Lofty Childhood Dream Goals

It's that time of year where people are using the start of a new year to set goals in an attempt to change a behaviour pattern. Making short or long term behavioural changes to improve our quality of life is terrific, but how often are do they last? Today I am going to be discussing the peak of of goal setting pyramids, dream goals. Dream goals do in fact have something in common with New Years resolutions and that is that most are doomed to fail. Does this mean we should not bother setting or pursuing either type of goal? Let's find out.

Through emails and Serious Squash social media platforms I get a lot of messages from players all around the world. I recently had a 12 year old boy message me and tell me how his goal was to become world champion. It made me think about what it was like when I was that age. Twenty-six years ago I was wearing similar shoes as I was extremely driven to become the best in the world (I'm the little guy in the photo below).

When I was young I kept a journal where I logged my daily training sessions and I wrote out analysis from my matches. Some weeks I was on court more than 20 hours and solo hitting for 2-4 hours at a time. Nobody told me I should do this, I just instinctively knew that I had to do more than the competition to get the results and life that I dreamed of.

It's normal for young kids to have ambitions and dreams. A lot of kids dream about being the next Lebron James or in squash, Ramy Ashour. If we look at squash for an example there are very few world #1 ranked players in the history of our sport. Let's say there's been around 40 total (just a guess). Out of 40 total world #1's ever what are the odds of any child making this select group? If I was a mathematician I imagine it would be close, but not quite impossible. Yes just like the infamous scene from Dumb and Dumber, 'so you're saying there's a chance?'

I'm guessing many of the world top athletes all had these big dreams at one point or another, but 99.99+% of us never reach our dream goal of becoming the best in the world. And for the selection few who do reach their dream goal after a decade plus of dedication what is left to drive them forwards afterwards?

This is one of the most difficult things about squash. When you're an adult playing on the PSA tour there are no weight, age or height divisions. There is always a winner or loser so we can generally definitive say who is better than who. For something like music this is far different. Who is the best musician in thew world? I would argue it's not whoever sells the most albums and it would depend on personal preference. But for sports there's less of an argument, you either are or are not world #1. Which means at the time of writing this article only Ali Farag and Raneem El Wilily can say they are living their dream childhood goals while the rest of the pack are giving everything the have to experience that glory. Although it's an amazing feat I can't imagine many kids grow up dreaming of being world #2.

So if you are a parent or coach should you support your child's overly ambitious dreams of becoming the next Ramy (pictured above)? Or should we ensure that they have something to fall back on for they inevitably fail? I recall my parents saying 'what if you get hurt?' That's what parents are supposed to do; they're supposed to worry about your future and they tend to have a lot more common sense. When you're a kid (at least for me) I didn't care what anyone else said I could or couldn't do, I was going to be the best in the world; even though as you can tell from the photo above I was one of the smallest kids in my grade. I believe I was 12 in that photo and that was take n after beating my good friend and childhood rival in the final of the U13 U.S. Open.

Breaking news, I did not become world #1. I know it's sad, my dreams which I war absolutely convinced would happen didn't. But I did get to a pretty high level because of my dedication, work ethic and passion for the game. And it's because of what I was able to accomplish I learned that if I want to do something in life I can do it if I really put my mind to it.

As I get older it's not so simple resurrecting that same type of passion and dedication for a new goal that takes over your every thought and motivates each of the daily decisions you make. This is probably why I was a pretty serious coach for the first few years. How could anyone not put their everything into trying to become the best they can? It took probably close to 8-10 years of coaching to learn how to allow kids to be kids and have fun and to understand and most importably accept that they are not all (in fact very few are) the crazy self driven kid that I once was.

As a coach I think that trying to become the best I can be is something that motivates me most similar to that young version of me who lived for squash. And I've learnt that being the best coach does not mean just knowing the techniques, tactics, etc. Being a great coach is much more about dealing with different types of people, handling challenges, planning a variety of fun engaging practices which will also enable skill development.

Let's discuss outcome squash goals for the moment. Over the past decade I knew I wasn't going to play on the PSA tour, but I still trained a lot and tried to improve my game? There is this innate curiosity about still trying to improve oneself and as you improve various parts of your game you can't help but feel like your best game of squash is still ahead of you. I have also learned how to actually enjoy pushing myself hard in training and in matches. When I was a kid that is something I was not great at.

As I got older I also have learned to accept losing better, although I'm still not too good at it. When I was young I focused so much on winning that it put a lot of pressure on me and I focused on the wrong things (the outcome vs. the process). There are a lot of factors that are outside of your control when you play squash. Plus if you want to become the best you can possibly be you have to get spanked by better players along the way. How many matches do you think Ramy Ashour lost in his entire life? And how many tins do you think he hit in his career? A LOT!!!

I know this post is a little all over the place, but I really want to focus on motivation, perseverance and dream goals. It's not always easy finding things in life that are enjoyable when you lose something that you are so passionate about or when your goals change. When I was chasing world #1 I had a purpose each day. That purpose is so motivating and inspirational and it forces you to make a lot of sacrifices. That's why I love hearing someone else tell me that they have the same dream I once had. When kids set their goals too modestly they will not dig deep and grind it out and miraculously become a great champion some day.

A number of years ago I ran a camp with many of the top juniors in western Canada. Only 1 out of these top juniors said they had a dream goal of playing on the PSA tour. Some of their dream goals were things they could already achieve and had little meaning. I was so perplexed and upset as a coach. I wasn't sure if they didn't really want to put in the work needed to get to the top level or if they only wanted to set goals they knew that they could easily achieve? A little better than mediocracy is what I believe most kids, at least in Canada are striving for these days. We aren't brought up wanting or needing to work extra hard for something and getting uncomfortable enjoying that process of the daily grind. This is why it was quite refreshing when this recent junior shared his goal.

