Sometimes schools have to search far and wide to find the best squash players.

Then there are those that find them in their own backyard.

One kid who grew up in the Boston area is now the number-one player for the Harvard men's squash team.

Harvard Coach Dave Fish knew about junior Jon Bernheimer when he used to participate in Fish's youth squash camps during the summer months in Cambridge.

But Bernheimer can thank his father, Lenny, a pro squash player, for introducing him to the sport.

"I started playing when I was eight," Bernheimer says. "I used to go down to the University Club of Boston and watch him play. There really wasn't anyone to play against, so I just hit by myself in the dungeon courts while he played his match."

Soon, the native Bostonian was taking home all the honors, and his dad was watching him play.

Bernheimer had an illustrious junior career, winning the 12-and-under and 14-and-under championships. He was also ranked in the top three during each of his six years as a junior.

But it wasn't until he was 17 or 18 that the younger Bernheimer was good enough to beat his senior.

"I could never beat him," Bernheimer says. "I used to get really mad."

After he finally beat his dad?

"Then he got really mad," Bernheimer says. "We had some real battles. There was a lot of swearing, and neither one of us would give an inch. Now I think I got him. But he might think otherwise."

Although Dad may no longer be the king of the court in the Bernheimer family, he still attends all of his son's games at Hemenway Gym.

"It's great to have your dad really involved in what you're doing and vice-versa," Bernheimer says. "If I'm not playing well, I can call him up and discuss what's going on."

And when it came to college, Bernheimer decided to go to the one that was just couple of "T" stops away.