Run to the Roar

Few books I have read in my life have stirred such a strong emotional response in me. In part because of my love for the game, in part because I know many of the key characters, and in large part because I can relate to the human drama that is woven into the book from start to finish.

It can be very hard to do the right thing when it comes to those you love. And it can be hard to follow your dreams, especially when those dreams take you to the other side of the world, far from the comforts and protections of everything and everyone you know so well. Both of these themes are familiar to me and are addressed again and again in the book.

'Run to the Roar' is a book by Paul Assaiante, Trinity head squash coach, and James Zug, acclaimed squash writer. It is a wonderful roller-coaster of joy and despair, triumph and tragedy. It neatly summarizes the events of one day in February 2009 when Trinity played Princeton in a College Squash Association finals in Princeton, New Jersey. Assaiante dedicates a chapter to each player.

In addition to the outcome of each match is a back story about the Trinity student, his character, his relationship with Paul and how he came to be there on that day. The tension escalates throughout the book and culminates in the final match played by Trinity number one, Baset Chaudhry. The epilogue mentions an even more infamous match played by Chaudhry against Yale's Ken Chan which ended on every sports channel on TV - the infamous outburst at the end of the match. But this particular moment is a non-event in the book. It is first mentioned on the last page. So if you are looking for gore, look elsewhere.

This is a story of pressure, passion, courage and victory. This is a human story and is less about squash and more about what it takes to successfully lead a bunch of young men to overcome their fears and achieve greatness in sport.

You may be interested to know that I sat next to Chaudhry recently at a tournament dinner and I can tell you with certainty that his outburst was completely out of character and he should never by judged by it. He was nothing but polite and respectful and humble. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he has a very sweet and charming way about him. But you also get the distinct feeling that he is a very determined and serious young man. The book will tell you more.

I encourage you to buy 'Run to the Roar' (get it at Amazon.com) and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading the book and that it moves you the way it did me. And after you finish it you will feel like you know Paul Assaiante and the players on his team of 2009 very well, and you will like all these characters very much. Furthermore, no matter your college affiliation, you will inevitably come to respect Coach Paul for what he has achieved. It is a special story that will be told for generations to come.

Read more from Brett at www.brettssquashblog.com

Flip Flop Squash

by Tracy Gates

I lift a flip flopped foot over the seat and hop on the back of the scooter. I am wearing cut-offs, an MSRA tank top, and a Wilson backpack that has two Prince Tour handles sticking out. My 'chauffeur' revs the engine and we rumble down the drive, make a right turn at the large palm tree , and zoom up the road past lush green flora, coral and baby blue cottages, and red bougainvillea. I breath in the loamy, sea-salty air and can’t believe I’m here. On the island of Bermuda, on my way to play squash, having one of the best weekends of my life.

home base for NY, NE teams

Ironically, the weekend before had racked up with one of the worst (on a purely hedonistic level, of course). I found out that my squash club’s days were numbered and the sailing trip I’d been looking forward to for months was postponed due to a little tropical storm named Tomas. I could wait and go a week later when the weather cleared, but I’d miss the whole point of going to Bermuda in the first place—the third annual Bermuda-New England-New York tourney which I’d been invited to attend a few months earlier. For about twenty-four hours I tossed around what I wanted to do more—freeze my butt off on a boat for four days in the middle of November or lie on the beach in the sun in between matches. It may seem like a no-brainer to you, but I’m oddly tempted by potentially uncomfortable adventures; however, I couldn't see letting my teammates down so late in the game. Guilt is a powerful incentive. It pressed my finger to the ‘buy ticket now’ button for the airfare to Bermuda.

Sometimes guilt is a good thing. When I hopped off the scooter in front of the low slung home of the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the burgers on the outdoor grill were already sizzling. This is a club that knows how to treat its visitors right. It’s also a club I would’ve loved to have brought home with me—especially now that I’m about to lose mine. The BSRA is not fancy; it is homey. After greeting Dave the burger flipper and club manager, you walk down a few steps into what could pass for your friendly neighborhood pub, complete with tables where you can pull up a chair, a drink, and a few friends. Instead of dartboards, though, plexiglass lines the walls and the melodic thwak of the squash ball echoes in stereo. Two courts on one side, two on the other—one of which is an exhibition court with stadium seating.

To get to the courts, you take the stairs by the bar — oh, right, the bar . . . they call it the 5th court. There’s only one beer on tap—Carlsberg, but many bottles & cans in the fridge, including the cheerful yellow-canned Boddington’s which I believe all respectable squash clubs should serve, along with a 5th court to be served at. — So, back to the stairs. As soon as I began descending, I felt as though I was going back in time; the humid, slightly sweet smell of sweat permeates the narrow hallways outside the courts’ entrances and it was exactly the quality of air that my dad’s equally cozy club, North Shore Tennis, had back when I was a wee thing—well, a teenage wee thing. If you’re not into sense memories, however; a quick trip down the carpeted hall leads you to the air-conditioned locker and weight rooms. The courts, themselves, run a little warm, but, hey, this is Bermuda.

