Simba Muhwati, Trinity College Squash Racquets

A Journey Across Miles, Climates and Culture

Louise Crome - Vietnam WISPA squash open winner

In the 10 years James Montano has been the assistant coach at Trinity College he has witnessed his boys knock out Harvard for the first time in school history, seen Gustav save the day, stood on the field at Fenway, been part of a now yearly photo next to a National Champion sign I-84, gone home to watch his team on ESPN, woke up to them in the Hartford Courant and picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated to read about his boss. After 10 years of perfection crammed with a lifetime of experiences, it is the arrival and consequent impact of a kid from Zimbabwe that is the one thing he will always remember.

Simba Muhwati is memorable to those who know him and even those who simply know of him, whether it be for the lime green shoes he wore on court because he likes to be "flashy," the gentle yet booming voice he called his teammates on court with as a captain his senior year, or the backhand that coach Paul Assaiante calls the "best in the house." And for those who never saw him, his 63-5 career record, the third most wins in school history-ensures he will be remembered in collegiate squash for a long time to come.

THE ROAD TO TRINITY

Long before Simba ever notched that initial win he was working non-stop, to make sure he could get to Trinity in the first place. Simba arrived at JFK in January, 2005-from the 80 degree days in Zimbabwe to the low teens, dead of winter in the Northeast. Montano remembers him stepping through the gate in a suit and flip flops, with his one bag in his hand. In defense of the flip flops, Simba said, "There was a reason. It takes 24 hours with layovers and everything, and you can't wear shoes for such a long flight."

When Simba stepped through the gate, it marked the end of an 18 month struggle to get him into the US to study, and play squash. Assaiante recruited Simba straight out of high school after hearing about him from future Trinity standout, Shaun Johnstone. Simba and Shaun grew up together and played each other in countless finals at every level of junior squash. The youngest of three children and son of separated parents, with him being his mother's only child, Simba initially decided to pass on college and work at a bank to help support his mother. Additionally, though he felt he would be fine academically, he did not think he was a good enough squash player to help the Trinity team.

Simba never lost touch with Montano, Assaiante or Johnstone. More than a year later, Simba decided to go to college and applied to and was eventually accepted to Trinity. Of all the places Assaiante has recruited players from, he counts Zimbabwe as one of the toughest because of the poor phone connections and the constant breakdown of internet service. Upon his acceptance to Trinity, Montano gave Simba his word that he would "come to Trinity and regardless of if he ever played in a match he would have the opportunity to earn a college degree."

Determination, on both sides, soon became the only thing that would get Simba to the U.S., as rejection, bureaucracy and communication breakdown became a constant.

When Simba's Student Visa was rejected for the second time he told Montano, "Coach James, I do not have enough money for my travel Visa...I have unpacked my bags." Crushed and to this day emotional about that phone call, Montano spoke with the Zimbabwe Embassy, the U.S Embassy, the liaison to the embassies, the State Department, Connecticut's senators, the Dean of Students, the President of Trinity College and "anyone else I thought could help."

"Once you talk to Coach or James on the phone, you literally think these guys are going all out for you, and they were," Muhwati said.

Simba was granted another interview for his Student Visa.
"We all knew this was the last chance, match ball per se in the fifth," Montano said.

Match to Simba.

"When I finally got the news Simba was granted his Visa and was cleared for travel to Trinity, it was three or four in the morning," Montano said. "I can remember calling him and both of us yelling like Christmas day. According to Simba, it was because his mom had lit goodwill candles for us."
A few months later, Simba arrived in the U.S. ready to get through the gate and on with his life, and with a Visa that had been mistakenly marked for business travel and would require him to return to Zimbabwe the following summer to get it changed. Again, the Dream Team went into action as Simba was held at customs and a frustrated Montano forked over every piece of ID he owned and every last paper in Simba's admissions file, all of which he had grabbed in dreaded anticipation that there would for some reason be yet another issue. With another 90 minutes tacked onto a year and a half battle, Simba walked through the gate and soon later arrived at Trinity.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

It is difficult to imagine a quiet, demure Simba Muhwati, but when he started that January he was cautious as he felt his way around. Kellner Squash Center was abuzz as the team was in the throws of challenge matches.

