"If there is anyone I would have liked to lose to, it would have been Deepak," Patterson said. "[He] is a great captain and plays with a lot of class."
In a narrow sense, this was the ultimate tribute to a respected teammate. In a broader sense, however, this was a summation of everything that is wholesome about today's college squash tour.
Players respect each other and genuinely get along. They interact well with opposing coaches and they value the family-like atmosphere that has come to characterize the ever-expanding circuit.
Praise for the internationalization of American collegiate squash should not be construed as a criticism of the homegrown talent. If anything, the cooperation and camaraderie among all players, foreign or domestic, is truly remarkable.
The college experience is often perceived as a time to branch out, experience new walks of life and learn how things are done in other parts of the world.
All this and more routinely happens at college squash tournaments and this should give us hope that it can happen in other domains as well.