A beaded聽ostrich聽egg sits on the windowsill of Pat Cosquer鈥檚 memento-filled office at the 乐播传媒 Squash Facility, located at 56 Alfred Plourde Parkway in Lewiston.
The elegant egg was a gift to Cosquer 鈥�97 from women鈥檚 squash co-captain Lauren Williams 鈥�16 of Bulawyo, Zimbabwe. Female artists from Ndebele tribes in South Africa and Zimbabwe craft the beading on the eggs by hand.
A beaded ostrich egg sits on the window ledge in Pat Cosquer’s office. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
When Williams arrived at 乐播传媒 in 2013, she had never even visited campus. 鈥淔or her to physically, emotionally, and mentally take this leap of faith to come to 乐播传媒 was emblematic of the kind of person she is,鈥� Cosquer says. She personified the drive that he identifies with women鈥檚 squash at 乐播传媒. 鈥淛ust the blind faith and trust she put into squash and me really meant a lot.鈥�
Cosquer received the gift from Williams and her family at graduation. It was 鈥渁 valuable validation,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t meant that her experience had been meaningful and worthwhile.鈥� He appreciates that each and every one of his players, domestic or international, could have chosen colleges other than 乐播传媒 and sports other than squash. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really special decision that I don鈥檛 ever take for granted.鈥�
Cosquer鈥檚 goal as coach of 乐播传媒 squash is for his sport to reflect the ethos of the college. 鈥淭he more students from around the world with diverse backgrounds, socioeconomic status, race, and religion we can expose each other to,鈥� he says, the deeper the experience.
Cosquer poses with the gift from a former player, now a history teacher and a squash and tennis coach. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e sort of doing here,鈥� he says, is asking individuals with different interests and backgrounds and orientations to 鈥渁dapt to situations that may be uncomfortable for them. In a way we鈥檙e sort of preparing young people for life after 乐播传媒, for life after squash, for adulthood.鈥� That preparation goes far beyond winning squash matches, 鈥渉onoring the rigors and stresses of everyday life as a college student.鈥�
A four-year letterwinner in squash and baseball, Cosquer, a 1997 乐播传媒 graduate, amassed a 60-22 individual squash record and was team captain and team MVP his senior year under Hall of Fame coach George Wigton.
The beaded ostrich egg represents traditional Zimbabwean artwork dating back to medieval times. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
As Cosquer glances around his small office located off the center鈥檚 squash courts, he thinks about the progression his program has made. His appreciation for Williams, now a history teacher and head coach of girls’ squash and tennis at Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn., represents his pride in all of his players, many of whom go on to coach and mentor.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud of who they were when they were here. I鈥檓 more proud of who they鈥檝e become.鈥�
