In Squash - The Podcast

Chris has carved out a very well-rounded coaching resume to date, and last week after being name Head Squash Coach for the University of Western Ontario Mustangs, he may have landed the coaching position he's always wanted. Former member of the Mustangs several years back, Chris has since developed into one of the game's most innovative and exciting young squash instructors. He's honed his skills in such places as Moncton, New Brunswick, Saint Michaels University School in Victoria, BC and interestingly on the island of Turks and Caicos. He also founded Serious Squash which is an incredible collection of coaching videos and other insights that Chris has into the game. It was great chatting with Chris about all of the above.

In February, 1998 Peter Nicol reached world #1 supplanting legend Jansher Khan, and thereafter along with Jonathan Power, gave us one of the most memorable eras in the game's history. He went on to hold the number 1 ranking several times throughout his illustrious career,at one point for 24 successive months b/t January 2002 and December 2003, placing him firmly among the greatest to ever play the game. Peter talks about his career, the JP rivalry, snatching the #1 ranking from Jansher, SquashSkills and the New York based Peter Nicol Squash Academy. Speaking to that he gives great insight on the Covid 19 situation in terms of when and how to get back on court.

From Butt to Binnie, Rene Denis has been coach to world class squash players since the early 80s. Protege of Canada's founding father of squash coaching Tony Swift, Rene has been coaching Canadian National Teams and Jamaican National Teams for the past 30 plus years. Needless to say, Rene has been there, done that, and has so many stories to tell about his experiences, squash and life, through all of this.

139 episodes in and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone as passionate about his craft than Jesse Englebrecht. With each episode, this being his third, he's always equipped with new and innovative coaching techniques and unique outside-the- box observations about the game And, what's more, he's seemingly on a constant search for ways to enhance player development. This episode speaks to all of the above. As I said, shot out of a cannon, Jesse is a must listen.

This Super Squash Saturdays Bonus Episode with Graham Ryding is epic. We took a deep dive into Graham's squash career, his junior days, playing alongside JP for so many years, the Winterpeg squash hotbed, and of course Super Squash Saturdays with a prediction for the rubber between Diego and JP.

An illustrious squash career came to an end last week when 4x Canadian National Champion Sam Cornett announced her retirement. With 14 PSA titles, 8 Pan-Am Games medals and reaching world #23, there are few if any all-Canadian girls with that type of squash pedigree. Sam and I talk about her squash career across the board, and we want to wish all the success again in her life after pro squash.

From married life to a heartfelt testimonial for the recently retired Sam Cornett, Shawn delivers like only he can. 2x Canadian National Champion and runner up last year, Shawn would very much like to collect a 3rd national championship before he calls it a day, and I wouldn't bet against it. He has his sights set on that and hitting the ground running whenever play resumes. He's in a very good place right now, and his outlook on life is infectious, so don't miss this one.

The Diego Elias V. Jonathan Power Super Squash Saturdays series successfully kicked off last Saturday, and JP is set to defend his hardball crown later today. Dean Brown is no stranger to the squash court and has some impressive pedigree as a hardball player and squash broadcast color commentator as well. Dean and I catch up after 24 years and talk Super Squash Saturdays, and in doing so look a bit at his squash backstory.

Reigning and 10X Scottish National Champion Alan Clyne is currently recovering from a rib cage stress fracture, but that didn't stop him from chopping it up on the In Squash Podcast. Alan's had an amazing career representing Scotland on the world stage, 150 caps and a recent 7th place finish at the World Team Championships. We look back at all of this and look at what lies ahead for him and Scottish squash.

Matt Easingwood, former NS provincial #1 and current Head Squash Professional at the White Oaks Resort at Niagara-on-the-Lake, is a veritable blast from my past. Matt has been with White Oaks for 20 years, and prior to that had himself a very good competitive stint reaching #1 in NS and playing for the very strong University of Toronto varsity team. Matt and I take a deep dive into our squash past, his influences which include his father David, Willey Hosey, Mike Way and Mark Savie, and how his coaching career ultimately led to his long tenure at White Oaks. A cathartic and enjoyable chat with my old nemeses, Matt Easingwood.

