Brown Womens’ Squash Team Captain Zoya Unni: How Sports Skills Translate in a Corporate Workspace
NAISHA DIDWANIA
Zoya is currently a junior studying philosophy and science technology and society. She has been on the squash team since her freshman year and now serves as their captain.
Naisha Didwania: Can you elaborate on your experience as captain and the skills it equips you with?
Zoya: I think it equips me with a lot of skills. On a basic level, it has given me some basic tools that I think translate well into the workplace, such as managerial and organizational experience. There are a lot of tasks you have to take care of where you ensure individual players are getting their work done, and keeping up with practices. There is a lot of organizing social events and team scheduling. There’s also a tone of dealing with interpersonal conflict because there’s always a difference of opinions and lifestyles.
ND: How do you see these skills transferring to a corporate workspace? In particular, your work in finance and private equity.
ZU: I think being a team leader is particularly helpful because of that last skill where you learn to resolve conflict. It is so important in any workspace, but particularly in business-related spaces. Also, learning how to work individually on projects because squash is an individual sport and everyone is working towards a common goal. It taught me how to have internal motivation and external drive. Being the leader of a team has helped me feel confident in the financial sector. As a male-dominated field, it’s easy to feel compelled to defer to others but seeing myself in a leadership position has empowered me to see my competence and be more vocal in the workspace.
ND: Can you provide insight into the challenges you have faced in this experience?
ZU: Yeah! This year, we transitioned from varsity to club so there were a lot of recruits. Coming into the season, it was demotivating for players to play against high-level teams. I had to work to show the players that they deserved to play in these spaces and show their skills. Often in those situations, it is typical to play down. We did a lot of team talks and team bonding with each other to keep ourselves motivated. I think this experience also helped me feel more confident and open to new experiences in the corporate world as well; I was comfortable learning from and working to be at the level of my peers and make meaningful contributions.
Nd: How did you work your way up to this position?
ZU: I’m the most senior person on the team and have been playing intensely for a while, so it seemed like the obvious option. The biggest challenge I faced was differential treatment between the men’s and women’s teams in terms of funds and coaching. We are not kept in the loop partially because of the skills difference. It’s been a lot of work to keep the girls motivated despite feeling inferior.
ND: On that note, as most of our readers are women, would you have any advice on that front?
ZU: I think I was initially very scared to bring up these issues to my coach. There was fear of retaliation towards me if I called anyone out. By the second half of the season, I would just go to him and speak directly. My coach was thankfully receptive. You have to know the time and place to bring up your battles. It’s important to speak up for yourself and your team because there are other women at stake in this situation. And this need to be assertive translates to the workplace as well. As women, we are sometimes taught to be more reserved and “polite.” This kind of thinking is something squash has helped me get rid of. I know my worth and value, and I should not be afraid to contribute, share my insights, or advocate for myself. Overall, I grew a lot from this experience and grew confident in my decisions.