ZAGmag Issue #2 December 2009 by Shawn Patton

Issue #2 December 1 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December2009 2009

ZAGMAG

squashzag.com

uniting squash fans from around the world

What are you looking at?

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contents 5 6

ASK THE EXPERTS

7 9

KHAN SQUASH TIPS

10 12 14

How to cure elbow pain and choosing the best string for your racket.

PRO TIPS

We dissect the games of squash legends Jonathon Power and Rodnely Eyles and explore ways of defeating a “shotmaker”. BY SAKHI KHAN

TRAINING

Smart training - fit to play and perform / strengthening your ankles with the wobbler.

COACHING

Ways to boost your athletes confidence.

THE SQUASHIST

Commentary on the world of squash.

SQUASH DASHERS AND BASHERS Squash suicide in Banglore India.

BY WILLIAM C. GENS

photo by David Barry

17 WHAT WE LIKE 18 RANKINGS AND RESULTS

All the best stuff from around the squash world.

PSA / WISPA / CSA

19 21 COMMUNITY 22 FLASHBACK 24 A SQUASH STORY: EVERY RACKET TELLS A STORY Roy Ollier and his EZ Squash Ball. 1987

Time our for tension.

Alan reveals his fetish for hoarding squash rackets.

BY ALAN THATCHER

ON THE COVER: Mark Kelly with our custom paint job. Photo edit by Vidyn (vidyn.com).

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3 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

contributors ROY OLLIER

TIM BACON

ALAN THATCHER

ZEESHAAN JAMAL

Roy has been a squash pro for over 30 years reaching #19 in the world. A former Canadian #1 in 1984, he has been the winner of over 100 tournaments worldwide, including the U.S, Australian and Canadian National Age Group Championships.

Tim Bacon is a lecturer in Exercise and Sport Studies. Tim presents regularly at national and international coaching conferences on coaching and sport psychology and is on the US Squash coaching committee. He is currently revising the Squash Canada level 3 coaching course, is a certified level 4 squash coach (Canada) and member of the Canadian Mental Training Registry and the NSCA and CSCS. Tim is the squash coach at Smith College. Check out his blog Science of Coaching Squash.

Alan is a journalist, TV commentator, author, Chairman of Kent Squash Racquets Association and an England Squash Club Coach. Alan also helped found World Squash Day and is a principal of SquashUK.

A keen student of the game, who only took to Squash in 2005 (and hasn’t dropped his racket since). He sets out with one goal, on the court and off, to promote Squash. He’s the force behind the popular Squash Tribute Videos on YouTube which help spread awareness of the game and some of its’ greatest legends. If you want to meet someone with a true passion for our sport, we’d recommend looking him up.

MICHAEL FITENI

STEVE TOWNSEND TOTALSQUASH.COM

THESQUASHIST.BLOGSPOT.COM

THE SQUASHIST

STEVEN CRANDALL

Mick was born in Melbourne, Australia and has been living in The Netherlands since 1997. Since his early teens he has been a professional squash player and coach. For the past four years he has branched out and occupies his ADHD, when the court lights go out, as a journalist and photographer.

Steve is a full-time England Squash Level 3 coach with over 17 year’s experience. He has coached on England National Squads, and has been the personal individual coach to Natalie Grainger, Jonathan Kemp, Jenny Tranfield, Dominique LloydWalter, along with 3 other British Junior Champions.

The Squashist prefers to remain anonymous, but he is a publishing executive in New York City whose obsession with the game frequently overwhelms the uninitiated.

Steven is the Vice President of Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., the only U.S. manufacturer of string for squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Operated by the Crandall family since 1824, Ashaway has been making racquet strings since 1949. Ashaway is the Official String of the Professional Squash Association and the Women’s International Squash Players Association.

EZSQUASH.COM

MICHAELFITENI.COM

SHONA KERR

WILLIAM C. GENS

SQUASHUK.COM

SAKHI KHAN

ASHAWAY.COM

BARRY GIFFORD

WESLEYAN.EDU

SQUASHDASHERSBASHERS.BLOGSPOTS.COM

COLBY.EDU

SPORTCENTRAL.CA/GIFFSCOURT

Shona Kerr is the head coach of both men’s and women’s squash and holds the rank of adjunct assistant professor of physical education at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.

Will Gens is a poet, scholar and technologist who has had a lifetime passion for squash. He has coached privately for 15 years and is a both a student and teacher of the game. He coaches now out of Great Neck New York, where he hopes to uncover perhaps the next top 10 player in the world. He is a tireless contributor to local squash and is dedicated to improving all those whom he coaches.

Sakhi has more than 34 years of squash experience. He was a four-time All-American varsity squash player graduating from Tufts University in 1985. As a college player Sakhi reached the National Collegiate Squash Championships finals and won the Massachusetts State Championship three times. He also competed on the World Professional Tour for seven years. As a squash pro, Sakhi won the World Teaching Professional Championships twice. Sakhi is in his ninth season as head coach of the Colby men’s and women’s squash programs and won the Chaffee Award after the 2006-07 season for being coach of the year in sportsmanship.

Barry is a Husband, Parent, Motivational Speaker, Sports & Life Coach, Tennis Professional and is the Head Squash Professional at Sport Central in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Barry’s twenty five years of coaching and personal development studies have provided him with an excellent understanding of individual and group dynamics in both sport and business. Barry shares his program, “5 Success Secrets of a World Champion” with Executives, Corporate Groups, Sports Associations and Schools. Barry has a BA in Psychology and Geography from Simon Fraser University is an NCCP Level 3 Coach and has competed at the national and international levels in squash, winning a World Doubles title in 1998. Visit Giff’s Court where Barry regularily blogs on both the physical and mental aspects of squash and life.

As a player, Shona was a four-year member of the Welsh Universities team from 1996-99. More recently, she was a member of the UWIC team which won the Women’s Welsh Premiere League. She also represented Wales at the 2000 European Club Championships, held in Amsterdam. In the United States, Shona was a national squash agegroup champion for under-35 and at the 5.0 skill level in both 2004 and 2005 and also played for the Boston Ladies “A” Team which won the Howe Cup. In addition, Shona holds Level III advanced coaching certification from the England Squash Association. Shona also organizes activities around Wesleyan’s Rosenbaum Squash Center to foster greater interest in the sport in the area.

4 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

from the editor What’s with the Painted face? This was a common question when we launched the site in September. Some people liked the image, others quite frankly didn’t like it at all. One person commented: “I don’t like the painted face – it’s associated with Soccer hooligans, it has NOTHING to do with Squash.” While another person wrote: “I think it adds a certain gusto to the site.” Reaction was definitely mixed. Only 52% of those who participated in our website poll seeking feedback on the Painted face voted to keep it.

So what were we thinking? The intention was to include something different, memorable and provocative for the website launch. We hoped in some ambitious (ambiguous?) way to set the tone for the site being edgier and more modern with this temporary design element. The genesis of the idea came from an image from Scotland’s In the Winning Zone website which we adapted to squash with the help of an award winning makeup artist Jennifer Kucera and my squash buddy Mark Kelly. Later in December we will be retiring the Painted Face. What else can we do to ZAG, while most everyone ZIG’s? Send us your ideas to SquashZAG@gmail.com.

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ask the experts HOW DO I ALLEVIATE ELBOW PAIN? Q: I’ve been playing squash for years, and have always had a sore elbow, what can I do to help with the pain? Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylosis is a condition that arises when there is microtrauma to the muscles at the back of the forearm which results in pain and inflammation. These muscles in the forearm act to extend the wrist and therefore can affect squash players too, particularly if you repetitively use your wrist in various other daily activities such as using manual tools or typing at a computer. Typically the inflammation is not controlled which leads to a chronic situation whereby the collagen in the tendon is affected and thus an accumulation of scar tissue develops at the outside aspect of the elbow. Signs and symptoms to look for if you have tennis elbow: • Symptoms usually develop insidiously and tend to get progressively worse over time. • Tenderness is localized on the bony prominence along the outside of the elbow- the lateral epicondyle. • Pain can occur when gripping a racquet, shaking hands, turning door-

knobs. Weakness of various muscles in shoulder, forearm, and wrist. • Decrease in range of motion in the wrist and elbow. • Pain that radiates from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist. Essentially, the various external forces (e.g. hitting a squash ball, using a screwdriver) exceed the tolerance of the soft tis•

sues (muscles and tendons) and therefore this must be corrected in order promote recovery and prevent any future occurrences. Here are some tips to consider if you have lateral elbow pain: TIP ONE: Reduce the size of your grip. A larger grip places increased forces through the muscles at the forearm and elbow. TIP TWO: Try to use a lighter racquet. The

heavier the racquet the more muscle force needed by the forearm muscles. TIP THREE: Decrease the tension in the strings. Tightly strung racquets produce more vibration which is then conducted up the arm particularly when the ball is hit off center. TIP FOUR: Correct the mechanics of your stroke – poor technique might be causing you to use your wrist excessively. Get advice from the club pro. TIP FIVE: Rest and Ice – Give your body time to recover by resting the wrist and forearm muscles. Use the time away from the court to improve your cardiovascular endurance by doing interval training on the Stairmaster. Placement of ice over the outside of the elbow three times a day for duration of 15 minutes is an effective way of controlling inflammation. Be sure to get assessed by a healthcare professional in order to ensure an accurate diagnosis as there are many conditions which may affect the elbow and its surrounding structures.

WHICH STRING? Q: I want to upgrade from the factory string that came in my racquet, How do I select the right string? Steven Crandall, Ashaway answers: Racquet string has a major influence on your squash game. Almost anything you don’t like about your racquet can be improved by careful string selection and proper stringing. Too little power? Too much vibration? Not enough “bite” on the ball? Give your racquet to a professional stringer, have him or her install the right string at the proper tension, and presto! It’s like getting a new racquet for about $25! That said, finding the right string and the proper tension takes a bit of work, because there are a lot of variables to consider. There are dozens of squash strings on the market, differing in terms of gauge (or thickness), materials of construction, and how those materials are put together. Aside from gauge, you can’t see these differences, but be assured, they’re real. If you’re skeptical, try playing two identical racquets, one strung with a monofilament nylon, and the other with a multifilament Zyex(r) string. If you can’t feel a difference, then squash just isn’t your game. Stay home and watch professional wrestling instead. The differences between the strings themselves aren’t the only variables to consider when choosing string and tension. The racquet itself makes a difference, as

does the frequency with which you’re willing to restring it. Your abilities, your style of play, and your personal preference for how the racquet should feel should also influence your choices. How do you sort through all the variables and find the best string for your game? You could try every string that’s available, but that would take a long time and cost a lot of money. You could go for a Masters degree in textile engineering, but that would take a really long time, and you still wouldn’t know which string feels best. The best route is to learn just enough to focus your attention on a few strings that seem to have the right characteristics for your game, then test those strings. Each time you restring, try a change in tension or a change in model. Keep tweaking until you find the combination that feels right, and stay with it for a while. As your abilities improve or your tastes change, don’t be afraid to change your string setup to keep pace. If you learn about a new model that seems right for you, go ahead and try it. You can always change back if it’s not. The most basic decision-the only one we have remaining space for-is string gauge. You have two choices: thin or thick. Thin, in squash, means 18 gauge, which is anywhere from 1.06mm to 1.15mm in diameter. Thick means 17 gauge, which ranges from 1.16mm to 1.25mm. All other things being equal, thinner strings provide more power,

“Almost anything you don’t like about your racquet can be improved by careful string selection and proper stringing.”

while thicker strings provide more control and durability. The durability issue is obvious, but the other two bear some explanation. Thinner string is bouncier. Hit the ball, and the string stretches back, then suddenly springs forward. This “trampoline effect” is where power comes from. Thinner string, more stretch, more power. Thicker string is stiffer, so when you hit the ball, the “stringbed,” or racquet face,

remains flatter. It’s easier to control the direction of the ball when it’s bouncing off a flat surface, and that goes double when you’re “cutting” the ball. We’ll look at other topics in future issues, including tension, materials, construction, breakage, and more. But for now, you already know enough to narrow the field in half. Need more power? Go for an 18-gauge string. More control? Think 17.