Alison Waters has an impressive resume: multiple British caps, 4x British National Champion, former world number 3 and still a threat to any woman playing the game today. An ankle injury forced her to withdraw from the Windy City Open in Feb, so this unfortunate suspension of play on the PSA tour has given her a bit time to rehab and recover. Alison takes a look back at her years at #3 in world during the Nicol David era, and what the future holds with the new up and coming young stars breaking through. She also tips her hat to her close friend Vicky Lust.

The 2019/2020 has seen the maturation of Greg Lobban in my estimation; he's competing at the game's highest level and that's been evident with each passing event. Greg and I talk about his fantastic season to date which includes wins over Mezan Hesham, Paul Coll and Kareem Abdul Gawad, his experience dealing with covid-19 circumstances and its impact on his squash, and what is indubitably the toilet paper challenge championship shot till now, see here: https://twitter.com/LobSquash/status/1247115836420210689

Squashskills co-founder Jethro Binns makes a triumphant return to the mighty In Squash Podcast. He's back from a bit of R&R in Mexico, and he gives us plenty to ponder as regards how to stay focused on the game. The cardio and physical side of things are a bit easier to manage, and Jethro has some interesting thoughts on how to keep the squash side of things on the forefront.

2019 US Varsity Squash individual champion and member of the 2020 Harvard Crimson Potter Cup championship team, Victor is a proud member of the Harvard Crimson and one of the PSA players to watch in next few years. Victor is home in France now resuming his Harvard lectures online and training in isolation with his father/head coach Emmanuel. Victor and I have a great chat about his squash career till now.

Max made a name for himself on the global squash scene as Miguel Rodriguez's mental coach in the years leading up to his 2018 British Open victory, but he'd been a big time squash player for many years prior to that. Max still spends a great deal of time around the squash courts, but it's his entrepreneurial endeavors that make him tick these days. We talk about the mental game and how important it is under the current Covid-19 circumstances, and he's got some great advice in terms of staying focused while away from the court. He also takes us into a few of his entrepreneurial ideas that could help us get through these times of distress and difficulty.

Court closures, gym closures, social distancing and self-isolation are the measures we must take to stem the spread of Covid-19. Gary Nisbet of Squashskills takes us through how we can navigate this with an aim towards eventually hitting the courts running . There's plenty here to chew on, plenty of food for thought from one of the game's best squash physical strength and cardio gurus.

Personal favorite of mine, Shahid Zaman hit my radar back in 2002 at the Busan Asian Games where I witnessed his epic 5 set battle against eventual gold medalist Ong Beng Hee. Shahid's passion for the game was contagious then, and it's equally if not more contagious now in his coaching career. From squash royalty (nephew of Qamar Zaman), Shahid had an impressive PSA career which saw him reach the top 15 in the world and collect a number of PSA titles. His squash story is unique and his passion for the game is unwavering.

2019 Canary Wharf Media Member Squash Champion and writer for Squash Player Magazine, Mike Dale takes us into the backstory of "Don't Turn a Blind Eye" (http://www.squashplayer.co.uk/es_newspage2.asp?Key=1886) where he lost vision in his right eye on the squash court after accidentally being struck with the ball. Mike soldiered on, continuing his passion for the game which ultimately led to winning last year's Media Member division at Canary Wharf. We talk about his title defense, the use of eye protection at all levels of the game and the Windy City Open post match interview controversies.

2020 Tournament of Champions winner, 11 X French National and European Team Championship winner are just a few of the 2019/20 accolades that Camille Serme has recently placed on her mantel. Currently ranked 3 in the world, her upward trajectory is heading towards the world's #1 spot, and that's exactly where her sites are set.

Squash Stories has grown into a community that squash has embraced; it's almost akin to joining your friends at the bar or for a bite after a match and talking squash and anything revolving around our great game. Behind this...Jamie Maddox. Jamie and I catch up while watching the Fallows-Waller British Nationals quarter final, and it's a great laugh, mostly at our own expense. Seriously though, we talk the evolution of Squash Stories, his love for the Shorbagy brothers, officiating, the pro game, the Ehsan phenomenon and masters squash.