For a few years as a child I lived with purpose where my lofty dreams fuelled me. At school or lying in bed all I thought about was squash. Why does this happen to some kids and not others? Does it have something to do with the environment or genetics? Likely it's a mixture, but as a coach there is nothing better than working with someone so motivated and driven. It's easy to spot this type of dedication and dreams in athletes. There are many parents who are more motivated for their children's squash potential than their kids themselves; this rarely ever works out and the kids eventually will lose their motivation to play squash. Intrinsic motivation, persistence and a dare to dream is what it takes and those are things that someone else cannot wish upon you.

Do you think it's healthy to have dream goals even if they more than likely won't come true? Someone has to be the next Nicol David (pictured above), why not you?

What do you do when you finally have to give up on your dream goal? That I don't have all of the answers for, but I know I didn't feel as alive and as driven to do other things with the same focus and passion. Finding new goals or passions are certainly important. Wether it's training, improving a variety of skills on or off court, taking up a new hobby or what I thoroughly enjoy it helping someone else achieve something special.

Squash was what I've been most passionate about so that's why it's hard to envision doing anything besides coaching. Squash is what made me and it's how I feel I can pay it back to other people, especially the young motivated dreamers. I can't imagine being happy doing a random job that didn't interest me and I wasn't passionate about. I know that's what most people do, but I don't know how they do it. I would never go the extra mile (or for that matter do the bare minimum) for something that doesn't interest me. If I was doing something to make a living that didn't engage me I will admit I would not hire me.

Have you ever or do you currently have a dream goal? Even if other people think they are unrealistic, what keeps you working towards your dream? Do you have someone you aspire to be like? Role models who you can relate to can be extremely motivating and this can prove that what you want to do or where you want to go too is indeed possible. And here's my take on the popular quote, you may shoot for the stars and end up on the moon. But if you only aim for the moon you may not get far off the ground. Do you use the naysayers to motivate you to prove them wrong? Do you have a team that is supporting you with your dream goal? Because if there is 1 thing I do know for sure, it's that you can achieve much more with support than you can on your own.

I wish there was a way to see what past squash champions are all up to nowadays. How many are still involved in squash? How many are helping the up and coming future squash stars (like Jonathon Power and Diego Elias or Thierry Lincou and Amanda Sobhy)? Same goes for world champions in other sports. What do these former champions do to find meaning now that their time has come and gone? I'm sure family has a big impact on this and can help put things in perspective. Even still there's a reason Tiger Woods is still out there competing and training even though he's had countless surgeries and his back is a mess. Tiger sure doesn't need the money, but something keeps him teeing it up. I bet it's still his childhood dream of being world #1 and winning majors and these goals still have a stranglehold in his life.

I suppose this is we are so transfixed by athletes who do defy the odds and end up achieving their childhood dreams. There's a long list of books which attempt to get to the bottom of how and why elite performers achieved the results they did. All top athletes begin their sporting journey with a dream and there is nothing quite as intrinsically motivating as that dream. And for a few select hard working athletes dreams do once in awhile become a reality. Someone has to be world #1 so why not you?

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Keep The Practice Quality High

To become a top level athlete, in particular squash, we need to learn how to push ourselves when our body or mind sometimes would rather take a break. As both an athlete and coach I have found this to be both interesting philosophically and invaluable to understand. If you or a kid your coaching is having really tired or just not feeling it that day we normally want to push them or ourselves to get going. We might be more flat footed than normal, have less energy in general and also have trouble focusing.
There's a common fallacy that we think quantity of practice and the 10,000 hours will help guarantee we reach an elite level and that the quicker we get to that level the better. As a squash coach for a number of years now you can sense the expectations from coaches and parents on their athletes and how we all want, hope and even expect immediate rewards. When someone isn't achieving the success we want for them we think they need to do more or work harder or make changes to their game. One problem with squash is how much we compare ourselves against other people and get so caught up in results instead of becoming the best possible player you can be and play at a consistently high level. I wanted to win as much as the next person, but I believe that if you focus on improving your own game and have the proper work ethic the results will come eventually.

What good will we get out of that session if we are only able to give 50% of what we normally can give? Is that really a productive session? Was there something else that we could have done that would have had more benefit? Perhaps some recovery rolling or stretching or easy biking? Maybe some video analysis or a look at our training plan? Maybe even some feeding with a ball machine or solo hitting would have been more beneficial and perhaps the next day we would have felt better and been more mentally and physically prepared to push ourselves closer to our limits.

See it's very difficult to push yourself to your mental and physical breaking point each and every day. Understanding that sometimes less is more is a difficult concept for an athlete and also a coach or parent to understand. We instinctively think someone is being lazy and demonstrates poor work ethic and a lack of desire. We are all human and finding this balance of when to push yourself when you feel flat or off that day and when to mix it up is important.

If we look back at the above example, but instead imagine we had a rough start and weren't feeling up for it, but someone once we got going we were able to get closer to 80 or 90% off our normal level that could be incredibly powerful for when we are in a tournament and aren't feeling great. In competition we have to play unless of course we decided to withdraw from the competition. But in a tournament, assuming there is no injury or illness we have to learn to play and not be fresh. At the US Junior Open kids were having 7 matches in 3.5 days; nobody is feeling good going into their last few matches. But if you know you can still get close to your best squash even when you are stepping on court with less than 100% in the fuel tank your mind might indeed be stronger than your opponent.

This mental muscle is a skill we need to be a good squash player and one of the differences I've noticed in Canada versus when I've seen kids train and play in other countries is that we don't push our kids as hard; right or wrong. Passion and letting kids have choices in what they want to do is not always a luxury all kids get. There are pros and cons to both side of this perspective, but coming from a Canadian point of view I've always felt that intrinsic motivation can get the job done. There is a lack of structural support and funding here compared to other countries, but if you can find a good coach and people to train with you can become a top class player with years and years of dedication.

 My final point on this topic is about the title, keeping the quality high. If a coach or parent is the one pushing a kid constantly at some point they are not going to want to step back out on court or they will not be totally mentally engaged in their practices. Some coaches simply try and push their athletes as hard as possible every single time they work with them, but harder isn't always smarter, especially on low energy days. I know a woman who is using a heart rate watch which gives her a red, amber or green signal each day to let her know if she is good to train depending on her average heart rate and I believe quality of sleep. Tools like this can be used to avoid risk of injury and decide on when to push yourself hardest and when to focus more on technique or quality and keep practice sessions high, and the hard ones hard.

