In Squash - The Podcast

It's that time of year, about a month before most of our squash seasons commence. With that, it goes without saying that we'd ask Gary Nisbet to drop by, and he did so with some pure gold. Gary's been busy this summer putting together a squash training camp with CWG gold medalist Gina Kennedy, and he takes us through that and his thoughts on Gina's unparalleled strength and condition. Gary provides some tremendous insight on how we ought to be ramping up for the squash season which lies ahead, and we get into circuit training ideas, nutrition, and the benefits of sleep and creatine supplements. Another glorious ep with SquashSkills own Gary Nisbet.

When SquashSkills launched 10 years ago, it was a long overdue and much needed resource for the squash world, and I'm not overstating that. Jethro Binns returns to the pod to mark the 10 year anniversary and fleshes out some incredible new SquashSkills resources (including the new SquashSkills Training App) for players of all levels, coaches and squash management. We go well beyond that though, as Jethro loves to talk squash. We touch on the several aspects of the game today, the Commonwealth Games, growing the game, junior squash and much more.

Fresh off her 3rd Canadian National championship in Vancouver, Hollie received the news that she'd been selected, not surprisingly so, to represent Canada at the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games. It may have been a foregone conclusion, but after not having been chosen in 2018, it must have felt great to receive that phone call. Hollie and I talk about winning her third national title, the excitement of playing the Commonwealth Games and going for a medal, training under Malcolm Willstrop and the Pontefract stable, and her assessment of the 2021/22 season.

At her highest ever world ranking of 43, Nicole Bunyan's 2021/22 campaign is about to come to a glorious ending: representing Canada at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Nicole takes us through a bit of her backstory, and the 2021/22 season which saw her in the main draw of several major tournaments. She also lays out her Squashletic squash fitness app (https://www.nicolebunyan.com/squashletic) which has it all if you're looking for expert squash fitness guidance. Great chat!! Photo credit: Corina Lynn

This episode drops on Canada Day, and Nick Sachvie joins us to celebrate accordingly. The 2X Canadian National Champion received the news a few weeks ago that he'd been chosen to represent Canada at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Only the Canadian women were chosen to take part in 2018 in Australia, so the wait was a long one, but definitely worth it. Nick talks about the Games coming up, his preparations, the 2022 Canadian Nationals in Vancouver, training at White Oaks Niagara-on-the-Lake, the ups and downs of his PSA career and his father the late great Mark Sachvie. Great catching up with the two time national champion.

Qamar Zaman is one of the all time greats; that's a given. Winner of the 1975 British Open and reaching world #1 in that same year, Zaman was truly the pioneer of shot making squash. He turned the game on its head and his contemporaries had to rethink squash strategy as a result. Not only that, Zaman combined this pioneering shot making with a sense of humor which made him the box office player of his day. Qamar talks about the great battles with the likes of Geoff Hunt, Gogi Allaudin, Jonah Barrington and many of the other legends of his time. We also look at the his unique brand of squash, how it came to be and how he had to develop the other more conventional parts of the game that may have been lacking. Qamar also provides some not to be missed words of wisdom for anyone out there looking to improve their games. It was an absolute honor to speak with the great Qamar Zaman.

Delighted to have Joel Makin on the pod for episode 216. 2022 marks his best season to date; winner of the Manchester Open, reaching his highest ever world ranking of 7, and very promising results across the board. Joel discusses his season up until now. There's plenty of squash left in 2022 as well, including two blockbuster events in the British Nationals and the Commonwealth. Joel and I take deep dives laying out how important these events are to him, and just how stacked the British Nationals are this year. Joel also speaks candidly about his game and the games of his biggest rivals on the tour. We even get into how he feels about officiating changes and coaching during and between games.

From one of the best players of his generation to one of the most sought after coaches of the current, Wael El Hindi makes a triumphant debut on the In Squash Podcast. We take a deep dive into the current situation on the pro tour in terms of improvements in adjudicating lets and strokes, the thankless job of officiating, and some of the recent drama in the World Championships and El Guona. Wael also speaks candidly on several other topics including the recent performances of Amanda Sobhy and Diego Elias, his impressive pro career, the growth of padel and how squash needs to change, the legend that is Jonah Barrington, and so much more. Huge props to Wael for the must listen pod that this one truly is.

