2017 Canadian Junior Nationals

I always enjoy not only coaching my only athletes at the nationals each season, but also watching the top kids and how they're developing. I wrote a review from a previous nationals and I mentioned that kids were not shooting enough. That has certainly changed and today I'm going to go over a few other things I noticed from the top kids. Here's a link to the draws if you want to take a peak: https://squashcanada.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draws.aspx?id=0B5066C6-BCD8-48CD-B57A-ADF9E4B706B6

The nationals this year was held in Vancouver, British Columbia. Although we weren't at altitude 4 of the 6 courts were quite bouncy while the 2 back courts were quite cold. Kids definitely had to be able to make major adjustments to their targets, T positioning and tactics depending on which court they were on. The 4 bouncy courts tended to lead to a lot of overhitting by the older kids. I was quite surprised how the top kids rarely hit a medium paced drive; they either chipped the ball with no pace whatsoever or they hit the ball as hard as possible, which would land way too short or bounce way off the back wall. So for me 1 of the biggest problems was the lack of dying attacking drives from the back of the court. Because of this lack of well weighed drives there was an obvious lack of volleying from the midcourt as well. Here's a short clip on how to easily practice some attacking drives.

Another challenge on the bouncy courts was bringing the ball short. The kids still went short, but they were still trying to hit winners. The top kids are all excellent athletes and very fast so trying to hit outright winners with a bouncy ball certainly cost them more mistakes. I really think they should be aiming for the angle of their drops and to get them tight and focus on them being a working shot, not an outright winner. Their so fast there's no need to try and hit a drop with no margin when they can cover the next shot anyways. It's the mindset that really needs to adjust here. They should focus on working their opponent and making them do hard movements and pop out lose balls by being accurate with their weight of drives and keeping their drops tight. And here again is a short clip on volley drops. Hit it with slice and get it finishing tight off the volley. If you aim for the nick it will likely bounce back away from the wall with such a hot ball.

An area I see some of the kids developing nicely is deception. A few of them have some nice holds from the front of the court. This holds true for even a few of the younger kids. It's enjoyable to see different styles and a more attacking brand of squash being played by the top kids. Even though they often play the attacking shot incorrectly and force the ball short when out of position it's a better to be a little overly aggressive than passive for their long term development in my opinion.

There's something that was blatantly poor from almost all of the kids at the event. This was their serves. I can't recall how many times many of the kids would simply put the ball in play and hit it right to their opponents racquet without breaking it off the sidewall. There was also very little creativity in serve variation. This is something I remember hearing a lot about when I was young and I guess kids still overlook the serve and the importance of how it can set up the rally.

I can't wrap up this summary without a quick mention of the refs. Oh boy. I hate picking on people that spend 4 full days doing a thankless job, but there were some pretty brutal decisions. I witnessed foot faults and no lets when strokes should have been awarded. I heard that the refs were told to make the players play the ball and to award no lets if they didn't make every effort, but clearly when it's an obvious stroke this shouldn't apply. I also think a foot fault warning would suffice. It's also disappointing that a few matches ended on blatantly incorrect decisions. This did demonstrate how well behaved almost every single kid is at this event. I was pleasantly surprised with how well the kids handled the refs calls, even when they were match decisive.

Lastly, I'm more than a bit concerned about the future of our top kids. They've clearly dedicated their lives to getting to the level their at, but where to they go after juniors? I'm sure some will go to a school and play squash, but what happens after that or if they want to pursue a pro squash career instead? There is zero system in place that helps with this process and there is no funding for them as well. There's also not enough small PSA events throughout Canada that these kids would be able to compete in to gain some affordable experience. As of now there's only 2 options in my book. The first one is to build up the resources themselves around them. It takes a big support team around an athlete to help someone play successfully at the pro level. This option may indeed be best set up at a top post secondary squash team at the moment.

The second option would be to go to another country and try and get in a training group with some other pros. There's many pro leagues in Europe which you can play in and make some extra money in. It's really a shame there isn't a better system to help our top kids get from juniors to the pro level. Instead of Squash Canada worrying about if they should have a under 11 divisions and specializing an athlete too young, they should focus on helping those that have dedicated their lives to squash and have no system to help them take the next step. We all have ups and downs in our squash career and it's so important to have a team to help keep you in line and on track during those dips in confidence or motivation.