In university I knew I couldn't physically push myself in every on court session daily, so I would solo hit 2-5 times per week so I could let me brain and body recover proper and still improve my racquet skill. It would have been nice to have fancy devices like the heart rate street light watch and some of this perspective and knowledge back in those days.

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Stay Unrealistic and Prove The Doubters Wrong

When I was a kid I had very supportive parents. They would bring me to squash tournaments all over North America and even over the Scottish and British Opens one year. I had a lot of success as a young squash nut winning the Canadian nationals and U.S. Open with some other high finishes along the way. As a young boy I beat some players that went on to play professionally and make it inside the top 50. Unfortunately I quit playing squash when I was 14 for about 5 years so I never really got to make a go at becoming the best I could be. I also dreamed of becoming a world champion and was convinced I would, but why do some kids stop chasing their goals and others don't?

When you're a kid you think anything is possible (at least I did) and if you worked hard enough you could do whatever you want. Teachers ask kids what they want to be when they grow up and they often say something pretty unrealistic like an astronaut; but someone has to be an astronaut. Just because something is a long shot doesn't mean it's not going to happen. How and why do kids stop believing in themselves and chasing their dreams? There's probably a few reason why this occurs.

Kids are stereotyped because of their physique or where they come from so some don't get as much attention and don't get selected to higher level teams. Parents also feel like kids should grow up at a certain age and think and act more like an adult; which basically means focus on making money and doing less of what you like. There's also a definite lack of unrelenting belief within some people. People are too quick to think they just don't have that fire or willpower, but it is something anyone can have in the right environment and upbringing. I believe this is a learned habit and having a taste of success can go a long way to fuelling your dream.

When I was a kid of course (yes I'm the small 1 in the below pic) I would always say I wanted to be a pro squash player and not just that but world #1. Even after having quite a bit of success not everyone was thinking my dreams were very realistic or sustainable and I'd always be told to focus more on my studies. I remember 1 time my parents asking me what would happen if I for example have knee problems and could no longer play professionally? I remember stating that, 'if I get injured and can't compete anymore I'll be a coach.' So it wasn't my first choice, but it's funny that's what happened.

See parents are always worrying about what could go wrong and worry a lot about their children. Parents want their kids to be able to take care of themselves and becoming a professional squash player means more than likely they'll be disappointed, possibly uneducated enough to get a good job if squash doesn't work out and also have financial problems (because we all know there's not much money in pro squash). If parents are pushing kids into squash normally it's to help get them into a good school, not to make a living doing it. It's this sensible and protective nature which eventually kills the dreams of kids. Just because your parents didn't achieve their childhood dreams don't let this affect your passion. I believe this is why the kids of successful athletes are more likely to make it to the pro level; not only are the kids seeing the work ethic and lifestyle it takes, but they see what daddy or mommy did and of course they think if they did it we can to and the parents also think this way. If you're surrounded by people that believe in your dreams you'll be far more likely to achieve them.

I've heard many other parents over the years who also told their kids what they should be striving for and to set realistic expectations so they don't get let down when they fail to achieve their unrealistic goals. How would anyone in the world every achieve anything great if we all erred on the side of caution and realism? You only live once and I don't understand trying to take the safest route just to avoid disappointment. Wanting to play professional squash is a long shot let alone making a living playing it, but it is certainly possible. It can also open up doors to other avenues, so my big point today is to support the dreams and goals of those around you no matter how absurd and unrealistic they may seem. As soon as we start putting walls up and telling them to grow up and think about their future we kill their hope and without hope there is no more dreaming or passion. You may just be amazed by how far motivation and belief can take someone.

Some parents may have unrealistically high expectations for their kids, so let's not confuse these with intrinsic desires and goals. So if you have a kid that wants to be the best in the world at something don't tell them it isn't going to happen. Even though I didn't become #1 in the world or play professional squash I know from my experience and success as a young kid that I can do anything in the world if I put my mind to it, am passionate about it and stick with it. Just because you think it's a silly dream it's wrong to tell someone they can't do something so if you care about that individual you should support them and believe in them. And if you're the 1 having doubts yourself hopefully this post will give you some extra courage to keep fighting for your dreams.

Even if you don't achieve what you originally set out to do you'll likely realize 1 day that it was the journey which mattered most, not the destination; this is why process goals and making the most out of what you have is so critical. I think this is why many of the former world #1's over the past few years have let their standards slip. They reach their life long dream and the drive to chase the top of the podium is gone. It's also much tougher to play trying to maintain something and to not lose than it is if you're hungry and gunning for the top and your childhood dream.

I read in a book how LeBron James has set a goal to become the best player of all time, not just the best player in the league each season. So if you are so fortunate to reach your dream goal you better think even bigger and come up with some goals that other people would think are impossible. It's also key to focus on the process of becoming the absolute best you can be. If you can do this you will still find ways and areas to improve upon regardless of whether you've achieved your outcome dream goal or not.

I remember about 5 years ago running a provincial camp for the top kids here in British Columbia. I handed out a questionnaire to them and 1 of the questions asked what their dream goal was for squash. Only 1 of them put to play professionally. Many of the goals were extremely modest or not challenging whatsoever; it basically showed me that these kids were not going to go as far as they were capable of simply from the response of a single question. I believe these low standards are learned behaviours from their environment and as a coach they drive me nuts. I know a kid can never be that good if they don't think they can. I would much rather work with a less talented child who goes to bed dreaming of becoming the next world champion and has the work ethic to back it up.

I really hope I reach at least 1 person with this article and if I make a difference in their belief and goals I will be extremely happy. Whether it's you as a supporting role or as the athlete him/herself. I know when we lose to many matches or have a poor season we get down on our game and our expectations about what we can do can quickly diminish. But squash is not a sprint, it's a long race and it takes a commitment to your long term development and the mind is the key to achieving greatness.

