired. Above, CitySquashers are pictured with Timmy Brownell, US #1, with Nour El Sherbini, Women's World #1, and Paul Coll, Men's World #3. Huge thanks to the pros for always welcoming our students so warmly. | | |
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Apple Picking and Pumpkin Palooza
| Field trips are an integral part of the CitySquash experience. This fall, 4th graders spent a very special day at Teri Galluccio's farm. They picked vegetables, made salad, ran sack races, and bonded with animals! Teri and her family have been CitySquash supporters since our first days, and we're grateful for their continued support for more than two decades. | |
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Reading Together
| Reading novels together is a core part of the CitySquash academic program. Many school curriculums are removing full novels from curriculums and replacing them with excerpts and reading comprehension passages. We remain committed to the importance of reading and the way a great book leads to empathy and connection. Elementary school, middle school, and high school academics all have a large book group component. If you'd like to read along, elementary school is currently reading Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx by Jonah Winter in 3rd grade, Ban This Book by Alan Gratz in 4th grade and Wonder by R. J. Palacio in 5th grade. Middle schoolers are reading Ghost by Jason Reynolds (pictured above), and high schoolers are reading Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. | | Cultural outings are an important part of our academic program. Above, high schoolers took a trip to visit the 52nd Street Project to see "Sugar & Spice, Plays to Savor." This was in connection with their study of "The Crucible" and led to discussion about the work of playwrights and how to bring scripts to life. Other cultural outings include museum tours, restaurant visits, and trips to public arts installations. | |
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
CitySquash Senior, Cristian Calderon, Featured in "Dear New York" Art Installation at Grand Central Terminal!
| | |
Humans of New York put out a call for photos of the people that make New York special. CitySquash high school senior, Cristian Calderon, submitted a photo that highlighted Mother Nature and her incredible power. His photo was featured in the installation in Grand Central this fall. Cristian has been a member of CitySquash since third grade and is currently a student at Cardinal Hayes High School. Program Director Giustina Charbonneau said about Cristian, "He is an understated but critical leader in the senior class. A talented artist, Cristian has shown great promise in sculpture, painting, graphic design, and of course, photography. In his free time, Cristian designs his own clothing, plays the guitar, and boxes. He is a naturally observant individual who spends time quietly considering the world around him and how each thread in the web impacts the next."
Here is the caption that Cristian included with his photo submission:
I know the rules were to pick someone in our community that made an impact on us but I decided to choose Mother Nature. She is the most overlooked worker in our community and the most essential hero in all of our lives. Her selfless devotion to her work is unbelievable, day by day we are surrounded by her creation of beauty, yet we walk by it every single day. We are consumed by our lives and problems that we fail to appreciate. To truly live is to finally see the hero who has been sustaining us all along, and she has never asked for anything in return. She teaches me that nothing truly beautiful can happen fast. You must keep trying and focus on your goal, don't give up and then become frustrated and impatient because you will definitely have bad days. But you must believe in the whole process of growth. You can't force the rose to bloom in the winter. Without her we cease to exist, and I want to give her the spotlight in the submission.
| | |
ON THE ROADS
Over $30,000 Raised for CitySquash!
| Thank you to our 2025 NYC Marathon runners. Matt Cortes, Hugh Doherty, Eva Finney, Ryan Harper, Graham Hyman, Ali Keesee and Katherine McElroy (pictured above) raised money and spread the word about our work. Thanks for being part of the team. | | |
February 4, 2026
NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY!
| CitySquash will be hosting an evening of squash exclusively for female athletes and their friends. All are welcome for a fun evening of games, squash activities, pizza and prizes! Please join us at CitySquash from 6:00pm - 8:30pm. | |
February 6-8, 2026
SEA TEAM NATIONALS!
| 58 CitySquashers will head to the Arlen Specter Center in Philadelphia to face off against our sister programs from around the country. Go CitySquash! | |
February 18, 2026
ICE SKATING WITH MENTORS
| CitySquashers and mentors outing to Wollman Rink in Central Park for an early evening of ice skating. If you are interested in becoming a mentor or attending the event, click here! | |
February 28, 2026
FEBFEST 2026
| | Join us for the chance to play on our new courts! This event will be a fun afternoon of squash for all ages and all levels. We'll end with pizza and drinks in our new home! To register to play, click here! | | That's right! Your favorite spring event is on the calendar, and it's only 114 days away. Save the date! | | Stay up to date on all that is happening at CitySquash by following us on Instagram @citysquash. |
| | | |