Did you play in or watch any of the Junior Nationals? Please share your thoughts and stories. And if you were 1 of the kids that had some troubles with the areas I mentioned above, checkout the new film I recently released. The Secrets of Solo Hitting is a 64 minute advanced instructional film which contains 30 of the best solo drills. The drills are sectioned into 3 categories: Straight Drives, Midcourt/Volleys and The Short Game. There is also a Technical Testing section which would be extremely useful to use over the summer months to set some goals as you develop your technical skills and consistency. Over 70 copies have been sold so far to people from all over the world. Check out the preview video below and order your copy today at SeriousSquashShop.com/collections/coaching-video

Build Winning Habits

Just recently I ran a camp for some of the top kids in the province and we discussed routines and the importance of them in squash. I tried to emphasize the importance of prematch, post match and between rally routines. Similar to explaining the importance of warming up or stretching after a match, it's difficult to get across the value of such activities until they're required. When kids are starting out playing squash they simply play and a routine isn't really all that relevant. For those of us that have played a lot of squash we know how vital our routines are to our success.

Today we're going to take a look at why routines are important in different areas of your game and how you can use them to play more consistent squash and get the most out of each session. I believe that the mental game is the most important trait in becoming the best you can be. The moment you become satisfied with your level is when you become complacent. Using habits in a variety of ways is how the best athletes stay on track and perform at their best each and every day. Let's go through some of the ways that positive habits can help take your game to new heights.

Building Mental Muscle 
Building winning habits is both about about how you prepare for practice along with how you practice. When it's time to put in the maximum physical effort you do while equally crucial is your focus and attention to detail. I always think about the famous quote about how 'training starts when you want to stop.' This is how some people are better at pushing themselves further and closer to their actual physical threshold. I also like to use an analogy I read in a boo about walking on hot coals to explain this concept. At the beginning we jump off quickly because it's hot and painful, but with practice you're able to push further and further along the hot goals and withstand more pain. We not only need to be able to push ourselves along those hot coals further and further, but we also need to build a habit to do this. If we only push ourselves when we're having a good day and feeling up to it we will never build a true champion habit. I always look at how people do when things are going well. When you're tired, a bit sore or not playing your best do you still manage to give absolutely everything you have on the day? Very few of us actually are able to do this so if you want to start building a winning habit this is an excellent place to start and a great platform to build off of. You don't need talent to give your best effort every single time you practice or play.

Having a weekly or monthly plan is another method for building a winning habit. As humans we tend to gravitate towards routines and we adapt to them quickly. Although I'm not a big fan of a full year training plan (especially for kids) I believe that having that weekly routine is another critical way to steadily improve. If we just wait to see what the day brings or how we feel we will likely have days where we are less motivated to go out and train. I think a week or monthly routine keeps you in check, accountable and gives your body time to adapt to whatever it is you're doing. I suggest slightly altering the routine week after week and consider it a working/live document. This is a tough balance to have with the above paragraph where we want to have a hardhat and be mentally tough and alway give it our best. But when we're overtraining or a bit injured or stressed we need to listen to our bodies and know when to ease up a bit. This is something your coach or trainer can assist you with, but is really something you have the best perspective of. As a coach many of us would aide on the side of caution because of liability and worrying about the safety of our athletes so you can see if we are too soft here we will never toughen up and we'll always be looking to cut corners.

Prematch Routines
Do you have a prematch routine? Many people simply show up and get their shoes on and step on court and begin hitting the ball. Clearly if we want to play well from the start of our match this isn't a very successful method. If you ever get a chance to watch a professional athlete prepare for a training session or competition you will see that most have a very specific structure that they follow. This is something they have developed over a number of years and is what they have found works best to allow them to prepare for what is to follow both physically and mentally. To be a high level consistent performer the prematch routine is essential. We all feel different on a day to day basis and it's by going through our prematch or pre-training routines that help us get to a more similar starting point. Any athlete knows that being in the zone is the key to optimal performance and getting into this zone is completely psychological. Although any level of athlete can experience the zone, the consistency of getting into this is what top athletes have learned how to do repeatedly. Being able to play in the zone requires that our self talk is positive and simple. Negative self talk and over analysis are definitely 2 effective methods for playing poor squash.

Most people tend to think of a prematch routine simply to warm up the body and avoid injuries, which is indeed part of it, but it is also much much more. As already discussed the variations in performance from 1 day to the next is much more mental than any sudden drop in technical skill. If we're missing shots we normally make it's more than likely the mental side as to why we are making these mistakes and we either stop going for these shots or get tentative with them (which again are both mental issues). Meanwhile someone in the zone still makes mistakes they simply don't let these mistakes register and interfere with the flow of their game and thought process.