Learning to cope with poor performances and disappointment is something your team can help you with, but ultimately has to come from within. If you need that extra incentive to fuel you along, try and prove any doubters wrong. Someone doesn't select you for a team, work harder and prove you belonged. Many low draft picks in major league sports carry this chip on their shoulder each and every day at practice even well after they have been successful. Don't play and practice angry, just play with determination and complete confidence that you have something to prove. Just because you haven't or somebody hasn't done something before it doesn't mean it can never be done. The main obstacle is also what can be your greatest asset, the mind.

Ramy Ashour will have doubts about his health and his hamstring for the rest of his career and for good reason, yet he continues to fight. Why? Because he still believes and has hope while others are all to quick to write him off and wonder why he won't hang up his racquet. He wouldn't have gotten to the incredible level that he has without having to deal with plenty of criticism and adversity over the years; when you handle these instances well it makes you tougher and you gain more confidence in your ability to do anything you put your mind to. Even though it's his body letting him down, it's the battle in between the ears which are the toughest to overcome.

Don't let others tell you what you can or can't do. As a former top junior and coach I know how important belief, intrinsic motivation and will power can be. Prove the naysayers wrong and become the next world champion and be sure to thank me in your acceptance speech in 10 years time :)

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Mandating Annual Training Plans In Junior Squash

Today I should warn you I am going to go on a bit of a rant and it's a long post. I'm a true believer that squash should be fun and also that you get out what you put into it. If you love squash and want to get better you simply need to put in the time and effort and you will get to where you want to be eventually. If you don't have that drive you won't get to where others should think you should be. It's kind of like Matt Damon in the movie Good Will Hunting. I get the sense in squash that many of us are pressing our kids for results and unfortunately some of these kids end up dropping out of our great sport for this reason. I see this all of the time after kids finish grinding away their four years at college.

I feel that junior squash has become so competitive that it has zapped out a lot of fun from the game. Many countries have these robot type children all playing the same style of squash. Coaches feel pressure to produce top kids and often disregard the reasons the kids they have play squash. A big problem is that a major objective for governing bodies is to have elite high performance programs with elite and high standard kids they can stand from afar and admire and be proud of. Many kids themselves on doubt feel pressure to make certain teams or get accepted to a good university with a squash team. I have to admit that I'm guilty of this at times too. I have talented athletes that could achieve so much more, but in the end I have to remember that what they do with squash isn't my decision it is theirs. Squash can certainly open up a lot of doors for you and the higher the level you become, generally the more opportunities it will present to you. This is where I believe that motivation is the most important trait a coach can have. It doesn't matter how well you understand the game or teach the squash swing if a kid isn't intrinsically motivated to practice and get better.

When I was a kid I wanted to be a world champion. Yes I'm aware that didn't happen, but this can make it challenging to work with kids that have lower goals for their own squash games; especially when they have the skills and resources available to them. This is where I have to take a step back and listen to what the kids want out of squash and to how good they want to be. It's been an interesting challenge working at a school and starting up many of the kids from scratch. Most just come to practice and play for fun and enjoy competing while along the way have become pretty decent players. But these kids started playing just because we offered it at their school and they happened to be good at it or have fun playing. After 5 years running this program we do have some pretty strong players now and a few are keen to do independent training to become one of the best in Canada. 

At a school sometimes kids are just registered in a specific program and have the skills to be in a specific group. So even though there are different levels of kids within our system, there are many various motivating factors and aspirations for their squash careers. I feel this variety has given me a better perspective on junior squash as a whole. Not every kid is going to be a provincial or national champion, but that doesn't mean the kids can't all enjoy squash and play it for the rest of their lives. And for a select few of these kids that do have the potential and drive to become a top caliber player that we then have the ability to provide the guidance and program to facilitate this. Let's get back to our topic! 

I know this is a roundabout way to get to this point, but I wanted to give a clear personal perspective before I got into this topic. I hear that Squash BC and Squash Canada will soon be mandating that their recognized targeted athletes (as in being on a provincial squad) must have an annual training plan. At first I thought, well okay that seems reasonable for our top juniors. Then I started to think about this a little further. As soon as we have a policy that states a kid 'must' do anything the motivation moves from intrinsic to extrinsic. You can see how I immediately started worrying about this new policy and started to think it over further. 

I also began to think about if an actual yearly training plan is always appropriate for all kids just because their good at squash? Are the being kids identified in British Columbia and Canada talented and dedicated enough to all benefit from being on an annual training plan? Are we going to be pushing them at too young of an age because of the pressure WE feel for them to play at a higher national or international standard? When I was a kid I would have loved this, but only if it was optional and I had this option available to me because I was a top player. If I was told I had to do this or that I don't think it would have gone over too well. 

From my coaching perspective at the school the program has grown every season, but even for some of our top kids we're still working on getting them to want to train without saying they must do it. One of our biggest steps was helping the tops kids develop their own off season training program for this summer. But even this summer training program was made optional. I gave them suggestions and said it would greatly benefit for their games, but I realize not all of them are super keen to focus on training for squash year round. They are kids after all so who can blame them.

Without a doubt if these kids were on an annual training plan and stuck to them they would become better squash players in the short term. If the kids continued on this plan for a long period of time they would definitely benefit from it, but is this reason enough to implement a mandatory annual training program?

I feel most of these kids are not ready for this level of commitment. I will likely have 2-4 kids that must have an annual training plan for next season. I feel this is a sign of the sport becoming more professional at the junior level. If we want our kids to get a variety scholarship or make a national team a training plan would be great, but how many of these athletes have these goals? Would it not be worth finding out their goals and motivation first?

From a sporting government body I get it completely. We want to do better at the world stage at both the junior and senior level. As adults we know what's best for our kids, right? So mandating annual training plans is clearly a necessary requirement to producing stronger high performance pathway? Maybe they should listen to some of the coaches and athletes before they go ahead and implement this policy. 

I always like to think about things from different perspectives and creative angles. I've already discussed a few of the issues I have with this protocol, but here are a few of my pros and cons of mandating our top kids to annual training plans. 

