With the new season fast approaching, there is a lot to update you on - too much to include in the monthly club newsletter to all members.

Coaching

With Summer holidays over, schools back for the Autumn term, and England duty over for Adam for the time being (having been with England at the Commonwealth Games and then leading the U19s to their first World Championship win since 2000!), we’re back on with all the usual sessions.

However, with Grace now only just outside the world top 50 and on the cusp of progressing from the Challenger Tour to the World Tour (she makes her debut on the World Tour next week), with higher prize money and ranking points available, Grace had decided to focus more on her playing career and step back a bit from coaching.

Grace may well still take some sessions but will now be one of a team supporting Adam.

Ollie Sanders is going to take the Juniors on Saturday afternoons and will also be taking a new SquashStars programme on Saturdays for 5-11 year olds.

Tom Walsh, one of Adam’s pro squad and one of our first team squad, is going to help Adam on Mondays with the Elite juniors and team training.

Katie Winterstein, a leading light for women’s squash coaching in Herts, is going to take Women’s Squash Evening on Wednesdays.

Adam will continue to lead Racketball Lunchtime on Thursdays.

And Mike Evans will continue to lead Skills & Drills (plus compulsory beer and pizza!) on Thursday evenings.

Contact Adam if you’re interested in any of these adam@best-academy.co.uk / 07751 239472.

Beginner adults / returning players / racketball switchers

We’re really keen to hit the ground running for the new season and bring in new players to the club - and to keep nudging forward the momentum gained last season in our women’s squash and racketball.

Therefore, for an introductory period (we won’t specify a duration - people will generally either quickly take to it, or decide it’s not for them), Racketball Lunchtime and Women’s Squash Evening will be open to non-members.

Why not bring a friend along to have a try-out and see if they like it. Whether they’re a beginner, someone who used to play and could be tempted to make their return, or a squash player whose body is failing them and a switch to racketball might help to keep them active and involved.

Club Open Day, Sunday 25th September

Another opportunity to have a try-out at the club and see what a great place we have, is the open day on Sunday week.

From 11am to 3pm all our facilities will be available free of charge, rackets and balls will be available, and we’ll have people around to help out.

Plus, the bar will be open and food will be available.

Fun Evening, Friday 23rd September

It seems rather odd to call something a Fun Evening, but we’ve always called it that when we do the Friday evening round-robin event, so we’ll stick with it!

It’s always a good event, with the results secondary to playing and socialising.

Get involved by emailing Richard Carr at richardj.carr@hotmail.co.uk

PSA Satellite & Graded Event

Coming quickly over the horizon is our next tournament weekend.

From Friday 14th to Sunday 16th October we are holding our first ever Graded event, running alongside a PSA Satellite tournament.

There will be some brilliant pro’s playing in the PSA event, with a number of Adam’s squad involved - including the organiser, Nick Ratnarajah.

The PSA Challenger event that we held in July is a higher tier tournament, but expensive to run.  PSA Satellites are generally self-funding from other events running alongside, and the Satellite/Graded combo weekend has been very popular with some clubs.

Please support if you can.  If successful, we’ll do it again.  For the £22 entrance fee, you’ll get at least 2 matches - at your graded level on SquashLevels - plus some great pro squash to watch.  You can enter at https://www.tournify.uk/live/BGO2022

Racketball tournaments

Looking further ahead, and for the more adventurous among you, there are a couple of weekend away events in 2023 in which some of you may be interested - details attached.

At the start of the year, Exeter Golf & Country Club are holding a graded team event.  Get together with a couple of similar standard friends and have a great weekend vs teams of a comparable standard.

It’s being organised by their club coach and former pro, Mike Harris, one of the top racketball players in the country.

Then, in April, there is a team event at Jersey squash club.  We’re planning to send 2 teams.  If you’re interested, contact Ian Boardman ian150@btinternet.com

Harry Faulkner Memorial Event

Also coming up in the New Year will be the 10 year memorial for Harry Faulkner.  Harry’s plaque is by court 1.  If you are relatively new to the club and don’t know about Harry, have a look next time you’re here.

In February we’ll be having a members’ squash event in the afternoon, followed by a pro exhibition.  Harry’s teammates will be playing and we have a couple of great pros lined up.

We’ll provide full details as we firm things up.

Think that’s about it.  Lot’s going on - enjoy the new season!

Squash & Racketball Committee

(John Shaw, Mark Shattock, Adam Fuller, Gill Trimmer, Lily Main, Rob Harbron)