Between Rally Routines
What about routines during a match? Routines between rallies are also equally important to staying or getting into the zone. We are constantly analyzing our performance and there are swings in momentum for and against us we have to deal with. When things are going well we don't need to think much so we tend to have a shorter routine here. If things are going well we are generally trying to just keep doing what we're doing and avoid thinking too much and judging what we are doing. This is the whole self 1 and self 2 thing discussed in classic book, The Inner Game Of Tennis. If we lose our focus because  either we have won a number of points too easily or we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel we learn how to catch these lapses before they cause any real danger. This is all done with between rally routines which allow us to focus on right now (versus the past or future).

If things aren't going well in your match the between rally refocusing routine can help you get back on track. You can use this to slow down the onslaught and break up the momentum. Again because momentum is so psychological what we do and what we think during these between rally routines is so vital to their effectiveness. Sometimes it's about getting back to our game plan or letting mistakes go before playing the next point. What I like to do between rallies is use a cue (wiping my hand on the sidewall). Prior to this cue I allow myself to digest the previous rally and think about what I've learned from it. Once I've wiped my hand on the sidewall I've moved my focus back to the now and whatever happened from the previous rally is now out of my mind, digested and my focus is shifted back into this moment. After all, all we can control is what we are doing right now so don't over analyze what's happened up until now. If you find your focus is on the past or future try using a focused breath to recenter yourself. I always see pitchers doing this in their pre-pitch routines. Not only does a focused breath bring our attention into this moment, but the oxygen is also our fuel and this helps release some tension we may be holding onto. If you have read any sport psychology books you'll know that they all discuss the importance of conscious breathing.

Post Match Routines
Let's discuss post-match routines. If we lose maybe people like to dismiss any routine because they are too upset and don't care. We know that we can recover faster and improve our flexibility if we stretch after our matches, yet still some don't. I believe it's even more vital to stick to your post match routine after a loss so you have time to reflect and again don't carry that loss personally into the rest of your life. You may feel depressed after a tough loss and be upset, which is quite normal. I believe an effective post match routine gives you that time (say 30 minutes) to reflect on what you learned from the experience. After your routine is complete you have to let it all go.

Every single squash player ever has lost and will lose or else they aren't actually competing. This is why we love squash. We want to challenge ourselves and become the best we can be and this requires playing people that will be able to beat us. Losing to any caliber of player is simply a time to learn from it and make changes in your own game. Just don't take this loss to hard or personally. If you can let go of your ego and the fear of failure you'll have your best chance of playing to your potential. This is where I feel Fares Dessouky is struggling. He's no doubt the most technically and physically skilled player on the tour, but mentally is quite fragile. This is a shame because you want to root for him because he is so amazing with what he can do on court you just wish he would let his playing do the speaking for him. If he doesn't learn how to use his mind as an asset he will never reach his true potential which would be a real shame for all of us including Dessouky. Perhaps he is just preparing to be the villain and has something to prove to all of us. I'm guessing he grew up in an environment which fostered this trait, but this is also something that has to come from him and nobody else. This is the result oriented world we live in, but he has yet to figure out that playing his best squash is only possible when he stops trying to control the outcome and just focuses on the process of playing his best possible squash each and every rally. I really can't stand all of the discussions, blocking and reactions to the decisions.

Sport psychology is such an interesting topic to me and although all the top athletes in the world can vouch for the importance of their mental skills it's still an area under appreciated and under coached. It's tough to understand that you'll win more by not focusing on winning, but the process. You'll play better squash and enjoy it more if you can find your zone and play up to your potential. Take a serious look at your game and see how it measures up to what you would like it to be. It takes time to get to where you will want and need it to be so don't be too hard on yourself if you're not perfect. Try and use routines to improve how you self-regulate and respond to different situations. Also try setting up a weekly or monthly training routine and give your absolute best during each part of each session. I believe the championship attitude and behaviour has to come prior to becoming a champion. Focus on the process, on staying focused, on refocusing when you lose your way and you'll get into the zone more frequently and become more consistent with you performance. Don't wait to become a champion before you act like one. We may not know if the chicken came before the egg, but it's pretty clear that the winning habits must be in place before you can become a champion on the court.