You’d be better-advised to hang out in the in the pub—I mean the viewing area, in between your matches. This area is ideal for socializing and watching your mates' games. If you pull your chair up right, you can watch two matches and order another pint all at the same time. Swivel around and you can watch two more. This place has it 'made in the shade'—which was part of my concern before getting there. Why go to as beautiful a place as Bermuda only to play squash inside? I need not have worried. While we did spend a few hours each day (Thur-Sat) at the courts, it was both a highlight of the trip, as well as only part of three very packed days. I’m not sure if it’s squash players in general, Bermudians in general, or the captains’ good taste in teammates, but if I had to hang out with this crowd every weekend, I wouldn’t be unhappy. Squash is an excellent common denominator.

With four teams (two Bermuda, one NY, one NE), each team played each other once over the weekend. Guys vs. guys. Girls vs. girls. (I’m not opposed to this, but I’m voting for mixing it up next year, and play according to ability, not gender.) While many matches seemed more congenial than cut-throat, there were some amazing ones to be witnessed. It’s particularly gratifying to see a guy with gray hair, say, out maneuver one half his age. And now we know that “you’ve got an easy one” are fightin’ words when our number one man from New York made his Bermudian opponent jump all over the court in order to capture (by one match) the tournament crown for Bermuda.

Swimming at Horseshoe Bay

It was sad to see such a fun and friendly tournament end, but the New York and New England teams still had breathtaking beaches to see, winding roads to ride, and around every corner another rainbow to gawp at. Throw in an evening of fine dining compliments of the Bermuda Department of Tourism, the finals of the World Rugby Classic, a few pitchers of “Dark & Stormys”, some dubious dancing, and very little sleep and I’d say I got more than my money’s worth.

By weekend’s end I was just getting into the Bermudian groove. But before I knew it I was on the plane, back to the almost winter winds of NYC, and now that heavenly squash weekend feels like a distant memory. Part of me wonders, how could next year’s tournament possibly equal this one? But that’s the beauty of it; like every great match, it’ll be different. Same place, same time of year, but a whole new adventure. Maybe I’ll see you there . . . I’ll be the one in flip flops.

For  photos of the teams, Bermuda, etc., visit my blogsite, www.squeakyfeet.wordpress.com

Master and Professor

by Tracy Gates

The guy hops around the court like a jujube on caffeine. Bearing a passing resemblance to Tintin (le coiffeur, anyway), he windmills his arms, darts his eyes from left to right, and talks a mile a microsecond. But I hang on every word, every wild gesture, because these fifteen minutes every Thursday have become the most valuable of my week.

Get Your Game Face On

by Tracy Gates

The guy barely looks at me. When I say something to him, he hardly responds. Occasionally, I hear him swear under his breath. He grimaces and drips sweat. If I was anywhere else I would run the other way. Instead, I run toward the ball. The guy is a friend and this is a challenge match.

Searching for Squash in Mongolia....

By Tracy Gates

My legs hurt. My butt hurt. And other parts of me were so sore, I winced whenever I sat down. Too many hours of squash? It felt like it. . . . but, no, it was too many hours of my big American butt in a small Mongolian saddle. I had ridden for hours to see the thousands of years old ‘deer stones’—Mongolia’s version of Stonehenge—and now I was paying for it.

As some of you know, I recently traveled to Mongolia to pick up my mother who has been serving in the Peace Corps for two years. In fact, I started typing this from the Peace Corps office in Ulaanbaatar or UB, the capital of Mongolia. But what does a country almost half-way around the world from New York have to do with squash? Well, besides squash butt and horse riding butt feeling uncomfortably similar, more than one would think.

Late Summer Squash and heading back to (squash) school

By Tracy Gates

A friend leaned over the railing behind the court I had just been playing on. I was sucking down water and toweling it from my arms and face. Our courts are nice and toasty in the summer.

“Pizza?” she said. “We’re going to the roof. You joining us?”

“Hell, yes.”

A shower and a quick change later and I was out in the balmy evening air gazing up at the stars—okay, star; you can’t see more than a few from the middle of New York City. But I could see the last deep purples and pinks of a fading sunset, and the bright glimmer of ship lights reflected on the Hudson River below us. My friend opened the cardboard lid to the pizza box and the heady aroma of wild mushrooms and truffle oil (we’re not in the West Village for nothing) made me thankful I had plenty of calories to replace. Ah, New York City in the summer. What could be better than après summer squash with your best squash buds?

Baby Squash

By Tracy Gates

“Is that really a smart thing to do?”

A guy at my gym asked a friend of mine this question not too long ago. She was playing squash. She was pregnant. Very.

Now how many of us have been in situations others deemed unadvisable? Motorcycling, say. Or skydiving. Or jumping from a cliff into a frigid mountain pool – at night – naked. (The first two I’ve never tried…. ) The risk, of course, is only to ourselves. This was different. I imagine that’s probably more along the lines of what this guy was thinking. But that’s not what my friend was thinking.

What's Your Excuse?

By Brett Erasmus

So, you are wondering what to do in the summer fitness-wise. You’ve tried yoga, boxing, rowing, rock-climbing, salsa dancing, spinning, the list goes on... if you really want a challenge try doing a triathlon. Admittedly, I have not been brave (and by brave I used to mean fit, I'll explain this shortly) enough yet to do one, but last weekend a friend of mine who raced last year did manage to sucker me into volunteering for the New York City triathlon.

