8 September 2011
Nadal Collapse Highlights Sporting Stress

Rafa Nadal’s collapse in front of the TV cameras, during a US Open press conference, was a very public illustration of the health and fitness issues that concern all athletes.

It all happened in slow motion as he stopped talking, closed his eyes and slowly slid down his chair and on to the floor.

Fortunately, his condition was quickly diagnosed as cramp, brought on by playing in hot and humid conditions at the Flushing Meadows complex in New York.

He returned to the podium to continue his conference and laughed off the attack.

However, another leading professional said: “You guys made a big thing of it because it happened right in front of you all, but this kind of thing happens all the time to nearly every player.

“There’s not a player on the Tour who doesn’t travel around with an array of aches, pains and niggling injuries. That’s the price you pay for trying to stay in peak condition. Cramp is obviously a key factor in the Grand Slams where we are playing five-setters instead of three, often in hot weather. Avoiding dehydration is important.”

Nadal himself took that position a stage further in his autobiography “Rafa” when he wrote: “Playing sports is a good thing for ordinary people; sport played at the professional level is not good for your health. It pushes your body to limits that human beings are not naturally equipped to handle.”

The US Open mirrored last year’s World Open in squash, which was littered with injuries and withdrawals.

While squash players have enjoyed the rare opportunity of a long summer rest following the collapse of a number of events, tennis players have questioned the overwhelming physical strain imposed by an ATP Men’s Tour schedule that now boasts 62 tournaments.

World number four Andy Murray joined the debate when he commented on Twitter: "Is the 18th pull-out in the US Open telling the tennis authorities anything?? No?? Thought not...."

Roger Federer, a man who learnt squash as a youngster before turning to tennis, where he has accumulated 16 Grand Slam titles to his name, says he is amazed and disappointed by the number of tennis players who throw in the towel when faced with physical distress.

He said: "For me it is shocking to see so many retirements. I would say 50% of them are unlucky because they're not feeling well or getting injured or carrying an injury.

"It comes out in best-of-five-set tennis. You can't hide it, in my opinion. Could some guys finish the matches? I'm sure, but they didn't decide to.

"For me, it doesn't matter how bad I'm feeling, I will be out there and giving it a try, because you never know what's going to happen. Every player feels different. It's unfortunate it happens for the fans, I guess."

Squash players have often made derisory remarks about tennis when comparing the physical demands of the two sports.

In squash, you are locked inside a glass or concrete box until the end of each game, whereas in tennis you can play a mere four points, then rest your legs, take some fluid on board and nibble a banana before returning to action.

Squash offers no such respite. The physical punishment is a legendary badge of honour worn proudly by every player but there are plenty of pros who have succumbed to burn-out down the years.

James Willstrop, a three-time champion at Canary Wharf, made two contrasting exits in the past two tournaments.

This year he suffered his first career defeat to Peter Barker in the semi-finals and his father Malcolm, a leading coach, revealed that he had been physically and mentally exhausted after a punishing schedule on tour.

The previous year, again at the semi-final stage, Willstrop and Nick Matthew played themselves to a standstill in an epic, two-hour contest. The match ended prematurely as Willstrop dived in vain in pursuit of a shot into the back left corner and ended up in a heap on he floor as he suffered an agonising attack of cramp in his quad muscle.

Willstrop received treatment on court before conceding the contest, on match ball down.

For Matthew, his evening was far from finished. He required more than two hours of treatment from physio Sylvan Richardson to enable him to front up the next day to  face Gregory Gaultier in the final.

Astonishingly, Matthew looked the stronger and fitter of the two players as he overcame the Frenchman 3-1 to win his first Canary Wharf final.

11 August 2011

Squash Rocks in Richmond

Cook Gives Virginia A Taste For Squash

The star-studded North American Open in Richmond, Virginia, has grown into one of the biggest and most successful tournaments on the PSA calendar.

It is now firmly positioned as a regular fixture in the PSA World Series of elite events. Not bad going for a team of volunteer organizers whose passion for the sport has not only developed a spectacular tournament, but whose efforts have grown an equally enthusiastic squash community in what may have been considered a backwater for the sport in years gone by.

I was both honoured and delighted when NAO Tournament Director Gus Cook asked me to help out this year as MC and Media Manager.

Gus is the PSA representative for the Americas and in a quiet, unassuming (but highly efficient and professional) way is a key figure in the growth of squash in the States.

I had enjoyed worked with Gus during the US Open in Chicago a year or so earlier and couldn’t wait to sample some good ol’ Southern hospitality. Richmond did not disappoint.

A superb week of squash finished with Nick Matthew beating Ramy Ashour in a truly epic final on the glass court surrounded by a packed crowd at the Westwood Club.

The tournament is growing in strength year on year. While looking ahead to next year’s event, I felt it was time to get to know Gus a little better.

Here we go.

Q: Gus, NAO dates for 2012 please.

A: Qualifying competition: February 17-18 at the Country Club of Virginia.

Main Draw: February 19-25 at the Westwood Club

Q: Gus, the NAO must be the biggest not-for-profit squash tournament in the world. How do you, David Hetherington and Winston Price find the time to make it all happen alongside your full-time careers?

A: Winston juggles many duties including being a professional financial advisor, a father to three young children and many squash-related activities, with the NAO role being the most demanding of these. I am not sure how he does it all to be honest but I am very grateful to say the least.

David runs his own company and only has one young child although another is on the way, and seems to have a little more free time, fortunately. I have for some time been afforded a great deal of flexibility and support by the club that I coach at, without which I would not be able to take on the role that I have now. In addition to the three of us there are of course a great many other volunteers who come together and make it work – probably another 50 altogether. But I hope the others don’t mind if I make special mention of Lizzie Scerbo and Lynne de Wet for their phenomenal support this year, Lynne working hard behind the scenes and Lizzie acting as project manager for the whole event.

Q: The squash community in Richmond is not a massive one but you seem to have captured the heart and soul of that group. You have an army of enthusiastic volunteers across the two venues. That must be a great feeling.

A: The Richmond squash community has steadily grown over many years, perhaps quite a lot more since I was hired as the first ever full time teaching pro nearly nine years ago now. Over that time the number of players has continued to grow in all the different clubs ( there are four with programs ) and the NAO has become a focal point that everyone can either help by volunteering, supporting as a sponsor or host family or simply as an enthusiast and coming out to watch all the top guys in action.  Back in 2002 there were fewer than 100 active players and now there are nearer to 500.

Q: They must love the opportunity of seeing the world’s leading players come to town every year.

A: For Richmond the NAO is truly a unique world-class sporting event, bringing all the very top ranked players from around the globe here and whether you are a squash player or not, Everyone enjoys watching something quite special, up close and personal.

Q: And the players, I am sure they appreciate the way they are looked after in Richmond each year.

A: I think the players appreciate that this is a unique event on the world tour and that everyone here really does put in the time and effort to help make it work and that they greatly appreciate the amazing athletic skills, competitiveness and sportsmanship displayed at all times.

I have always tried to impress on anyone associated with the NAO that these players do not have to come here and play but if we go that extra mile and push out the boat combined with the very genuine Southern hospitality, then the players will be happy, play their best and come back again with any luck.

Q: You have grown the tournament over the past few years to make it one of the biggest and best in the world. How tough has the sponsorship search been?

A: Securing the funds required to host any level of pro squash tournament is and always will be the toughest challenge. I have been directing PSA events now every year since 1997 when I started in Chicago, that was a $6k level event with a $$10k budget, right through to the 2012 NAO which will offer $115k in prize money and operate with a nearly $300k budget.

I think the secret is to try and grow an event slowly and steadily each year and not try and rush anything, each time finding a few more supporters and maybe asking existing companies to increase their support just slightly.

This is obviously not an easy thing to do and most tournament directors either lose interest after a few years, do not have the time to keep working at an event or want to see some strong return for their efforts which is completely understandable but rarely attainable.

We are very fortunate in Richmond and throughout the region to have a large support base which continues to grow as the reputation of the event gets stronger and more widespread.

Q: The Westwood Club offers some interesting viewing positions. Any plans to improve things in 2012?

A: The one main new development for Westwood next year, subject to approval, will be the introduction of skyboxes which I think will be to a certain degree relatively unique, at least here in the US. We feel that this is something our event sponsors want to see, shall enjoy and it will enhance the overall experience for everyone involved.

Q: After the Video Refereeing Trials at Canary Wharf, are you looking forward to seeing the system in action at the NAO? (Obviously, as the PSA representative for North America, you will also be seeing it in action at the US Open and the ToC).

A: I am always happy to see any new form of development within the sport especially given the crucial role that the referees have in the larger tournaments when there is so much at stake. I’m sure the officials and pro players will welcome it and it will make for a more interesting spectator experience which again is what the event is primarily about at the end of the day. I will be the tournament director for the US Open this year in Philadelphia, helping US Squash who are the overall event promoters, and very much look forward to seeing the system in action live as they say.

Q: This year’s tournament saw ESPN take the live PSA web-streaming feed. Any feedback from ESPN and the US squash community?

A: ESPN3 did cover both the ToC in New York and then the NAO earlier this year due to the efforts of John Nimick, who continues to be one of the main promoters of professional squash anywhere in the world and someone I have learnt so much from, having worked with him over the past 10 years or so.

The feedback I have heard has only been very positive from everyone I have spoken to who saw it. I hope this will only be the first step in a much broader media coverage element of the sport at the pro level moving forwards.

At the end of the day the number of eyeballs on any event is crucial and so if 600 paying spectators can watch the matches live at the Westwood Club along with 10,000 live viewers on ESPN3 , a similar number on www.psasquashtv.com, potentially hundreds of thousands of more viewers on different TV and cable networks live around the world, and then perhaps millions more on tape delay, too, then you start to build up some really interesting figures. This is even before you include different websites and all the many other social network outlets along with the print media too.

Q: I hear there are plans for new courts being built in Richmond. Having the NAO in Richmond must surely help to promote the development of the sport in the city.

A:  The NAO started initially out of The Country Club of Virginia back in 2003-04 and has gone on to now be run by the Virginia Squash Association which is a volunteer, non-profit group with the main intention of helping to grow the game in  the region through programs and events along with increasing awareness of the sport in general.

The NAO has been a fantastic vehicle to help increase the profile and excitement of the sport, more so than I think anyone would have ever imagined. Having said that, though, Richmond now hosts one of the very largest pro squash events in the world but only has eight true squash courts along with maybe another six narrow courts, too.  

There have been concerted efforts over the past three or more years to explore the option of building a public squash facility with a primary focus on developing youth programs – schools, colleges, juniors in general and an Urban youth program, too, called SquashRocks.

I think that this goal is getting closer to being realised now and I am sure when the day comes it will be a huge success with many, many hundreds of younger players throughout the region taking to the courts and learning a great sport which they can enjoy for life.

North American Open 2012

Dates – Qualifying competition: February 17-18 at the Country Club of Virginia.

Main Draw: February 19-25 at the Westwood Club

Website: www.naosquash.com

28th July 2011

Squash Rocks in Richmond

Gus Cook and Julian Illingworth give Virginia a taste for squash

The star-studded North American Open in Richmond, Virginia, has grown into one of the biggest and most successful tournaments on the PSA calendar.

It is now firmly positioned as a regular fixture in the PSA World Series of elite events. Not bad going for a team of volunteer organizers whose passion for the sport has not only developed a spectacular tournament, but whose efforts have grown an equally enthusiastic squash community in what may have been considered a backwater for the sport in years gone by.

I was both honoured and delighted when NAO Tournament Director Gus Cook asked me to help out this year as MC and Media Manager.

Gus is the PSA representative for the Americas and in a quiet, unassuming (but highly efficient and professional) way is a key figure in the growth of squash in the States.

I had enjoyed worked with Gus during the US Open in Chicago a year or so earlier and couldn’t wait to sample some good ol’ Southern hospitality. Richmond did not disappoint.

A superb week of squash finished with Nick Matthew beating Ramy Ashour in a truly epic final on the glass court surrounded by a packed crowd at the Westwood Club.

The tournament is growing in strength year on year. While looking ahead to next year’s event, I felt it was time to get to know Gus a little better.

Here we go.

Q: Gus, NAO dates for 2012 please.

A: Qualifying competition: February 17-18 at the Country Club of Virginia.

Main Draw: February 19-25 at the Westwood Club

Q: Gus, the NAO must be the biggest not-for-profit squash tournament in the world. How do you, David Hetherington and Winston Price find the time to make it all happen alongside your full-time careers?

A: Winston juggles many duties including being a professional financial advisor, a father to three young children and many squash-related activities, with the NAO role being the most demanding of these. I am not sure how he does it all to be honest but I am very grateful to say the least.

David runs his own company and only has one young child although another is on the way, and seems to have a little more free time, fortunately. I have for some time been afforded a great deal of flexibility and support by the club that I coach at, without which I would not be able to take on the role that I have now. In addition to the three of us there are of course a great many other volunteers who come together and make it work – probably another 50 altogether.

Q: The squash community in Richmond is not a massive one but you seem to have captured the heart and soul of that group. You have an army of enthusiastic volunteers across the two venues. That must be a great feeling.

A: The Richmond squash community has steadily grown over many years, perhaps quite a lot more since I was hired as the first ever full time teaching pro nearly nine years ago now. Over that time the number of players has continued to grow in all the different clubs ( there are four with programs ) and the NAO has become a focal point that everyone can either help by volunteering, supporting as a sponsor or host family or simply as an enthusiast and coming out to watch all the top guys in action.  Back in 2002 there were fewer than 100 active players and now there are nearer to 500.

Q: They must love the opportunity of seeing the world’s leading players come to town every year.

A: For Richmond the NAO is truly a unique world-class sporting event, bringing all the very top ranked players from around the globe here and whether you are a squash player or not, Everyone enjoys watching something quite special, up close and personal.

Q: And the players, I am sure they appreciate the way they are looked after in Richmond each year.

A: I think the players appreciate that this is a unique event on the world tour and that everyone here really does put in the time and effort to help make it work and that they greatly appreciate the amazing athletic skills, competitiveness and sportsmanship displayed at all times.

I have always tried to impress on anyone associated with the NAO that these players do not have to come here and play but if we go that extra mile and push out the boat combined with the very genuine Southern hospitality, then the players will be happy, play their best and come back again with any luck.

Q: You have grown the tournament over the past few years to make it one of the biggest and best in the world. How tough has the sponsorship search been?

A: Securing the funds required to host any level of pro squash tournament is and always will be the toughest challenge. I have been directing PSA events now every year since 1997 when I started in Chicago, that was a $6k level event with a $$10k budget, right through to the 2012 NAO which will offer $115k in prize money and operate with a nearly $300k budget.

I think the secret is to try and grow an event slowly and steadily each year and not try and rush anything, each time finding a few more supporters and maybe asking existing companies to increase their support just slightly.

This is obviously not an easy thing to do and most tournament directors either lose interest after a few years, do not have the time to keep working at an event or want to see some strong return for their efforts which is completely understandable but rarely attainable.

We are very fortunate in Richmond and throughout the region to have a large support base which continues to grow as the reputation of the event gets stronger and more widespread.

Q: The Westwood Club offers some interesting viewing positions. Any plans to improve things in 2012?

A: The one main new development for Westwood next year, subject to approval, will be the introduction of skyboxes which I think will be to a certain degree relatively unique, at least here in the US. We feel that this is something our event sponsors want to see, shall enjoy and it will enhance the overall experience for everyone involved.

Q: After the Video Refereeing Trials at Canary Wharf, are you looking forward to seeing the system in action at the NAO? (Obviously, as the PSA representative for North America, you will also be seeing it in action at the US Open and the ToC).

A: I am always happy to see any new form of development within the sport especially given the crucial role that the referees have in the larger tournaments when there is so much at stake. I’m sure the officials and pro players will welcome it and it will make for a more interesting spectator experience which again is what the event is primarily about at the end of the day. I will be the tournament director for the US Open this year in Philadelphia, helping US Squash who are the overall event promoters, and very much look forward to seeing the system in action live as they say.

Q: This year’s tournament saw ESPN take the live PSA web-streaming feed. Any feedback from ESPN and the US squash community?

A: ESPN3 did cover both the ToC in New York and then the NAO earlier this year due to the efforts of John Nimick, who continues to be one of the main promoters of professional squash anywhere in the world and someone I have learnt so much from, having worked with him over the past 10 years or so.

The feedback I have heard has only been very positive from everyone I have spoken to who saw it. I hope this will only be the first step in a much broader media coverage element of the sport at the pro level moving forwards.

At the end of the day the number of eyeballs on any event is crucial and so if 600 paying spectators can watch the matches live at the Westwood Club along with 10,000 live viewers on ESPN3 , a similar number on www.psasquashtv.com, potentially hundreds of thousands of more viewers on different TV and cable networks live around the world, and then perhaps millions more on tape delay, too, then you start to build up some really interesting figures. This is even before you include different websites and all the many other social network outlets along with the print media too.

Q: I hear there are plans for new courts being built in Richmond. Having the NAO in Richmond must surely help to promote the development of the sport in the city.

A:  The NAO started initially out of The Country Club of Virginia back in 2003-04 and has gone on to now be run by the Virginia Squash Association which is a volunteer, non-profit group with the main intention of helping to grow the game in  the region through programs and events along with increasing awareness of the sport in general.

The NAO has been a fantastic vehicle to help increase the profile and excitement of the sport, more so than I think anyone would have ever imagined. Having said that, though, Richmond now hosts one of the very largest pro squash events in the world but only has eight true squash courts along with maybe another six narrow courts, too.  

There have been concerted efforts over the past three or more years to explore the option of building a public squash facility with a primary focus on developing youth programs – schools, colleges, juniors in general and an Urban youth program, too, called SquashRocks.

I think that this goal is getting closer to being realised now and I am sure when the day comes it will be a huge success with many, many hundreds of younger players throughout the region taking to the courts and learning a great sport which they can enjoy for life.

North American Open 2012

Dates – Qualifying competition: February 17-18 at the Country Club of Virginia.

Main Draw: February 19-25 at the Westwood Club

Website: www.naosquash.com

21st July 2011

SUMMER CAMPS AND COACHING

Q: Please tell us about your role at the Country Club of Virginia?

A: I am the head squash professional and program director – we have 3 squash courts and around 200 players of all ages.

Q: Please talk us through an average day.

A: My day never seems to be average but is made up of a combination of different elements. The main ones being the rapport and relationship I have with the club membership – this is when players come to the court and we chat about their respective games or feedback about a club program, equipment advice, physical woes , maybe an event coming up or sometimes just life in general which is usually very interesting. Another big part of my day is spent on planning the different club programs which include team leagues with 120 players involved, multiple tournaments throughout the season, numerous clinics for players of all levels and ages, special events, school programs, liasing with my assistant on the junior program, the club challenge ladder, box leagues in the summer, club trips to play other clubs around the US and more.

It is also my responsibility to help maintain the squash courts and area around it that includes viewing and some fitness equipment. Then there is the all important regular communication between the different club departments – pro shop, catering/snack bar, maintenance, accounting and numerous committees that I am on with other club staff and members.

But the main reason I work as a club squash professional is to coach lessons, whether they might be private, small clinics or larger groups like the school programs. Ultimately I feel that my role is spread quite evenly between the 3 parts – coaching, planning and administration and then membership services and communication.  I have never worked standard hours and never turned down a lesson unless due to injury or sickness so my day might sometimes start at 6am and finish at 11pm but normally it is more likely now to be a 9 or 10am start through to around 7pm or so, with some week-end work too.

Q: I know you are busy with school programs. That must help to grow the sport.

A: Any form of junior programming will help to grow the sport, build interest and provide the bedrock for the future. I loved learning and playing squash as a junior and lived for the opportunity to get on the court and compete against my friends. That is not always the case with junior programs in the US, especially at private member clubs and schools where squash is just one of many different programs on offer. It is therefore very much the job of the coach or club professional to nurture that initial interest and try to help grow it into more of a passion where the young boys and girls you work with and get to know start to love and enjoy the sport as much as you do. There is no secret to this, it takes alot of time, energy and patience. I am extremely fortunate to work with one of the very best junior coaches I have ever met , Patrick Chifunda, who came to work with me at The CCV nearly four years ago now. In that time he has helped grow the junior program up to nearly 60 players of all ages and I am sure a great majority will continue to play throughout their lives.

Q: How are the Summer Camps growing?

A:  I have had the most successful camps ever in 5 years of directing them this summer with a very strong level of interest and really great experiences for all involved including the junior players, coaches and host site. 10 years ago before moving to live and coach in Richmond , I was the coach to all 4 teams at Episcopal High School ( www.episcopalhighschool.org ) which is just a few miles south of Washington, DC. I worked with the teams for 3 years and made some great friends during that time, thoroughly enjoying every moment I was there. 5 years ago the school asked if I might be interested in heading up some summer camps for them on the 5 courts that they had then. These camps have continued to keep growing over the years and now with the option of players also being able to stay on the school campus overnight in dorms, the completion of 4 new courts to make 9 total along with a phenomenal $25M athletic center and swimming pool right next to the courts which we can use, it is an amazing place to be.

This year I worked with Lefika Ragonste the first week and we had 22 junior players come from all around the US,  then the next week Mike Way was the head coach and we had 25 juniors for a week, along with 27 adult players for a short two-day clinic. I am in the process of running a smaller sized camp this week and looking towards a larger one next week which will be the last for the summer. I try to emphasize top quality coaching foremost, great coach to student ratio, amazing facilities, very accessible location and competitive pricing. The feedback over the past few years has been very positive and I look forward to even larger camps for 4 or 5 weeks in the summer of 2012 – all details can be found at www.totalsquashcamps.com.

Q: Please tell us about your work with Julian Illingworth.

A:  I have known Julian for about the past 10 years when he was the top ranked junior player in the US and would compete against a player I used to coach, Ryan Donegan. Ryan was also a top ranked junior and competed for the US National junior team before going to college at Dartmouth where again he would play #1 against Julian who headed up the Yale squad. After college Ryan turned pro and I was his unofficial manager/ coach - he reached a career high of #87 in the PSA , again being on the tour at the same time as Julian and representing the US National senior team.

During these 10 years I obviously got to watch Julian play quite a lot at different events and talked to him a little from time to time. Ryan retired from the tour a few years ago and has been pursuing a career in finance but he is still good friends with Julian and I guess they must have chatted some together a while back when Ryan suggested that I might be able to help Julian and his career.

That led to a few conversations, and for the past year I have been happy to be his manager/representative, which means I have been liasing with his existing sponsors, helping to line him up with several new ones and continue to explore more options whilst always looking to build his brand and overall public awareness.

Squash is a very tough sport to try and find financial support  no matter how good or highly ranked a pro player you may be and especially if you are out trying to represent yourself, too.

I hope that I have been able to help Julian some, we have become closer and of late and I have been able to bring a few more ideas to the table that will I think help with his on-court performance.

Julian is now and will be for a long time to come, the best pro squash player ever from the US and has just won his 7^th consecutive National title, which is an amazing achievement in any sport. I think that he has gone a long way to help increase the awareness of the sport in this country and has lifted the bar on what you need to do as a player at all levels if in fact one day the US is really going to compete on the world stage.

He still has an awful lot of potential to improve and has many goals he has not yet met – my job is to try and help him where I can, keep on trying to boost his profile and explore more options for people and companies to partner with him.

Working with someone like Julian is a unique experience for me and I am learning a lot about different aspects of the sport all the time which is what helps keeps me motivated after 25 years of working full-time with squash as a player, coach, promoter, representative , program director and manager.

Growing squash in the US:

Squash here in the US has grown dramatically in many ways since I first moved here in 1995 to become and coach and program director at a large club in Chicago. US Squash is playing a huge role in this development along with a great many top class coaches who now live here in this country that bring so much experience, skill and passion across the board.

There are also a great many club owners (Nancy Cushman, Demer Holleran, Dominic Hughes, Craig Bennett and Damon Bourne among many ) and program directors like Danielle Maur of Lifetime Fitness, who are really making a huge difference to the sport and opening many doors to people who might not normally get the chance to play.

The Urban Youth programs in the US are unlike anything else in the world, something that it should be very proud of and showcase to other countries. It will take a lot more time, effort, enthusiasm, energy and patience for the sport of squash to become more visible in the US and to the point where there are multiple courts open to the public in a majority of the main cities.

However, the signs are good and the people involved are some of the best you could hope for, which makes for a very exciting future I think and something I hope to remain a part of in one way or another.

14th July 2011

Michelle Martin is leading the fight to save squash in the Sydney suburbs

Former world champion Michelle Martin is leading the fight to save squash in the Sydney suburbs.

She has joined forces with Jeff O'Donnell and Jason McLaughlan to revitalise the sport against a backdrop of massive court closures.

O'Donnell writes: "I live on the Northern Beaches and in the last 15 years we have gone from a situation of having more than 100 squash courts to only three at one centre. 

"The last three are currently being managed poorly, and it is rumoured that the current manager wants to convert the courts into a childcare centre.

"I have teamed up with Michelle Martin (former squash great) and Jason McLauchlan, owner of the MAASH Squash Club, to try and take over the centre and turn it back into a successful centre once again.

"We would appreciate any assistance and have set up a Facebook page to spread the word and generate some support.

"We must win this battle and any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated."

Michelle Martin, who hails from Sydney, was one of the game's leading players in the 1990s. She won the World Open title three times and runner-up on another four occasions. She collected six British Open titles and spent 44 months at the top of the women's ranking from March 1993 to October 1996 before England's Cassie Jackman ended her spell of domination.

Michelle and her group have already received coverage in the Manly Daily with the following article penned by Joe Barton:

MICHELLE Martin is on a mission to revive the once powerful sport of squash on the peninsula.

Back in the early 1990s, when the former squash champion was at the peak of her powers, it is entirely possible that the northern beaches had suitable squash courts.

But now, she says, it is hard to find a court where she enjoys playing - and that needs to change if the sport is to make a comeback.

“Everyone who mentions squash just says that it’s dying - but the half the battle we have is right down to the facilities,” she said.

“The facilities we have are pretty dungeon-like. I know I don’t enjoy playing down at Manly because I can’t hit the ball straight down the wall. If you get a ball and roll it along the floor, you don’t know which way it is going to roll. It should roll straight because it’s supposed to be level, but that’s the state of the centre.

“But who is going to spend the money on it? It’s up to the council to spend the money on it.”

The Commonwealth Games gold medallist knows it is not going to be easy, but she won’t give up without a fight.

“I want a new centre,” she said. “I know it’s a big ask, but you just say to yourself, ‘if nobody is going to do it, then it’s just not going to happen’. The council has never had to put their hands up for squash, there’s (no facilities) there, and the sport is dying for a reason - because there’s nowhere to play.

“Worldwide it’s not dying, it’s growing in America, it’s growing in the Middle East because they’re putting back in to squash.”

Martin’s mission has started junior squash coaching sessions between Manly Giltinans and Courtsportz on Monday afternoons.

“We haven’t had a huge amount of kids taking part as yet, but it’s about word of mouth,” she said. “The plan is to start it this way and see if we can continue to get more kids involved.”

7th July 2011

WSF Banks on Lee’s Magic Touch To Lead Olympic Bid

The squash world’s hopes of landing a place in the 2020 Olympic Games received a significant boost with the news that leading British sports lobbyist Mike Lee (right)is to manage the WSF bid campaign.

Lee, the chairman of Vero Communications, is one of the most successful operators in this field.

He was instrumental in helping Qatar to land football’s 2022 FIFA World Cup and helped Rio to beat Chicago in their bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. More recently, he was behind PyeongChang’s successful bid to stage the 2018 Winter Games.

Ironically, he helped Rugby Sevens to land one of the two places available in the 2016 Olympics ahead of squash, whose bid was dismissed early on in the voting.

Now the WSF is hoping to benefit from Lee’s enormous experience and influence to help squash to gain a coveted place at sport’s top table.

As well as providing a massive shop window to showcase squash, Olympic status would enable the sport’s national federations to benefit from significant increases in government funding.

The appointment of Vero Communications as the WSF Bid Management Company follows the news earlier this week that squash had been placed on a shortlist to bid for a place in the 2020 Games.

Lee, who hold an OBE, is former Director of Communications and Public Affairs for London’s successful 2012 Olympic bid.

He said he was looking forward to leading the squash bid. He said: “We are thrilled with this appointment. Our aim is to help squash put forward a compelling case to the IOC Programme Commission and wider Olympic family on why the sport would be a fantastic addition to the Games.

“There is a long road ahead in the campaign but we are excited by the challenge. Working with President Ramachandran and the WSF team, we will do all we can to help ensure that the voice of Squash is heard all the way to the IOC Session in Buenos Aires in September 2013.”

WSF President N Ramachandran said: “I am delighted that we have reached agreement with Vero for them to be our Bid Management Company and communications advisers and we look forward very much to working with Mike Lee and his colleagues in trying to realise our long-held goal of squash becoming a Summer Olympic medal sport from 2020.

“When we met Mike, we felt straight away that he understood our sport and our ambitions. Vero have a tremendous track record in assisting bidding cities and sports so squash will benefit immensely from drawing upon their experience and knowledge.”

The IOC will decide which sports, if any, will be added to the Olympic Games Sports Programme from 2020 at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires in September 2013.

Vero website: www.verocom.co.uk