Maeve Baker ’23 first picked up a squash racket at the age of seven and has not looked back since. Baker, a four-year member of the Deerfield Girls Varsity Squash team, began playing due to the influence of a childhood friend in her hometown of New Canaan, CT. Eleven years later, she has found success on the squash courts that few others can match. She quickly fell in love with the game, citing the individuality of the sport as a primary reason: “I never really liked team sports growing up, and what I like about squash is that it’s really all about you. You have complete accountability for your success or failures and can’t really credit or blame anyone else,” she said.
However, Baker has found joy in celebrating victories and accomplishments with her teammates while simultaneously learning from them. She said, “I think that I learn a little bit from all my teammates, and it’s nice to have people to rely on when things are intense, but also to support, alongside yourself.” Baker emphasized the importance of team chemistry for any successful squash program, an aspect of team culture that she has worked to cultivate as a team captain this season. Teammate Kate Chorske ’25, said, “Maeve is a hard worker who inspires us to play to our best every day.”
While she is a very accomplished player, one achievement stands above all for Baker: representing the U.S. during the British Junior Open in January 2023. “It was a super cool opportunity to have, and it’s something that has always been a goal of mine. Other girls on the team, they’ve been going since they were nine, ten years old, but, for me, it was my first time on that stage.” Baker, alongside Boys Varsity Squash player Christian Capella ’25, was one of 50 players chosen to represent Team U.S.A. in England.
Baker’s stellar play earned her interest from numerous colleges, and, last year, she committed to playing squash for Stanford University. At Stanford, Baker will join her former squash teammate Isabella Rolfe ’21. Stanford disbanded their women’s squash program in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and just recently reintroduced the team to their athletics department. The 2021-22 season was their first “proper” season, and they struggled. Baker said, “Many of the players on last season’s team were walk-ons, they didn’t have that many recruits, so they kind of struggled competitively. But, I’m excited to be a part of a program that’s rebuilding and to have the opportunity to directly contribute and witness the team become more successful as time goes on.”
Baker aims to be a cornerstone of the women’s squash program at Stanford, akin to the integral role that she is had on Deerfield’s team over the past four seasons. She continued, “At Stanford, I’ll have the opportunity to play in the top nine as a freshman, which is pretty rare, since they’re still in this rebuild. But, as time goes on and they get new recruits, it’ll be harder to stay higher on the ladder. It’s usually the opposite — as time goes on for a player in the program, their spot on the ladder is usually more secure, but it won’t be that way at Stanford.”
Baker usually plays squash six out of the seven days of the week, sometimes twice a day, while maintaining a consistent regimen in the gym. This work ethic will be imperative to the completion of Baker’s ultimate goal: winning a national championship for Stanford.
Baker’s co-captain, Alex Kelsey ’23, attested to Baker’s work ethic and leadership, saying, “Maeve’s commitment to the sport, through tournaments, and showing up early to practices and staying late, is inspiring to younger players.” She continued, “People see her devotion to the sport, her passion for the sport, and it’s a good model on how to buy in and develop work ethic. Her work ethic inspires intensity on the team, and it makes younger players want to go there early, stay there late, hit the ball hard, and it helps the team stay motivated at practices. It’s inspiring to me.”
Thus far, Baker’s hard work has paid off. Alongside being committed to Stanford, Baker is currently ranked as the #9 U19 women’s squash player in the country. While she has made numerous sacrifices in order to find success as a squash player, Baker has fallen in love with the sport along the way: “I can’t imagine my life without squash,” she said. “I think even after college, when I have a career, I’ll always play, even if it’s twice a week, playing matches, hitting the ball round, just staying fit.” This sort of passion has not gone unnoticed to those close to Baker.
Personal friend and Girls Varsity Squash manager, Caroline Ghirardini ’23 said, “Her dedication toward the sport is demonstrated by the hours upon hours she spends in the courts, and the good amount of time at Deerfield she has given up for tournaments and training.”
Playing at the #1 spot on the ladder for Deerfield over the past two seasons, Baker has set the bar for what it means to be a Deerfield squash player. Many teammates and Deerfield community members will be rooting for her as she continues her journey with the Cardinal next year.