Squash Wales March 2024 Newsletter

Author

Russell Edwards
March 01, 2024

Happy St Davids Day! We hope you’re having a great start to 2024 so far (a bonus point to anyone who spotted we got the year mixed up in our last newsletter). It’s been another bumper few months with events and triumphs galore - so let’s get stuck into it now.

League News

Seniors

Mid season for most leagues is with us and things are hotting up with

Last Season’s champions Swansea and Rhiwbina are level at the top of Premier One with 99 points a piece. Rhiwbina have a game in hand, however there are only 10 points separating the top 4 teams.

Cowbridge A making a strong bid for promotion to Premier A being 24 points clear after 7 games, and some potential promotions to Premiership in the shape of Newport B, Swansea B, and a Hirwaun A/Cardiff B battle!

As we've seen in previous seasons however "it's not over until its over" and there is still everything to play for!

Period fixtures started on Monday 26th February and League Master has been updated with any "mid season" ranking tweaks and rankings are now locked until the end of the season.

Good luck to all for the remaining games of the Spring season

Nick Edwards

Juniors

Following the successful pilots of the junior league, we're excited to announce the launch of a fully-fledged league in May. This initiative provides juniors with the opportunity to represent their clubs in a competitive yet enjoyable environment, serving as a pathway for budding talents to thrive.

Greg Tippings

Schools / Youth News

This past half term, Squash Wales has linked up with Lansdowne primary school, developing a squash integrated physical education (PE) programme.

This programme aims to combine the Squash Wales mini-squash school visit, the Off The Wall Squash programme and club visits to provide school with a comprehensive half term squash PE programme.   

Through a member of staff completing the Squash Wales leaders award , Lansdowne primary school were lent the mini–Squash Equipment to run Squash PE lessons and after school clubs for the term.

Squash Wales would like to thank Lansdowne primary school for their involvement in the development of the programme and look forward to offering it out to schools nationwide in the coming months. 

If you know of any schools that would be interested in participating in such a programme, please contact [email protected]

Tournament News

Seniors

A huge congratulations to Rhys Evans for winning the PSA East Glos Challenger Event, and to Lowri Roberts as runner up.

Some of the other notable results over the last couple of months are:

Joel Makin -Quarter Final Florida Open USA
Owain Taylor -Semi Final Ipswich Open England
Emyr Evans -Semi Final Edmonton Open Canada
Elliott Morris Devred -Semi Final Edmonton Open Canada

Juniors

✍️ A Wonderfully Competitive Tournament: Recap of the Welsh Junior Closed Squash 2024
🇫🇷 Welsh Juniors Shine at French Junior Open
🎟️ South Wales Junior Open Takes Place In Merthyr This Weekend

The year commenced with a flourish as Erin Lauder and Jamie Silvester, both hailing from North Wales, showcased their prowess by clinching victories at the Manchester Silver tournament. Erin emerged victorious in the girls U15 category, while Jamie claimed the top spot in the boys U17 division, setting a high standard for excellence.

The Welsh Junior Closed event in Cardiff witnessed over 60 players vying for national titles across various age groups. The introduction of the mixed U9 events added a delightful twist to the competition, showcasing the vibrant talent pool and the promising future of our sport. Additionally, it was a proud moment as Heidi Hales reached the final of the French Junior Open in the U11 girls’ category, displaying determination and skill on the international stage. Moreover, Millie Breach secured a commendable third place finish in the girls U17 category, further affirming the depth of talent within our ranks.

Greg Tippings

Coaching & Academy News

We ran our first Level 1 coaching course of there year on 17th Feb. 5 new coaches from Llantrisant, Cowbridge, Monmouth and Cardiff University have started their own coaching journeys. We look forward to see the products of their enthusiasm.

In the first weekend of March we are holding our first level 2 coaching course of the year. This comprehensive two-day course, followed by a 1 day assessment, will turn participation coaches into club coaches.

In the not to distant future, we will be holding a Level 3 coaching course. Please send expression of interest for the level 3 course to [email protected] (Squash Wales Level 2 or equivalent required). Places will be limited.

Squash Wales proudly introduced a new Elite Training Academy on Mondays, providing a conducive environment for both senior and junior players to refine their skills and elevate their game. The positive impact of this initiative was evident as Ellie Breach emerged victorious at the French Junior Open and Stacey Gooding claimed the prestigious British Nationals O35 title. Their success underscores the effectiveness of our training programs in nurturing top-tier talent.

Other News

Funding was awarded to both Maesteg and Llantrisant squash clubs to support the kickstart of new junior programmes at both clubs. With two newly qualified coaches at Llantrisant and the continued work from Sally Davis and her team at Maesteg, we are thoroughly looking forward to seeing the success these sections bring.

Squash Wales are in the process of finalising dates that will give our members the fantastic opportunity to join a webinar lead by Danny Massaro author of the book “The Winning Parent” which is a parent’s guide for the journey of competitive sport. Danny is a sports psychologist who has also coached squash at various levels. Danny is also coach/husband to 2x British Open and World Champion Laura Massaro. Please keep a look out for the dates.

Following feedback from a recent Time To Listen course that was attended by numerous Club Welfare Officers please see the links below for important contacts within Local Authorities in Wales along with important reporting procedures.