Post College Sport: Join an athletic board (and here’s why)

New board member Sarah Odell is a frequent contributor to Fair Game News.com. Read her latest article about squash after college and the importance (and advantages) of joining an athletic board - like the MSRA!

fairgamenews.com - Post College Sport: Join an athletic board (and here’s why) By Sarah Odell

What it Takes to be a World Champ

By Brett Erasmus

Well I clearly know nothing about soccer, so there is some squash stuff below that may interest you. All the South American teams I fancied were pretty much knocked out at the quarterfinals stage (Uruguay had to cheat to go through to the semis), but it was fun to speculate on what the decisive factors may be. I guess it makes sense that the current two best teams in the world would meet in the World Cup final. Spain was ranked FIFA number one going into the tournament and Holland currently has the longest unbeaten streak in international soccer (over 2 years). One of these two teams will make history on Sunday as neither have previously won the Soccer World Cup and as previously noted, a team from the northern hemisphere has never won a world cup played in the southern hemisphere. My money is on Spain (which means the Dutchmen will probably win).

Some Enchanted Squash Thoughts....

By Tracy Gates

On my way to play squash the other evening, I was waiting to cross the street when a flicker of light caught my eye—like the sparkle of rain drops or phosphorescence in water. Only it wasn’t raining and the nearest water was a few blocks away in the Hudson. Instead, it turned out to be the windshield of a parked SUV and the glass was reflecting a shimmer of moving lights. They swirled and sparked across the glass and I stood on the curb momentarily mesmerized until the light changed and I stepped into the street. And then I stopped. It’s so easy to move quickly in this city, to briefly register something out of the ordinary and then continue on without giving it much thought. So I stepped back on the curb, and I looked.

An early evening breeze was blowing off the Hudson and it was ruffling the leaves of one of the young street trees. Sunlight was catching the undersides of the leaves, turning them gold before they slipped back to green and then again to gold in the wind. It was no longer a common street tree; it was enchanted. Or maybe it was nature reminding anyone who noticed that it was still there—even next to Dunkin Doughnuts.

The Mile High Factor

By Brett Erasmus

Are you enjoying watching the Soccer World Cup? I certainly am, irrespective of the fact that the hosts bombed out.

Did you know that there are five South American teams in the Soccer World Cup and they lead every group they are in (five out of eight groups in the competition)? So far they have played thirteen matches, having not lost once (won ten and drawn three). Between them, they have scored twenty-one times and only conceded four goals in the tournament thus far. I think that is very interesting indeed. And, besides for the fact that they are very good at soccer (!), there must be other reasons for it. Allow me to speculate (further than I previously have)..

Squash and Soccer

By Brett Erasmus
The Soccer World Cup started today and I watched the first ever match played in my country of birth. Was very excited about it, more because it will be a great spectacle for South Africa, less because I fancy my team’s chances. But we held Mexico to a draw, so you never know..

The home team normally fares very well actually. I looked it up. Did you know that in 8 out of 18 previous World Cups the home team has reached the finals? And in 6 out of 8 finals, the home team has won the World Cup. So if a miracle happens and South Africa makes it to the final then we will be favorites to win (!). We'll see what happens.

Time for a Break?

By Tracy Gates

A few weeks ago, a friend told me he was taking the summer off from squash. I thought he was crazy.

A week later, I walked into my gym at prime time and no one was playing. I thought, where is everybody?

And then a week after that I competed in the Hyder—four matches in two days. I played squash, scored squash, and watched squash. At the end of the weekend, I was tired of squash. Not to mention that my elbow sorely needed a break. I thought, time to do something else for a while. . . . But that brought me to the big question: What??

For Queen and Country

By Brett Erasmus

Just imagine you play a sport that your country pretty much invented and the pinnacle of achievement in that sport is the national championship. And your homeland has the most depth out of any nation worldwide and boasts more of the top professionals than any other. But, for some reason, your players struggle to win the national championship. In fact nobody on the home team has won it since before the Second World War. Then, by sheer grit and determination you get to the finals of the event and play the man who was world number one for all of the previous year. He is not from your country. You are not favored to win. But you do.

Razik wins Hyder

Shahier Razik beat Scott Arnold 3-0, to win the 42nd annual MSRA Hyder Trophy Tournament. Read Rob Dinerman's match write up on Squashtalk.com:
http://www.squashtalk.com/html2/news10/may/news10-05-212.htm













Photos: Rob White Photography (www.robwhitephotography.com)

How to Have a Happy Hyder

By Brett Erasmus

What is the ideal recipe for a successful squash tournament? Perhaps the ingredients are as follows. Take 180 avid amateur squash players and a team of dedicated MSRA organizers. Add one great facility with 5 singles courts where the division finals can all be played consecutively (thank you Eddie Kapur and Sports Club LA). Then go and invite some of the best professional squash players in North America. Finally, throw a party on the Saturday night with free drinks and walaa, what do you have, if not a weekend of pure Hyder happiness.

Canadian number one, Shahier Razik, won the pro event. In the amateurs, I am very happy to report that many juniors got to final rounds of the tournament. As far as the women’s draws went, there were teens in each of the 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and 5.5 consolation finals, as well as in the 5.5 final. And we had a junior player, Mawa Balla, from the StreetSquash program in Harlem (http://www.streetsquash.org/) win the Women’s 3.0 consolation draw. I wonder if that has ever happened before? The first of many victories, in more ways than one.

Hyder Pro Draw Matches - Recap

Check out Rob Dinerman's squashtalk.com write-ups from the Hyder:

http://www.squashtalk.com/html2/news10/may/news10-05-201.htm

http://www.squashtalk.com/html2/news10/may/news10-05-206.htm

The 6 Things EVERY Tournament Player Needs to Do

Here are the five things that every tournament player can do this weekend to make the tournament run smoothly (and make your tournament directors happy):

1. Be on time to matches, as a match may be defaulted if a player is more than 10 minutes late. Call venue coordinators as early as possible if you suspect you will not be able to make your match.