6 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

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pro tips ROY OLLIER

LEARNING FROM THE GREATS Last issue we dissected the playing styles of Jahangir Khan and Ross Norman. This month we are looking at the games of Jonathon Power and Rodney Eyles.

Jonathon Power I had the privilege of watching Jonathon grow up and develop into one of the World’s Greatest Players.

doing one. My first meeting with Jonathon was playing a couple of games with him at that particular exhibition when he was about 12 years old. Already then you could see he had the potential to be one of the best. Over the next few years I played him many times and each time, I could see a huge improvement not to mention his now famous court antics coming to the surface, as well. Even at that stage Jonathon was very creative with his shotmaking always inventing the unusual to deceive and keep you off balance. That combined with a very fast reading of the game enabled Jonathon to keep up the tempo of the match. It also helped that he was very fast around the court himself. The combination of all of his skills made for a World Champion. Along with Graeme Ryding, they both pushed each other to the top of World Squash. What can we learn from Jonathon?

During the 1980’s I was based in Canada and happened to be one of the best players there at the time. I used to do a lot of exhibition matches throughout the country and on one occasion I was in Montreal

Try and be creative. The more shots you develop the more options you have. This means your opponent will be playing Your game. Many times your opponent will have a pattern of play. They will do this shot from

this position, that shot from another position. Look for their pattern. That will enable you to read their game quickly and to be able to counter a shot before they know what is happening. Work on your speed around the court, use it as a bonus, the same with your fitness. Lastly, as in Jonathon’s case, a few mind games can certainly throw off your opponent as well. Yes, I can still remember a couple he tried on me. I’ll save those stories for another time.

ability to reach the pinnacle of the game.

Rodney Eyles Rodney had a very distinguished squash career throughout the eighties and the nineties with the highlight being his winning a World Championship. Once again another squash prodigy, he turned pro around the age of 15, and along with his peers at the time he set out to conquer the squash world. From one of the golden era’s of Australian squash, his group of rival’s included Rodney and Brett Martin, Chris Robertson, Tristian Nancarrow and Chris Ditmar, all of whom reached the Top 6 in the squash world. Rodney’s game was very characteristic of the group using great shotmaking, deception, along with tremendous retrieving

What can we learn from Rodney? Consistent shot-making along with tenacious retrieving keeps your opponent scrambling, nervous, frustrated and sure to force them into mistakes as their game will break down along with their stamina.

STEVE TOWNSEND

HOW TO STRANGLE A SHOTMAKER How do they do it? Their ball control is excellent, dying lengths all the time and if you give them something loose, bam it’s gone in the nick. You feel under pressure from the service onwards, as you know you can’t afford one little mistake. Shot makers are know how to put the ball away. They can finish a rally just like that, and usually they can hit the shots to get that loose ball too. How should you tackle trying to beat them then? A good defence and defensive strategy is vital. In all probability they have better racket skills than you do. Given the chance, they will outplay you and out score you, so you will need to defend excellently. This means using the height of the court to give you time, and to pick times to attack well. You will need to be at your most vigilant when on the “T”, as you never know when another outrageous winner might be flying in! Extra time will help you get composed on the “T”, so slow the pace down, lift the ball and get to the “T” as quickly as possible. Now you have the base to strangle and frustrate them. They thrive on hitting winners, actually putting the ball away. This is what they really enjoy about squash. This is their strength, and it’s also their weakness. If you can start to deprive them of the opportunities to hit their flashy shots, they will start to get itchy. Itchy to hit a winner that might not be on. Hit 2,3,4 straight drives and watch them try to volley the 5th one short. But it’s not quite loose enough for

that shot. Your drive was chipped, slow, so you are on the T ready to pounce and counter attack, but you might not need to, because there is every chance that your opponent will get frustrated and will start to hit the tin. As their game starts to fall apart, frustration sets in, and the errors start to come more quickly now. Keep your discipline here. A glimmer of over confidence and you are in trouble. They will rediscover their form, and the game can turn i 2-3 rallies. Keep to your game plan, however boring it may be. The taste of a win will make up for it! I remember an extreme example of this approach with staggering results from my junior days. When I was an under 16 junior, I once watched an Under 19 National Championships quarter final. I can’t remember the names of the players, but I saw one player completely outplaying the other and going 2-0, and 8-3 up (traditional scoring). The guy that was losing then did something that I’ve never quite seen again. He hit EVERY SINGLE SHOT chipped up and down the wall, mainly on the back hand side, as that’s where his opponent was hitting it. Chip, chip, chip, chip, chip. There were quite few hand in and hand outs, but his opponent couldn’t quite close out the match then after a while he’d clawed it back to 8-5 and panic set in for guy who was losing his lead. This new game wasn’t working for him, he had to try something different, and he started to go

for his shots too early. 2 games to 1 before you knew it. It took some time to get a grip on him, but when he had, htere was a flurry of mistakes and points. Next game, the player who was behind came out and did exactly what he did at the end of the last. Every ball chipped up and down the wall. It was an amazing feat of self control and discipline. The start of the game was tight again, but the aggressor’s game quickly went downhill, and the defender built a lead, and closed the game out without too much trouble in the end. The 5th was a formality, and the comeback complete, thanks to unwavering discipline in shot selection, and to the last few rallies all the victor’s shots were chipped up and down the sidewall. Now this wasn’t a glamorous way to win neither was it pretty, and he might not use this strategy all the time. But against this opponent, he worked out that he had no answers. If he made himself difficult enough to beat, then his opponent’s game plan would crash. A less extreme, but modern day example of this would be type of match up would be Nick Matthew’s strategy against Ramy. Keep pace off the ball and keep it straight. Let Ramy’s natural exuberance be his downfall. Nick knows that he can’t beat Ramy in a shot fest, but he can beat him with discipline, he can compete physically, so he tries to take the game into these channels by suffocating Ramy of the chances to use his wonderful attacking game. Consequently, Nick has one of the best records of all the

top players against Ramy. Other key things to think about. Give them no angles. Boasts and cross courts open up the game and give your opponent nice angles to hit nicks, winners and their own boasts. If they are likely to be stronger at this than you, make sure all boasts and cross courts are played with care and scrutiny. You will need to mix the game up a little, so don’t go completely defensive and predictable. Attack when on/near the T and atatck mainly straight. Try to get drops to cling to the wall rather than risk going for the nick and giving your opponent an angle to attack. Use the counter attack. By really looking for opportunities to counter your opponent’s attacking shots, you can put extra doubt in their mind, which will force them to hit lower and become more error prone. Be patient, be disciplined, be vigilant and strangle them!

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khan squash tips 10 SQUASH RITUALS

1 3

by Sakhi Khan

Start running and biking more.

Start swimming twice a week.

Plan on playing at least six tournaments over the course of the year.

4 5 6 8 9 10

Find a good coach and take some lessons. Camps are beneficial during the off-season only if a good crop of players attend your session. Play in your local squash league.

Learn to focus your mind by meditating or doing yoga.

Make sure to read about proper nutrition so that you’re eating correctly. Play at least four matches per week and practice for a minimum of thirty minutes three times during your hard weeks. Get as many professional squash videos as you can and watch a championship match on video two times a week.

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Exero 01, 5555 BLAsquashzag.com BLA BLA 8

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training CARL PETERSON, BPE, BSc (PT) AND NINA NITTINGER, dipl. KFFR/SPORTS MGT.

SMART TRAINING - FIT TO PLAY AND PERFORM The responsibility for making a better player falls directly on the athlete’s shoulders. To optimize training and ultimately on-court performance they need to develop and build a solid 4 point training plan that includes:

• •

•

Ensure sport specific training in the pre-competition phase. Ensure general sports involvement and cross training activities at all levels to ensure multi-skill development and to add fun. Regularly monitor signs of over-

• •

Provide yourself opportunities to practice techniques like imagery, distraction control, and relaxation. Take your individual athletic requirements into account: social climate, school, work, family and interpersonal relations, daily stresses – ex-

Structured Squash Practice Structured Physical Training Structured Mental Training Structured Assessments

•

2. Sport Specific Assessment: •

•

1. Structured Practice (On Court Training):

• • •

• •

Develop specific training and competition plans in consultation with others athlete and coach. Develop contingency plans for adverse weather if training outdoors you need to have an alternative training plan or venue to train Ensure appropriate equipment and clothing (shoes, clothing, sunscreen, hats etc.). Practice is part of your job as a player. Sure it can be hard work, but if you love the game and want to improve it is what you have to do”

•

Ensure proper planning & periodization of training includes pre-competition, in competition maintenance and post-season recovery break. Always include dynamic warm-ups, appropriate stretching and cooldowns in training and playing sessions. Always include appropriate recovery protocols used both during and post training sessions to minimize the fatigue carried into the next days training.

Early identification and prevention of injuries can be facilitated by pre-season athlete screening. This is best done at least 6-8 weeks prior to the start of your heavy tournament period. A sport specific assessment by someone who knows what to look for may save you a lot of pain and frustration later in the season. Have your physiotherapist screen you for potential problem areas.

3. Field Testing and Laboratory Assessments:

2. Structured Physical Training (Planning and Periodization) – General: •

care professionals. Carry first aid supplies and have ice for prompt attention to blisters and sore muscles.

stress. How they feel physically and mentally including mood and attitude to training and practice. Have them note sleep and recovery cycles. Ensure they keep a daily logbook of training to aid in monitoring volume, intensity and density of training loads and help recognize potential overstress or overtraining states.

3. Structured Mental Training • • •

Keep a journal or diary and use it daily. Ensure resources for appropriate sport psychology or mental training are available. Initiate contact and goal setting.

ams, deadlines, personal conflicts. 4. Structured Assessments By using the expertise and experience of other Sport Medicine & Science Personnel you add several other facets towards optimizing athletic performance. 1. Medical / Physical: Comprehensive pre-participation medical screening including ligament laxity tests, blood work and urinalysis. • Get prompt help for any and all injuries and illnesses. • Contact particulars including telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses of your health

• • • • •

Physiological assessments including field tests and selected laboratory tests will provide objective insight on: How your training is progressing and what you need to work on. What your strengths and weaknesses are How you compare to your peers. Test protocols should be set and reviewed based on current research and practice. Re-Assessment with the same test and conditions and preferably the same tester

We would encourage you to work with a local Sport Scientist and develop a protocol of tests based on the facilities and equipment available to you.

BUILDING ANKLE STABILITY WITH THE WOBBLE BOARD Why use a wobble board? The body has sensors all around it which sense where parts of the body are even without looking. These sensors are called proprioceptors. If the ankle or lower leg is damaged then the proprioceptors can be damaged also. If you have ever started to turn your ankle over and it has automatically righted itself then this is the proprioceptors working automatically to prevent further injury.

In the injured athlete these sensors will not work so well, increasing the chance of re-injuring the leg or ankle. This is why some people once they sprain their ankle, continue to sprain it repeatedly. Using a wobble board on a regular basis can help retrain the proprioceptors and improve coordination, hence preventing further injury. All the athlete has to do is stand on the board and try to keep it horizontal - without the edges touching the floor. Wobble Board Exercises - Starting easy and getting harder 1. Whilst sitting down place the wobble board under the feet and slowly rotate it a number of times in each direction. 2. Stand on the wobble board, feet shoulder width apart. Hold on to a chair for support if needed and rock the board forwards and backwards, then side to side. Do this for 2 to 3

minutes. 3. Stand on the wobble board, feet shoulder width apart. Rotate the wobble board round so that the edge of the board is in contact with the floor at all times. Again try this for 2 to 3 minutes. 4. Stand on the wobble balance board, again feet shoulder width apart - no chair allowed! Rock the board front to back for 1 minute then side to side for one minute. 5. Balance on the wobble board for as long as you can without the edges touching the floor. Aim for over 2 minutes without touching the floor. 6. Rotate the wobble board in a circle but do not allow the edge of the board to touch the floor. Aim for 2 minutes. 7. Stand on the wobble board with one leg. Rock the board from front to back for 1 minute and then side to side for 1 minute. 8. Again stand on the wobble board

with one leg only. Rotate the board in a circular motion in one direction for 1 minute then repeat in the other direction. 9. Try to balance on the wobble board with one leg only! How long can you go for? 10. When you have mastered all of the above you should have strong stable ankles and be an expert. Now try it all with your eyes closed!!

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coaching DR. PATRICK J. COHN

HELPING YOUR ATHLETES CONFIDENCE Competition can be both mentally and physically challenging for young athletes. Kids may feel nervous, unsettled, or feel more pressure to play their best. Young athletes may experience excitement or nervous jitters before and during competition. Athletes who feel jitters are the players who may under perform. Some young athletes may have a fear of embarrassment or fear of making mistakes. Some athletes make comparisons with other athletes, which is not always healthy for kids’ confidence. Some young players are worried about impressing a coach or parent. Some athletes are held back because they lack confidence and have doubts. Other athletes may try to perform perfectly and tie themselves up in knots doing so. Below are seven mental game tips to help sports kids perform their best in competition: 1. LET GO OF FEAR In sports, most of the fear athletes experience to is not about being in danger or harming themselves physically, although in some sports like hockey, you can be physically injured. The fear I am talking about is a psychological threat that is often based on an athlete’s perception of the importance of a performance or game and what others think about his or her performance. Most of the time, an athlete’s fear is worry related to poor results – whether prior to or during a performance. Athletes often fear the negative consequences of their performance. They worry about many things that are often not under their control. The very first step is to identify the beliefs, attitudes, and expectations that cause your athletes to hold onto over-exactness in competition and lead to fear of failure. You want your athletes to keep the positive aspects of their mental game such as your motivation and commitment to sport. However, maintaining beliefs or attitudes that support a fearful, cautious, or over-seriousness attitude when performing does not allow kids perform their best. Thoughts such as “I must be perfect if I want to make the team today” or “I must analyze my mistakes and fix them right away so I don’t make the same mistake” cause kids to play tentatively. 2. PLAY FREELY INSTEAD OF HOLDING BACK During mental toughness training, I teach my students about two mindsets that contribute to success in sports. The first is the training or practice mindset. Great athletes know the value of training. They strive to get better and to improve. They have a tremendous amount of motivation and work ethic, which help them to practice hard so they can master their skills. The trusting or performance mindset is equally important for success in sports. Trust is the ability to let skills “happen” instinctively by relying on practice instead of consciously directing movements. The performance mindset is the ability to rely on practice, perform freely, and allow skills to flow without excess thought. The bottom line… If your athletes are stuck in the practice mentality when they compete, they will limit their ability to perform their best because of too much analysis, trying too hard to be perfect, and a loss of trust.

3. FOCUS ON SELF NOT OTHERS – MAKE NO COMPARISONS. Your athletes must start with the understanding that most intimidation in sports is self-induced. Yes, other athletes will sometimes use direct intimidation or play head games with your athletes, but they can make the choice to not pay attention and look the other way. However, your athletes can’t “look the other way” when they are their own worst enemy because they are intimidated by their own thoughts about the level of the competition, the rink conditions, or the venue. Athletes who lack confidence often look for others to help them feel confident. Likewise, these same athletes intimidate themselves by paying too much attention to other hockey players or by putting other players on a pedestal. Most self-induced intimidation comes from your athletes giving too much energy to other competitors by making comparisons, thinking too much about the reputation of their competitors, or feeling like they do not belong at the current level of play. Tips for helping your athlete overcome self-intimidation: • Help your athletes avoid putting other athletes on a pedestal, as if they are better than your athletes or superior. • Help your athlete stop making comparisons to athletes who they think are better. • Help your athletes focus on their strengths instead thinking about the reputation of other competitors and how they stack up. • Help your athletes see themselves on equal ground in terms of their ability. 4. PLAY FOR YOURSELF, NOT OTHERS. Social approval is an important phenomenon in my discussions with athletes that I coach. Many athletes rely too much on social approval to boost their own levels of self-worth. Some athletes think that if others respect their sports performance, this, for some reason, will make them a better person. Many athletes buy into this notion and think that they are better people if they can achieve acknowledgment, gain approval or respect from others through sports. For many athletes, a huge source of worry about their performance results from the need to seek “social approval” from others. If this is your athlete, they might have a need to be admired, accepted, respected, or liked by other people. They worry about performing poorly because it may have an influence on what others might think about them. Thus, athletes who want approval from others can become anxious or are afraid to fail in competition. The need for social approval is the root of fear of failure. But this story gets even better. What happens when your athletes want approval, but can’t get it? Does this affect how they feel about themselves as people? For most of my students, yes! Athletes want approval from others so they can feel better about themselves! Tips to Stop Worrying What Others Think: • Help your athletes understand why they value (sometimes too much)

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others’ opinions. Help your athletes have self-respect not other-based respect. Help your athletes stop the mind reading or thinking too much about what others might think. Help your athletes know who they are on the inside. They should define who the person is first – called selfconcept. Help your athletes separate self-esteem and performance. Too often, athletes judge themselves on their performance in sports.

5. PLAY FUNCTIONALLY – DON’T TRY TO BE PERFECT. An important lesson I teach my students is to learn how to perform efficiently instead of perfectly. I call this a “functional mindset.” A functional mindset is the opposite of trying to make everything perfect. It starts with the idea that your athletes DO NOT have to be perfect to perform their best. They are human and humans can’t be perfect. Your athletes will make mistakes and you and your athletes have to accept mistakes. Tennis coach to professional players, Brad Gilbert, calls the functional mindset “winning ugly,” which he wrote a book about. Tips for how to play functionally: • Have your kids use the warm up to get a “feel” for their performance. Don’t have them practice their game to control it. Remind them not judge the quality of their technique or performance in the warm up. If your athletes miss a couple of shots, tell them not to fret over it. • Your athletes should let go of the need to control their performance and let it happen. • Have your athletes think “win ugly.” Use whatever works to help them get the job done in tryouts. For example, instead of needing to execute a play exactly from the playbook, be happy with a play that worked well, but maybe was not “textbook” execution. • Help your athletes use what’s working. Stick to what parts of your athletes game are working well. 6. BE CONFIDENT. My definition of self-confidence is how firmly athletes believe in their ability to execute a physical skill or perform a task. That’s right–confidence is how strongly an athlete believes in his ability to execute a play. Confidence is derived from a baseline assessment of past performances, training, and preparation. As your athletes’ competency or skill mastery grows, their confidence becomes proportionately stronger. I think of confidence as a cure-all for what ails athletes’ mental game. If athletes have high self-confidence, it’s very hard to get anxious or tense, or worry about results because they already know that they will perform well. With high confidence, they don’t fret about the competition. With confidence, they are relaxed and focused on the correct performance cues. Do you get my point? Doubt is the number one killer to a confident mindset. Pessimistic, perfectionistic and over-motivated athletes tend to hold

on tight to doubts, which if unchecked can ruin an athlete’s mindset and derail performance. Some athletes start doubting before they even start the competition or make an error. Most athletes struggle with doubt after making a mistake or performing poorly in competition. When they let doubt run rampant and unchecked, it sabotages confidence. However, athletes who can recognize doubt and turn it into statements of confidence can counter the negative influence that doubt may have over them. The first step in overcoming doubt is to become aware of the thoughts that deteriorate confidence. The next step is to counter the doubts with thoughts that will lead to better outcomes. 7. FOCUS ON THE PROCESS, NOT RESULTS. Your athletes have the unique ability to selectively attend to what they want. This mental skill comes in handy when they perform, but only if they focus on the right performance cues. Your athletes objective is to focus their attention on performance “cues” which help them perform their best. A performance cue is any thought, feeling, or image that helps you execute. A player might feel his wrist flick on the shot. Understanding what is not relevant is an important step in helping your athletes improve focus by understanding their distraction. Many of the athletes I work with tend to overload their brains with too much information – more than they can handle at one time. Information overload or having misleading information sends mixed signals to the body. In this indecisive state, the body will not execute with the desired outcome or rhythm. Once your athletes define performance cues and can clearly recognize non-relevant cues or distractions, they are now in a better position to become fully immersed into their performance – an important quality of being in the zone or gaining a zone focus. Unimportant cues or distractions might be thinking about missing a previous shot or what the coach might do if you lose the puck. Learning any new skill takes time. It does not matter if your athletes are learning physical skills or mental skills, repetition and application is necessary to make it part of everyday practice and performance. Helping your athletes commit to improving their mental toughness over time, (even when your athletes are performing well), will lead to a consistent mental game and performance in any situation including tryouts. Dr. Cohn is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports in Orlando, Florida (peaksports.com). Experts in the field of sports psychology consider him the leading authority on mental skills for entering the zone and pre-performance routines, largely based upon his extensive research. He has consulted with high profile teams such as the Miami Dolphins, NASCAR winners, NHL Players, National Motocross Champions, and PGA Tour professional golfers such as Brian Watts and J. L. Lewis. He’s also worked with powerful corporations such as IBM, Canada and USA Today.

