One of Barbados most gifted sportswomen, Amanda Haywood, is fulfilling her dreams as a student-athlete and is doing so at a time when the world battles the Coronavirus pandemic and with a philosophy that giving up is not an option.
Currently based at the University of Virginia (UVA) since 2018 and is about to graduate this Summer of 2022, the 21-year-old Haywood since taking up the squash scholarship enrolled in the McIntire School of Commerce and doing a concentration in finance and accounting.
Determined to achieve all that she sets out to accomplish, Haywood who has represented Barbados in squash and badminton at the highest levels, has plans of a career in wealth management.
During an interview with Barbados TODAY, Haywood spoke about her journey so far. “Definitely going away to be a student-athlete, I have become a lot more independent and I see myself grow more as an individual on and off-court.
“On the court with my game, I have been able to become a lot stronger and consistent with the amount of training we put in like almost five to six times a week. Being able to stick in the rally a lot longer is necessary as you get further up in squash. So those are the advantages and development I have seen in myself as an athlete.”
She added: “I would say 2021 has been a different year for me as an athlete and as a student. It was a lot harder physically and mentally as a student not being able to train normally especially in the first half of 2021. Coming in our fall semester which was in September it went back to normal which was good and exciting that we could have our normal schedule as a student-athlete.
“It’s been like two years I haven’t trained and that competitive edge is something I didn’t have coming back into training. So, I have been working on it a lot since I returned to Barbados two weeks ago in the hope that the second half of the season would feel a little more normal again.”
As it relates to playing squash at UVA where Mark Allen is the head coach, that is something Haywood enjoys. She explained that UVA is currently ranked fifth in the United States going into the second half of the season and believes they have a good chance of possibly finishing in the top five.
“We are a set of girls who have a goal in mind and we are definitely working towards it. We put our all into it every time we step on the court whether that is at training or in our matches. So, we definitely have the willpower and the grit behind us and it is just being able to execute when we come back in 2022,” she stated.
It has been a couple of stellar years for Haywood who represented Barbados in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Ranked number two in the country, Haywood captured a couple of accolades over the years including the Barbados Olympic Association 2016 Most Outstanding Junior Female Award.
A three-time Caribbean Area Squash Association champion for the under-13, 15 and 17 age groups, Haywood offered some advice to young upcoming players who have a desire to study overseas. “University is hard. So, look for somewhere that would be a seamless transition. Having a good support group, I know I went to UVA because our team was so close, we are basically like a family and that is something everyone should look forward to having, a good set of support systems behind you. Either it is just your team or your coach and somewhere you think you will have fun because it is your University years and you should be having fun as well.”
When asked if she will continue to play for Barbados after University, Haywood said, “I definitely see myself still playing squash. It may not be as competitive as an everyday routine but I definitely see squash as my fitness or exercise endeavour every week. I definitely still want to play for Barbados and represent the country whenever I can. So, that is still a goal of mine to still keep in shape and my skills developing.”
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
