SQUASH MAKES A RACKET FOR OLYMPIC BID

Squash For 2016 Day produced a resounding rallying cry all over the world to support squash's bid for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games. In a worldwide festival of squash, leading professionals lent their support to the bid by joining in hundreds of Olympic-themed events, all taking place on the same day.

The biggest event of the day was held at the Apawamis Club in Rye, New York, where squash legends Jonathon Power and John White took part in a 100-a-side Battle Of The Border fixture.

Other events took place in India (Taj Mahal and the Gateway to India), Malaysia (Petronas Towers), South Africa (Table Mountain) and London, where enterprising student James Poole showed his passion for squash by hiring a London bus to tour the city and stop off for photographs at the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace.

For more: http://www.worldsquashday.com/

Squash Canada Women's National Squad Coach - Shauna Flath

Squash has been a huge part of my life for over 25 years. The sport, the friendships, the clubs, the events, the players and the entire community worldwide is truly amazing.

Squash for me has been a life journey and truly rewarding. As a junior and adult player I have a lot of memories and experiences but as a coach I find it an incredible profession. Teaching the game to new players, young and old, novice to elite is a challenge and more importantly FUN.

Squash 2016 Day is a celebration of squash. May 23rd gives the squash community around the world the opportunity to showcase "our" incredible sport and bring awareness to how we do deserve to be an Olympic sport. For it to be in the Olympics would be the catalyst that the sport deserves. The athleticism, the creativity and discipline required to compete at the highest level ranks as one of the best sports in the world. From a global perspective squash is in every corner you go.

My goals as a coach are to elevate the level of all players young and old. To introduce and raise awareness to others about how much fun this game is to play and to pass onto others what I have learned along the way. Squash to me is about the culture that surrounds the game – GREAT people.

I have had some fantastic coaches that have been great influences on me and I would like to take the opportunity to thank Peter Robutka (my first coach - dating myself here J), Ian Paton, Arthur Hough and most importantly Sharon (Tren) Trenaman my longest coach who also encouraged and inspired me to become a coach. Thank-you Tren, now I know and appreciate what you were talking about - get better mate!

Squash does not grow unless people get involved. The game doesn’t expand unless there is passion and commitment behind it. So on May 23rd make sure to get out on the court, play a match then the loser buys the beer and toast how truly great our game is. Remember to lobby hard wherever you are about how our game deserves the opportunity that so many other sports have had, to be crowned an Olympic Champion.

Cheers to all squash players, coaches, officials and fans of the game on World Squash Day May 23rd!

Squash Canada National Squad Athlete - Alana Miller

Happy Squash 2016 Day Everyone!

Today is a day for me and you to celebrate and raise awareness for our sport. Squash to me has been a source of balance, challenge and opportunity. Since I was eleven, squash has played a major role in my life as an activity that manages stress by being the perfect study break and by providing my often hectic life with routine. At times squash has even been a source of stress when dealing with the short comings of my game.

Squash is a challenge as I am trying continuously to reach my potential, and to improve my ranking. I have come a long way from being a sluggish 15 year old who cried during provincial team 5km training runs to a person who now enjoys rigorous repetitive aerobic building activities—even hard core running. I also love the physical test that squash provides every time I step on court.

Although the training is sometimes difficult, the sacrifice has opened doors. I have had the opportunity to travel, to compete in the Pan Am Games, World University Games and World Championships, and to enjoy the camaraderie that accompanies being a part of team Canada. Undoubtedly squash has made my life interesting.

My intention for Squash Day 2009 is to raise the awareness of squash so that others can appreciate the benefits of squash, just as I have. In so doing, I hope to enhance the profile of squash to so that our sport will be chosen for the 2016 Olympics.

Onto the courts we go…

Alana Miller

For more information on Alana please visit her national squad athlete profile here: http://www.squash.ca/e/high_performance/bios/women/miller.htm

Squash Canada National Squad Athlete – Laura Gemmell’s Squash 2016 Day Blog

Over the past ten years, squash has meant so much to me and given me so many wonderful opportunities. Firstly, I have met so many amazing people all around the world and made lasting friendships. I love keeping in touch with foreign squash players via facebook and seeing them at international tournaments. The squash community is relatively small, but we’re most certainly very close.

I have been playing squash ever since I was 8 years old. My parents had encouraged me to try every possible sport, including tennis, badminton, soccer, gymnastics, skating, snowboarding, and many other ones. The list was seriously endless! However, I felt a passion for squash that I didn’t feel about the other sports. I love the individual competition and I loved having to think of strategies and counter-strategies to defeat my opponents. I loved the challenge associated with every match, and I think those are the reasons why I have spent so much time over the last 10 years working to improve my game. Squash has also given me the opportunity to travel around the world. I have been to Belgium and Hong Kong for the last two junior women’s world championships, and this summer will be competing in India for my third. The experience of traveling around the world to represent your country is a very special and rewarding one. To know that all your hard work has meant something is a great feeling and I definitely enjoy those championships the most as an athlete.

If squash was an Olympic sport, it would mean so much to the squash community. The prestige of the Olympics games is second to none and I think squash players work extremely hard and deserve to represent their respective countries at these games.



Today is Squash 2016 Day and my plans include watching my younger sister Michelle compete in the Junior Women’s National team trials as she tries to make her first junior national team. I encourage every squash player to get on court and play the sport that we love today


Laura Gemmell

For more information on Laura please visit her national squad athlete profile here: http://www.squash.ca/e/high_performance/bios/jrwomen/l_gemmell.htm