2. Losing player must referee the next match. This has been the official US Squash rule for two years. Please budget the necessary time to referee the following match.

The Hyder at T-minus One Week

By Corey Modeste


The last week of planning a tournament is all about damage control. There is not a lot that can be done to make the tournament better or bigger, but many things can be mismanaged to make for a confusing weekend.

The biggest issue is dropouts and the last two days are when we seem to get most dropouts. Between people who were sick or injured all week (and could have dropped out) to those who had a schedule conflict (and could have notified us) to those with legitimate last minute excuses, we have had as much as 20 dropouts in the last two days.
Thankfully, there are also last minute signups that will (hopefully) balance the equation

An Awesome Effort

By Brett Erasmus 

Last Saturday ten teams of fund raisers gathered in Harlem to play in the 2nd annual StreetSquash Cup (www.streetsquash.org/cup). 

Each team fielded one pro and one StreetSquasher in their line up of 6 players. The games went on for many hours with each team playing 6 ties. The Williams Alumni and the Racquet and Tennis Club finished on top. They had some good players. Afterward there was an exhibition game featuring Chris Walker. It was a lot of fun and was a great day for squash in New York.

A Cure for the Crash, Go Camping (Cos it's a Dog's Life)

By Brett Erasmus

If the 1,000 point intra day stock market crash of yesterday has got you throwing up in the toilet, do I have good news for you? Besides for the fact that it is Friday (you have less than one business day to endure), in the long run you may wish to consider less drastic measures for feeling better. Like attending a summer squash camp -- or, sending your kids to one. I have been asked many times about camps for both juniors and adults, so I did a little homework. Here is the rundown on a selection of camps to the best of my knowledge, in order of distance from New York, closest to farthest (all of the links are temporarily at the top right of this site) -

If you live here and do not wish to travel far, then check out Chris Walker's camps at the NYSC in White Plains. He has a great team of coaches who give lessons and camps for both juniors and adults. Chris is a phenomenal squash player as well as coach. On occasion in his career, Chris has beaten many of the best players the game has ever produced. He is the real deal and anyone would be privileged to get his advice and attention on the court for a few days. In fact, if your kid is left handed this would be a good option (as, so is Chris).

What Does It Take?

by Tracy Gates

There are over 4,000 members of the MSRA. And 698 played on league teams this year. But only four of them won the prestigious Lehman and Fernandez awards for most improved player. As I happen to know three of them (full disclosure: as a league captain I can nominate, but I had nothing to do with choosing the winners), I have a pretty good idea what it takes—what it should take—to get this award. So listen up. Want to be in contention next year? This is what you have to do. . . .

How the Hyder Gets Done

By Corey Modeste

I am Corey Modeste, an MSRA volunteer and one of the people involved in the planning of the MSRA’s Grand Open and Hyder Squash tournaments.  Some of you may see me onsite during the weekend, but my biggest contribution are made in the months and weeks prior to the tournaments when the key logistical elements are put in place.

 

Not that you were thinking about it (and not that I would accept right away) but if you were to bribe someone to have your matches played on your ideal schedule and against the right seeds, I’d be that person.  While I was a decent league and tournament player a few years ago, somewhere along the line, I realized that I was a really good tournament director.

Even though I know you’d rather play squash than read about how it’s planned, I enjoy planning tournaments so much that this fact didn’t stop me from taking a moment to write about what goes into an event like the Hyder or the Grand. Here is what it’s like, starting with 12 months to go.

Congratulations, resolutions, and one confession

By Tracy Gates

The end of the league season is upon us. Later this week, we will see what squashmates look like in regular clothes at the MSRA league party; we will cheer as the plaques are distributed to the division winners and finalists; and we will honor the most improved players of the season. If we don’t win anything, we will be happy that our sport comes with an occasional open bar and (mostly) such convivial comrades. Congrats to all.

Speaking of congratulations, I have a bit of a confession to make—which I don’t believe that I’ve owned up to until now.  I was awarded the most improved female player award last year. The plexiglass award is sitting on my mantle. I am very proud of it. But I should not have received it.

'Are you ready for this, champ?

photo courtesy Rob White (www.robwhitephotography.com)

By Brett Erasmus

Have you ever seen the movie Rudy? You know, the one about the Notre Dame student who lacks the talent and physical size to be a serious football player, but at the end of the last game in his final year he finally comes in - and sacks the opposing quarterback in a perfect ending. It is an inspiring story and every now and then you are lucky enough to stumble across an experience that moves you like this. This happened to me on Wednesday night...

Winning and Losing It

By Tracy Gates

During a round of drinks to celebrate our finals win against the Harvard Club, one of my teammates mused aloud that competing was perhaps too stressful to be worth doing. This was from the teammate who had played more challenge matches than anyone else AND won most of her matches during the season.  Another teammate nodded her head vigorously in agreement. What? We’d just won the finals in our division and they were already bailing on next season??

An Even Bigger Apple

By Brett Erasmus

Why is New York called the Big Apple? Opinions vary, but some think it dates back to old horse racing days. New York was the race to win, you see.