Pros To Forcing Kids To Have Annual Training Plans

- the kids will be fitter, faster, stronger

- the governing bodies will meet their funding requirements

- scheduled rest time in the year 

- emphasis is placed on peaking for larger tournaments 

- you have a plan and goals and feel in control of your development

- it keeps you on track by helping you get into a routine
- this helps you stay on track over the season
- our kids will get a glimpse of what a professional squash player's life is like
- this is an effective way to guide a highly motivated athlete 

Cons Of Forcing Kids To Have Annual Training Plans

- makes playing competitively more serious and less fun
- increased dropout of sport
- you can become overwhelmed and immersed by the quantity of data and your training load and lose focus on what is most important, which is the quality of your training on that particular day

- motivation for playing and training can becomes extrinsic

- putting a focus on fitness means kids will develop their shots and tactics slower and could be prone to playing less attacking squash (which I feel is the current and future of the game)

- I feel like the biggest improvement most kids can make in squash is by improving their tactics and skill set. I bet there are some top world class players that never had an annual training plan when they were kids and instead of spending time in the gym lifting weights they were on court hitting the ball! 

- not every kids is mentally or physically ready for an annual training plan

- some kids are fine physically and need to focus more on learning the squash part of the game (technical and tactical) and annual training plans in my opinion should be more geared toward physical training

- I believe that increasing importance of specific competitions puts extra pressure on the kids. I believe in continually improving your own game regardless on the time of the season

- training plans generally call for less technical focus prior to competitions, but there are so many competitions for kids that unless it's a few days before a tournament I will always take an opportunity to improve someone's knowledge or swing. My first couple of years coaching I would avoid changing things before competing, but the kids are constantly competing so that didn't work

- isn't the best way for someone to get better to either play a match or solo hit? I know other things are key, but for me I'm always wanting a kid to do these things first before any other additional off court training is scheduled 

- If a kid does want to start an annual training plan shouldn't certified personal trainers set up these routines? Seriously, aren't they more qualified than the squash coaches?

- I've seen some pretty detailed and outrageous annual training plans that I know were not adhered to whatsoever. So really, what's the point of designing some amazing plan if it isn't going to be followed?
- how do you follow a kids plan when they train as part of a larger group who may've different training objectives? 

- promotes early specialization. I believe a lot of these kids that would be on this program would be better off just playing a 2nd or 3rd sport of cross training and for fun. This isn't just geared towards the junior national team players and trickles much further down the rankings and age groups

Okay, you get the point. You can see I can think of many more cons than pros for this argument. But clearly we are following the lead of other counties or even other sports. Why don't we come up with our own intelligent and creative way to assist our kids? Of course if you're a rower or in a purely endurance based sport a training plan and pure athleticism is key to success, but in squash there is so much to learn and know and just by playing we get fitter, stronger and faster and I think it should be treated differently. 

I'm sure I will get some criticism for my points here. I have to say that I am not against training programs at all, just against forcing teenagers to have them simply because of their provincial or national ranking. When I've worked with some professional players we would work month by month and adjust as necessary. If someone need more work in a certain area we keeping working on it. How often are people with annual training plans adjusting them based on how they're developing? At least for most of the kids I work with, I've been concentrating on getting them to understand different types of training, how it benefits them and most importantly to motivate them to want to do it and see the benefits of training. 

It will be interesting to see how things develop. It reminds me of my interview with Wee Wern Low and how she said she felt forced to go work with a 'better' coach, but she trusted her instinct and did what she felt was best for her and she kept the coach she had since she was 12. There are also similar rules stating that someone has to have a certain qualification to coach an athlete that they already work with at a provincial or national event and of course the Olympics. These rules are meant to help the athletes and get the coaches to spend time working on their certifications, but this system doesn't always work. 

I really enjoy people that think like Wee Wern Low as they kind of beat the system and show us that we shouldn't be so focused on say, how hard a pitcher throws a baseball or a squash player hits a ball or the certification or experience a coach has. Because really a squash player isn't going to get very far without the tactical, mental and technical skills. All of these other 3 skills are things that I am always talking about and working on with kids, regardless of the time of season. 

This topic also reminds me of a book I recently read titled 'How Bad Do You Want It' by Matt Fitzgerald. He made an interesting point about the best endurance runners. Fitzgerald discussed evidence that the top runners were comprised of a mixture of slightly lower V02max and more efficient running styles while others had a higher V02max, but because of this they always had less efficient running styles. This hits home for me in squash about how retrievers fail to develop shots or attacking tactics while those that have to because they are not as fast or fit do so. So I do think there is something to be said for learning how to play squash and developing your shots and tactics before becoming too fast, strong and fit and just winning because your run everything down. If a kid wins simply because he or she overhits or outruns their peers they are most likely to have a setback in their development of the tactics and shot making skills that their peers must have. Do you agree? 

For elite and experienced players, squash is an art form. Do you think famous artists were ever on a training plan? And did that ever stop them from being their best? Of course not! If an artist is getting ready for a show they may implicitly know they have to do a bit more to prepare and get ready for this. If a squash player is playing a big international event the more they will practice without us telling them they have too. We already know all of this implicitly and do what it takes to prepare properly. If we get to the event not as prepared as we would like we learn from it and try and do better the next time. Isn't this how preparation for squash competitions should be like, more like artists that put in the hours preparing because they are working at perfecting their craft, not because they are told too? 

What do you guys think? Can you think of anymore pros and cons I missed out on? Are annual training plans necessary for kids? If we were a stronger squash country at the junior level I may agree with these terms for a select few of the top kids, but in my opinion we're just not there and I actually think we have some very athletic kids already. We don't have enough kids competing and doing well at the international events in any age group. I think we should concentrate on being more competitive with our younger kids and hopefully they will be physically and mentally prepared to have a training plan when and if they are ready to do so. Some kids may be mature enough to go on a plan at 14 or 15 well others maybe not until they are in their 20's. And really if a kid never wants to go on a training plan, but loves squash and plays it all his life what is wrong with that? 