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11 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

courtside BARRY GIFFORD

“I SUCK”

I think it is safe for me to say that everyone, at one time or another, has used negative self talk to catalyze change in his or her game. “I suck! Come on you loser! You hack (Australian accent here)! You’re weak!….” What just happened here? You let a form of anger come out due to the frustration of not doing your best. Below are three major solutions I will focus on to help relieve you of any further negative banter: positive self talk, no talk, and positive talk from teammates-fansfamily. 1. Negative self talk is a habit you have developed to try to bring about POSITIVE change in your game (and on many occasions in your life). I believe that this negative self talk doesn’t really help the learning process at all. Let’s look at the opposite of negative self talk, positive self talk, like:

”That’s it! Nice shot! Well done! Awesome!….” These are great motivating words, but they cannot be used when a poor shot is hit in squash. However, there are other positive words, or statements, that can be made in this situation. For example, “Be tough! Step into it more aggressively! Snap it! Stay focused! Breath! Good grip! Feel strong!….” All of these positive words-statements can be utilized as alternatives to the “I suck” statements, and with regular practice they can bring about a positive improvement in how you play & feel on the court. 2. Another way to counter the negative self banter is to remain silent when frustration occurs following a poor result. In your silence, instead of yelling out at yourself in self pity, you can instantly imagine your wanted

result. The poor result is in the past, and the imagined result is for the future. When your opponent observes your lack of frustration and your positive look, he/she will know they are in for a tough match. Then, get on with the next point since it is the moment of truth, it is the moment of fun — be a kid again. 3. If you happen to play on a league team and are watching a teammate, or you are watching a family member play squash, you can be a positive or negative source of encouragement for them. Parents have good intentions for their children, yet they can detract or assist them in their play by the words and gestures they use off court. For example, “Don’t! Come on (negative tone of voice)! Billy (again, a negative tone of voice)!….” Of course, frowns

and scowls do not help player’s with their games either. However, an encouraging smile and a few positive simple words to them following an error can help to bolster their self esteem for the next point. For example, “Good effort! Nice try! Stay tough! Be strong! Have fun!….” If you desire to improve at a fast forward pace try catching yourself using any negative self talk, stop, and instead substitute positive self talk. When frustration is coming on following an error immediately imagine the desired result you want. Finally, listen for positive feedback & cheers from team mates, fans, and family and grow stronger and stronger than you could by yourself! Persevere, Be strong, and have Fun!

small percentage) through the glycogen-sparing effect of caffeine – caffeine enhances fat utilization during endurance-type events and postpones the need for the body to increase reliance on using muscle glycogen (sugar stored around the muscle). Coffee is a great source of anti-oxidants – better than a kiwi! Coffee can ward off depression – suicide rates are lower amongst coffee drinkers. Coffee improves simple reaction time, mental alertness, and short-term memory – that should be good for squash no? Coffee has recently been shown to have a possible effect on preventing

certain cancers. The day after my coffee talk at the Premier Performance Squash Training in Mercersburg, PA this summer, Engy Kheirallah said she wanted to give pre-match coffee a try and asked me to make her a shot of espresso (I had a machine in my room) before her exhibition against two of the male pros (tag team format) – needless to say she won with little difficulty:) . You can check here for the video to be posted in the next couple of weeks. Should a squash coach or the players consume coffee to improve their performance? The purpose of my coffee talk and this post is to encourage players and coaches to be thoughtful about their training and nutrition – and not just accept advice.

TIM BACON

COFFEE: MY NEW ‘BFF’ A standard part of my Sports Nutrition spiel whether I am teaching a Coaching Certification Course or speaking to junior squash campers is the tongue-in-cheek promotion of coffee consumption. I enjoy the part of my talk because the common perception appears to be that coffee is “bad for you”.

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As a current owner of five different espresso machines I should come clean with my bias before I go any further. I usually cite five benefits of coffee consumption – several of them potential benefits for squash players:

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Enhanced endurance performance (a

BARRY GIFFORD

DOUBLES IS FOR OLD GUYS For you singles enthusiasts who think doubles is only for the “older you” you may be right. But if you are fortunate, like myself, to have learned the sport at a younger age, you understand that North American Doubles Squash is a great game (kind of like golf… i.e., if you don’t know the game you don’t really appreciate it for the great game it is)! What is so great about this game you ask? Doubles Squash is a game of movement, a game of team strategy, a game of good hands, and a game of pace & power (especially at the higher levels), and it is a social game — before, during, and post-match!

Once you have played about a half dozen games your anticipation improves and you begin to move for shots earlier & earlier. Sometimes your partner will see you leave for a ball before your opponents have actually played a shot. This is okay because you will be early to the shot if you have anticipated well. But if the ball goes to your previous position your partner will have you covered since you showed him/her you were leaving early. When you and your partner start to do this sort of early movement this is when the game becomes even more enjoyable. Add some variety to your routine ... try doubles squash out!

12 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

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the squashist QUIET STORM Several years ago I had a regular weekly evening game with a guy I’ll call, for the purposes of this blog, Carlos. Carlos is a great guy, and big, about 6 feet 2 inches, and quite stocky for a squash player. I’m nearly 2 inches taller than that, but a bit more wiry, so the two of us on one court could get mighty crowded mighty quickly. We liked to play physically, trash talking was encouraged, bumping around the T was considered normal, and every other match or so someone would end up on the ground as the other guy would go flying across the diagonal to reach a shot and crash into the unsuspecting lout. I’d normally beat Carlos, often just barely, but about 10% of the time he’d find some inner mental strength to play a very tactical game that would beat me and leave me wondering if this were the same Carlos I had been successfully playing. One day, years ago, Carlos and I began our weekly match, and from the start there was something unusual about his focus. He liked to take shots early and hit hard, very much the type of player who played to the back walls nearly all of the time, but that day he was holding most of his shots, hitting unusual drop shots, and hitting them well. He took an early lead in the first game and won it, eventually, after a long battle. The second game was more of the same, but I stepped up my own game to meet the challenge and became inexorably focused on his slightly weaker backhand. My legs got warmed up so that I was getting to his frequent drop shots, which were still hitting their mark, and I won the game. The third game was such a long drawnout torture session that it seemed like it went on forever, and it was in this game that Carlos, running to get a nicely played drop by me, ran straight into me and landed hard on the floor. I was rocked and my neck felt like it had whiplash. Carlos weighed a little more than 200 lbs, and I a little under, so the collision was significant. Carlos just smiled, asked if I were OK, and on hearing yes, said ‘let’s go.’ I could tell the focus was still there, as was his joy in the game that, while always under the surface, seemed to have effervesced and was seeping through his pores. The guy was loving

every second of this, even when he lost the third game in overtime. We were already nearly an hour into this match, and were both drenched with sweat. I changed my shirt before the 4th game started but Carlos seemed to love the fact that his shirt was completely drenched. You know you are in a good match when while steadying your hands to serve you see sweat dripping onto the court from your arms....

shots. I remember winning the final game in overtime, and thinking that god himself had blessed me with a special favor for which I would have to do years of penance. Carlos shook my hand, smiled, and left the court. On the benches outside we were both breathing heavily for a few minutes, dripping sweat on the floor, and quiet, unwilling to speak. Carlos put his head in a towel and rubbed it all around, then fully enshrouded himself

The fourth game was his, as my strength and focus seemed to fail me and he seemed unusually energized. There was a bit of manic zeal to the guy that defeated me from the start. The fifth and deciding game was very psychological, as I decided to hold my shots a long time and place them in diametrically opposed positions to get him to run twice for the same ball. I’d position my body for a soft drop up front, hold, and pop it to the back, and he with his high energy would run up, stop short, then run back. He in turn had upped his shot-making, hitting a high percentage of low-percentage

in it, staying still for several minutes. I tried to catch my breath and stretched, albeit feebly. “Nice match,” Carlos whispered. “I’ll say, you played great.”

towel. “You know,” he said, “the fact is I’m beat right now.” “What do you mean by that?” I asked. “My business is in a freaking tailspin, which has caused a lot of financial worries, and my wife is completely unhappy and lets me know it -- mostly because I’m always at work. Plus I have an odd blood test result that my doctor told me needs to be explored.” I stared at him. His face was still sweaty, but he had removed the towel and, although looking down, I could tell that his eyes had filled with tears. He was despondent, his face grim. I didn’t know what to say at first. I sat there as Carlos’ tears welled up, though he hid it by lowering his head and taking his towel and covering his face. I saw his upper body shake once or twice, realizing he was on the verge of sobbing. I felt panicked. “Well,” I ventured, “that’s a lot to worry about.” I told some quick, feeble story about how financial distress had hit my family and how we cut back to the bone and managed to get through it. “Yeah,” he said, “I’m doing that now. It should be okay. But I tell you, this match today was the best thing that has happened to me in months, it was great. My squash is the one thing in my life that is working for me right now. It’s an escape. More than you know.... I can rely on it, on you, and on this game.” He pulled himself together, we talked a while longer, and off we went, agreeing to meet again at the usual time next week. And next week came, and he told me that the medical concern had been proved unremarkable, and that the company he worked for had just hit on a big contract. And a few weeks later, he mentioned in passing that he and his wife were ‘good,’ and going off on a vacation together.

“Thanks. It’s great to....” His voice trailed off, and a moment passed, and his attitude seemed to change. I sensed there was something more than squash on his mind. He rubbed his enshrouded head with the

A quiet storm had passed, right there on the squash court. Yet another quiet storm....

THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF SQUASH

Above, a Wiki map of countries around the world currently experiencing significant deaths from wars or internal strife. The numbers are unfathomably huge, and with each number comes the sadness of families

and friends and, often, a grim resolve to get even.... And so this testosterone-fueled cycle of violence goes on. I’ve found that countries all over the world are packed with a lot of great people

who are often shackled by mediocre governments. Or worse, criminal governments. Persoally, I hate it when others think I am somehow representative of what my government might be doing or saying about some crisis point in the world, and I try not to make the same mistake with others. I like the fact that, in one sweaty room, an American can play a great game with a resident of a nation that might not like the US government a whole lot, but there they are, having a game, and a respectful one at that. (They can discuss politics while having a beer together later on.) How about a Pakistani playing a great match against an Indian rival, an Egyptian beating the tar out of an Israeli, but shaking hands after the carnage,

a Serb congratulating a Croat after a tough 5 games.... It’s sport, a common language that levels everyone to the same plane. It’s a beautiful thing. Here’s a quote to ponder -- Philo of Alexandria, an important philosopher of the first century AD who melded theological ideas from the Jewish tradition with Greek philosophy, came up with what many consider a precursor to the Golden Rule:

Be Kind, for Everyone You Meet Is Fighting a Great Battle! Live that rule, on court and off, and watch that map of strife whither away.

squashzag.com 13 BLA BLA BLA Exero 01, 5555

13 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

14 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

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squash dashers & bashers WILLIAM C. GENS

SQUASH SUICIDE IN BANGLORE

Last year my company transferred me to Bangalore, India. I was very excited about this since I had always wanted to live in India. I had been to Chennai, India, with my good friend Vanamali Raghunathan. I took my son with me. We had a blast in Chennai, played squash at the Heritage Hotel, became friends with the attendant. We loved playing in the heat and the ball was fast and when we came off the court it was as if we had been playing in a sauna.

Originally I thought going to India would be the adventure of a lifetime. My son and I talked about it, he wasn’t so keen, but I thought this could be such a rewarding experience for him. We assumed the squash would be great and we had plans on having him going periodically to Chennai to train with players out of the Cyrus Poncho’s Indian Squash Institute. There was so little information on squash in Bangalore, but we assumed that we just had to go to the clubs. No one really responded to our inquiries. The most prominent club in our search was the prestigious Bangalore Club. I looked up membership information, and to be honest, it was so complicated to figure out. I tried emailing them. It was important to figure out the squash scene because there was no point in my son coming to India if he couldn’t play. My company was to put us up for 6 weeks and we found a hotel that also had squash. We were all set we could continue training and playing. We were in for a shock. The people handling the relocation took it upon themselves to change the agreed upon hotel and put us up in a 2 star or less hotel. For some reason the idea of squash to these people meant we thought ourselves privileged. I found this out later in the snied remarks about squash that was levied towards us by the people in my company. We are so far from that perception; we were just stereotyped and met with disdain as if we were reminders of a painful and humiliating past -- British Colonialism of course. We spent days in between adjusting to India life trying to find a squash court to pay and play on. It was becoming increasingly

futile when we realized the only places to play were very exclusive private clubs with long waiting lists for memberships. Our hearts sank. Most of these clubs offered temporary memberships but they wanted 5 year up front fees. The more frustrated I became the more futile it seemed. Anyone knows if you have a passion for something, you cannot be denied that passion. We would not be denied playing this game simply because of the perception that squash is for the privileged few and that to keep it that way you place so many restrictions and rules and regulations which keep 99% of the people out, the undeirables no doubt. I contacted Cyrus Poncho in Chennai and he, bless him, put us in touch with a member out of the Bangalore Club. I don’t remember his name we were passed on to another member of the club, Vinnie Singh. Vinnie was a godsend and I think was so happy to have someone of my son’s caliber

ry. And I could not add family to my temporary membership. We were back to square one sort of. That’s when Vinnie had the great idea of getting my son in as a squash coach. My son had coached in the City and Long Island so he had the credentials. Vinnie’s heart was in the right place, he saw all the old players at the club and wanted to see some new blood, to bring in the sons and daughters of the squash members and any other members to this game. He came up with the idea of coaching and in return a membership to the club. It took a while for Vinnie to put in the proposal and present it. Our fingers were crossed. Vinnie showed such patience, the kind of patience I could never have. He knew the system and always told me no matter how frustrated I became to never yell at the staff or officials of the club. This was probably more difficult to do than to rehabilitate my knee. My son would coach clinics at the club in exchange for playing. He was not a member and was

willing to play that he put us in touch with numerous players who had us play as their guests. We immediately took to Vinnie, he was soft spoken, played an old style but graceful squash that was thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately, I had torn my meniscus before leaving for India so I couldn’t play without a great deal of pain. I could hit a bit with my son, but I knew I had a bad injury. But my son was able to play with Vinnie and others. The style of play was much like hardball, the ball fast, the courts very hot and the game and points very quick. We were coming from courts in Great Neck, NY that were less than half the speed. It was like going from softball to hardball. But my son adjusted slowly and began developing that soft volley drop which is so effective as well as an attacking boast. His footwork was slower to adjust because it was a challenge to keep distance off the ball when it comes at you from different angles and so fast. He had some great matches with Vinnie. But it became apparent that my son couldn’t play there because he wasn’t the son of a member and wasn’t 25 years old, the minimum age to be a temporary member. I was able to secure through Vinnie a temporary membership, but it didn’t matter I couldn’t really play because of my inju-

only allowed to play certain times. We lived about 2 hours bus ride (because of the horrific Bangalore traffic) so he would just have to make due if he wanted to play. What became apparent was the old attendant there who sometimes gave lessons and was not happy about this arrangement. Simply put, he made my son’s life miserable. This is a trait I think I observed in India that you make someone miserable by making everything a chore even the simplest things. My son did these clinics on the worst court in the club, if he was hitting with a non-senior member of the club on the good court, and a senior member came along, he was kicked off. He could not have any guests and could not go 1 minute past his lesson time, which, even at times the old attendent would try and kick him off during a lesson if there was a member waiting to play. He wasn’t allowed to reserve courts and if a player/student cancelled on him by calling the attendant the information wasn’t passed on so there would be a rush to come in on that 2 hour bus ride for a canceled lesson. He could not participate on the club ladder, for members only. Of all the people that he coached and paid his own bus fare to come in and coach for free none of them even tipped him. But I will say this Vinnie

was very generous and “Bundy” was another really good friend that took to my son. All in all we have fond memories of the time there, but one of the parents of the best junior prospect in Bangalore, was told when he relocated from Bombay to Bangalore that it would be squash suicide. To all those who make it so difficult to play this magnificent sport like not knowing how to sing and murdering the note, you simply murder this game. The PSA chairman I believe is out of India maybe he can promote and open the doors to the countless prospects in Bangalore who never did anything to anyone and who might simply want to play squash. When the grinding commute to the Bangalore Club was a bit much, we’d go to the garage in our apartment building which was made of concrete. The ceiling was low, not unlike the old Harvard Business School American courts I played on with my Indian friend Supriya years ago, but we could at least hit the ball. And the sound of the ball coming off the concrete was the same as any ball coming off those old style courts, whether in Bangalore or Park Place Squash -- simply music. My son eventually coached at Palm Meadows Country Club (suburban Miami in the heart of India) where he was paid and also they allowed me to play when I was healed. The sport manager, Mr Sagar Pawar, of Palm Meadows was like Vinnie, so gracious, a real gentleman, and really saw the benefit of my son playing and coaching out of his club. I think many dislike an outdated system that discriminates so freely and easily against 99% of the population in the same manner that the old British system discriminated against the Indian population. Herman Hesse said something like be careful you don’t become what you hate. In Bangalore, in the squash circles, I think there’s some truth to that -- that old British Colonial system is still alive and well -- when they kicked the British out they should have kept all the good like squash and threw away all their foolish rules and regulations that were simply a disguise for their discrimination against the people whose home they occupied. But maybe the real lesson here is that no matter what obstacles stand in your way there’s always a way around them. My son and I since returned to New York where we play and coach squash and I never step onto the court in Great Neck taking this game or the ability to play it for granted. Before we left India, my son said to me, that his experience there was life changing. I’d like to think part of it was realizing what his life would be like if he wasn’t allowed to play squash, not because of his ability or desire, but simply because many years ago a small group of people decided who should be allowed to play this game. I’d like to go back some day to Bangalore to hit around with Vinnie, perhaps build some outdoor courts, and invite any and all to hit a bit, run a bit, sweat a lot and experience the freedom of playing, within the confines of those four walls, the greatest game ever invented.

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15 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

FAVORITES

amr shabana

WORLD CHAMPION ‘03/ ‘05/ ‘07/ ‘09

ATHLETE: Mohamed Ali MUSIC: Bob Marley MOVIES: The Big Lebawski BOOK: Catcher in the Rye FOOD: Italian OFFSEASON ACTIVITIES: Go to the beach SPORTS - YOU PLAY: Football SPORTS - YOU WATCH: All sports QUOTE MANTRA: To be or not to be DREAM CAR: So many choices ... Phanthom DREAM VACATION: Any beach DREAM DATE: My wife CELEBRITY YOU WOULD LOVE TO MEET: Bob Dylan

Q&A

by Michael Fiteni

We had a chance to sit down with the recently crowned World Champion, “The Egyptian Magician”, Amr Shabana. SZ: Childhood ambition: when I grow up I always wanted to be ... AS: Squash Champion SZ: How did you get started playing squash? AS: My family all played - my sister was aready a squash champion. SZ: Best advice you received early in your pro squash career? AS: Don’t give it up. SZ: If it wasn`t for _______ and ________ I would never have attained my current level of squash success. AS: God. SZ: Biggest sacrifice being a full-time squash professional?

AS: Taking life easy. SZ: How would you describe your playing style? AS: Spontaneous SZ: 3 Best squash players of all-time? AS: Jansher, Jahangir, Power and Nicol. SZ: Who are some of the people you admire and respect the most in the pro game? AS: Same as above. SZ: Which PSA Event is the most enjoyable for you and why? AS: Hong Kong, New York - love the cities, especially the nightlife. SZ: Who is the funniest person on tour? AS: Wael Hindi. SZ: Aspects of being a Touring Pro that you could do without? AS: The way the PSA schedules events around the world - not organising them

like tennis. SZ: What contribution or impact would you like to make on squash now and after your playing career is over? AS: Making squash a major sport instead of a minor sport. SZ: If you could spend one day with anybody or group, alive or dead who would it be? why? AS: Bob Marley - love him! SZ: If you could play another sport professionally, what would it be? AS: Football. SZ: Career-wise, if I wasn`t a Touring Professional I would be … AS: A business entrepreneur. SZ: Passions, talents or interests people would be surprised to learn you have? AS: None, I’m pretty clear on that. SZ: Life after squash … career,

personal? AS: We’ll see how this goes first. SZ: Three words to describe yourself? AS: Down to earth. SZ: When I travel, the thing I miss the most ... AS: Rest. SZ: When I pack my bags for a tournament, I make absolutely sure I don`t forget ... AS: My racket. SZ: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? AS: Longer arms. SZ: Despite the challenges, demands and mixed rewards of being a pro player … what keeps your fire burning? AS: Trying to be the best. SZ: Thanks Amr, talk to you soon!

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PHOTOS COURTESY

FRITZ BORCHERT, SQUASHINTERNATIONAL.COM

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what we

pps

17 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

quash.com iargroup.net cav

TOUR TIME

GREAT PROMO

Congrats and thanks to Haseeb & Sahel Anwar at Squash Design for co-ordinating the 7 event Squash Design Tour. Visit SquashDesignUSA.com and show them some support.

ezsq

ONLINE SOFTWARE

squash.com u ss

As they say, the devil is in the details, but US Squash’s launch of the Play Squash online software seems to be another progressive value-added innovation benefiting affiliated clubs and association members.

The recent Kuwait Men’s World Open Championships featured an impressive promo video produced by the Caviar Group. To check it out, click Featured Video at SquashZAG.com

m co h.

TRAINING AID

Tired of that foam ball meandering through the air? Want something that beginners and advanced players can benefit from? Look no further - squash legend Roy Ollier has developed a training aid for just about any skill level. Check out the EZ Squash Ball for coaching and fun.

COOL GAME

cule.com rolo

Grab your iPhone, virtual racquet, and get ready for some very cool 3D squash action! Iphone app developers Rolocule bring you “Touch Squash”, available exclusively at the App Store.

18 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

squashzag.com

rankings & results MEN TOP 20

WOMEN TOP 20

TEAM TOP 20

INDIVIDUAL TOP 20

As of December 1st 2009

MENS PRESEASON RANKINGS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Karim Darwish EGY Gregory Gaultier FRA Amr Shabana EGY Nick Matthew ENG Ramy Ashour EGY James Willstrop ENG Peter Barker ENG David Palmer AUS Thierry Lincou FRA Wael El Hindi EGY Daryl Selby ENG Adrian Grant ENG Mohd Azlan Iskandar MAS Laurens Jan Anjema NED Cameron Pilley AUS Mohd Azlan Iskandar MAS Borja Golan ESP Stewart Boswell AUS Ong Beng Hee MAS M. El Shorbagy EGY

Nicol David MAS Jenny Duncalf ENG Natalie Grinham NED Rachael Grinham AUS Natalie Grainger USA Alison Waters ENG Omneya Abdel Kawy EGY Madeline Perry IRL Laura Massaro ENG Vanessa Atkinson NED Kasey Brown AUS Shelley Kitchen NZL Camille Serme FRA Engy Kheirallah EGY Samantha Teran MEX Annie Au HKG Jaclyn Hawkes NZL Tania Bailey ENG Isabelle Stoehr FRA Rebecca Chiu HKG

Trinity College (1) Princeton University (2) Rochester, University of (3) Yale University (4) Harvard University (5) Cornell University (6) Pennsylvania, University of (Penn) (7) Dartmouth College (8) University of Western Ontario (9) Williams College (10) Franklin and Marshall College (12) Bates College (11) Brown University (13) Naval Academy (14) Saint Lawrence University (15) Amherst College (16) Middlebury College (17) Bowdoin College (18) Tufts University (20) Colby College (19)

Baset Chaudhry (Trinity) Colin West (Harvard) Jim Bristow (Rochester) Vikram Malothra (Trinity) David Letourneau (Princeton) Parth Sharma (Trinity) Chris Callis (Princeton) David Canner (Princeton) Hameed Ahmed (Rochester) Kelly Shannon (Princeton) Benjamin Fischer (Rochester) Andres Vargas (Trinity) Randy Lim (Trinity) Chris Sachvie (Cornell) John Fulham (Yale) Matt Domenick (Rochester) Supreet Singh (Trinity) Thomas Mattsson (Penn) Alex Domenick (Cornell) Will Hartigan (Cornell)

Select November Results (PSA) Kuwait World Open (Kuwait), $277,500 US Amr Shabana (EGY) defeated Ramy Ashour (EGY) Goodlife Open (Ottawa, Canada), $6,000 US Mike Corren (AUS) defeated Robin Clarke (CAN) Pittsburgh Open (Pittsburgh,USA), $6,000 US Joel Hinds (ENG) defeated Bernardo Samper (COL) Santiago Open (Santiago, Spain), $41,000 US Peter Barker (ENG) defeated Adrian Grant (ENG) London Open (London, England), $20,000 US Jonathan Kemp (ENG) defeated Joey Barrington (ENG) Baltimore Cup (Baltimore, USA), $10,000 US Scott Arnold (AUS) defeated Amr Swelim (ITA) Saskatoon Boast (Saskatoon, Canada), $10,000 US Laurence Delasaux (ENG) defeated Aaron Frankcom (AUS) Rhode Island Open (Rhode Island, USA), $10,000 US Julian Illingworth (USA) defeated Amr Swelim (ITA) Qatar Classic (Doha, Qatar), $147,500 US Nick Matthew (ENG) defeated Karim Darwish (EGY) Dutch Open Squash (Rotterdam, Holland), $40,000 US Daryl Selby (ENG) defeated Cameron Pilley (AUS) Select November Results (WISPA) Carol Weymuller (Brooklyn, New York, USA), $42,000 US Jenny Duncalf (ENG) defeated Alison Waters (ENG) Flying Pig (Cincinnati, USA), $7,000 US Alana Miller (CAN) defeated Lisa Camilleri (AUS) Santiago Open (Santiago, Spain), $6,000 US Fiona Moverley (ENG) defeated Lauren Siddall (ENG) Coronation London Open (London, England), $8,000 US Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) defeated Alana Miller (CAN) Qatar Classic (Doha, Qatar), $74,000 US Jenny Duncalf (ENG) defeated Rachael Grinham (AUS) Sharm El Sheikh Open (Laguna Vista, Egypt), $29,000 US Rachael Grinham (AUS) defeated Engy Kheirallah (EGY)

WOMENS PRESEASON RANKINGS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Princeton University (1) Harvard University (2) Trinity College (3) University of Pennsylvania (4) Yale University (5) Cornell University (6) Stanford University (7) Williams College (8) Dartmouth College (10) Brown University (9) Mount Holyoke College (11) Bates College (14) Middlebury College (13) Hamilton College (16) George Washington University (15) Bowdoin College (12) Amherst College (17) Vassar College (19) Tufts University (18) Wesleyan University (20)

Nour Bahgat (Trinity) Kristen Lange (Univeristy of Penn) Toby Eyre (Williams College) Laura Gemmell (Harvard) Logan Greer (Yale University) Amanda Siebert (Princeton) Neha Kumar (Princeton) Nirasha Guruge (Harvard) Sydney Scott (Univeristy of Penn) Pamela Chua (Stanford University) Emery Maine (Princeton) Nayelly Hernendez (Trinity) Julie Cerullo (Princeton) Rachael Goh (Univeristy of Penn) Alisha Mashruwala (Harvard) Sarah Toomey (Yale University) June Tiong (Harvard) Valeria Wiens (Dartmouth) Alia Aziz (Yale University) Kerrie Sample (Stanford University)

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19 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

wael el hindi, WORLD #16 Q&A

by Shawn Patton

Zeeshaan Jamal sat down with Wael and tossed him a few questions ... SZ: Childhood ambition, when I grow up I want to be a ... WEH: A pilot. SZ: How did you get started playing squash ? WEH: Through a guy called Nabil Saleh. He told me to try and I loved the game. SZ: Best advice you received early in your pro squash career? WEH: Work hard and enjoy it, it’s always gonna pay off. SZ: Advice or perspectives you would give a 16 year old aspiring to be a PSA professional? WEH: Put the hard work in and never let the losses bring you down and you’ll be a top player. SZ: If it wasn’t for __________ I would never have attained my current level of squash success. WEH: Hard work and high level of competition in my country SZ: Biggest sacrifice being a full-time

squash photo by Patricia Lyons squash professional? WEH: Controlling the social life such as seeing your friends party and going for vacations and you are sitting in a room waiting for tomorrow’s training. SZ: How would you describe your playing style? WEH: Attacking and changing the pace all the time. SZ: 3 Best squash players of all-time? WEH: Jahangir, Jansher and Shabana. SZ: Who are some of the people you admire and respect the most in the pro game? WEH: I respect whoever respects other players no matter how good they are or how high they’re ranked. SZ: Which PSA Event is the most enjoyable for you and why? WEH: TOC for the location and the pyramids cause this is where I grew up. SZ: Who is the funniest person on tour? WEH: Hisham Ashour and Rafael Alarcon. SZ: If you could spend one day with anybody or group, alive or dead who would it be? WEH: The Beatles. SZ: Favorite gadget? WEH: Cellphone. SZ: Steak well done, medium or rare? WEH: Medium. SZ: Career-wise, if I wasn`t a Touring Professional I would be … WEH: A pilot. SZ: What is your guilty pleasure, reward? If you were to reward yourself with something after a big tournament win?

WEH: A laptop. SZ: Best thing you have gotten for free? WEH: A laptop. SZ: Best thing you have gotten for free?

WEH: A trip with my freinds. SZ: If you could have a super power what would it be? WEH: Fly. SZ: Life after squash … career, personal? WEH: Still be involved in squash with some other business on the side for sure. SZ: When I travel, the thing I miss the most is? WEH: My family. SZ: When I pack my bags for a tournament, I make absolutely sure I don’t forget: WEH: My racquets and my squash shoes. SZ: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

WEH: I would go back in time and make something useful out of those years that I wasted, maybe even leave some because you only learn from your mistakes. SZ: Despite the challenges, demands and mixed rewards of being a pro player … what keeps your fire burning? WEH: Competition. SZ: What is your Everest? Ultimate accomplishment yet to achieve? WEH: The best I can be. SZ: Thanks Wael - talk to you later!

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21 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

community

profile

ROY OLLIER

EZ SQUASH BALL SZ: Roy, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? RO: I am originally from Australia and started playing approximately 45 years ago. From 1977 - 1980 I played on the World Circuit and achieved a highest seeding of No 19. In 1980 I started basing myself in Canada and played the squash seasons in Australia and Canada for the next 14 years. In 1983 / 84 I was the No 1 player in Canada. Over the next 10 years I was a stepping stone for such players as Rodney and Brett Martin, Chris Robertson, Rodney Eyles, Gary Waite, Jamie Crombie, Jonathon Power, Sabir Butt, Graeme Ryding, Shahir Razik. It was great to see the development of these players. I have actually played 9 World Champions from 4 different Decades. SZ: Where did the inspiration for EZ Ball come from? RO: About 20 years ago I was doing a kids camp and saw the need for an easier ball for beginners to be able to hit and have a rally. At that stage there was a couple of novice balls around yet none of them could be versatile enough for anyone to use so I started thinking about developing the right ball. Being a procrastinator it took me quite a while to get around to it but about 1 year ago I seriously started the process of developing the EZ Squash Ball. What I was looking for was a ball that was EZ enough for kids and novice players to hit, yet at the same time I could play good players myself if I wanted to. After trying numerous balls and having a variety of players try them I settled on the current EZ Ball. SZ: What might a teaching pro discover is different about the EZ Ball compared to other “beginner balls”?

RO: The first thing is that it is made of a

different material than rubber. Secondly it is a lot bigger, being about the same size as a racquetball. The EZ Squash Ball when you hit it is lighter than a normal squash ball, it bounces higher and comes to you a little bit more. For a teaching pro there are many benefits when teaching kids, novices, your more challenged players. Because of the speed and higher bounce of the EZ Ball you can work on their technique because they have more time, you can give them practice routines which they can do by themself. You don’t have to warm up the EZ Squash Ball. The bounce is always there.

www.ezsquash.com

One of the big problems of teaching any beginner or novice is trying to get some consistency in their hitting. With this ball you can do that. In a lesson with the EZ Ball I work on all the same shots as I do when giving a lesson with the normal squash ball. Boasts, dropshots, volleys, you name it the EZ ball will do it. Not only that but because they can get a rally going you can start working on their strategy. It’s very helpful . SZ: So if I understand you, the EZ Ball is intended not just for young juniors? Yes that is right. I have kids, ladies, older players using and enjoying the ball. Personally I think it is the perfect ball for anyone who wants to go and have a great workout, lots of laughs and maybe not be as serious about the sport. For example College Intramurals where you find lots of players who just want to have some fun. Another big factor about the EZ Ball is it is safer. What I am hoping for is to make it an official novice ball. Where no matter if you have very limited skills, a beginner or 8 years old you could still play in a tournament. SZ: How has the EZ Squash Ball been received so far? RO: I have had numerous top level pros using the EZ Squash Ball in their squash programs. In fact to name a few Jamie Crombie, Andre Maur, Dominic Hughes, Stefan Castelyn, Mark Talbott all are using the ball. Squash Busters in Boston have just started with the ball and David Palmer has endorsed the ball. That speaks for itself. SZ: Do you envision marketing the ball in other applications? schoolsnonmarking aspect, other sports? RO: I do. As you will see in the packaging I have an insert giving some EZ Squash tips, how to play an EZ Game and EZ Ways to Have Fun. One of the things mentioned is Find a Wall, You Have a Court, Find a

Racquet and you have Game. The Ball can be used for a lot of things that is for sure. One step at a time though. SZ: How are you currently distributing the ball? Only in US? Looking for distributors elsewhere in world? RO: Through www.ezsquash.com website. Black Knight USA has also just become an official distributor. At the moment I am concentrating on the US,but I will be looking to get the EZ Squash Ball rolling to other countries. There are a lot of novices, beginners, older players just waiting to enjoy this great game. Hopefully this will help them get started or keep them in the game longer. SZ: Where can someone get more information? GG: Just contact me, Roy Ollier at rollier@cox.net or by telephone at 602 350 5173.

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flashback

1987

LAURENCE SHAMES (NEW YORK TIMES)

TIME OUT FOR TENSION THE SCORE IS 11-ALL IN THE FIFTH and deciding game of a gritty, hard-fought match of squash racquets we are playing on the sixth floor of that Wall Streeters’ mecca, the Downtown Athletic Club. George L. Ball, 48, chairman and chief executive officer of Prudential-Bache Securities, looks pressed but not tired. His reddish hair is moist and gathered into clumps; a wedge of sweat traces out his backbone. But his breathing is even and he still comes up on his toes to receive the serve. The point begins. Ball hits a backhand drive, then darts for the ‘’T’’ - the intersection of lines at the center of the court, the strategic position that both players try to hold. I send him lurching forward with a drop shot; Ball parries nicely with a lob that seems to take forever to come down. About 10 exchanges later, Ball finds himself trapped deeper in the court than he would like to be. He leans forward, poised to scramble for the next retrieve. . . . But he starts edging ahead a millisecond too soon, and my racquet grazes his chest on the backswing. ‘’That’s your point,’’ says Ball dispassionately, invoking against himself one of squash’s more severe rules. A player who is hit with the racquet or the ball forfeits the point, on the grounds that he should not have been in the way. ‘’Oh, no,’’ I say, ‘’let’s play a ‘let’ ‘’ - that is, consider the aborted rally a non-event, and do it over. ‘’I interfered,’’ says Ball, with granitic finality. ‘’12-11.’’ And he positions himself to receive again. After playing his heart out for an hour and a half, he’s just handed over one of the last four deciding points on a technicality. If this costly obeisance to the laws of squash pains him, he doesn’t let it show. Heading a major Wall Street company presumably teaches a man to keep a stiff upper lip. BESIDES, THAT’S THE SORT OF GAME SQUASH is: remorseless, self-policing and deeply, if quirkily, moral. A squash match is a test of character as well as skill, of will as much as prowess. It calls for a delicate balance between aggressiveness and sportsmanship, hustle and trust. There are many ways to cheat at squash, most of them subtle and often undetectable. The question, ultimately, is not just how badly one wants to win, but what sort of victory is consonant with one’s dignity. If the above makes squash sound more than a little bit like business, the resemblance is intended. And the resemblance no doubt accounts in part for the extraordinary popularity of squash among upperechelon executives. Thomas S. Murphy, chairman of Capital Cities/ABC; David J. Mahoney, former chairman of Norton Simon Inc.; John D. Macomber, former chairman of the Celanese Corporation; Andrew H. Tisch, president of the Bulova Watch Company - all are devotees of the game. (So is Ivan F. Boesky, who has not surfaced in society or on the courts since the insider trading scandal broke. A former habitue of Manhattan’s Harvard Club, he is an enthu-

siast who, in happier times, kept his own squash pro on retainer.) Dedicated players pepper the ranks of investment bankers and corporate lawyers, arbitrage movers and real estate shakers. Getting on court with a series of business luminaries, as I recently did, provides not just a workout but an object lesson in strategic options and competitive styles. THE TYPICAL SQUASH PLAY-er,’’ says Thomas B. Jones, publisher of the monthly Squash News, ‘’is overeducated, overpaid and spends more time than is good for him on a squash court.’’ Of the roughly quarter-million regular squash players in the United States, 45 percent earn $50,000 a year or more, according to Darwin P. Kingsley 3d of the United States Squash Racquets Association. Fiftyone percent boast graduate degrees. And 40 percent play squash three or more times a week. ‘’The real fanatics,’’ says Jones, ‘’are the guys who, when they take a business trip, first call the local pro to see when they can get a match, then schedule their meetings. I think of the game as relaxation for the driven.’’ One of the driven is Mortimer B. Zuckerman, 50, principal owner of Boston Properties Inc., and owner and publisher of The Atlantic Monthly and U.S. News & World Report. It must be said, however, that ‘’relaxed’’ is not the first word that comes to mind in describing Zuckerman’s aspect on the court: Dogged, flamboyant, unorthodox and wily come closer to the truth. Zuckerman moves with the nervous speed of a lightweight boxer, his thinning brown hair flying as he darts into position. We are playing a match at the Harmonie Club in New York, and Zuckerman is so intense in the heat of battle that sometimes he talks to himself without seeming to realize it. On those infrequent occasions when he commits an unforced error, he moans, ‘’Aw, Zuck.’’ At critical junctures, when he needs to coax a little more juice out of his compact frame, he sings out, ‘’C’mon, Zuck!’’ And he is not above chirping ‘’All right!’’ when he makes a shot of particular craftiness. Zuckerman is a patient player, a counterpuncher, entirely self-taught. He is content to trade safe shots while waiting for his opponent to have a momentary lapse - a drive that falls short, a drop shot that hangs. And when that lapse occurs, Zuckerman pounces. He pounces with zest, and with a willingness to risk a low-percentage shot - often a sliced backhand that you won’t find in the instruction manuals. Does this strategy have an analogue in the way he does business? Zuckerman cocks his head and ponders. ‘’You know,’’ he says, ‘’that’s hard to answer, because I don’t really think of what I do as competitive’’ - a comment that may come as a surprise to those who believe that commercial real estate is one of the more murderous games around. ‘’I don’t conceive of it as going head-to-head against someone, but of

looking for opportunities. Of course, once the opportunity presents itself, then you’ve got the choice of laying back or going for it.’’ Zuckerman’s preference at those junctures may be inferred from his purchase of the site of the New York Coliseum from the city. After a heated bidding war, Zuckerman copped the deal by shelling out $455 million. Some real estate people feel he overpaid - but Zuckerman saw an opportunity. ‘’So, yeah,’’ he says, with an impish smile ‘’I guess you could say that my tendency is to go for it.’’ THERE IS IRONY IN THE uppercrust associations that squash has long had because the game, most historians agree, was actually invented in a prison. Sometime early in the last century, inmates of Britain’s Fleet Prison - mainly debtors -dreamed up a way to make use of the two things most readily available to them: walls and nervous energy. They improvised an early version of the game of rackets. Though no one knows precisely how, the new sport turned up among the boys in the yard of the Harrow School, where it underwent vast reductions of scope and other modifications as a recreational feature of Easter term, and came to be called ‘’baby rackets,’’ later ‘’squash rackets’’ in reference to the soft, squishy ball used in the game. It spread naturally enough to Oxford and Cambridge, then on to private men’s clubs in Victorian London. From those bastions of Old Boy-ism, the sport moved across the Atlantic to American prep schools and Ivy League colleges, where it underwent further changes - from ‘’rackets’’ to the tonier ‘’racquets,’’ from a soft, slow ball to a hard, fast ball - and became entrenched at such good addresses as the Harvard, Princeton and Yale Clubs in New York, and at the extremely rarified Racquet & Tennis Club on Park Avenue as well. The unique and, some would say, addictive appeal of squash is based on three things: its speed, its complexity and its intimacy. The weight of a squash racquet is almost negligible, and the ball zings off it at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour. In tennis, movements tend to be rounded and swings are ‘’loopy,’’ circular; squash calls for tight elbows, quick, angular motions, a ‘’wristy’’ swing and lightning reflexes. Further, because squash is played in an enclosed space, there’s no time lost fetching the ball between points. Play is virtually continuous, and an hour of squash constitutes a workout roughly equivalent to two hours of tennis. The game’s complexity derives from its being played off four walls - a fact that leads to a dizzying array of shot choices. Most diabolical of all the features of a squash court is the telltale, or tin - a strip of metal 17 inches high on the front wall, beneath which shots may not be hit. The effect of the telltale, essentially, is to limit the opportunity for ‘’kill shots.’’ In the absence of

shots that are sure winners, combinations of shots become the crucial thing. Positioning, tempo and control of the center are all. And this, in turn, suggests why squash is such an intimate game. It is highly territorial. No net separates the combatants. Rather, they must vie to hold the center, while at the same time honoring the requirement of ‘’clearing’’ to allow the other player his shot. The tension between aggressiveness and politesse turns a squash match into an elaborate, sweaty, revealing dance. And after the dance is over, there are the relaxing digressions of the locker room - a little steam, a little chat, a little informal networking . . . the kinds of intimacies that give the game much of its human pleasure and most of its snob appeal. But does playing squash confer any business advantages? ‘’I play with people I like,’’ George Ball maintains. ‘’If I happen to do business with them, fine. But play squash for business? Life’s too short for that.’’ Says Mort Zuckerman: ‘’I play squash to get away from business. I’ve played probably 200 times a year for 25 years, and I can’t think of a single business relationship that’s come about because of squash.’’ STILL, THE RANKS OF SERIOUS squashers are sparse enough so that being a member of that congregation constitutes a sort of bond, always a business advantage. Moreover, it is a bond that crosses national boundaries. Brian G. Dyson, 52, president and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Enterprises, a $3 billion public company comprising 38 percent of Coke’s bottling operations, has worked in a half-dozen countries. ‘’Everywhere I’ve been,’’ he says, ‘’there’s been a fraternity of people who play squash, among whom I’ve instantly felt at home.’’ Born in Argentina, Dyson has been stationed in, among other places, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Nassau in the Bahamas. When he moved to Atlanta in 1978, he found a town where squash was just becoming popular. It was Dyson’s racquet expertise as much as his position with Coke that made him a welcome guest on the courts at the Piedmont Driving Club (buggies, not cars), ‘’a place so exclusive,’’ he says, half in jest, ‘’that ordinarily you can’t get in without at least one Confederate colonel in the family.’’ During our match at the Harvard Club in New York, Dyson shows himself to have textbook strokes and a second-nature grasp of tactics. While Zuckerman, the entrepreneur, plays a game that is all improvisation, Dyson, the lifetime corporate executive, plays a game that is inexorable in its correctness. Tall and lean, he seems to get his knees up higher than his shoulders when he lunges for a ‘’get’’; low to the floor is exactly where he should be, but will he be able to untangle himself in time to prepare for the next shot? Yes, untangle he does, and while his next shot is likely to be unstartling, it is faultlessly conceived. What has kept Dyson interested in squash for almost three decades is the

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game’s endlessly intriguing geometry, its relentless demands not just on stamina, but on logic. ‘’It’s like the chess of racquet sports,’’ he comments over his favorite post-game soft drink. ‘’It offers a bewildering assortment of choices. Good players are constantly planning, adapting, rethinking. It’s very psychological.’’ A squash match, Dyson believes, is a wonderful interview process: ‘’You get to know someone playing squash much more than, say, by going out to dinner. That’s just another meal. You don’t get to see how the person really functions. You don’t get the opportunity for what I would call the rub.’’ IN THE THIN AIR OF DENVER, slightly thinner yet on the 20th floor of the mile-high and mighty Denver Club, oilman and railroad owner Philip F. Anschutz, 47, returns yet one more shot that I had thought would go beyond his reach. Scrappy, intent, seeming almost offended at the thought that an inanimate object like a squash ball might elude him, Anschutz patrols the court rather like a hunter. He doesn’t just follow the ball, he stalks it - in the way, one imagines, that he stalks oil leases, real estate opportunities and sometimes uncharacteristic acquisitions, such as the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, that have made him one of America’s wealthiest and most mysterious businessmen. ‘’If I have a reputation for anything,’’ says Anschutz, slipping on his freshly polished boots back in the locker room, ‘’it’s for keeping a low profile.’’ He doesn’t give formal interviews, and most years, his only appearance in the press is a strenuously involuntary listing in the upper reaches of the Forbes 400 list of America’s wealthiest citizens. Depending on the current price of a barrel of crude oil, Forbes sometimes dubs Anschutz a billionaire, sometimes not. Either way, he is offended at the intrusion into his affairs. Typical of Anschutz’s singleminded-ness is his comment that ‘’I don’t mix business with anything. I don’t do business dinners. I don’t do business drinks. I don’t do business tennis. And I don’t do business squash.’’ Still, there are times when Anschutz gets on court with someone he may do business with. In those cases, the analogies between what might be called the Western way of doing business and the Western way of