Well, this weekend the Eastern Athletic Club hosts the Big Apple Open squash tournament. This event has been on and off over the years and we are glad it has found a new home in Brooklyn. The MSRA is quietly expanding into the boroughs of New York. Not surprising given that one of the stated organizational objectives is to support squash in all 5 boroughs of NYC, as well as Westchester County, Fairfield County, and all of Long Island.

Pre-playoff update

The winter league season is coming to a close; playoffs and finals matches run through April, and the season closes with the annual League Party on April 29.

Here are some things to look out for in the upcoming playoff matches:

- Men's 3.0: Season-long rivals NYU and HRC may be heading for a finals showdown. This will be a particularly interesting match given the drama between the teams this year... and the fact that neither of these scrappy teams even has home courts.

Heart, Mind, Body and Soul?

By Brett Erasmus

On September 4 last year I wrote a note about our Summer of Fun at the SL Green StreetSquash Center. You know, the place in Harlem that Hilary Clinton opened about a year ago. A bunch of you stepped out of your comfort zone, made the trip uptown, and competed against unknown opponents under quite different conditions; i.e. younger opponents who could run forever on very hot brand new ASB squash courts. Everyone had loads of fun doing this. If you missed the opportunity to see the place (it is quite impressive) you will get more chances in the future, don’t worry.

Can a Tiger Really Change his Stripes?

By Brett Erasmus

A little While ago I joked that if squash were to ever make the Olympics it would take 1. a fight on court and 2. someone seriously imploding off-court, basically in order to spur media interest. I wrote this in jest obviously. Well, nevertheless, I got my first wish a few weeks ago (if you don't know what I am talking about, don't even worry about it). And now with Tiger finally appearing from the woods to play in the Masters next month, I wonder if one of our squash celebrities can fill the void he leaves behind..?

Top Gun

By Brett Erasmus

Last weekend the country's finest college squash players gathered in Hartford to see who is the top gun for the 2010 season. Harvard took the honors, with the best male and female players, Colin West and Laura Gemmell respectively.

And a Harvard junior who you may know, Jason Michas, won the mens' B section trophy. Last year he played in the MSRA 5.5 league in New York under the tutelage of Richard Chin. It is nice to see Harvard take all these awards after another dominating season by the Trinity Mens' team. In fact, this is the first time in over a decade that the mens' title has not gone to either Trinity or Princeton. This can only be good for the game. And for American squash.

Character Test

By Brett Erasmus

With the sportsmanship debate raging over the incidents at the College Squash finals a week ago, it is nice to see good character prevail. The Trinity number one has withdrawn from competing in the singles champs this weekend, even though he is the top seed and clear favorite to win the whole thing for the 4th time running. This means a college other than Princeton or Trinity may claim their first mens’ singles crown in over a decade..

The Trinity number one, Baset Chaudhry, is the defending national singles champion, a title he has won for the last 3 years. In fact, for the last 4 years he has been the US college number one squash player. Before him Princeton players had ruled. For the decade up until Chaudhry took over in 2007 Princeton players had taken the number one spot (aside from Bernardo Samper’s one victory). Chaudhry’s decision to step down has left the door wide open this year. Princeton’s top player and Trinity’s number two are both contenders for the title, but Harvard have a very strong number one, and, I suspect, they will break the Trinity/Princeton domination of the mens’ singles title.

Dishonorable Discharge

By Brett Erasmus

The College Squash Association National Championships were decided last weekend. Trinity claimed their 12th consecutive title by beating Yale by a winning margin of 6-3. In the process they made all the news channels (even ESPN) but, unfortunately, not for the right reasons..

Trinity number 1 Baset Chaudhry’s 3-0 win over Ken Chan of Yale gave the Bantams their 5th win of the day and clinched them the title. The real news is this though: apparently there was a verbal barrage between the players on court, as well as from the supporters (again!? really!?). The players were even staring each other down between points as their tempers flared.

Squash and Sportsmanship Become a Hot Topic

Squash and sportsmanship are a hot topic after this incident. Check it out:

and check out additional coverage at SquahZag:
http://www.squashzag.com/members/profile/3/blog-view/blog_730.html

Heartbreak Ridge

By Brett Erasmus

I know this is a blog about squash but the Winter Olympics really has been awesome to watch, so, I digress. The big stars like Apolo Ohno, Sean White and Lindsey Vonn have so far managed to hold their nerve and deliver to their potential. But spare a thought for some of their less fortunate competitors..

Last weekend Rocket man Ohno was coming 4th in the men’s 1500m until the final corner, when 2 of the Korean skaters basically took each other out and gifted the US the 2nd and 3rd spots. Those guys trained hard for 4 years just to get to a point where they were split seconds from a 1/2/3 sweep for their country. They must be heartbroken; and their coach must be more than a little upset. A few days later one of Sean White’s big Japanese rivals bombed out in the halfpipe by trying to go one up on White, but ended up doing a pretty impressive face-plant. He was forced to go back to the top of the hill and complete his final run bloodied and embarrassed, and with full knowledge that Sean White had outdone him again. Another 4 years of hard work down the tubes (excuse the pun).

Squash Boot Camp

By Brett Erasmus

So, you are just getting into the game and find that physically it's almost too much to sustain. Every time you play your legs hurt, and sometimes even your back and butt. Then, once you have become fitter and are a little used to it, you keep pulling your groin, twisting your ankles or falling victim to tennis elbow. Or perhaps you are extremely fit, but still occasionally suffer from calf, achilles or shoulder tears. Yes, squash is demanding on your body and yes you can get injured, but allow me to talk a little about the benefits of squash. I am no fitness expert, so I looked it up.