Currently I don't see many (if any) Canadian juniors that are going to make a living playing squash. I still feel my biggest beef is that wouldn't an annual training plan be better suited to a kid that wanted to do it, but didn't necessarily have too? Shouldn't we simply have access to the best trainer in the country that can set up an annual plan for those targeted that ask for it?  Wouldn't this be more progressive and keep the motivation for those on a plan more intrinsic? Maybe we should try and simply monitor how much of what our athletes are doing? I bet many are being pushed into doing too much for how little of years they have been training. Clearly if I was given a vote on this I would vote 'no.' I've played a high junior level and coached all different levels of kids so I feel I have a good set of experience to make my decision. I know that if I had a son or daughter playing and they were on one of these squads I would never force them to train and be on an annual program if they didn't want to do it. Sorry for the lengthy post, hope it was interesting to you! I'm guessing if you made it all the way to here it was :)

Relinquishing Control: Training Autonomy Tuesdays

Yes, 2 posts in 2 days! That's what happens when I actually get a day off :) I think you're going to find today's post pretty fascinating as it's about something I believe its revolutionary in terms of organizing and running a junior squash program. Let's see if you agree.

Relinquishing control as a person in charge of others can be an extremely challenging thing to do. We are brought up through an education system that tells us what to do, what we should learn and how to behave. Imagine a classroom where a teacher told the students they could do anything the wanted in class! Kids are young and how could they know what they should be doing? Because what they should be doing isn't going to match up with what they want to be doing. We feel like we are assisting with their development as we tell teach them what is right and wrong and what they need to learn to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Kids must be exposed to a number of different subjects, sports and activities; kids don't get many choices these days, yet somehow we expect them to be able to make important life decisions later on in life and to enjoy us always telling them what they are going to do next. It's no wonder kids live on their phones these days! We mean well, we want to help our kids and share our knowledge so they can learn from our mistakes. It's a great feeling to help others, but I believe that sometimes less is actually more and can actually assist with their development. Today I'm going to discuss a new practice model I'm currently experimenting with the kids that I coach.

I bought a book a year or so ago called 'Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us' by Daniel Pink (pictured above with a link to it on Amazon). As a coach I know motivation is the most important factor for a kid loving sport and wanting to dedicate extra time and work hard to become the best they can be. Many of us love squash for a variety of reasons, but I'm always curious how I can increase motivation with the athletes I work with so they will not just enjoy squash, but love it. If a kid is motivated they will work harder and in the end set more challenging goals while improving their chances of attaining them.

When I was a little kid I played my first squash tournament at the age of 9. My home club in Pickering, Ontario just happened to be hosting the Canadian Junior Nationals. I signed up for the boys under 12 and I had no expectations because I didn't know what the competition would be like. To my surprise I won the consolation and realized I was actually pretty good at squash which I had jus been playing with my family recreationally. I was a small kid so contact sports weren't up my ally. But after realizing that a person of any size could be a good squash player I began a journey to become the best I could possibly be. I was probably the most motivated and hardest working kid and the following year I started winning most of the tournaments I entered. I would do anything anyone told me to improve my squash game. I wrote daily in a journal about squash (pictured below with the very legible handwriting!), I solo hit for an hour or more almost every day and I had a home gym I used all of the me even though I didn't necessarily enjoy training.

So what does my previous experience have to do with motivation? Well, basically I had no idea what it took to become the best I was just so highly motivated. I wasn't working with national caliber coaches and I didn't belong to a group setting program like the one I currently run. I didn't have court time set aside for me each day. I became the best because of how much I loved squash and how badly I wanted to be the best. I wonder how many kids go through a similar phase like this when they are young. It got me thinking about telling kids they have to be at practice and that today we are going to do this or that and this is how I want it done. It got me thinking that maybe it was the way junior squash programs are being run that is the problem. Maybe if I backed off a bit and let the kids decide what they wanted to do and how they wanted to do it they would enjoy practice more and in turn be more motivated and engaged with their learning process.

Well this is the concept I am now playing around with and have learned from the book, Drive. Every Tuesday for the past month I let the kids pick and choose what they want to work on. I will still pick who they work with so there is still interaction among all of the team members, but after that they run the practice. I bring out the ball machine and the other coach and I tell them we are at their disposal, that they can use us for feeding, running a drill or for playing a game with them. I'm still thinking of ways to tweak this so it works best, but I believe that if a kid is engaged at practice no matter what they doing they are better off than doing something that I tell them to do and that they do not want to be doing.

At the beginning I was very excited about the concept and I read how much companies have advanced because they give their employees more autonomy. I began to think about the possibilities of implanting this into my training and wondered how it would influence the kids. The first time I tried this I think a couple of the kids looked at me completely lost; they don't get to make choices about anything in their lives, let alone what they want to do in a group training session. So far nobody has said they want to do court sprints, and I'm fine with that! I feel the kids have surprised me thus and have made good use of this time. So although there is a set time for practice, they still have the freedom to practice anything they like.

For those interesting in the dynamics of my practice settings. Our Tuesday group trainings run for 1.5 hours and we have 2 groups back to back. Each group will have between 4-8 kids in it depending on the day. I will group the kids in pairs or 3's and let one of them pick first what they would like to work on and how they would like to work on it; a drill, condition game, ball machine, with a coach or with some feeding. If they know what they want to work on, but don't have an idea on what would be a good drill I'll give them a few suggestions and they will pick one of them or tweak it make it their own. Generally after 10 minutes I'll let the other kid pick what he or she would like to do. We will then switch up partners and go through this again for most of the practice.

So far I believe that the older kids have been a bit better at running their own drills and knowing exactly what they want to and need to work on. Some of the younger kids I feel don't like to practice what they have trouble with and prefer playing games. I must say I enjoy watching the older kids take charge of their own squash game and I'm excited to see how this develops.

I've only attempted this with high school students that have played squash for a minimum of 2 years so far. This is something I am considering to try with the middle school kids (11-14 years old), so I will need to post an update on this down the road. I know it goes against how we were brought up and how we think learning should take place, especially in a school setting, but I always enjoy trying new things and finding methods to improve practices.

