For rising senior Joseph Chapman of the squash team, playing catch-up is not all that bad.
Chapman, who was born in England and has lived the past 15 years in the British Virgin Islands, began playing squash at the age of 11. Despite the late start to the sport at a competitive level, Chapman improved each time that he stepped onto the court. Today, his diligence is one of the contributing factors to the squash club's No. 4 national ranking.
Although the economics major was set for a long time on studying abroad in Amsterdam, he changed his mind one day before the application deadline. On September 1, he will head to London for the fall semester, where he will continue to compete with some of the best squash players in the world.
What made you stick with squash instead of other sports you played?
Surfing was my other main sport until I was 16. I needed to focus more time on squash in order to improve, so I wasn't able to surf as much. I found surfing very relaxing, and I found a good balance by competing in squash and surfing for leisure.
Why did you choose to study abroad in London, rather than Amsterdam?
I was looking for a place that had high standard squash players. Even though it would be great to experience a completely new culture, the best squash is in Amsterdam, Cairo and London. I signed up for Amsterdam but switched at the last minute, since I thought I could get more consistent training in London.
Can you tell me about the program that you'll participate in?
The program is called Study London and is located in a great area in the middle of the city. It is a UR-sponsored program, so I didn't have to do much research for it. I'm not sure how big it is, but from what I've heard, it is held in classrooms rather than lecture halls. It's mostly American college students that are studying at this office in London. It would have been nice to meet and mix with the local population, but I'm fairly relaxed and am happy in all settings.
What do you think is the most unique part, or the part that you think you'll benefit the most from, about your program?
The courses I've chosen are about economics and politics in England and Europe. I haven't fully decided yet, but these courses are on my shortlist: the Economics and Business of Climate Change, the Architecture of London: 1600 – Present Day, the History of London, Contemporary Business Issues and the E.U., Government and Politics in Britain. So the best aspect is that I will be able to read about current issues in the newspaper and talk to people who are living in that culture.
Where do you plan to travel to in your semester abroad?
I plan on doing a lot of travel throughout Europe while I'm in London. I have friends in a few different countries, so I hope to stay with them. Countries I'm interested in are Italy, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.
How often do you plan to train while you're abroad?
I plan to train every morning and evening, six days a week. I won't be in Rochester for the semester of preparation, but I will be working just as hard in London. Most people I will be playing with in London will be full-time squash players. When I get back in the spring, I'll join the team in matches and training to keep pushing Rochester up the college sports ladder.
Can you tell me a little bit about the training you've been doing this summer for squash?
I trained for the first month and a half with Joe Kneipp, former world No. 10, my squash coach in the British Virgin Islands. He is a former top-ten player that I'm training with everyday. I decided to go to Europe for a month to look for some good matches and different training. I went to Yorkshire in England and trained with some of the top Indian players and James Willstrop, world No. 4. I spent a day in Manchester and got to play with Stewart Boswell, world No. 21. After ten days in England, I moved onto Switzerland, where I stayed with my friend and teammate, Benjamin Fischer. Switzerland was incredible, and we ended up playing everyday, cycling in the mountains and swimming in the lakes. I then went to the Hague-Holland for three days to train with Cameron Pilley, world No. 17. Cameron showed me a whole new level of fitness training, and I was so exhausted that I ended up sleeping in the day between our two sessions. I also spent a week in London, where I met up with former teammate and Rochester No. 1, Jim Bristow, who introduced me to his club. Everybody I met up with was very welcoming, and the whole trip was a huge success. I am back in the British Virgin Islands, and my friend Neil Cordell from England and I are training everyday together. I'm going to the Cayman Islands in a week for the Caribbean Championships.
Will squash be a part of your post-graduate plans?
At the moment, I don't have any plans to go to graduate school. I'm enjoying playing squash right now so much that I just want to continue improving. Improvement in every aspect of my life is something I push toward everyday. I would struggle to work at a conventional job, so I won't be applying for jobs after college. I'll see how I'm feeling when college is finished and decide then what direction I would like to go. There are so many opportunities, and I'm excited to pursue the next level of my life.
What will you take with you from the squash team to London?
Advice: sort out your mindset, and everything else will follow.
