Awards Criteria (W)

The Women’s College Squash Association presents awards to individuals and teams annually.  Below are the criteria and procedures for each award.

Betty Richey Award
Player and Sportswoman of the Year

Criteria: Candidates are evaluated on the following criteria:

• On-court poise and demeanor
• Skill level and ability
• Team play
• Contributions to intercollegiate squash
• Leadership
• Cooperation with players, coaches, and tournament officials

Procedures: Before February 1st, the Awards Chair solicits nominations for the Betty Richey Award by email. Teams may not nominate players from their own college or university. Nominations close on February 1st, and the Awards Chair then selects no more than five candidates for the award.

Notification of these candidates and a copy of supporting data is emailed to each coach at least one week prior to National Team Championships (Howe Cup). The coach and captain(s) of each team consult with their teams and come to the National Team Championship meeting prepared to vote. Each institution has two votes, which should be in writing and collected by the Awards Chair at the National Team Championship meeting. If a team cannot be represented, the Awards Chair may collect their votes prior to the meeting. In the event of a tie, a run-off vote between the candidates is held.

The award is usually presented to the winner at the National Team Championships. The winner’s respective institution keeps the permanent trophy for a year and the winner receives an award to keep.

For a history of the award and a list of past winners, see Richey Award.

Clarence C. Chaffee Award
Team Sportsmanship

Criteria: The Chaffee Award is for the women’s varsity squash team and coach who best represent the ideals around which Clarence Chaffee built his teams. Teams are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Sportsmanship
• Teamwork
• Character/Friendliness
• Work Ethic
• Improvement

Procedures: Coaches discuss with their team which team they feel is deserving of this award. Coaches then vote on the award at the National Team Championships meeting, with each team getting one vote. The award, a keeper plaque, is presented at the Nation Team Championships.

For a history of the award and a list of past winners, see Chaffee Award.

Ann Wetzel Award
Best Senior Player to Learn Squash in College

Criteria: To be eligible for this award, candidates may not have played squash prior to their experience at their collegiate institution. The individual who wins must show:

• Outstanding growth technically as a player (records and results)
• A sound understanding of the rules of squash
• Positive on-court poise and demeanor

Procedures: Players are nominated by their coaches by February 1st. The Awards Committee reviews the nominations and selects the nominee who best meets the award criteria. The winner is announced at the National Team Championships. The winner’s institution keeps the permanent trophy for a year.

For a history of the award and a list of past winners, see Wetzel Award.

CSA Scholar Athlete Award

Criteria: Each woman who meets the following criteria will be named to the scholar athlete team:

• Two-time varsity letter winner at the school she is currently attending
• Has a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above
• Junior or senior
• Enrolled at her present school for one full year prior to the present term
• Played in 75% or more of the scheduled varsity matches

Procedures: Coaches determine the eligibility of their players and submit the Coach’s Scholar Athlete Form and the Registrar’s Verification Form to the Executive Administrator one week before the National Team Championships (Howe Cup). Two certificates (one for the athlete and one for the institution) are prepared by the Executive Administrator and are presented at the National Team Championships.

Note: All permanent trophies will be kept by the respective winners’ institutions for one year. It is the responsibility of the coach to ensure the safety of these valuable trophies. They must be returned to the appropriate event the following year appropriately engraved, cleaned, and polished.