Haywood excelling at Virginia University

Amanda Haywood continues to excel on and off the squash court at the University of Virginia (UVA).

Without a doubt, one of the most talented female squash players for Barbados, the 20-year-old sophomore has been flying the national flag with pride at the Charlottesville based Virginia University.

Since joining the squash team at UVA in 2018, Haywood has made a significant contribution when she played as a top-three seed and helped UVA women capture the Kurtz Cup earlier this year. It was a historic occasion for UVA finishing ninth overall, the highest they have ever ranked in the United States.

“Our team got a lot stronger this year. So, the fact that I was able to continue that three to four spot showed that I really improved. So it was a pretty good season. I definitely saw improvements in my game. Academically I’m doing well having been accepted into the McIntire School of Commerce, which is also part of UVA but you have to apply to it in your second year. I’m completing that right now for the next two years. The school is very competitive to get into so I was happy I received admission into it,” Haywood said.

She admitted that since joining UVA she has grown tremendously as an individual.

“Since I’m now completing my second year I can definitely say from the transition I’ve grown more independent. I remember when I first started the first year I would always be waiting for one of my friends to go to the dining hall or have somebody to walk somewhere. But now I just like to do stuff on my own more often,” she said.

Definitely one of the all-time greatest female players for Barbados in squash alongside reigning national number one Meagan Best and 15-time national champion Karen Meakins, Haywood has performed well for Barbados over the years at the local, regional and international levels.

Runner-up at senior nationals for the past two years, Haywood said she was looking forward to that tournament in June along with the senior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championship in August.

But the multi-talented athlete who also represents Barbados in badminton said she would not get her hopes up after being forced to return home as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic.

Haywood who can boast of a wonderful career in squash at the junior level for Barbados with gold in doubles at the Junior Pan American Games in 2018, and having teamed up with doubles partner Meagan Best for bronze at the Central American and Caribbean Championship (CAC), said the news of returning home came as a total shock.

“I was kind of surprised because initially, my school transferred to online classes only until April 5th. Initially, my mum told me to wait up until April 5th to just see how everything is happening, to like wait it out because yes, of course, it wasn’t that serious as yet. But then my mum just called me and told me to come and I was surprised and taken aback. I wasn’t fully ready to come home yet but I really didn’t have a choice. Luckily for us, we were on spring break so a lot of my teammates already went back home,” she said.

Despite coming to the realisation there was no other choice than to return home, Haywood noted it was tough getting her world disrupted when she had to leave Virginia, a place to which she had grown accustomed.

“It is hard academically and socially, having to adjust to all my classes online and having that discipline to know when I need to do work. It is just so much harder than having that set class time where you know you have to go to class and when you have homework.

“Socially, we had just finished our season, so we were ready to be free for a little while before Spring training. This is a time where I had like time for my friends and teammates outside of squash. So, I was not ready to come back home. We were now going to bond and have fun. Right now I’m missing my friends up there.”

Haywood added: “During Spring break we would have been working out building our muscles. But now we are at home I still need that discipline to work out alone because you’re so accustomed to working out with the team. So, training at home alone is very different.”

Haywood said she utilises Facetime with her friends to get the training done almost every day.

“It is so strange coming out here and doing a workout on your own. Even when I was stationed here I had other teammates and stuff to do workouts with,” she explained.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb