Earlier this week I did the 120 shot ghosting routine. Many years ago Squash Canada would use this as a fitness test for it's top athletes. Even watching my own movement here I noticed how I made technical errors in routine skills near the end of the drill as fatigue set it. Let me explain how the ghosting works and then at the bottom I'll post the video of my attempt.
As you can see in the image below I drew this out. In diagram 1 there are 2 separate movements patterns, both going front to back. You hit 20 shots per side with no break between. The middle diagram is the diagonals so after you complete these this is 80 shots. Finally you ghost the back 2 corners for 20 shots and the 2 front corners for a total of 120 shots, equivalent to a 240 shot rally! I believe back in the day they wanted this test completed in under 6 minutes, possibly under 5, but I'm not certain. I did it 6 minutes and 27 seconds, but I'm definitely not training to play professionally so I'd say it's pretty good for a coach.
Some tips when you do this:
1) try and hit a variety of shots and visualize the ball you are striking
2) don't worry about stopping at the T since it's a timed test
3) use both legs to hit off of
4) hit some drives and drops and lobs from the front. Drops are easier to clear and it's easier to stay further from the ball so yes I could have went faster if I did all drops from the front, but I wanted to practice my movement off of other shots to and from the front corners
5) get right into each of the corners for each shot
6) I like focusing on shaping up early for my shot anytime I do ghosting so remember this isn't simply a footwork and aerobic exercise
Here's my video:
Currently all Serious Squash mech is 50% off with the code 'iamserious' I leave for the Canadian Junior Open on the 8th and am on holidays until the end of December. So if you want to get some new squash gear for the new year order before the 8th. Also, be sure to check out the 2 Serious Squash instructional films (The Secrets Of Solo Hitting and Mastering Deception) which are both also available at SeriousSquashShop.com
A couple of years ago I wrote a post about what I would do if I could go back and coach myself now knowing all that I know. I mentioned a number of things, but there is something I would add to that list. One are I would definitely like to go back and do is work with a personal trainer and even take some group fitness classes. When I was young I had a treadmill, stationary bike and a weight machine in my basement. Even though it was great to be able to do some cross training and certainly something is better than nothing, I really I had no idea what I was doing or how much to do of everything.
Even as I got to university I generally ran our team practices along with the off court training. I would often take the team to run hills and do wind sprints by the squash club. On court we would do random drills and often finish with some court sprints. When I was a kid I just don't think any junior worked with personal trainers. Parents already invest enough money into lessons, camps and tournaments so what's the point of a personal trainer, especially on a weekly basis? At the university level we all knew the importance of off court training, but again we weren't specialist so we just did what we thought we should do. The idea of working with a personal trainer never even crossed my mind. At university I was on a very tight budget on I couldn't afford such luxuries. I always worked hard, but to get the most out of it that effort needs to be guided into the right direction.
Now that I'm 35 and have had 1 knee surgery and many years of coaching under my belt, I've finally come to a realization that I have to regularly work with a trainer, see a physiotherapist and get a massage. It helps now that I can write off a portion of these expenses through my work medical coverage, but still it is a difficult concept spending a few hundred dollars per month of these luxuries. The difference now is that they are all essential, especially trying to deal with the decades of playing and coaching.
If I could go back to a child and coach myself I would very much like to work with a personal trainer and have someone help set up a training program for me. As a squash player you're never quite sure how much of what to do and parents are always cautious about their kids lifting weights. Squash is such a 1 sided sport so it's an essential part of self care and not only will it help your squash game it also will help you avoid long term overuse injuries which I have been dealing with the past few years.
I know from taking the level 3 coaching courses in Canada that squash coaches are expected to be able to plan out an athletes physical training. To me this is absolutely ridiculous because this is not our area of expertise. I never had an annual training plan when I played and I've worked with some pros that don't use one. I think they can help some people, but are not necessary. And what good is an annual training plan if we don't know when to mark up which type of training? I mean sure I know we need lots of cardio and agility and I can help improve your court movement. I know strength training is important, but not too frequently during the season. But how am I supposed to tell a pupil how often to do which exercises and which types of training are best at certain times of the year? They have people who are specifically trained to do this so why in the world would someone expect me to know how to do this as well as a trained expert on the subject? Surely I should I only be expected to know how to coach?
Most squash coaches can get you fitter. We can run you through some ghosting an court sprints and circuits. But knowing the specifics of the technique for each movement, duration, intensity and frequency is something personal trainers should handle. Learning how to lunge and squat properly is critical in training and for squash training. I don't know any professional sport in the world where the coach runs the conditioning part of an athletes training. I heard awhile back that the fitness and conditioning coaches in football are the most important parts of the coaching staff.
I believe that our kids would be better off with a personal trainer working on this part of their game and the coaches focusing on the squash side of it. This is the beginning of building a team around an athlete. Being a well rounded athlete is essential to playing at a high level of squash and avoiding injury. The only way we will optimize the hours we spend off court training is learning how to do it properly, so I am all for personal trainers/strength and conditioning coaches.
How young should kids begin working with a trainer? My trainer says around grade 8-9 is when a kid is most trainable and is a great age to start working with a trainer. Kids bodies adapt so quickly if they are working on the right areas with proper technique. I wish I had this opportunity when I was a kid, because I had the shots and racquet skill, but was quite small compared to the other kids so would get overpowered. I also dealt with some knee problems on and off. These are things no squash coach I had could have fixed. These are areas I believe that a quality personal trainer could have helped me with though.
It's so hard maintaining a high level of every type of fitness trait throughout an entire season. We shouldn't worry about slightly lapses in 1 area if we are concentrating on another area. I know I often stopped strength training during the season because I was on court so much, but this is another area i wish I had stuck with even just to maintain my strength and off season training gains. Being young and not having the money to fund proper training was a real issue for me. So how could I have changed this? I could have tried to get a group of 3 or 4 of my peers together and work in a group setting with a trainer. I could have also signed up for some group classes like a spin class or yoga. Sometimes in squash we think we can do it all by ourselves because it's an individual sport, but the sooner you realize you can't and shouldn't the better off you'll be.
If you fortunate enough to have a great trainer in your corner you'll know how much they're helping you for your game. Even now when I play a strong player, I normally have the shots to contend with someone, but it's the physicality of the squash at this level which I have trouble with. I know it's not genetics, it's simply a matter of proper training. Look no further than Paul Coll or Fares Dessouky to see how important off court training is. The way they can move on court and for how long is because of the off court training. As you get better in squash you should be spending more and more of your time training off court. Not only are you trying to get fitter, stronger and faster, but also avoid injuries. You've got to be healthy to compete and handle the physical demands to play at the highest level.
Looking back at the old sign posted up in my squash club as a child, 'Get Fit To Play Squash, Don't Play Squash To Get Fit' holds more and more truth to me now. Back when I was a kid it was more about the endurance, Jonah Barrington insane level of endurance. I don't know how many of the top players lose these days because of aerobic endurance, it's more the intensity and pressure of the rallies, or even injuries. In hindsight it's easy now to say that Ramy is probably dealing with his injuries from major overuse, which is also a necessity to becoming a top squash player. How would things have been different for him if he had a top personal trainer working with him as a child? We rarely do proper training to prevent injuries until they begin to occur, but that doesn't have to be the case with squash.
How much of what you need to do off court to train for your level of squash depends a lot on your body type, genetics, your style of squash and your training history. I feel it takes an extremely experienced personal trainer to know exactly what is best for each person. There's simply too many individual differences one must take into account that it's unrealistic to expect a squash coach to have this wealth of knowledge. Training people in large groups as a squash coach can offer some overall strength or fitness benefits, but if you have lofty goals for playing at the highest levels you must seek beyond your coach for the strength and conditioning compartment. It takes a team of special individuals to allow 1 person to succeed. They likely charge as much or more than you squash coach will and unless you understand just how important they can be to your success I doubt you will invest in one. Hopefully I've given you a few reasons to reconsider this.
Let the coaches coach and the trainers train. Coaches should be able to help you with your technical, tactical, mental and squash specific movement patterns, but the off court training does not fall under our realm of expertise. Squash Canada, like most other countries should change their coaching curriculum accordingly. I believe they should include more mental skills training and discuss about how to build a team and program to allow kids to succeed from the grassroots to pro level. I think they should also want coaches about doing too much physical training with their athletes when they are unqualified and their students could get injured. The challenge here is that if many of our athletes aren't already doing some fitness training outside of squash we feel we must include some in our practices. It's simple to include fitness training into a group session, but if it is exercises are done without the knowledge or ability to correct form there is not much good coming from these sessions.
Check out the new full length solo hitting film available for purchase at SeriousSquashShop.com/collections/coaching-videos The Secrets of Solo Hitting is a 64 minute instructional video on what I know best, coaching/solo hitting. This includes 30 of the best solo drills with tips on how to best perform each drill. The sections are divided into 1) Straight Drives 2) Midcourt and 3) The Short Game. There is also a Technical Testing section and a Bonus Tips one. Stream or download your copy today. To date there are over 60 copies sold to keen squashers from all over the planet. Here's an in depth preview video about it from my youtube channel:
I know it's been awhile since my last post, but I've been busy working with the kids leading up to Junior Nationals and doing some skill challenges. You can find them on my Youtube channel at cchsquashpro or on Instagram at serioussquash. Okay, so today I'm going to discuss the level of play I saw at the Canadian Junior Nationals this year. I did a recap last year you can find here: http://www.serioussquash.com/2015/04/2015-canadian-junior-nationals.html
The challenge with the Junior Nationals this year is the venue. The NSA in Toronto was scheduled to host the event, but has since closed their doors. So the Mayfair Parkway stepped up and did a good job with little time to prepare. Since the last time I was at the Parkway they have take down 2 or 3 courts and put in a mini basketball gym. So unfortunately this meant that this event now needed a 2nd facility which was closely at the Mayfair East club. The challenge with the East club was that there was often nobody at that club to organize anything and the courts were much different. At the East club the courts were panel and quite warm and bound. The kids had to adapt their tactics, be patient and fit if they were going to do well on these courts.
Back to the host club, the Parkway. For anyone that has been there knows the challenge of trying to coach on any court besides the 2 show courts. I brought 9 kids to nationals but only had 2 of the kids ever play on the show courts, so I watched a lot of the matches through a tiny 1 foot window at the backdoor of the courts. Less than ideal for watching, but the only other option was to go upstairs and then come down between games (which wasn't very close). So this was a challenge for us as coaches. Another problem with the viewing is that this means I didn't get to watch much of the other matches. But today I'm going to write about the bit that I did see.
I watched many of the finals on Sunday. There was some contrast of styles between attacking players and retrievers. I felt that the caliber and depth was reasonably high for the boys and in the lower divisions for the girls. Watching the boys play it always amazes me how they can cover the court and hit with such a consistent high pace. There are some good athletes on the boys side. It's funny how players develop as either retrievers if they're fast or attacking players if they don't move quite as well; it's quite rare to be highly skilled in both areas. What I didn't see from most of these top boys was changing the pace and angles of their length. They all liked to hit the ball so low and hard and it just wasn't putting pressure because it wasn't tight or deep enough. A few of the boys had good shots and were very attacking, while some of the other ones showed an amazing amount of patience and just kept the ball in play trying to extend points and wait for mistakes.
There are definitely some kids that have loads of potential here in Canada, but are still quite unpolished when it comes to tactics, attacking and their mental game. There was still too many discussions between the refs for my liking. I just felt like the top boys in some of the top squash countries around the world would be more polished, more clinical with their attacking shots, more focused mentally and would be better able to adjust their tactics within a match. I feel like most of the top boys have the ability and desire, have good swings, are physically fit and hit with good pace, but there is a lot more to squash than this. I really believe that the mental game and advanced tactics are crucial for continuing to improve your game. We have some great coaches in Canada, but maybe it's the lack of competition the top boys are getting. It will be interesting to see how they do when they go to the worlds this summer. They will probably be underrated, but I do feel they have good potential yet still a long ways to go!
One bright spot for me was seeing how many great young 10 and 11 year old boys were playing. I still don't get why Squash Canada doesn't have an under 11 division. I bet some of the 11 and 12 year olds wish the younger kids had their own age group. The depth of talent at this age is way stronger than when I was that age, but it's the next few years that will shape their squash careers. Are they dreaming of becoming world champions or will those dreams be pushed aside by those closest to them and will they settle for making a strong varsity squash team? I think these young kids need to get some exposure internationally. When I was in Penang last year the size of the under 11 draws were huge and their skills were generally amazing for their size and experience. I feel like the Long Term Athlete Development program may work for keeping more kids in the game, but not for producing professional word class level players. I wonder if Canada will ever see another Jonathon Power?
On the girls side I was again quite impressed with most divisions. I feel like there was less depth in the under 19 than in previous years, but that is likely because some girls are away at university at 18 and can't make it back to compete. One of the girls from the school I coach at came 2nd (pictured above) and is probably mentally the toughest most focused junior player I've ever seen. She had been sick and not able to prepare properly, but still made the finals and for awhile I thought was going to win it!
The younger age groups showed great promise and the best depth I've ever seen for the girls game. Even some of the under 13 girls could really crack the ball, made good decisions and were quite accurate. Each age group up the girls began hitting the ball with more pace and they all seemed quite strong mentally. I felt like they handled adversity well and stayed pretty positive even when the pressure was on. There were many extremely tight semis and finals on the girls side. I just wish there was a step for them after juniors. That's really the biggest challenge. College squash works for some, but I don't see many of them going through that and then trying to compete professional. Maybe many of them are only focused on making it to a good college program.
I'm sure like there are some Canadian kids dreaming of pro squash, but much less than other countries. I imagine thousands of kids in Egypt wanting to grow up and be the next Ramy Ashour or Nour Elsherbini. I know Nicol David has had a huge impact on the growth of the game in Malaysia. So who do we look up to? It's still JP, but now the young kids don't know who he was and have never seen him play. We need a role model to help motivate our youth and give them hope that they too can achieve their dream if they work hard enough.
The challenge here is that I don't think it's possible for a top world player to make it in Canada. They won't get the competition or the funding. Canada isn't cheap and flights are expensive. How can they afford proper coaching? How can our top players get access to important resources like sport psychologists, personal trainers, physiotherapists, massage therapists, nutritionists and so on? If I was going to try and do it I would go to Europe and play in some of the pro leagues to get the matches and make a bit of money and get better competition. I also know a lot of people have been travelling down to Florida to work with David Palmer. Hopefully one day we can have something set up in Canada that will allow top world class players to be based here. That's what the NSA was supposed to be, but that didn't work. Until we make some changes and improve our high performance pathway I'm afraid that we will continue to perform at a mediocre level internationally.
I've been busy the past week at the Canadian Junior Open but I am getting back on track with my posts. Today I'm going to talk about playing the big points well. I consider a big point near the end of games and matches. A big point can be at 6 all or 9-7. Playing a point a rally scoring method makes a single rally at the late stages of a game extremely important. You can go from leading by 3 with game ball to being up just 1 point. Almost as important as the score differential is the momentum gained or lost. Sometimes a big rally is a really long and physically gruelling point. if you win one of these tough rallies it can crack your opponent and turn the match around.
The mental game is such an important factor in winning the big points and eventually the match. I've done a previous post on Gaultier's mental collapse http://www.serioussquash.com/2014/11/gaultier-breakdown-vs-ashour.html. This doesn't happen to everyone and at all levels. In the World semi's Gaultier was physically taxed which played a big part of his mental collapse. Although we may not be as physically damaged as Gaultier was during this match we can still suffer from the same heart breaking loss he felt. There are very few people that can lose a close game that they should have or could have won and don't let it affect them one bit the following game.
So what qualities enable someone to play points well? Is it something that you are born with or nurtured to do well? If you don't play the big points well there are a couple of questions you have to ask yourself. Here they are.
1) Are you fit enough? Are you getting tired at the end of games and giving up cheap points? Do you have trouble keeping up the same level of play throughout the match?
2) Do you get nervous near the end of a game?
3) Do you get ahead of yourself? Do you think the game is over before it is?
4) Do you try to rush to finish off the game?
I believe these are the biggest issues facing people that fail to play well at the end of games. What should you be doing and thinking instead? Do you play the same throughout the entire game or do you change your tactics slightly towards the end of the game? This is what we're going to talk about now.
1) Fitness
If you're tired and not fit enough you can still play big points well. This takes a lot of mental strength and discipline. I find this easier if you believe and know you can beat this person. You are able to push harder and you can overlook the physical fatigue and pain. Somehow when you're on court with someone you think is fitter and/or at a higher standard we can mentally cave in slightly easier. I can't say that this happens for everyone, but I do believe this to be true for most people. Those that can play at a high standard through physical distress are extremely difficult to beat. This is why I feel that psychological strength is such a crucial skill to be a top competitive squash player.
Clearly preparing properly for competition is important not only for your physical fitness but as well for your confidence and psychological strength when things get tough. Training hard also makes you a little mentally stronger. You improve your ability at pushing though the pain barrier. You don't stop your session when you feel tired. How long can you keep pushing through the discomfort? Can you learn to enjoy this painful sensation? This reminds me of another quote, 'when you think you cannot go on any longer, you are on the verge of doing something special.' This builds your mental strength and confidence in your ability to play long and hard matches.
2, 3, 4) Nerves, Thinking Ahead and Rushing
Many people get nervous at the start of a match. We then settle down until it gets to a late stage of a match. Getting nervous has to do with thinking ahead and rushing to finish things off. Here the big problem is that we begin thinking. Our focus shifts from just playing (the process) to winning (the outcome). When we start thinking about the future we are no longer in the zone. When this happens our actions are delayed as they involve thought and reaction opposed to instinctive play.
I find it fascinating that to have the best chance of winning you can't focus on it. If you try too hard and think about just trying to win the game you won't be playing the same you did throughout the rest of the game. You'll notice that most people get down game ball and start hitting everything as hard as possible. And other times people think they are going to lose and often play better because they relax and stop focusing on winning. If we can focus on the process all the way through a game we improve our chances of winning. When you try and finish off a game when you're ahead you are prone to rush things. If you begin thinking 'I may actually win this game,' or 'I can't believe I might beat him,' you are setting yourself up for disappointment. If this situation presents itself you may feel you need to play low percentage shots to try and squeak the game from the stronger opponent instead of just playing the same way that got you into this winning position.
What happens when you get to a tight part of the game? Do you keep playing the same shots? Do you play slightly more conservative when you get to the end of the game? What can you do if you want to play the big points better?
The first thing is deciding if you want to play the same way regardless of the score. This is what many of the Egyptians are able to do and is why it so challenging to play them. They play without any hesitation or fear. This can be a tricky thing to do when you get to a big point or after a few errors. If you play one way all of the time you don't have to worry much about playing the big points well; you will likely have 1 tactic and stick with it no matter what (attacking or defensive).
Many of us would benefit more from formulating a plan for these situations before getting into competition. If it's 10-9, 9-10, 9 or 10 all what do you do? If you're nervous you should try and sow thing down between points. Take a deep breath, stick to your routine and use positive self-talk. As for the tactics at this stage of a game. Depending on how confident you feel at that moment you would benefit from picking the right time to attack short. If you can feel the nervous tension in your body you will have to be a bit more cautious. I believe you have to go for your shots when they're on, but you won't be as accurate when you're body is tight and your mind is racing. If you don't have a good attacking game or have much confidence in your short game you will have to keep the rally deep and try to win in the back or hope you're opponent makes a mistake. In my opinion this isn't the best strategy for long term success in the big points. I feel that you are better learning to control your nerves and maintain your focus on the present and on the process.
You can see there are a few ways you can play the big points. If you wait to get into this situation to decide what you should do you may make a decision based on your fatigue along with yours and your opponents perceived abilities. What is your strength and your opponents weakness? This is always a good way to play a higher percentage point.
Some people have a history of winning or losing tight games. If you're one of the people that's notorious for losing close games you have to ask yourself a few questions. Is your fitness to blame? Do you get ahead of yourself? Are you nervous and tight? Do you lose your focus and think ahead to what may or may not happen? If you know what is happening you will have a better chance of being able to change your underachieving history.
The best method for playing the big points well is to be fit, stay in the present, focus on the processed and planning ahead for these situations. Know your strengths and your opponents weaknesses. Focus on what you can control. Plus winning breads confidence. When you win a couple of tight games your confidence will increases and you will be more likely to win big points down the road.
I've seen a few people that enjoy big moments in matches. Some naturally get tight and don't play well, while others appear to stay more relaxed and enjoy these situations. Clearly if you an enjoy thee moments you will play them with a clearer head and less tension in your body. Learning how to enjoy these and stay calm is easier said than done.
I can't finish this conversation without noting how often I hear people blame 1 instance near the end of the game for losing. This may be a bad call or a lucky shot. Whatever it is, I don't like making excuses and pointing the blame. If you haven't read this previous post you can do so here http://www.serioussquash.com/2014/12/no-complaining-no-excuses-just-play.html. One point is never the reason for losing an entire match. Even though it may be a big point, it is just 1 of the many rallies you play. If you let a match come down to extra points in the 5th game anything can and will happen. You don't want to end up in a situation where the referee or 1 lucky or unlucky bounce is the difference between winning and losing. It's what got you to that point in the match that has put you into the current predicament. The last rally or 2 is a small sample of a large number of rallies. Every point is important so play them all as such.
I know, I was going to write about focusing on the positive...tomorrow. Today I've decided to write about how squash can take you places and open up doors for you. I've had this happen in my life and I've seen it happen to many others. I'll start with a brief overview about or squash has changed shaped my life and the doors the sport has opened for me.
I've already written a post on why I didn't become a professional squash player. That was always my dream as a kid. If you want to read more about that you'll have to go back and read this http://www.serioussquash.com/2014/07/why-i-didnt-play-pro-squash.html. Back when I was in grade 8 I was looking at going to a school in Toronto so I would get credit and have time off for training and playing squash. The public schools didn't support squash or any extra curricular activities like some private ones do these days. Even though I didn't switch schools this was an opportunity presented to me because of my squash and I see this happen all the time now working with an independent school. The same happens all of the time for university squash programs.
Okay so things didn't go as planned during my high school/teen years. Maybe changing schools for my squash was an avenue that would have been better for me. But there's nothing I can do about that anymore. Again if you read my previous post I linked above you'll know that I didn't play squash for about 4 or 5 years until I was about 19. When I got back into squash I was not in good shape. I would play 1 rally and be out of breath. I had asthma, I was about 35lb heavier than I am now, I didn't exercise enough and I didn't eat very healthy. Getting back to a healthy weight, controlling my asthma and improving my eating habits are all due to getting back into squash. This was another time that squash would change my life forever.
When I was in school I didn't like class. I never wanted to be there, just on the squash court. I never had any intentions of going to university. But once again it was squash that made me decide to go back to school and pursue my education. I was coaching in Toronto at the time and Western had a strong squash team. I decided this was a good chance for me to go and train and play competitively for 4 years. It was a surprising decision for most people who knew me. I hadn't applied myself in high school and had been out of school for a number of years so I wasn't very confident in how I would do. If it wasn't for the squash program at Western I never would have taken that risk. This was another moment where squash changed my life forever. I learned a lot about myself and about the value of education.
After university I was offered a job coaching out in New Brunswick as the coach and club manager at the Moncton Squash Club. I worked there for almost 2 years. After awhile there I realized this was more of a management role and I wasn't doing enough coaching and where I needed to be. This is when I decided I still had a lot to learn and wanted to become a bette coach so I applied at the University of Victoria to do my masters in coaching studies. This was another way squash had changed my life. I certainly never imagined that I would do a masters degree, but again I did because of squash.
I have some pretty obvious and distinct ways that squash has changed and molded my life. I've only shared the more memorable ones. I'm sure there will be many more to come. I'm friends with people all across the country because of squash and having lived in 3 provinces.
I never wanted or expected squash to open any doors or do anything for me. This wasn't why I played and trained every day. I loved it and wanted to be the best I could be. Are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? If you are playing squash for a means to an end, you may be let down and probably won't appreciate the game as much as others that are playing for their love of the game. The whole university squash scene makes me worry about this. If some kids are playing from a young age just to decorate their university application is that right? Although if this is a goal for a kid and they see this as an potential opportunity for them that is fine. I think it's good to have goals and dreams for your future. Professional squash won't be on the table for most kids, but playing competitively at a university could be more appealing. This is why I'm always fascinated by why someone started playing or continues to play?
Squash is a simple way to meet people in almost any country. Squash is a universal language and we can all appreciate the hard work it takes to get good at it. You get to travel to tournaments and get to see new parts of the world while making new friends. Squash can also help you have some balance in your life, keep you fit and healthy. if you're really good you can be selected for teams and can compete in more distant locations and meet a whole new group of people. The better you get the more doors that will open up for you. The networking you can get from squash is also incredible. You can get jobs and references from people you know through squash. You want to find someone you can trust in a certain profession there is most likely a squash player you know that you can look to for advice or to hire.
And for all of us coaches squash has become our job and our passion. Coaches are in a position where we can use squash as a tool to change someones life for the better. How cool is that? I also know people that have met their husband/wife through squash. Think about all of your friends and places you've been because of squash. Would you be in as good of physical shape and mental healthy if you didn't play squash? I decided that the doors squash can open is definitely worthy of a post. Focusing on the positive can wait another day! How has squash changed your life? What has squash done for you lately?