The old fashioned ways of getting in shape are of course running, cycling, weights training, and swimming. Running or cycling around central park every morning is a great cardio workout, but what does it do for upper body strength. And running can wreak havoc on joints, especially if you are not very light (like me). Weight training obviously improves muscular strength, but it is totally lacking in cardio. Getting bigger muscles is not going to promote a strong heart (or help you get around a squash court either). I know many people who think swimming is the ideal activity for a total-body workout, and I agree with this to a large extent. But, that’s only if you use the proper technique and are actually fit enough (swim specific fitness) to keep it up at a sustained intensity for longer than a few minutes.

No Medals For You

By Brett Erasmus (written August 14, 2009)
In anticipation of the Olympics I remember back to a piece I wrote in August last year when the IOC voted on which 2 sports to include in the Summer Games going forward:

“On August 13, 2009 the IOC voted golf and rugby sevens onto the short list for addition to the Summer Olympics. The decision to include them will be ratified next month. Karate just missed the cut. This means that, sadly, squash did not feature. Pretty surprising news, considering that four years ago squash made the cut, but actually missed getting in as a two thirds majority was required to ratify. This time around only a simple majority is required, and so golf and rugby are guaranteed a spot in the 2016 Olympic Games. As a supporter of both sports, I am happy they are included (and as a South African, I am very happy that we actually stand a chance of winning a gold medal for a change - we are rugby world champs). But as a squash fan, I am extremely disappointed. The sports were evaluated based on various criteria, like representation, accessibility, and the fact that the Olympic Games would represent the pinnacle of achievement in a given sport. This is something I am sure every professional squash player would agree with - Olympic Gold would certainly be a highlight in their careers. Tiger Woods has won The Open 3 times, has 4 green jackets and has made almost one billion dollars from golf in his lifetime. When asked what he thought of the IOC decision, he said, "I'd love to play for the rugby team". It is such a pity the IOC went for commercial appeal.”

Grand Open Recap

By Corey Modeste

The 2010 Metropolitan Squash Racquets Association (MSRA) Grand Open squash tournament raised an already high bar for amateur squash tournaments by drawing a record number of players to Manhattan for the third straight year.  No one, not least the event’s organizers, thought this year’s event would top the 2009 record of 216 players, but the 230 participants playing across 12 men’s and women’s draws meant that even with two weeks to go before the tournament’s start, most draws had waitlists. As is common, the men’s 3.5 to 5.0 draws filled up first, but 2010 saw a large increase in the number of women players.

MSRA Spotlight on James Green

By Corey Modeste

Midway through our conversation, and without any hint of hyperbole, James Green said, “In 2000 I earned and lost $12 million dollars.”

Prior to talking to him I anticipated learning about how he got into squash, and what he did for a living.  But, I thought, I’d much prefer to hear about a Phil Michelson-esque gambling problem, or a multi-year binge of expensive cars, hardcore drugs, and fast women. Or even a story about how a sudden gust of wind blew a winning lottery ticket out of his hands and into the East River.  I was already mentally drafting how I would write of him celebrating his lottery winnings on an impromptu sailing trip when the ticket slips out of his hands, him running the length of the boat in slow motion and then leaping in vain into the water, just as the ticket get shredded in the propeller.  Whatever, just as long as he doesn’t do that jerk thing where he puts out a teaser and then says, “Well, you know, I really can’t talk about it.”

“No”, he said, “I don’t care if anyone knows.”

A Worthy Winner

By Brett Erasmus

Willstrop serves to start the 2010 Tournament of Champions finals. He hits a straight drive to a forehand length which beats Ashour for width. Ashour is too high up on the T and does not see the shot as it is a basically just a hard push off a hold at the front. It is simple, clean and well executed. And it gave us an idea of what is to unfold. Ashour, expectedly, starts hitting his shots and goes up 4-2, but then tries a high soft backhand lob – this shot does not bother 6 foot 4 Willstrop in the slightest and he wins the rally with a good length shot. Ashour quickly returns to his game plan (to win in the front) and starts dropping from everywhere. He is hitting everything as early as possible, trying to force the pace. He is even hitting half volleys from the middle of the court. He is winning points like this and is gaining confidence in his game plan.

Grand Open and the Rise in Women's Squash

Grand Open player Sarah Odell writes about "Squash Week" in NYC - TOC, Grand Open and the rise in Women's squash. FairGameNews.com: Is that SQUASH in Grand Central? Yep (just part of ’squash week’ in NYC)

It's an International Affair

By Brett Erasmus

It is semi-final night at Grand Central in the 2010 Tournament of Champions and we have 2 Egyptian players and 2 English players left in the draw. The first match of the night is Karim Darwish versus James Willstrop - world number 5 against world number 7. Darwish is favored (he is actually top seed for the tournament) but Willstrop has been looking good this week and anything can happen.