In lessons I always ask the student what they would like to work on and it's finally time I began to do this in groups. I like this in the group setting because the kids can work on an area that they would like to, which is probably an entirely different area than the kids on the next court. With this method of training the kids will get more individualized practice and hopefully this will help their development and love of the game. I also feel like this gives the kids more creativity in their game and in how they want to practice.

When I was a kid I wanted to be the best in the world and practiced relentlessly. Many kids have dreams like this and I'm hoping that by relinquishing control of practice (at least for 1 day per week) that this may light some fireworks and for others rekindle their passion for squash. I know some of you must be wondering about that extra little push we need from time to time to become the greatest we can be and to make the most out of each practice? And what about the kids that don't really want to be there? Well if they don't want to practice they don't have to; I don't want people like that at my practices anyways. If someone needs a push I can still give it to them, but I can give it to them while they are designing and running their own practice. I'm now not the one telling them one to do and how long to do it for, but am their assistant; the athletes are in charge. I can want to produce a World Champion all I want, but in the end it isn't up to me and I wouldn't take credit for it. I may have come up with the idea for Training Autonomy Tuesdays (kudos to Daniel Pink!), but whatever level the kids achieve it will be because of their effort, passion, goals and dedication.

How much control is the right amount to give up as a coach? What about teachers? Can they give up any? Should we? Squash is a sport and kids play mostly because it's fun. Many of the top musicians and artists became the best because they wanted to practice, not because they had to practice. Even on the biggest stage Ramy (above) is in his natural element and enjoying himself; that's part of why we love watching him play. As soon as I start telling kids what to do and that they must practice x number of hours and days per week the fun can quickly disappear. When I start calling all the shots the kids are practicing so they can achieve the goals that I've set for them, which just doesn't seem right. If a kid wants to practice more and sets challenging goals I can let them know what it takes, but I want that to come from within, as it did with me as a young boy.

If I Coached Nicol David

Today I am going to discuss what I would work on if I coached Nicol David. It seems like a fitting topic since I'm heading to Malaysia soon. Obviously she is doing almost everything at the absolute highest quality, but even for one of the greatest players there are things that can be improved. I'm sure this is what keeps her motivated year after year. Many people want to find out just how good they can be? Not very many of us actually achieve our true potential. It takes not just many years of hard work, but a dedication to your craft for a major potion of your life.

I could go on and on about what Nicol David does so well. Her consistency, focus, mental toughness, work ethic, determination, her length and fitness are the major qualities that I really admire. Not to mention that she is a brilliant role model not just for young girls, but any squash player. She also appears to be extremely humble and has a great smile :-) It makes you wonder where her will and determination come from. David is proof that you can be small and succeed in squash. But this post is heading in a different direction. It's time to talk about how David can become an even better squash player.

David has been on the tour for a long time and is getting near the twilight of her career, but has yet to shows signs of slowing down. I believe that David can continue improving her game for years to come. When you get to an elite level as David has, what she can improve is much less obvious than any amateur, but after watching most of her matches at the recent British Open you could see some of her opponents were able to really work her around the court. I don't remember her opponents looking so comfortable against her a few years ago. I guess this is naturally what happens when you're on the top. Everyone has a team strategizing on how to take you down.

Although David is extremely fit and fast, she is still relatively small in stature. So when someone holds the ball or attacks well with a boast she has trouble covering. I thought Laura Massaro had a lot of success with her forehand attacking boast on David. I think David is well aware of this fact and is why she really concentrates on keeping her opponent behind her until she has a golden opening. If her opponents are stuck in the back they won't be hitting many winners from there. David has such great length on the glass court that this almost always works, but if her opponents equal her great length she's normally in trouble (yes, as we all are!). I think that David will never be easy to beat because she has such a solid base to her game. She makes very few mistakes and hits good width and length. But I do feel that she could be more aggressive and clinical on her volleys.

During the British Open I thought David let her opponents off the hook numerous occasions on the volley. There were plenty of times where her opponent was stuck behind her and she just hit it deep again. David appeared to be set up and in position to bring the ball in short. Of course if she goes short and the shot isn't high quality she puts herself in trouble as she again is not that big and many of the top women are deceptive when given time from the front. Obviously this isn't her style, but I'd like to see her play more aggressive on the volley. Not be afraid of making a couple of errors. This brings me to my next point.

Watching David play I feel that her opponents can read her very well. It's just a matter of wether David's shot execution is precise enough or not. If your opponent always knows where the ball is going you're looking at very long rallies. She does have a deceptive backhand trickle boast and I would like to see her work on one on the forehand side. I'd also like to see her try some more drives down the middle of the court. She hits such immaculate length that this is definitely something that would make her even tougher to play.

I think David could also improve her attacking boast. Some of the top women shape up and look like they are going to drive and then play a 2-wall boast. Some of these women have excellent delay on their swings. Since David has such great length and hits deep almost every time she's in the back if this shot was at all deceptive she would set herself up for a lot of easy points. But of course this leaves her exposed at the front and is a bit more risky than the style she normally plays.

The last area I think Nicol David could improve is her serve from the right service box. She does get the ball nice and high with her lob serve, but rarely hits the sidewall. If she hit the sidewall consistently on the 4-wall glad court this would set her up for a lot more quick points. Again, this may appear like a minor-adjustment, but I do think it would make a pretty significant impact to her game.

Nicole David is one of the greatest of all time. I almost feel unworthy to write an article about how she could improve. But I thought it would be a fascinating topic. I know one could ask, 'why fix what isn't broke?' And yes I get it and agree. But I believe this is how the greatest athletes think. Elite athletes are never satisfied with where they are and are constantly looking for ways to improve and add new dimensions to their craft. Nicol David isn't going to transform her game into an Egyptian stye. But if we look at Nick Matthew the past few years he has become much more attacking and clinical with his short game. As the competition get stronger I think you need to get them off court sooner so you can be fresher for the later rounds.