"Tommy Wolfe was playing an epic challenge match against Eric Wadhwa, and I heard Simba say, 'Come on boys. Keep fighting.' It was one of the first times I heard him speak," Assaiante said.

Simba played only five matches that season-and went 5-0 in varsity play. His spirits were low, and he felt his squash was dismal as well. After 21 years of being out in the sun for at least 10 hours every day, the cold weather, among other things, was a lot to handle.

"I couldn't do it. I really couldn't do the weather," Simba said. "I was sick, and it made me really bad at squash too."

In addition, he missed his family and felt guilty for not being able to help his mother more. Simba told Assaiante he did not think he would be returning to Trinity in the fall.
"Coach (Assaiante) said 'It's up to you,' but made it clear that the best way to help them was to stay here and become someone," Simba said.

SEASON TWO

Simba' sophomore year marked a stark contrast to his first months at Trinity. During the summer, which he spent in Harare, Simba missed Coach Assaiante, as well as the dining hall where he could eat whenever he wanted, as inflation makes that impossible in Zimbabwe.
"I was able to come back and play really well," Simba said. "The weather was nicer in the fall and I started appreciating getting food and all those things I was taking for granted."

Simba won Most Improved player that year. He also suffered his first loss playing in the top nine to Yale's Francis Johnson. The previous year he lost to another Yale player, Ethan Oetter, at No. 10. Johnson is the only player to beat Simba twice in collegiate match play. Oddly enough, he is also Simba's favorite collegiate player to compete against, and not simply because the two happen to be good friends off court. With only five losses in four years, he never got used to losing but he found certain losses easier to accept.
"If I respect the person I'm playing and they beat me, then no, I am not mad because I got beat," he said. "The ones with Francis, I was close. Ethan Oetter outplayed me and beat me fair and square."

Simba's other losses came at Individuals. In 2006 at Penn, he lost to Harvard's Ilan Oren, who he called "potentially the greatest attacker to come out of college squash." His fifth loss was in the last match of his career, against teammate Randy Lim at 2008 Individuals.

With Trinity's depth, Bantam v. Bantam matches are a common occurrence at Individuals, as is players at the bottom of Trinity's varsity lineup being named All Americans. Simba played eight for Trinity his senior year, and capped off his career being named a second team All American.
Simba is one of seven classes of Trinity squash players to have never lost a team match. In 2006, the streak nearly ended-twice. Detter coming back to beat Yasser El Halaby is the stuff movies are made of; Simba coming back from 2-1 down at No. 8 was what an eighth consecutive Trinity championship was made of. Muhwati was losing to Princeton's Michael Gilman at Princeton. Yasser won this time, as had his stellar supporting cast-Mauricio Sanchez, Kimlee Wong and Hesham El Halaby.
"After the third game I asked Simba if he had ever hear of 'The Lion King,'" Assaiante said. "He gives me this 'duh' look. I told Simba lions are much stronger than tigers."

Muhwati won the fourth 9-0. A year later, following a 21-1 season, tying the Trinity record for most wins ever in s single season, Muhwati was elected co-captain with Neil Roberston, who also hails from Harare, Zimbabwe.

"Neil is the very quiet, conservative one," Muhwati said. "I am flashy. I like to be loud. We are very balanced. If it had been just me, it would have been a disaster."

During their year as captains, the two had much more on their minds than coordinating practices. The political climate in Zimbabwe worsened.

"It's been awful," Simba said. "There have been times where I've had to take breaks. It just gets scary. I talk to my parents a lot. They (the people of Zimbabwe) are the most resilient people."

Simba is one of several players on Trinity's team who's concerned about what is going on in their home country. With players from eight countries, being a captain brings a unique set of responsibilities.

"Because of the diversity in the program, so much can go wrong," Assaiante said. "You've got India v. Pakistan on court at practice. Simba was my eyes and ears. He always knew what the team dynamic was."

During his years on the Trinity squash team, the kids from all the different countries and parts of the U.S. became his family.

"I can make a phone call to anyone on that team and ask them to do something for me, and they will," he said. "And the same goes for me with them."

Simba's Trinity squash career is now officially complete. At the banquet he was given the Belfiore Award for exemplifying the Trinity sporting spirit. He has another year of school left and plans to continue on his mission to know every single person on campus. He will also help found an urban squash program and would like to help coach his old team.

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