JP Morgan Tournament of Champions – Go for the squash experience!

So I purchased tickets to the JP Morgan Competition of Champions held in New York City later not long from now. Great Focal

Yet, before I did, I had a situation. Do I pick the early adjusts, or do I attempt to catch the finals? A week off from work would have been decent; be that as it may, I need to bring home the bacon!

Intense call!

The early adjusts would imply that I may get some disproportionate matches. Gregory Gaultier could conceivably take out a trump card qualifier in under thirty minutes. A last, or even a semi-last match would guarantee that I got to watch a portion of the best players of the diversion engaging it out on the court.

However of course, the last match could end in a straight 3-0 triumph for the victor and wrap up in thirty to forty minutes – insufficient time to take everything in.

When its all said and done, going to watch an expert competition – be it squash program , tennis, hockey or ball – is not about the amusement.

It is about the experience, something that squash competitions are not well known for.

However, the Competition of Champions is diverse.

It is held in New York City's Excellent Focal Terminal!

There is a reason that the biggest passenger train terminal on the planet is known as the Excellent Focal.

It is excellent and it is halfway spotted in midtown Manhattan.

Moreover, there is a reason that the first PSA World Arrangement competition of the year is known as the Competition of Champions (TOC). It is a head squash occasion that draws in all the ruling champions of the diversion – 21 of the main 25 PSA positioned players and 18 of the main 20 WSA positioned players last time anyone checked. It's excessively terrible that Ramy Ashour and James Willstrop will miss the competition because of wounds.

JP Morgan Competition of Championsit is befitting that the competition is held in the Excellent Focal Terminal's awesome Vanderbilt Lobby, known for facilitating numerous social and aesthetic occasions. It is a venue that draws in consistent workers and sightseers alike, guaranteeing that around two hundred thousand individuals who pass by get a look of a portion of the best squash played today, for nothing.

The five-hundred or something like that paid seats inside the Vanderbilt Corridor offer supporters close up perspectives of the diversion from vantage focuses behind the back glass divider and side-dividers. The other 50% of the Vanderbilt Lobby would be changed over into exhibitor and accommodation region giving suburbanites an immaculate walkway through the center.

Squash could utilize the introduction!

It is a high activity venue, in an enormous city, with decently heeled businessmen. An easygoing benefactor could turn into an enthusiastic aficionado of the amusement. A senior showcasing official who passes by could turn into a future backer of the competition.

The time it now, time that squash discovered more lovers and backers.

The timing is correct.

Equality for prize cash in the middle of male and female players have been at last attained to. Squash as an Olympic game is not totally off the radar. Squash can be an onlooker sport, in the privilege venue, in the same way as Terrific Focal.

Along these lines, I picked the early adjusts, for the squash experience

Seven reasons to play squash

I hang out a lot with squash players.
I also tend to spend a fair amount of time with friends who are in sales, marketing, and other customer facing areas of businesses.
It is a “birds of a feather” thing – in a positive way.
Squash to me is more than a game played with an opponent within the confines of four walls. I get more out of squash than the pure exercise. If you already pl+ay squash or are planning to pick up the game, here are seven reasons to play squash.
Make a living – There are a few ways to make a living playing squash. The obvious one is to turn professional.
It is easier said than done!
It is true that even the 100^th ranked tennis player makes a comfortable living playing tournaments.
Squash has some ways to go.
While the earnings of squash pros are not easily available in the public domain, prize money offered by PSA tournaments has been slowly creeping up allowing the top few to make a decent living.  Follow this link to get more info about squash tournaments and prize money.
If think you got the game and are ready to turn pro like Olivia Blatchford, the recent winner of the Manulife Investments WSA tournament at Club Meadowvale, now is your time.
Teach the game – Being a pro at a decent squash club can be a career option for many good squash players.
Offering private and group lessons combined with some pro-shop services – racquets, strings, grips, and apparel – can add up to a fair livelihood for some. Unlike professional players who have a short window of opportunity to make their mark and build up their bank balance, this option has longevity and stability, provided you are good at what you do.
Patrick Hartunian of Club Meadowvale is a good example.
Run a squash academy: This may be an option for players who built up credibility by playing at the professional and national level competitions. Jonathan Power’s National Squash Academy, the first of its kind in North America, strikes a good balance of running a business while growing the popularity of the game.
Earn a scholarship – This one may not be fully understood or utilized by young squash players. As per the NCAA “more than 150,000 student-athletes receive $2.7 billion in athletic scholarships each year…”
While squash is not recognized as an official NCAA sport, there are many high-profile educational institutions in North America and Europe that sponsor varsity squash teams. There may be opportunities to augment your academic profile with your squash achievements to earn admission to one of these revered institutions.
Radhika Ahluwalia of Club Meadowvale, who went on to play for the prestigious Penn Squash Ivy League team, should be an inspiration for some of you younger players out there.
Make friends: Generally speaking, squash players tend to be friendly outside the squash court. Analyzing losses and wins after a gruelling match builds a...... Read Here