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The Egyptian Aura

Everyone knows there is something special and different about top Egyptian squash players. What exactly is it? Most are very attacking and appear extremely confident in their ability. It can certainly be intimidating, especially if you are a young junior. When I was in Malaysia recently for the Penang Junior Open there were a number of talented Egyptian players there and I made a few notes about their style of play and the reasons for its effectiveness.

What Egyptians Do

- they are confident and often win without doing anything because they intimidate their opponents. this begins in the knock up

- they hit it hard. this is part of what intimates their opponents

- they play to win and play aggressively. they have a plan and are ready to go from the first point

- they are passionate and fiery when they play and can be extremely verbal and fist pump after winning every point. they are very emotional and show it while they are playing

- retrieve well and are willing to dive. they give it everything to win each point and each match

What We Can Learn From Egyptians

- confidence and body language matters

- be ready to go for the 1st point

- go in believing you can win and fight for every point, right out of the gates. never give up on a ball or a point

- pace doesn't mean someone can beat you, but it is a weapon. work on hitting it harder

- have a plan, play to win

- showing emotion and expressing yourself can be a positive thing, but can also be draining over the long run

- the knock up matters. focus on yourself and not on how good your opponent looks!

How To Play Against An Egyptian

- for me the main thing is to expect some or all of the things above to happen

- play your game and control your emotions (unless you are also an emotional player then it's ok to express yourself in a positive manner)

- focus on your game, not on theirs

- they may appear confident, but that doesn't mean they don't have the same doubts we all do. they just hide it better then most of us do

- never expect a game is over. you have to win every point and expect them to fight for every rally

- have a game plan. what is your strength? can you execute it? can you contain the Egyptians attacking game and pace? Can you attack them before they attack you? Or can you force them into long rallies and making mistakes as they lose their patience? 

- don't give them too much respect. there seems to be an aura around playing Egyptian player. although they have many amazing players, so do other countries. if you're going to win you need to believe in yourself and that you can and will win. 

- don't get involved with the ref if they stall, block, ask for cheap lets or begin talking with their coach between rallies. At least I wouldn't. I feel this distracts your attention and once it gets under your skin it's very hard to let go of it. 

As I just mentioned you also have to prepare for things such as in this example here https://twitter.com/ChrisHanebury/status/606454996129869824

This just doesn't happen in Canada. There are some benefits for the Egyptian girl in this situation. It's like the coach telling her what to do during the match when things get tough and emotional. Her coach can calm her down and is playing a major role in the match. If you played someone like this what would you do? Do you say something to the ref or just accept that this could happen and let it go? It's hard to say which is the right answer. The ref in this situation wasn't getting involved with this and let this go. It was pretty shocking. It was evident that there is some bad blood between the Egyptians and Malaysians. This may have increased because of the incident at match ball in final of the girls under 15 British Open last year. The Egyptian coach was very outwardly expressive and passionate. We see coaches like this in American sports like football or hockey, but we aren't accustomed to this in squash. 

I should also mention that I saw one Egyptian boy in Penang in the under 15 who looked very calm and relaxed (his score card below). Maybe it's because I didn't see him in any tough matches, but he was smiling and really appeared to be enjoying his squash. I don't know if this can be taught. It must be difficult as an opponent to play someone like this. You can tell they are just so relaxed and confident. I don't think this is something you can fake either. At the end of the day, squash is a game and it was refreshing to see someone at that level so relaxed and happy.

Here's a game I filmed of the girls under 13 semifinals. It's a very high caliber for 12 year old girls. The Egyptian actually lost this one in straight games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suDYdJ0FU6c

The Egyptians are doing a lot right. Are they taking advantage of the rules or are the rest of us just not passionate and expressive enough about squash and winning? There's an argument for both sides and the ideal solution is probably somewhere in between the two. It's definitely more entertaining watching a talented Egyptian play. 

Hopefully the next time you play an Egyptian you don't give them too much respect and let them win. If their going to win, make them beat you; make them play their best squash and use as many fist pumps and stalling tactics as possible. Believe in yourself and you have a chance; believe in your opponent and you don't.

King Of The Jungle Using Associative Imagery

Today I'm going to talk about how using imagery can improve your confidence, body language and demeanour and overall performance on the squash court. I've previously discussed the importance of imagery for visualizing yourself playing high quality and winning squash as well as handling challenging situations successfully. Today however I'm going to talk about a completely different use and type of imagery and for a separate purpose.