It would be interesting to know exactly what Nicol David thought of her own game at the moment and what she is currently working on. If she keeps on doing the same thing she should continue to do it slightly better and better. There is no doubt about her work ethic. But with everyone nipping at her heels I'm sure she is thinking of subtle adjustments she needs to continue to make so she can continue to stay at the top. As we saw at the British Open there are a number of women that are capable of beating Nicol on any given day. If feels like the tides are slowing changing. How much longer will David be able to be world #1? I think the one thing she has going for her is that there isn't another dominant person on tour. I think there are a few that are very strong, but the don't get the consistent results that David does. Until one of them do David should be safe at the top of the heap.

If I was coaching Nicol David it's safe to say that I would learn a lot more from her than she would from me.

Time Management and Maximizing Training

Today I'm going to talk about time management and in particular how you can maximize your training sessions each week. Think outside the box. Do more, but do it smarter. Manage your time and know what type of training to do and how much to do it. You can train twice per day and not burn yourself out. Keep it fresh and change it up constantly. If you want to be the best solo hit every day, even for just 20 minutes. I know top students at university that are able to train 3 times per day. I heard that Jansher Khan use to train at 6am everyday because he could get in a practice before most people even woke up. I know most people are busy these days, including students, so managing your time and getting into a routine is essential if you wan to be the best you can be.

Everyone has heard about deliberate practice. That it takes about 10,000 to become an expert in a field, including squash. Well some people play that long or longer and never become close to an expert. 10,000 over 10 years is much different than over 20 or 30 years. It's also not just about the quantity of practice time. Quality is always more important. Practicing every day for your entire life with the poor technique will only get you so far. So today's post is not about playing a match and doing drills every day and overtraining with only 10,000 hours as a goal. Today the discussion is how to keep the quality up by being smart and managing your time using a weekly training log.

When I was in university my body could only handle so many tough training sessions per week. Especially when the team went away for the weekend and I'd play 3 or more hard matches. I couldn't just get back and begin my training routine right away. Often I was stuck in a vehicle for half a day coning hime and if I wasn't already sore from my matches I was from the trip back. I learned early on that solo hitting was the way I could protect my body and it was also the fastest way I could improve when my body needed some rest. So I would find time to solo hit at least 3 or 4 times per week. I know some of the top players solo hit every day.

I know you're thinking, I have school or a job, I can't solo hit everyday! Well you may be right. But if you're a top player and really want to improve you can find time. Before work, maybe at lunch or after dinner. If we get into a routine and make time for things we can accomplish more than we may think. This is why I promote the idea of setting up a weekly training log that you can repeat. It's this routine that you will adjust to and as the weeks pile up you will be training more than your competitors and improving faster.

There's a few important points about a weekly training cycle. The first is that you need to incorporate some easier non-physically demanding routines. This can include yoga, solo hitting or swimming. You'll also need to pay more attention to cooling down, stretching and doing some light aerobic activity so you recover faster. Another critical part is that you adjust and spread out your hard training sessions. For example, if you like to spin 1 day per week. Change that spin routine up every week or two. The body adjusts to training very quickly. I believe it's important to change the work to rest ratio, the intensity, duration and even the type of exercise you do. Of course if you're training every day, or even twice per day you need to spread out the really physically demanding sessions. If you do a tough plyometric routine and you really burn your legs, make sure the next session or the next day you aren't overdoing it. Plan a solo hit and maybe some active recovery like swimming or an easy bike ride. Also you could go and focus on your core and upper body if they weren't heavily involved in the plyometrics. When you train like this you are working hard, but not overloading any one part of your body.

So you have your week lined up and you're getting into a good routine. Now you have a tournament coming up this weekend. How do you plan before and after the tournament? You should begin tapering before the start of the event. If the tournament begins on Friday, I wouldn't do any really hard training any later than Tuesday. A match may be fine on Wednesday, this depends on the level, length and intensity. And after the tournament is over it can be difficult getting back into your routine. Your result in the tournament will dictate if you need Monday off or perhaps you didn't make it to Sunday. If you had 5 or 6 matches you may need two rest days after. Rest if often overlooked by the top athletes. If you are in need of some rest, make it active rest not just lying around on the couch. Get up and move around, maybe a solo hit and an easy bike to loosen up the legs.

The really tricky thing around these weekly training logs is when you get back to back tournaments. Obviously this completely disrupts your training cycle, but you should plan for this ahead of time. You won't be able to do much training in-between events. It's mort important here to make sure you're recovered from the previous event and that you're fresh as possible going into the next one. You'll probably have some areas you want to work on, but you won't have much time to do so. This is again when solo hitting or some feeding sessions can be the best. Just because you're a good player it doesn't mean that practice always has to be 100% physically demanding, if your 100% concentrated at the task at hand it will be a beneficial session.

Basically the main point I wanted to make today is that to be the best at anything you need to make sacrifices. You may need to get up earlier and spend time before work or school training or hitting balls. Think about what an average week looks like. How many hours do you spend training on court vs. off court? Where can you sneak in even just 1 more practice? Again this doesn't mean it has to be another physically tough session. I haven't even mentioned psychological skills training. This isn't physically demanding whatsoever, just mental. There are plenty of ways to improve your game by reorganizing your week and managing your time effectively. If you can't handle anymore physically, try some less demanding practices. Solo hitting, imagery, swimming, easy cycling, stretching and yoga can not only allow your body some time to heal but can speed up the recovery process. Even making time to watch pro squash matches or your own games, or reading an insightful squash blog;) can be extremely beneficial and is something you can do to improve your squash game when your body needs some rest.

How many training sessions do you do per week? Would you be better if you added one more? Do you regularly adjust the type of training or intensity you do? Do you have a weekly training log/routine? How many hours do you spend on court vs. off court? How many hours do you solo hit per week? Regardless of your goals or level we have more time than we think if we're motivated to improve our game, lose some weight, get healthier and fitter. Write out your weekly schedule and find where you can improve it. Even just a slight adjustment can make a big difference over the long run.

Squash Can Change Your Life

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?