23 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

playing squash come into focus. ‘’In New York,’’ says Anschutz, ‘’the expectation seems to be that everyone will play his absolute hardest, be ultracompetitive, do anything necessary to win. Out here we don’t see it quite that way. We play hard, we deal hard. But there’s a line that people don’t cross. In Denver, if you get a reputation for being too competitive, people don’t want to play with you or do business with you. Furthermore, I don’t believe you have to be quite that competitive to compete effectively. Beyond a certain point, all that bearing down is self-defeating.’’ Exactly where that ‘’certain point’’ is, however, is hard to say. Phil Anschutz jogs almost every morning in the Rocky Mountain foothills. He has run the New York Marathon twice. And his idea of a perfect evening is ‘’to have some friends over, play

casionally bite people’s heads off - figuratively, of course.’’ ‘’The game is a terrific mental laxative,’’ says Ball. ‘’I make much better decisions when I’m playing a lot than when I’m not. The company gets better value out of me when I’m on the court than when I’m in the office feeling lethargic.’’ The addiction is not for the game alone, but for the sanctum that’s provided by the places where it’s played. A squash club is a haven, a place where the guard can be let down. At the Downtown Athletic Club, George Ball can have an hour’s respite from being ‘’The Chairman’’; he can present himself as one more hyperactive guy who’ll never say no to a game. Says Mort Zuckerman of the Harmonie Club, ‘’I don’t just come here to play. I come to get my

‘’The real fanatics are the guys who, when they take a business trip, first call the local pro to see when they can get a match, then schedule their meetings. I think of the game as relaxation for the driven.’’ squash till we drop, then have a few drinks and dinner. But no cocktails till we’re almost too tired to stand.’’ FOR ALL THE DIFFERENCES among George Ball and Philip Anschutz, Brian Dyson and Mort Zuckerman, they have several things in common. For one, they are all serious, lifetime athletes, part of a jock elite that long prefigures the corporate fitness craze. Anschutz has his marathons, and also has taken recently to mountain climbing; Dyson is an active triathlete. George Ball and his partner Ned Benedict, a vice president of Bankers Trust, were ranked for more than two decades among the top 20 platform tennis teams in the United States. Mort Zuckerman, aside from his 5,000 squash matches, is a fine club-level tennis player and avid runner.

minimum daily requirement of kibitzing. I like to tease. I like to be teased.’’

Another thing these men have in common is their addiction.

‘’It’s very hard to make new friends once you get out of school,’’ Kellner says. ‘’You have more and more acquaintances, more and more colleagues, but that’s different. If you play a game like squash, and if you really put yourself out there when you play,

‘’I get very cranky if I don’t play for two or three days,’’ confesses Dyson. ‘’You don’t want to be around me at those times. I oc-

Squash, then, is a way of keeping alive the sense of simple fun and camaraderie that the pressures of business can do so much to destroy. It is a way of keeping the psyche as well as the physical body youthful, a way of preserving at least some of the prerogatives one enjoyed before life’s stakes were raised so high. This aspect of squash is perfectly crystallized in the person of George A. Kellner, an arbitrager and leveraged-buyout specialist, who has packed Kellner-DiLeo & Company with first-rate squash players ever since he formed the company in 1981.

you can forge adult friendships of the same type and closeness as you used to.’’ Kellner, 44, is ranked No. 5 in New York City and No. 7 nationally among 40-andover players. On the court, he is dogged, territorial, even, at moments, surly. His eyes are ferocious beneath the terry-cloth headband, and he doesn’t yield one more inch of space than he absolutely needs to. Yet when the game is over, Kellner exudes a warmth and friendliness that is proportionate to his ferocity in the midst of battle. This may seem like a paradox to those who don’t play competitive sports, but not to those who do. Something has been shared, and the rigor of the agon establishes the boundaries for the contact and the trust that can happen afterward. ‘’Why do I tend to like people who play squash?’’ Kellner asks. ‘’I’m not sure I can explain it. I won’t go so far as to say that everyone drawn to the game is an unruly individualist, a wild-eyed loner rather than a team guy - though it certainly appeals to that aspect of my personality. But the game calls for certain resources, and I tend to be drawn to people who have those resources.’’ Different people characterize those resources in different ways. Brian Dyson speaks of squash’s tendency to reveal people’s ‘’fundamental ethics.’’ Mort Zuckerman says the game tends to divide people into ‘’those whose tendency is to rise to the occasion, and those who tend to fold.’’ In any case, there is consensus that squash is one of those activities that peel away the layers of sham, habit and superficial good behavior to unearth the character within. ‘’If you take a competitive squash player,’’ says George Ball, ‘’and put him on the court with someone of commensurate ability, you’ll learn a great deal from what happens. ‘’Who knows?’’ conjectures Ball. ‘’A game of squash might have stopped Drexel Burnham from hiring Dennis Levine.” The preceeding article originally appeared in The New York Times (Sept. 1987).

24 ZAGMAG Issue 02, December 2009

squashzag.com

a squash story ALAN THATCHER

EVERY RACKET TELLS A STORY This meeting of Hoarders’ Anonymous is called to order. OK. I’ll go first. My name is Alan and I am a hoarder. There, I admit it. I stand before you all today and own up to this condition. And I need help. Like all first-timers when they confront such a condition, I don’t believe I’m a chronic case. However, those closest to me might beg to differ. I have received considerable help and counselling from my wife, who loves to drag me in front of the TV whenever the life make-over programmes are on. You know the ones, where they put the entire contents of your home in the back yard and tell you how much trash it all is and only essential items are allowed back inside. They want you to realise how much useless baggage we hang on to and how much it clogs up our lives. I must admit, the treatment is working and I enjoy that cathartic feeling of taking a carload of rubbish up to the neighbourhood recycling plant and getting rid of it. However, I still know I have a major weakness, and that is my lifetime’s collection of squash rackets. For every one in my squash bag, I have at least a dozen counterparts, of varying vintages, stashed away in the loft or the garage. As a newspaper sports journalist, I have moved around the south of England on numerous occasions, uprooting the family from Sussex to Hampshire, Essex and finally back south of the river (Thames) to Kent. It’s funny how so many of the old rackets have managed to survive the upheaval of the Big Clear-Out that always precedes the Big House Move. Somehow I have managed to hide them from She Who Sorted Out My Wardrobe While I Was In Aberdeen At The British Open In 1999 And Threw Away The Souvenir T-Shirt From The 1986 World Open In Toulouse Where Ross Norman Ended

Jahangir Khan’s 550-Match Unbeaten Run. Women just don’t understand the emotional attachment men have for this stuff. Not that I harbour grudges. Oh no. But that kind of thing makes you adopt Machiavellian techniques to avoid your old rackets and other favourite if yellowing items of sporting memorabilia going the same way. For every old racket tells a story. And I can carbon-date their history to a distant phase of my life. I can look at a racket and remember where I was living, what club I was playing at, and sepiatoned memories flood back of valiant battles won and lost, drop shots that clipped the tin, strokes that were never given and late nights in the club bar. This is where the memories start to blur but I can even remember how much we drank and the name of the beer. My pride and joy is a mint condition wooden Dunlop Maxply, with one broken string. (It snapped on the very first shot the first time I used it). It sits in the loft alongside various brands of different shapes, sizes and composition. Remember the bendy, springy little Slazenger Whippet, made of bamboo? Well, I’ve got one. You remember that round-headed, plastic-looking thing that Dunlop developed as the era of graphite dawned upon the sport? Yup, I’ve got one of those, too. Strangely, there are some odd metal contraptions. (Horrible cheap old things. Why did I ever buy it? Aah, now I remember. It was probably a freebie. Us media types have been known to accept them on oc-

casions.) I’ve also kept one of the original oversize Head rackets that changed the sport a decade ago. I was given one at the Media Launch at the South Bank club in London, attended by professional players Mark Maclean and Adrian Davies. I took it down to my local club to try out and remember the gasps from the gallery as my friends all thought I was playing with a tennis racket. I have a further admission to make: not all of the rackets in my loft are mine. No, they are not stolen. I’ve simply been in the fortunate position of finding them a good home. The 70 -year-old squash club where I am a member is next door to a hospice charity shop, and whenever I pop in for a coffee I simply can’t resist the lure of a new item for sale. I’m sure you’ve guessed, it’s often encased in a wooden racket press or the original plastic head cover. As I peel away the cover and admire the craftsmanship of yet another wooden racket, I go all misty-eyed and succumb to the temptation of adding to my collection. If my wife ever catches me smuggling them into the house I try to persuade her that the money goes to a good cause. Squash fashions, and sizes, have changed dramatically down the years. The oldest shirts in my collection used to have an M in the collar. Remember those - the tight shirts and tight shorts? How did we ever move? These are at the bottom of the pile in the loft but a few years later they were joined by some tournament polo shirts, each with the sponsor’s logo and an L in the collar. Then, as fashions changed and

“I still know I have a major weakness, and that is my lifetime’s collection of squash rackets.”

my measurements expanded accordingly to fit in with the times, that tell-tale label suddenly started sporting an XL, and I must admit I have found surprising comfort in recent years with one or two carrying an XXL ticket. I’ve still got a white Hi-Tec top to remind me of their solid support of the British Open, when crowds of 3,000 filled the Wembley Conference Centre to see Jahangir reign supreme for a ten-year span. Remember the Blue Stratos British Under-23 finals at Marlow, where a young Rodney Martin battled with Zarak Khan and David Lloyd threatened to be the Next Best Thing for British squash? I’ve still got the T-shirt. Remember the red sweatshirts when the Under-23s were sponsored by 3M and held at Wembley Squash Centre, with a young Christy Willstrop leading the family dynasty a generation or two ahead of stepbrother James? Yup. I’ve got one. Sadly, the Marlow and Wembley clubs have both been flattened, and so many memories have disappeared with them. But at least I’ve kept the shirts. I’ve kept them all because of one thing: The Big Diet. It will happen one day, I know. And, when it does, I will be able to squeeze into all my old kit, including four pairs of decaying, split shorts (with the towellin panel down the side) to which I am strangely attached and am reluctant to recycle, and glide around the court like Jansher Khan in his prime. And yes, I will be wielding one of my old wooden weapons to celebrate. NOTE TO READERS: We want to hear from fellow members of Hoarders Anonymous. We find that sharing your experiences is the first step towards healing, so please feel free to write to SquashZAG@gmail.com

Wishing you and your family the very best this holiday season. From all of us at