I was generaly a pretty quiet and polite person; yes being polite and a good person are Canadian qualities that can interfere with us playing our best squash. Many people (myself included) have been psyched out and our focus too external before and during a match. We think about how good our opponent is instead of focusing on our own game and what we can control. Sometimes in the match we go well out of our way to avoid contact with our opponent and apologize for hitting a good shot. There are many examples of these types of gestures that go on unnoticed. Most people if they do notice, would just say that it's good sportsmanship being displayed. Although this may be true, for me the issue is too much respect on general focus is displayed onto your opponent. I see many people (especially juniors) with their shoulders slumped and head down. You can read their negative body language and low self-efficacy a mile away.

I want to be clear here that I am not condoning arrogance or poor sportsmanships. But there is a line in between and I believe that most Canadians lie heavily on being overly polite and proper which hurts their squash game. In sports such as basketball we see, well hear trash talk from top players. This isn't what I'm condoning either, just an example of their outwardly competitive nature. My point is that this type of confidence and self-assurance goes along way towards playing to win and shows that you're not intimidated by your opponent.

In squash and tennis this doesn't happen. We say 'good shot' and apologize for hitting nicks, plus we give away strokes and hand outs lets if there is the slightest bit of interference. We almost feel bad for winning if we do and certainly don't want to bagel anyone. There is clearly a lack of aggression and confidence reflected with this type of behaviour.

So I bet you're wondering, how to draw that line and become more assertive, while still being a good sport? It can be done. Tiger Woods doesn't cheat, well not in golf anyways. And Tiger is ferociously competitive. The same can be said about Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan who were both known to talk a little trash; the greater their opponent the more they loved the challenged and wanted to go one on one with that person. They were well respected and didn't do it to show up their opponents, this is just their competitive nature which is what drove them to become legends. I would say the same goes for Ashour and Shorbagy as well as many of the top players, they just don't verbalize their thoughts and emotions but they certainly go on court with positive body language. This isn't always an easy thing to have if you have lost to someone before or after you lose a few points.

So how can you improve this part of your game? I like using associative imagery along with positive self-talk statements. It may sound silly to some of you, but try it and you'll feel bigger than your body and more confident going onto court. Here are a few images that you can visualize before or during your match.

Don't be afraid to express your emotions and play fearless. Nobody dares mess with a black bear. 

King Kong thumping on his chest is a very powerful image. Try doing this or imagine yourself doing this before you go on court. It can dramatically change how you think and feel about yourself and your game. Get your tail up, shoulders back, chest out and head up. Exude positive and winning body language.  

The king of the jungle takes no prisoners and doesn't back down to anyone no matter what. Even if you have to take on someone that is way out of your league the lion would never go down without giving it his all.

These are a few examples that I find quite powerful. Do you play like a lion? Or are you more like a turtle hiding its head in it's shell when the going gets tough? This is what normally happens to juniors. If you normally play like a dog with its tail between its legs maybe you need to be more ferocious and look to see what really lies inside of you. Do you want to win? How badly? Do you want to be the best you can be? Why do you train so hard and put in all that work? Just to hope you will win or to go out there and make it happen? If you want to play your best and exude confidence play like a giant and you'll feel like one.
If you are a quiet or introverted type of person this approach may be extremely beneficial to your game. Meanwhile if you are already an overconfident, arrogant person maybe you need to imagine yourself as some cool, easy going cat or person. For most people I've seen and coached I think getting more amped up and confident, getting your tail up type of imagery and self-talk would do them the most good.

Try and picture your primal instincts. Are you a fight or flight type of person? How do you instinctively react in challenging situations? If your instinctive response is flight you will likely need to work at this to get comfortable on court. I think this is something that can be learned and trained. So for those that feel uncomfortable in competition there is hope. Try using associative imagery and recite powerful statements about yourself. When I found myself doubting my ability I would think back to all of the years of hard work and hitting balls. I would tell myself that I had been preparing for this moment and to play squash my entire life. You can try this or something similar. At the very least going out and having a plan or just getting out of your own head and letting your natural ability take over is your best chance.

Again, I feel like I have to reassure people that there is a line here. You aren't doing this to intimidate, just to focus on your own game and that you are playing to win. Most of us are more concerned about our opponent and we get psyched out and don't let our true emotions show. Of course you have to be able to control your emotions and still play smart. Find a balance and find what works for you. You don't need to behave like John Mcenroe to be successful. Don't expect your opponent to give you the game, go out and win it. Take no prisoners.