Have you watched a professional squash tournament yet?

So you know all about tennis grand slam events. Do you know the squash equivalents?
Unlike tennis tournaments that get huge media coverage and draw droves of spectators to the stadiums, squash remains a subculture of sorts. Only the ardent fans of the game truly keep track of what is going on in the world of squash. Like many club-squash players that I know, you may have been to major tennis tournaments, but, have you watched a professional squash tournament yet?
Only very few squash players have.
I am a good example.As someone who visits New York City at least three or four times a year, I have been to watch the US Open tennis, at Arthur Ashe stadium. But, I have yet to attend the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions, held in the Grand Central Station Terminal!
Next year I intent to change that.
In case you are not aware, PSA holds a series of events that they classify as Challenger, International, World Series, and World Championship. You can get more details of these categories by visiting the official site of the PSA.
Sticking with the tennis analogy, the PSA World Series tournaments can be likened to the grand slam events. They attract the top players of the game, and boast prize money that ranges between $115,000 to $150,000 – big money in terms of squash! With the entry of Dubai as a venue to hold a squash world series event, there are now nine tournaments that span four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
The 2015 schedule of tournaments, as it stands today, is shown below.

Tournament	Rank	Prize money	Month	City
Tournament of Champions	Gold	$115,000	January	New York, USA
Metro Squash Windy City Open	Gold	$115,000	February	Chicago, USA
Dubai Squash Open	Gold	$115,000	March	Dubai, UAE
El Gouna International	Gold	$115,000	April	El Gouna, Egypt
The Allam British Open	Platinum	$150,000	May	Hull, England
Hong Kong Open	Platinum	$150,000	August	Hong Kong
US Open	Gold	$115,000	October	Philadelphia, USA
Qatar Classic	Platinum	$150,000	November	Doha, Qatar
World Championship	Platinum	$350,000	November	Bellevue, USA
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_PSA_World_Tour

As you can see, four of the nine tournaments are scheduled to be held in American cities.
So, if you are planning a vacation next year to one of these cities, why not try to plan it around these tournaments? Or better still, plan a squash vacation.
Going by some of the games shown on squash TV, it does not get any better than this!

How Critical Is Your Gear To Your Game?

More and more racquet sports enthusiasts are trying to understand the game of squash.
Tennis and badminton players are interested to find out how squash compares with their preferred sport. So, is it easy enough to switch from one game to the other and back without compromising the level of play? While we may not all be like Fred Perry who won world titles in dual racquet sports – tennis and table tennis, it is easy enough to get to a decent level in all three sports if you set your mind to it. Add table tennis to the mix and you have the sport Racketlon! Now before you head off and sign up for the next Racketlon tournament, here are some basics on Racquets, Shoes, Courts and such, for the uninitiated.

Racquets, balls and birds
I often get asked if any of the three racquets – tennis, squash and badminton – are interchangeable.  The definitive answer is “no.” If you try, you are guaranteed to break your racquet, or injure your wrist.
Tennis racquets vary in size and weight.  Based on the material and the size of the frame used, their weights range on an average between 250-325 grams. From a racquet sports perspective, tennis balls weigh the heaviest at around 57-58 grams.  

