Shona Kerr enters her 19th season as head coach of both men's and women's squash at Wesleyan in 2023-24, and also holds the rank of adjunct professor of physical education. Kerr is the all-time winningest coach in Wesleyan squash history, for both the men's and women's teams, and was named the NESCAC Men’s Squash Coach of the Year twice, in 2011 and 2014.
In 18 seasons at the helm of the men’s program, Kerr has guided Wesleyan to a 177-196 (.475) record. The Cardinals posted seven consecutive winning seasons from 2010 to 2017 and recorded back-to-back 15-win campaigns in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The 15 wins are a program record, while the 2016-17 campaign saw the Cardinals win the Conroy Cup (D Division) at the College Squash Association (CSA) National Team Championships.
In 18 seasons guiding the women's program, Kerr has led the team to a 186-217 (.462) mark. From 2007 to 2014, the Cardinals reached double digit win totals each season, highlighted by a 16-9 campaign in 2012-13. The 16 wins are third-most in the 49-year history of Wesleyan women's squash. Kerr also coached the most decorated squash player in Cardinals' history, Laila Samy '18. Samy, a four-time All-American, concluded her career with an 80-1 regular season record. She was also named the NESCAC Women's Squash Player of the Year twice, the 2015 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, and was she named the Betty Richey Award winner by the College Squash Association, which "is given annually to the women's squash player who best exemplifies the ideals of squash in her love of and devotion to the game, her strong sense of fairness, and her excellent of play and leadership."
Prior to her arrival at Wesleyan in 2005-06, Kerr was the head squash coach at Wellesley College where she spent four seasons and compiled a 44-40 (.524) overall record. Her 2002-03 squad posted 15 victories, which was the most at the College since 1984.
Kerr came to Wellesley from the University of Wales Institutes Cardiff (UWIC), where she coached for one year. Prior to UWIC, she coached the Cardiff University Squash club, where she tutored players of all ages and abilities from 1996-98. In addition, she served as an assistant coach for the Sussex Under-19 girls' squad.
As a player, Kerr represented England at the U19 and U16 levels and was a national squad member throughout her junior years, ranking as high as No. 4 in England. She went on to become a four-year member of the Welsh Universities team from 1996-99. More recently, she was a member of the UWIC team, which won the Women's Welsh Premiere League. She also represented Wales at the 2000 European Club Championships held in Amsterdam. In the United States, Kerr was a national squash age-group champion for under-35 and at the 5.0 skill level in both 2004 and 2005, and also played for the Boston Ladies "A" Team which won the Howe Cup.
In addition to her playing and coaching experience, Kerr holds a Level III advanced coaching certification from the England Squash Association. In the summer of 2003, she traveled to Cairo, Egypt as a presenter at the World Squash Federation Development and Coaching Conference. Kerr has also been active in several camps as a coach including Squashbusters summer camp for which she served as director. She served a two-year term as vice-president of the CSA from 2005-07, of which she has been a member since 2001, and completed a three-year term as CSA president in 2011. Kerr was on the CSA Executive Committee through 2014. She also played an integral role in the creation of the CSA website.
Kerr earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Cardiff University in 1998 and received her Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan in 2008, receiving a handshake from two-term President of the United States Barack Obama at graduation.
In October 2006, Kerr acted as local coordinator for the College Squash Association's Coaches Conference held at Wesleyan. She also organizes activities around Wesleyan's Rosenbaum Squash Center to foster greater interest in the sport in the area. In her spare time, Kerr still enjoys competing and will play in squash tournaments if and when they can fit outside the college schedule. She is also an avid "Racketlon" competitor. A cousin of triathlon, Racketlon combines the four racket sports of table-tennis, badminton, squash, and tennis. In 2018, Kerr represented the United States of America in the Racketlon World Championship and has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the world. She also teaches the only college-credit Racketlon class in the world.