Wanting to be the best is normal and a healthy way to think and has driven many to the top of their field; they didn't become the best by accident or by hoping they would, they knew they would. They had the desire, belief and confidence in their ability. You have to believe that you can and will win to become a champion. Play within the rules, play fair, play with confidence, back down to no one, play to win, play fearless and play like a beast!

No Complaining, No Excuses, Just Play

Today I'm going to discuss something that sounds so simple, but as we look into it is isn't. Today I'm going to talk about not making up any excuses, ever. This isn't only done by kids, I hear a lot of people make excuses. It's as if they are sparing their ego from the outcome. It wasn't their fault they lost or may lose. And it wouldn't be the opponent that played better and won, no that couldn't be it. It's human nature to internalize winning and externalize losing.

I have to start off by saying that I am not a saint either. Especially when I was a kid, I would always make an excuse for a loss, real or imagined isn't the point here. Often our excuses are based on some relatively valid point. Maybe we didn't get enough sleep, or we had a hard draw, whatever it is, yes that may be the case. But I don't like hearing people say or think these things. This gives them an out a reason to accept defeat if things start going wrong. Not only that, but your focus is self-destructive and negative. Instead of preparing for you match and on your squash game you are spiralling further from where you need to be psychologically when you step out on court. If you start the match thinking how there is a conspiracy against you, you're in trouble.

Squash is an individual sport. This is normally what people love about it. What happens is directly influenced by how you play. When you play well you don't overthink things and you're generally positive. When you have a self-destructive thought in your head you don't have any hope of playing your best squash.

Some people don't even realize they are making excuses or complain, it's so ingrained. Here is a list of many of the complaints I've heard before even stepping on court.
- I'm so tired
- I don't feel well
-  ______ hurts
- I have a terrible draw
- I didn't have enough time to recover between matches
- this is too late
- I don't like these courts/ they don't suit my game
- I'm not fit enough
- I don't like this shirt
- I don't like wearing my eye guards
- This person is in the wrong division/ this person is too good for me
- This is too early/late to play squash
- This is too many matches in 1 day
- That person has been training really hard and playing well
- My opponent just beat this person, I can't beat them
- I have a test tomorrow/I have so much homework

Here's some I've heard between games
- I'm tired
- I don't feel well
- They hit so many lucky shots
- That's the worse I've ever played
- The ref is blind
- My opponent is blocking/I keep bumping into them
- My opponent isn't calling their shots down/out

After the match is over I've head
- I didn't play well
- They were lucky
- I didn't feel good tonight
- The reffing was brutal
- The courts were terrible
- I never play well against this person
- The floors were slippery
- The ball was bouncing weird
- Something was wrong with the ball
- I really don't like playing that person

You get the point. And regardless of what is true, suck it up and play on. If you can just accept that different challenging situations and look at them just as that, you will handle them better. Getting flustered and angry doesn't help. You still have to go out there and play the match. Go and compete. That is all that you can control. You go and give it your best and see what happens. Maybe you'll surprise yourself and handle a tough situation really well. The more positive you can interpret these the better you will do and the less they will rattle you.

Some of the things I listed above can be solved by preparing properly. Warming up, having back up racquets, new grips and the rest of your equipment is all stuff you can control. The stuff outside of your control, like being a little banged up, your draw, who you play, the ball, the facility and the ref are no under your control. Many of these also are the same for both players. Maybe the court isn't great, maybe its too cold or warm, or the ball is skidding; but this is the same for both of you. Normally whoever can accept this and focus on adjusting to the conditions will play better and win the match. Focusing on things outside of your control is a waste of time. So take notice when these thoughts do come up. Slap yourself out of it and have a positive attitude.

If you do end up losing. Congratulate your opponent, thank the ref and let any companies go. They only make things worse for you. Many people have difficulty accepting defeat. If you can't think of something nice to say, don't say anything.

Life is filled with things that are unpredictable, that we can't control. The same goes for squash. When you learn to accept this you'll be better off for it. Even if it's an extreme situation and your opponent serves out at match point and the ref doesn't call it. Just put your finger up and play the rally out. Many people in this situation just stop altogether and lose the point. Of if they do play the rally they are distracted and keep looking back at the ref. I know this is a tough spot as the ref and your opponent are responsible for calling this shot out, but it's outside of your control. How you handle the most difficult of situations like this one reveal the type of character you have and the person you are. I know this is incredibly tough to do in the heat of the moment, but it like everything else is a learned behaviour and skill. Learn to let these things go and you'll be happier, play better and focus on simply playing your best squash possible.