Squash racquets are lighter and weigh in the range of 110-175 grams. Squash balls are smaller in diameter than tennis balls and weigh on an average 23-25 grams. Squash balls practically do not bounce until they are warmed up before a game by repeated strokes against the wall.
Badminton racquets are the lightest of the three and often weigh as little as 80 grams. Modern racquets made of carbon fibre composite help generate power irrespective of the racquet’s weight. The shuttle cock, often referred to as the “bird” or “birdie,” is typically made of feathers and weighs around 5 grams. Unlike feather birds, the plastic ones are more durable and have become the shuttle cock of choice for the casual player in North America. It is necessary to note that all professional level tournaments are played using feather birds.

Grip, balance and strings of the racquet will have a large impact on your game. If the racquet grip is too small, you end up gripping the racquet too tightly which could lead to injuries to the wrist and arm. A grip larger than your comfort level could end up slipping in your hand and take away from the effectiveness of your strokes. The balance of the racquet – head heavy vs. head light, – and stiffness of the racquet also have significant bearing on the power vs. control a player generates. To know more about how racquet strings affect your game checkout my recent post titled Do you know your racquet strings?

Shoes
Can you play squash or badminton wearing tennis shoes? The simple answer is that you can, but not recommended. Tennis shoes rarely have non-marking, gum soles which are a requirement for indoor wooden courts. From a squash player’s perspective, the constant lunges and pushbacks are inconceivable without the proper traction and stability that a pair of flat, gum-soled shoes brings. Tennis shoes are heavier and have thicker padding in the heel area making it harder for badminton players to arch back for smashes and overhead clears. Squash and badminton shoes are largely interchangeable when playing on courts with wooden surfaces, though the sole of the two shoes are purpose-designed for movements that are unique to each game.

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Go social with Club Meadowvale!

All work (out) and no play? It’s time you went social with Club Meadowvale.

Sure, Club Meadowvale is a fitness and racquet club in Mississauga and now Club Meadowvale has established existence on popular social media stands like Facebook and Twitter and would love to get linked with members and other fitness and racquet sports devotees. Please use the links shown above to connect with us.

While on the topic of social, here is a post by one of our members that may help you grow your profile and presence on Twitter.

Six tips for Twitter users who have less than 25 followers 

• Increasing a Twitter following takes time: Twitter is all about engagement. The more engaged you are, the more you get noted. This can be in the practice of tweets, retweets or mentions. For a new comer, tweeting is the toughest part and often does not come logically. It often aids if you start by tweeting content that you come through in your day-to-day life. Most blogs and websites have a “Tweet this” button that will enable you get started.

• Start with friends and associates: Look up your friends and peers to see who follows them. It is likely that if you follow them, they will follow you back. You have to start somewhere; so, no harm in a little self-promotion. If you are on LinkedIn, a number of your “connections” may have a Twitter profile as well and may be interested in following you. If you have a decent profile, you will be noticed. My first five followers collectively had less than 30 followers.

• Look for high-profile Twitter users who are not opposed to following: Generally speaking, Twitter celebrities like to be followed than follow. However, there are exceptions. A quick look at a person’s followers to following ratio will give you an indication of a person’s propensity to follow back. Here are two high-profile Marketing celebrities, that I follow, that have completely different approaches to following. Though these statistics are dated, it goes to prove my point.

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Squash or Tennis, which is your sport??

You ask tennis players, and you will find that their belief in the superiority of their game over squash is unwavering. As the debate continues, I consolidated the previous versions of this discussion into a new post along with a few new ones that came to my mind. So here is a lighthearted look at  “squash vs. tennis” that may make you smile and think.

A squash player’s thoughts on tennis: Tennis players need two serves to get a rally going. Tennis players need three balls to play the game, squash players are more efficient. In tennis, you have to break your opponent to win, in squash you just have to beat them. Squash players don’t feel the need to convert every shot into a forehand shot. Tennis has deuce and ad courts; in squash it is just right and left.

If you play either squash or tennis, you know that both the games require speed, agility, endurance, power and strategy.  Most squash players have no doubt that their game is the hardest of all racquet sports, particularly when compared to tennis. My friend Bill Guest lets the image on his parking spot speak for itself! 