Willstrop starts off strong and soon takes charge. A few rallies in he hits a low angle into the front left corner, which is not a drop and not a trickle boast – it is in between those 2 shots. But it works and Darwish is left completely flat-footed right behind him, only a step away. I think he was fooled by a very high backswing from Willstrop. Irrespective, Darwish’s movement is suspect and his shots are loose to start with. Unforced errors soon appear in his game. He does still make good use of soft straight volley drops, especially off the back foot on the forehand, probably his best shot. Willstrop meanwhile is hitting devastating winners to the back of the court. Darwish looks settled in finally at the end of the game and hits 3 impressive but meaningless winners – he is too far back in points to catch up. Willstrop wins a pretty one-sided first game 11-6. In the 2nd, as you would expect, Darwish comes out shooting, but he hits a string of tins to go 0-4 down. Then the rallies get tight and Darwish claws his way back to 3-5, after hitting a cross-court drop off the forehand that finds Willstrop struggling to go down and to the left to retrieve the shot. The big man had surgery to his foot last year and we hope that this is not affecting his movement. But Willstrop is tough and does appear physically and mentally ready for this match. He continues using big backswings to keep Darwish on the back foot. He has a massive swing which anyone would struggle to deal with. Willstrop makes a few more errors going down and to the left again trying to reach moving boasts, but his length is still outstanding and wins him the game 11-5.

Genius at Work

By Brett Erasmus

So last night, in the second round of quarterfinal matches, the world numbers 1 and 2 showed why they deserve their rankings. Nick Matthew of England and Ramy Ashour of Egypt both progressed and will play each other in the semifinals tonight. Before that, at 6.30pm, the other semifinal will also feature an Englishman and an Egyptian - James Willstrop versus Karim Darwish.

Last night’s match between Ashour and the Frenchman Gaultier was the highlight of the tournament for me thus far, as we got to see Ashour’s full arsenal. Man this guy can hit some winners. It started in the warm up. Ashour’s 1st (yes first) 2 touches of the ball were dead nicks off the forehand. Gaultier picks up the ball and throws it away and asks the refs for another – because there must have been something wrong with the first one right? He was already in trouble. The game begins and Ashour’s first 2 winners are backhand drops, which he plays with a fully extended wrist. He follows this up shortly with a backhand cross-court volley into the nick at the front right. This was to be the first of many. Mid game you can tell Ashour has settled in as he starts using holds to move his opponent around the court, often catching him stepping in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, Gaultier is quick and wins a close fought game, but it was not entirely a victory as he was working way harder than necessary from very early in the match.

Who Wants It?

By Brett Erasmus

Photo Courtesy of Ira Veridiano

Last night in the first round of ToC quarterfinal matches, James Willstrop defeated Amr Shabana and Karim Darwish defeated David Palmer. Both players now move into the semi-finals on Wednesday, where they will face each other. My money is on Darwish. His game against Palmer last night was definitely the one to watch. Shabana lost in a quick 3.

Darwish has beaten Palmer pretty convincingly the last few times they have met on the professional tour. There was a time when Palmer had won every encounter, but since Darwish got married to a top women’s professional, Engy Kheirallah, it has been a pretty one-sided affair. Additionally, Palmer’s best days appear to be behind him. He is 34 years old, a time when most professional players seriously consider retiring. The beating their bodies take is tough to withstand. 34 to 35 years old seems to be the age that most players call it a day in the PSA.

ToC fireworks

By Brett Erasmus

Rob White Photography

Well, we are down to the final 8 at the Tournament of Champions in New York and it played out like we thought. The best players in the world have entered this event and they are the ones who are left in the main draw. We have the squash players currently ranked world numbers 1 through 8, excluding Englishman Barker (6) who did not enter. In his stead, world number 11 and the best New York based squash professional, Wael El Hindi, rounds out the quarterfinalists.

Wael's route to the quarters was not easy. Tonight, Sunday January 24th he faced a German player, Simon Rosner. The players are both tall and have incredible reach and great shot-making ability. This was a 5 game thriller and was arguably the closest and most entertaining match of the tournament thus far. El Hindi comes out wearing a baby blue outfit that most grown men would never wear. He looked pretty good though, compared to what he normally wears anyway (black sleeveless tops). The first game the players were neck and neck all the way; a no let at the front right for El Hindi at 9-8. He appeals but the ball was stuck to the side wall and too tight to reach, so the game goes to 9-9. El Hindi wins the next point and serves at 10-9 and plays a backhand drop this time. Rosner does not ask for the let but gets awarded it anyway. He refuses to take it and El Hindi applauds his sportsmanship. In the end Rosner digs deep and wins the game 12-10, after some really well executed straight drives.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!

By Brett Erasmus

Well, the qualifiers are over and today the prize fight starts for real. If you are playing in the Grand Open, also starting today (http://msra.net/tournaments/grandopen_entrants.asp), be sure to go over to Grand Central when you are done in order to watch the pros - the competition there will be just as fierce. In fact, the field for the Tournament of Champions is wide open this year and anyone could win it. The draw is full of players who are at the top of their professional game. Let's take a little look at the quality of players in the main section:
First off, as you would expect, we have last year’s ToC winner, as well as the winner from the year before. Then we have the current world number 1 and 2 players, as well as the guy who held the number 1 spot for most of last year. We have the most recent US Open Champion, and we have the current US National Champion. We also have all the top professionals from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia in the draw. Then finally, just for good measure, we throw the best players that Princeton and Trinity College have ever produced right into the mix. There is a reason it is called the Tournament of Champions. Keep checking back as we uncover all the names and results on this blog site.
It is clear that any one of a handful of players has the talent and ability to win this thing - it just depends on who has the current strength, support and motivation to do it. It truly is anyone's title and it's going to be awesome to watch them fight it out….. "Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!"