When you win,  be humble and gracious. We like to internalize victories, which is fine if you do the same for defeats. Sometimes it helps to have someone blunt in your corner so they can tell thing like they are.

The goal is to become the best you can be and become more consistent at your weekly matches and in tournaments. If you can stay eivenkeeled before, during and after your matches, win or lose, you are well on your way. If you learn to just play and never look to complain about a situation, it's just one step up you have on all of your opponents. It's also one less thing to distract you from your match. This is what it takes to become a top pro. Pros have to deal with so many variables at every event. If they give an inch mentally it will likely be the difference between winning and going home.

Enjoy the competition and the challenge of your matches. No Complaining, No Excuses, Just Play!

The Knock Up

I thought about calling today's post the warm up, but that wouldn't be technically correct. Today I'm going to discuss the knock up. This is the 2 and a half minutes you get per side before starting the match. If you don't watch a lot of squash and pay careful attention to the knock up you likely won't understand just how important it is. Hopefully after I explain its importance today you will. Let's get right into it!

I have to begin by saying that the knock up is not the time to physically warm up. You should have done your warm up prior to going on court. Another pet peeve of mine in the knock up is when people hit the ball back to themselves countless times before they accidentally hit it over to their opponent. You should hit the ball no more than 3 times to yourself and then over to your opponent. You only have 2 and a half minutes per side and this should be shared equally. Before getting into what you should do in the knock up I want to make sure everyone is on the same page for these 2 areas. Warm up before going on court and hit the ball a maximum of 3 times to yourself before hitting it over. Let's move on.

So you're asking why the knock up is such an important topic that it requires an entire post all to itself? You're about to find out.  The knock up is a very important part of the match. Although you can't win or lose any points during it, it consistently influences the outcome. I see this all the time especially at the junior level. Here's how..

The first problem here is that it is easy to read a kids body language I can tell when they are intimidated by how good their opponent's swing looks. They also get nervous hearing how hard they crack the ball and by fast volleys and nice drops their opponent is hitting. Mostly kids psyche themselves out by watching in awe of how focused and prepared their opponent is. They're concentration is no longer on their hitting and what they can control. They've already begun thinking, 'oh oh.' Or it can go the other way and they may underestimate their opponent and think they don't need to play their best. I thought it would be helpful to make a list of Do's and Don'ts for the knock up. Some are more critical than others, but hopefully this will give you an idea about what I like to see during a knock up.

Knock Up Don'ts
- focus and watch your opponent in awe
- stand flat footed
- have your racquet by your ankles
- just hit aimlessly
- think about the outcome
- hit every shot as hard as you possibly can
- look all over the place, including outside the court
- this is not your time to stretch and warm up!
- this is for safety, but don't wear track pants that touch the floor as I've seen people slip

Knock Up Do's
- on your toes and moving around
- vary the pace of your shots
- hit some volleys
- keep your thoughts positive
- breathe to allow you to relax and calm the nerves
- keep your attention and vision inside the court and on the ball
- think about your strategy and reaffirm it
- adjust to ball and court but finding your length
- hit difficult width to your opponent and see how they fair on the volleys against pace and lobs
- have your shoe laces tied up!

I've seen some people still have their headphones in during the knock up. How can they hear the ref tell them to switch? Personally I don't like going in with headphones on. I think it's a little rude, but that's just me.

Their is a big mental side to the knock up. Don't underestimate it and pretend like it isn't important. A lot of the time the person that looks more focused and relaxed not only has a better start but also wins the first game. If you win the first game, well that surely helps you're case in winning the match! The knock up is to get the ball warm and adjust to the bounce of the ball. If it's bouncing weird or has a small crack in the seam you can always request a new ball. Depending on the level of the tournament  you may get a new one. If not, don't make a fuss and get upset about it. It's the same for both of you.

If during the knock up you can't help but thinking how good your opponent looks and that you have no chance. You need to tell yourself that you're prepared. I like to think that I've played squash my whole life and I'm ready for this. You never know how fit or fast someone is, what their shot selection is and how accurate they are under pressure. I've beaten a lot of people that were bigger and hit harder than me. Be confident and stay positive.

I should also mention that when a ref isn't there yet, many people will keep hitting for as long as possible and never switch. You don't have to time yourself, but as someone that has organized tournaments make sure to switch after a few minutes. Hopefully by the time you're ready to start the ref will be there. This can help keep the tournament running on time which helps everyone involved.