In Tennis, hitting the line is considered an excellent shot; in squash it will cost you.

In tennis, a passing shot is a winner, in squash it’s just good length.

Love does not count for a whole lot in tennis.

Tennis players need to rest after every two games; squash players have fine-tuned the art of callings “lets” and arguing with the referee. The reverse view: Tennis is a spectator sport; squash wants to be a spectator sport. Squash needs tennis players’ support to get into the Olympics (may be!) In squash, players try to let the ball die; in tennis players try to kill it. Squash players pretend that a “nick” is a repeatable shot. That is like calling this a repeatable shotTennis players warm up before the game; squash players warm the ball up.

 In Tennis, players don’t hide behind your back. Squash players need walls around them to keep the ball in the court. In squash, you can get a “stroke” and continue to play; in tennis if you get a stroke you need an ambulance! In squash a dead nick is a good shot, in tennis, dead Nick is, not good for Nick! Squash players struggle with their scoring system – 9, 11, 15, PAR… Squash pros make a living; tennis pros make the Forbes list. Tennis players only boast when they are off the court. Tennis has an injury named after the game – tennis elbow, squash does not. Squash is played with tins, boxes, and lines. It’s OK to cheat in squash, as long as it means poaching to one side of the court. In squash, “serve and volley” means that you serve and your opponent volleys. In squash, your opponent can push you from the back and flash the “L”oser sign, especially when you seem to have an advantage. In squash, the referee can often threaten you with a throat-slashing motion. In squash, if you make an “attempt” to play a ball the referee may give you another shot at it.

Would be sweet, in real life! In squash, grammar is less important – “no let”, “tight length”… Squash players seem to be standing around and looking back during rallies. So there you have it. If you feel that “never the twain shall meet!”, we should perhaps ask the badminton players to join in the conversation! If you think of other one-liners, please add them in the comments section below and share this with your friends. If you liked this post.

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Grooming the next generation of squash and tennis players

Canadian tennis is on the upswing; what about squash?

The highest world ranking ever achieved by a Canadian tennis player is No. 9. The highest world ranking achieved by a Canadian squash player is No. 1. Canadian tennis is on the upswing while Canadian squash has some work to do. 
For the first time in Canadian tennis history, two Canadians reached the quarter-finals of a tennis grand slam tournament – the 2014 French Open. As Milos Raonic went down fighting against the second seeded Novak Djokovic and Eugenie Bouchard clawed her way past Spain’s Suarez Navarro to reach her second consecutive grand slam semi-final, an obvious question comes to mind – Can a Canadian win a tennis grand slam title?
It is possible. A Canadian tennis grand slam champion is no longer a pipe dream!
So what is happening in tennis that is not happening in Canadian squash?
Eugenie Bouchard currently ranked twelfth in the world and Milos Raonic, ranked ninth, have helped revive interest in Canadian tennis that has been missing for a while. Squash has no equivalent. The PSA rankings show Shawn Delierre, the highest ranked Canadian squash player, sitting at No. 74 while Samantha Cornett, ranked at No.30 on WSA’s list, is the highest ranked female squash player from Canada.
Not ideal!
Historically speaking, Daniel Nestor was the only one getting any limelight among Canadian tennis fans. Despite eighty-five career titles and $11 million in earnings, Nestor is not exactly what you would call a household name. But, now we have fresh blood; the game is back on track.

So what’s up with Canadian #squash? When will we see another Jonathan Power?

Clearly, it has to do with money.
The top ranked squash player in the world – Nick Matthew – earned just over $300,000 in 2013. The ninety second ranked tennis player Michael Russell made over $200,000 during the same period taking his career earnings to over $2 Million. Unfortunately, squash players trying to make a living playing the sport have to content with the fact that they may need a real job to support themselves past their competing days.
Melanie Jans, shown in the video below, is a perfect example! Melanie who was ranked as high as No.25 in the world, joined Club Meadowvale as the head squash pro in 2012 .

So, can the love of the game alone get Canadian squash back to its glory days?


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