HAVERFORD, Pa. - For 16 seasons at the helm of the men's and women's squash programs, Coach Niki Clement has stood at the front of Haverford's squash courts with a standard in mind.
Yes, there are divisional championship banners at the GIAC Squash Courts. There are year-end rankings and Liberty League honors. But spend five minutes talking to her former players and you realize quickly that the wins are only a small part of the story.
"Niki was the best coach I ever had and I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to play with her for four years," said Ryan Dukarm '19. "Far beyond helping me become a better player, she helped me become a better person. She is an outstanding coach and leader."
That refrain echoes across classes and across both programs. Clement wrapped her 16th season at the helm of the men's and women's varsity squash teams in 2025-26, and during that time the Fords have captured three men's divisional titles and two women's divisional titles. The men lifted CSA Team Championship trophies in the 2012 Series Cup and 2017 Chaffee Cup. Then, this past weekend, they added a new milestone, powering to a 7-2 victory over Connecticut College to claim the program's first Conroy Cup title.
It was a breakthrough built on years of steady climb for a program with humble beginnings. The men have qualified for the Conroy Cup in each of the last six seasons and reached a No. 28 national ranking in 2017-18, the highest year-end finish for the program in more than a decade at the time.
On the women's side, the trajectory has been just as deliberate. After back-to-back CSA E Division Championships in 2013 and 2014, the Fords have risen into the Epps Cup in six of the past seven seasons. A No. 23 national ranking in 2022-23 signaled a program firmly on the rise.
In 2015-16, Clement and her team were recognized with the Clarence C. Chaffee Award, honoring sportsmanship, teamwork, character, and improvement. If that sounds familiar, it should. Those are the pillars Clement instills in her players constantly.
"Niki always made it clear that she saw us as more than squash players," said Kaitlin Reese '20. "She uses the court as a classroom, one that teaches resilience, discipline, and love of the game. She supported us well beyond the GIAC in our lives as students, biologists, designers, a cappella singers, and people. She's not just coaching better athletes. She helps her players become better versions of themselves."
That philosophy is visible to families as well.
"Having had three children play collegiate squash, we've experienced many coaching styles. Niki truly stands out for her compassion and her whole-athlete approach," said Renu Mital P '29. "When our son, Nevin Mital, chose to take a gap year, we worried about how it might impact the team. Without hesitation, Niki simply said, 'You should do what's right for Nevin.' This reaffirmed Nevin's decision that choosing Haverford and Niki was the perfect one."
At Haverford, that approach fits. The court becomes almost an extension of the classroom for Haverford players. A five-game match becomes a lesson in patience. A tough loss may become an exercise in accountability and sportsmanship.
"What Niki has built over 16 seasons is far greater than a championship résumé," said Dr. Danielle Lynch, Director of Athletics. "She has created a program defined by integrity, resilience, and care for one another. Our student-athletes compete at a high level because she challenges them to pursue excellence, but they leave Haverford as thoughtful leaders because she invests in them as whole people. Niki represents the very best of Haverford Athletics, and we are incredibly fortunate to have her leading our squash programs."
Clement demands competitive excellence, but she frames it within something larger. Represent the "H" well. Represent yourself well. Leave it better than you found it.
"Niki is the reason I am still playing and coaching to this day," said Tate Miller '21. "She exemplifies sportsmanship and genuinely cares about each and every athlete on the squash team. She is the kind of coach I hope to become one day."
That is the multiplier effect. The influence does not stop at graduation. It travels.
"Niki's dedication and contributions to the program have been tremendous," said Nate Vestrich-Shade '16. "She has influenced the personal and professional development of many young men and women over the last 15 years. We are fortunate to have her at the helm."
Her leadership extends well beyond the GIAC. Clement has served as secretary of the Women's College Squash Association and now sits on the College Squash Association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coaches Committee and Mental Health Committee. Those roles reflect priorities she has long embedded into her teams. Performance and well-being are not separate conversations. They are the same conversation.
That commitment was visible this season when Haverford hosted a Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Game in honor of Thomas Saltoun Braun, the late brother of junior Daniel Braun.
"As a squash coach, Niki constantly inspires us to strive for excellence, combining technical precision with genuine care for each player's growth," said Braun '27. "She is so much more than just our squash coach. After a captain's meeting in October, she reminded me that we had a match on January 31, my late brother's birthday. She had somehow remembered months in advance and asked how she could support me and help us do something meaningful around mental health. She is one of the most thoughtful and caring people I have ever met, truly making Haverford squash a family."
With Clement's initiative and support, the event became more than a date on the schedule. It was a statement about the power of community, where players, fellow students, coaches, trainers, friends, and families came together to support one another.
The establishment of the Thomas Saltoun Braun GI Psychology Research Endowment, which advances research and peer support at the intersection of digestive health and psychological well-being, reinforces the belief that no one competes or struggles alone. Haverford was proud to support this effort through a special day of squash.
Clement also understands the importance of growing the game. She is a 2006 graduate of Bowdoin College, a two-time All-American and four-time team MVP who later climbed to No. 78 in the world during her professional career.
Her connection to Haverford runs even deeper. Her grandfather, Frederick T.J. Clement '45, and great-grandfather, Dewitt C. Clement 1917, are both alumni of the College. Dewitt once set the two-mile school record in 1916. More than a century later, another Clement is shaping the Scarlet and Black, this time in a different arena.
Sixteen seasons in, the measure of her impact cannot be found solely in box scores or results posted on ClubLocker. It shows up in alumni who still reach out for advice. In upperclassmen who take responsibility for setting the tone. In teams that compete hard and carry themselves well, whether they are playing for a championship or fighting through a rebuilding year. Rankings will rise and fall. Seasons move quickly. What endures is the standard set.
Under Clement, Haverford squash has won championships. It has also developed players who understand that how they compete matters just as much as the score at the end.
