Sportsmanship

By Brett Erasmus

Ex-world number one, John White, once complained that one of his big rivals over the years (no names) did not play a clean game of squash at all. He (John) would get quite animated in his portrayals of the movement patterns and deliberate blocking tactics that this arch enemy frequently employed. David Palmer also displayed similar unhappiness with the body movements of his semi-final opponent in the Tournament of Champions last year. I know exactly what they were on about.

Recently, I played a game of squash against a very physical opponent. I am sure you know the type: a squash player who basically uses their body as an instrument of warfare. Even though I have plenty of weight to throw around myself, I always struggle against players like this. Not because I shy away from the contact (as a few of you could testify to), but because I believe the game should be played to a set of standards, a code if you will, whereby both players acknowledge that they will play a clean game and the best man/woman, on any given day, will emerge victorious.

MSRA Spotlight on Alfonso du Toit

By Corey Modeste

While running the leagues for the last two years, I often saw the name Alfonso du Toit in the winners' column of the 5.0 division results. I thought it was great when I saw an email reporting his scores from a hard-won five-gamer in which he wrote, “The old dog strikes again!”  And then when he graciously agreed to speak with me for this interview (despite the fact that I reached him while he was juggling groceries from the supermarket) I knew this was a guy I'd like to have a beer with.


Alfonso grew up a tennis player in South Africa and started squash at age 20 at the Camps Bay Squash Club in Cape Town . I thought Alfonso's description of the club as “the best in the world” was a little self-serving until I saw the pictures of the club. Overlooking the ocean of South Africa 's Western Cape , sitting out on the deck at sunset with your buddies after a tough match seems was as rewarding as the sport itself.  Despite evident athleticism, Alfonso says that his transition to squash from tennis was tough and he tells of quite a few losses to “old ladies” who were up on him when it came to court strategy and how to work a boast. However, “no one likes losing” as he reminded me, and Alfonso had the benefit of playing in a club that was not only beautiful, but was also Federation league champions and had former South African champion and former world number 8 Gunner Way in-house for training and inspiration.

Lessons from the US Open

By Brett Erasmus

Picture this early-fall scene: an all-glass court, surrounded by stadium seating overlooking Lake Michigan. Chicago got the treat of five days of world-class squash this September when the Professional Squash Association put the US Open on full display in front of the city.

Rising to the top of a draw of 16 was hot talent Ramy Ashour and his fellow Egyptian and longtime world champ Amr Shabana. It was a thrilling finals match; these guys are two of the finest shot-makers from a country that produces nothing but shot-makers, and in this game their abilities were on full display.

Rules and Reffing Clinic #1

By Alex Battles

Sunday's torrential did not prevent 13 local squash players from attending the MSRA's refereeing clinic on Dec. 13 at the Uptown NYSC.  Attendees ranged from strong 4.5 players to two absolute beginners (who made the advisable move of learning the rules as a first step to playing)!  Certified referee Beth Rasin, assisted by University Club 5.5 player Ted Clark, conducted the clinic.

Beth began by covering the essential responsibilities of referees and markers.  Then, as might be expected, the majority of the clinic covered the intricacy of lets and strokes.  Beth and Ted walked the attendees through the proper steps a referee

MSRA Spotlight on Rob White

By Corey Modeste

After a few minutes of speaking to Rob White, elements of his story began to sound familiar.  Rob played varsity tennis at Michigan State but it took him several years after school to pick up a squash racquet. Last year, his first playing competitive squash, he cleaned up in the 3.5 league with a 10-0 record.  The last time I saw a profile like that, the 'Rob' involved was Rob Chen, who after playing varsity tennis in college started in the MSRA's 3.5 leagues and in just a few years become New York City's top 6.0 player.

To be fair, Rob (White) was no stranger to racquet sports. Growing up in Landover, Maryland, he started playing competitive tennis at twelve years old and by the time he reached high school, life was "tennis, school... and

2009-2010 League Preseason Rundown

Men's 3.0 - This is a totally new division this year so every team comes in with a clean slate. Several teams including Princeton and NYUhave players with 3.5 playing  experience. Look also for inexperienced but athletic Uptown to factor.

Men's 3.5   - The 3.5 division has long been the most competitive and even, but it is a changed landscape this year. The starters from last year's dominant West Side Y have either moved up to 4.0 or moved out of town, same for Princeton Black and HRC. With three of four starters returning, look for Eastern Athletic to improve on last year's first-round playoff loss.

Men's 4.0 - The Harmonie and Union League Clubs have long ruled the 4.0 division, but both have risen to 4.5 for the coming season. This year, West Side Y and the Princeton Club top the pre-season rankings

MSRA Spotlight on Ruth Kelly

By Corey Modeste

After profiling Martha Kelley in this space last month, the MSRA received so many requests to get the other half of the Kelley Sister story that I had to give Ruth a call. Interestingly enough, we probably spoke more about soccer and other sports than we did about squash. In fact, I was so amazed by how active Ruth is in all aspects of her life that I had to drop my pen and count on my fingers to see if there were, indeed, enough hours in the day to accomplish all that she did.
Ruth grew up an active soccer player and played from adolescence through the end of high school. She simultaneously played on three different soccer teams and most days involved double practices. After soccer in the fall, squash in the winter and track in the spring rounded out the sports trilogy.

Why PAR-11 Isn't What You Think

By Brett Erasmus

While the U.S. has yet to adopt the metric system, it has already caught up to the rest of the world when it comes to squash scoring. Internationally, point-a-rally to 11 points (PAR-11) has been the primary system of the softball singles game for several years. After testing PAR-11 in certain skill levels last season, the MSRA and U.S. Squash are now using it for all levels this year. Not without controversy, however, as players have argued that PAR-11 scoring lessens the length and quality of games. But the reality is that for players who are closely matched, and/or for those playing at a high level, games will actually be longer, more athletic, and of better quality with the new system. Allow me to explain.

A common complaint is that without the hand-in/hand-out exchanges of point-per-serve (PPS), PAR-11 shortens games. However, world number one, Karim Darwish, noted that PAR-11 scoring actually