Even though I said that this post wasn't about the warm up prior to getting on court. I do have to mention that a prematch warm up routine helps not just to prepare the body, but also the mind. Which of course gets you into an optimal mindset for the knock up. I find a good warm up routine is very individualized. I wrote a short post a while back about the physiological benefits of warming up and cooling down. Here's the link if you're interested. http://www.serioussquash.com/2011/11/warming-up-and-cooling-down.html. But remember that these are just the physical reasons to warm up, to me the psychological reasons for having a warm up routine is as or more important.

I'm also going to write a post in the near future about imagery. Imagery is something that a lot of pros use as part of their warm up routine. If you're serious about your squash this is something I highly recommend.

Hope you enjoyed today's post. Maybe you'll pay a little more attention to the knock up in the future. Be honest, do you make match predictions during your knock ups? It may give you some clues to their weaknesses and assist you with a strategy, but you should never get ahead of yourself. If you don't know your opponent going into the match focus on your own game plan. Always expect and prepare to play your best squash, regardless of your opponent. Maybe you'll even win a few matches because of how good you look in the knock up!

2014 Ivy Scrimmages

Today I'm on my way back from Yale where I brought 4 kids to watch the Ivy League Scrimmages. I'm not going to talk about the results, you can go to the CSA website for that. Instead I'm going to discuss a few other aspects of the college squash game.

College squash at times reminds me of other American collegiate sports. Some players get pretty intense, heated, fiery and are short tempered. There is a lot of pressure playing for a team and a school that has recruited you. At least that's how it appears to some of the players. There are a few, and very few that looked like they were having fun and enjoying their squash.

No doubt that squash is a good release from all the hard studying and exams the players do during the school year. I know that squash greatly helped me get through university. I trained pretty hard and too my squash pretty serious. Even though I was a pretty calm character once in a while you would play someone that got under your skin and it was tough not to let it get to you. I don't know if that was what they wanted or if that was just how they were. Anyways, I saw some of that this weekend and it brought back some memories.

Of course refereeing a teammate is always an issue and there were some iffy calls. It's difficult to ref 2 fiery players that are not clearing well and making a scene, let alone if one of them is your teammate. Besides this problem I saw a few others. More than a few times I saw kids fist pump and yell directly at their opponent. This is something I wouldn't tolerate if I was a college coach. Sometimes it was completely over the top. A few players did this after almost every rally. While their teammates are cheering after every single point. Even after someone makes a poor mistake early in the rally it doesn't affect the cheering.

It's great to have some emotion in the sport and to have a crowd involved, but there is a fine line in squash. If they are doing it it seems easier to justify doing this right back to the opposition. Thankfully we don't see anything like this on Squash TV. This is only the College Squash preseason and I can only imagine what may happen at the team finals.

Some parents can be just as intense and I couldn't help but notice a few that were living and dying with each point. I think it becomes more than a game and there is too much pressure. Especially for the men there is a lot of testosterone out there. If I was coaching a college team I would do some yoga and relaxation and meditation practices. I think to play your best squash you have to have control of your emotions. Also for the longevity of your playing career I think people will play more squash and for later into their life if they truly enjoy the experience.

I've always said that squash can open a lot of doors and this is true at the college squash level. But if that is making someone not enjoy squash and putting pressure on them you have to ask if it's really worth it?

My last point from the weekend is about the style of squash. Besides a handful of players the game was still up and down the wall, hit it hard, avoid mistakes and grind it out. You can tell which players are American. They have some great players, but you can tell their styles are all similar. Low risk and they are normally quite physically strong and fit. They will dive, run into their opponent and do anything it takes for the win. Even with all of this athleticism they are too predictable and get toured against the international players.

I noticed that many people overhit the ball and hit the ball relatively tight on the backhand side but either don't volley (or do much with it), or they can't find the depth to put any pressure on their opponent in the backhand back corner. I should say there were a couple of Americans who did impress me though, this is just a general statement. It will be interesting to see how the college game change over the years as the recruiting continues to become more international.

Do you have fun playing squash? Do you play better when you are intense? Do you try and hide your emotions when you play? Do you like your crowd being loud and boisterous or quiet or somewhere in beteween?

That's it for today. Tomorrow is another travel day so it may be a couple of more days before my next post. For my next post I want to talk about 'focusing on the positive.' I find that most of us (yes, me included!) are too quick to point out our errors and what we need to improve. We don't give ourselves any slack and and success or strengths we have are overshadowed by our losses and deficiencies.