Hi. My name is Mike Volonnino. And I'm a squash convert.

Whew. You can't imagine how hard that was to say. I've spent many hours in the office mocking how little anyone cared about the Harvard men's and women's squash teams. It's not that they weren't good--I've written squash national championship stories before. But it was, well, squash.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to head down to the Murr Center to watch the men's and women's team sweep Amherst and Tufts, respectively. I arrived with a snicker on my face. I was there only to guide Martin Bell on his first story, which by the way is excellent. As an added bonus, I would see freshman No. 4 Dylan Patterson, who graduated my high school.

(Wiped the floor with that Lord Jeff--go Regis!)

But something struck me the moment I sat down in the grandstand. Despite having almost no audience in attendance except for a few parents, the teams lined up for player introductions.

Side by side, the captains of each team announced each position. The women went first, and the men's squad sat in the stands and vocally cheered their counterparts. When freshman No. 7 Lindsay Coleman's name came up, the men stood and gave a rousing standing ovation.

Apparently, they select a different frosh each game to honor, as a way of welcoming to Harvard. In a sport which labors in almost complete anonymity, that is the support network they have built for each other.

The women then started play and the men proceeded with their player introductions. The whole event had a refreshing feel. This did not seem to be a high level, Division I sport, but a pickup game.