Squash Blogs

Like our blog? Want more squash online? We will be posting more soon but in the mean time the Squashist, a fellow squash blogger, has compiled a great list of squash blogs, check it out: The Squashist: The Mind Wanders...

SquashZAG, another great squash blog has also compiled a list of squash blogs, including a ton of squash websites: SquashZAG Links

All Guts, All Glory

By Brett Erasmus

Last week, the Trinity College squash team, who are on the longest winning streak of any American collegiate sports team in history (undefeated for 11 years now), played a few exhibition matches at clubs in the city. How many squash teams do you know of, that actually do road shows like this? Despite being marketed only to Trinity Alumni, these events were well attended, owing to the massive popularity of this team. They are the best young players from several countries around the world. And they are seriously like rock stars. Ask anyone who went to Trinity and they will tell you, it’s not just court-side where they are well known, it’s like that everywhere on campus. It’s all jokes and smiles and signing autographs, as they push through the crowd. These guys are awesome.

So anyway, if you are a fan and watched a bit last week, but only got a taste for the action and desperately want to see more topflight squash, then do I have good news for you: The world’s best professional squash players will be competing in the Tournament of Champions starting next week. And, because the entrance fee is pricey and economic times are tough, allow me to tell you how you can watch the world’s best without paying a cent:

You can watch qualifying games at the StreetSquash Center in Harlem next week (http://www.streetsquash.org/get-involved/directions/),

You can also watch opening rounds in Long Island City next Wednesday and Thursday (http://www.cityviewracquet.com/squash.asp),

You can volunteer to be part of the ToC team at Grand Central (ushering services, very easy job) - the volunteer form is at www.tocsquash.com under Volunteer,

If you are a women 5.0 or a men’s 5.5 (or stronger) you can still sign up for the Grand Open Tournament (http://www.msra.net/tournaments/GrandOpen_index.asp),

You can even get your kids in (U13, U15, U17), if they play in the junior tournament, look under ToC Junior Open at www.tocsquash.com,

Failing that, you can just show up and watch from the all-glass front wall, like I normally do, where there will be standing room.

All the info you need is at www.tocsquash.com. It’s almost Squash Week in New York - it’s going to be entertaining, just like Shark Week, except the action will be live and it’s all guts, all glory (and hopefully not gory).

Winter Warm-Up Recap

By Josh Giesey

This past Sunday the MSRA, with help from StreetSquash, hosted the First Annual Winter Warm-up, part of the MSRA's new One Day Tournament series.  This tournament was designed to give New York area squash players tournament style matches before this years Grand Open.  Thirty Eight players filled all 8 of the StreetSquash courts throughout the day, playing tough, competitive, fast-paced matches.  Of the days overall draw the men's lower levels had strongest representation with 21 players filling two groups for each the 3.0 and 3.5 divisions.  The women's draws showed good numbers as well with 12 entrants split between a 3.0 and 4.0 draw.  While the MSRA organized the event in a tournament fashion, the overall spirit was one of sportsmanship with many players hopping on available courts just to hit or to squeeze in an extra game or two with player outside of their draw.  For instance, two 3.0 and one 3.5 mens players filled entrants in higher draws who cancelled allowing for the draws to be played without interruption (thanks Josh, John and Andrew!).  All 3 players displayed great determination and gave the higher level players tough, close matches, despite being outranked and playing double the number of matches.

MSRA Spotlight on Martha Kelly

By Corey Modeste

Martha grew up just outside of Philadelphia and picked up a racquet for the first time as a 14 year-old at Episcopal Academy. What started out as a desire simply to confirm her choice for a winter sport turned into a competitive outlet when she became more active in junior squash competition a few years later. The resources and squash base at Episcopal Academy and in Philadelphia in general were great (Episcopal was generally the strongest team in the Philadelphia-area scholastic leagues), and Martha also had the benefit of having her equally-talented big sister Ruth on her high school team. Unfortunately, Martha never had the opportunity to play at Episcopal's state of the art facility (pictured), which was completed in 2008.


Martha was recruited to play at Princeton and saw her perspective on the game change slightly. She was no less competitive (more so, in fact), but the focus was to train and grow as a team rather than garner individual results. Even if her position in Princeton 's top 10 line-up was more tenuous as a senior than when she started as a freshman, improving as a team and the team's national championship win in 2007 were more important. College squash was not without its individual victories, however. While older sister Ruth had the edge when they were juniors, Martha reports being satisfied with a head to head victory when she faced Ruth once in college.

A New Era Dawns

By Brett Erasmus (written May 22, 2009)

The MSRA this week (end of May last year) voted in Corey Modeste as their new president. Congratulations Corey! Most of you will know (or recognize) Corey from the various local tournaments, which he has, with the support of the MSRA members and many other volunteers, run with fervent passion for the last few years. In case you don't know, the MSRA is a non-profit organization made up of a vibrant young bunch of New Yorkers who work tirelessly (as volunteers) to facilitate all the leagues and tournaments in New York. They do a stellar job and the number of active squash players is increasing every year. The Hyder Cup last weekend is a perfect example of this. It has the largest entry

MSRA Player Jim Coddington Featured in the Wall Street Journal

Check out this great article about MSRA Yale 4.0 league captain Jim Coddington and how he stays in shape playing squash:WSJ Keeping His Eye on the Ball