David Baillargeon defends his title in Vancouver this week at the 2022 Oxford Properties Canadian Nationals. David is fresh off his first appearance at the World Open where he faced the best shot maker in the world, Mezan Hesham in the first round, and gave him a real run for his money. David and I talk about the significance of the Canadian Nationals, his World Open appearance, the Commonwealth Games and the benefits of training in both Montreal and Bristol. Of course, I would be remiss if I also didn't ask him for a Shawn Delierre anecdote, and he did not disappoint.

Vancouver Lawn and Tennis is hosting the 2022 Oxford Properties Canadian National Squash Championships, June 1st-5th. Van Lawn and Tennis' Head Squash Professional and good friend Viktor Berg gives us the low down on the event, which is the biggest Canadian Nationals in terms of numbers since the turn of the millennium. I also take the opportunity to look back on Viktor's impressive, eclectic professional squash career which saw him reach 44 in the PSA Rankings and # 1 in the world on the SDA hardball doubles tour. Viktor and I also take some time to catch up and relive some of the good old days.

As humble as they come, and a talent ready to make a move into the top 10, Patrick Rooney's stock has without question risen of late. With a number of big wins and well fought battles against the best of the best, Patrick is on his way to contending in all the major events. Patrick gives an honest appraisal of his game. We also discuss the current squash calendar which is running thick and heavy, Malcolm Willstrop's tremendous influence on him as a person and a player, the significance of the British Nationals, and much more.

Thierry Lincou achieved every pro squash player's dream: reaching world #1 and hoisting the PSA World Championship trophy. A tremendous career that saw him play in the Power/Nicol era through to the Ashour/Elshorbagy era, Thierry is now the head coach for the MIT Engineers CSA men's team, and they're fresh off their best ever season. Thierry and I talk about the Engineer's recent season and his past 9 years as head coach. Obviously, being the gentlemen that he is, Thierry indulged the host's laundry list of questions about his golden years, and as expected, his responses were pure gold. Everything from playing Jonathan Power, making necessary adjustments to get to the next level, getting to world #1 and of course his final event as a pro, The Bluenose Classic, an event which he went on to win. Incredible chat with one of our game's greats.

Squash Stories, without question, is the largest, most knowledgeable and most eclectic collection of squash enthusiasts on social media. Jamie Maddox is the mastermind behind it all and it's always insightful and highly entertaining whenever we get the chance to catch up. Jamie and I take a deep dive on the PSA season up until now and on the growth of Squash Stories over the past few years.

The Oxford Properties Canadian Open kicks off on April 11th, and CEO of Calgary's Bow Valley Athletic Club, host club for the event, drops by to to chat about the event. The men's and women's events boast world class talent inclusive of several current and past Canadian national champions. Local interest is there as well in the women's event with reigning Canadian women's national champion Danielle Letourneau and two time men's national champion Andrew Schnell, both Calgary natives.

John White led the Drexel Dragons men's and women's squash teams to landmark seasons in 2022, with the women reaching the Howe Cup final and the men finishing 7th overall. John looks back at how all of this unfolded, and how he's evolved as a coach since 2007 when he began on the US College squash scene. We also take a trip down memory lane by looking back at his illustrious playing career which saw him reach world #1 in 2004. John also gives his take on today's pro game and how the game has changed in terms of officiating.

Always a great chat, Jon Sharpe, aka the String Doctor, makes a return visit to the pod and I highly recommend taking notes. Jon takes us through what we all need to know when it comes to stringing our rackets, and perhaps most interestingly, how we should prepare ourselves when we visit our local stringer. We also discuss some of the pro player tendencies including whether there's any truth to the story that The French General strings his rackets at 16lbs. We end the pod with a quick look at the latest PSA tour events.

2022 Windy City Open emcee and Squash Radio pod partner in crime Bill Buckingham (aka William Cunningham) makes his In Squash pod debut and does not disappoint. Bill breaks down his Windy City experience and we take a look at how the event played out as a whole. Bill also gives us his squash backstory along with how he stumbled into the emcee game. Great chat with Bill Buckingham.

With Harvard winning both the men's and women's CSA (College Squash Association) titles yet again within the last few few weeks, the release of Rob Dinerman's latest book, A History of Harvard Squash: The Mike Way Coaching Era, couldn't be more timely. Rob, as always, provides tremendous insight through meticulous detail and research which reveals the intriguing backstory behind Harvard's most recent squash success stories, and the General behind it all Mike Way. For anyone interested in purchasing the book, please do so via robdinerman.com or directly here: https://qnet.e-quantum2k.com/~millennium/Custom/HU161R/RETAIL/cgi-bin/qnet-your-catalog2.cgi?CCat=HU161R

There's a new kid in town on the Squash Youtube/podcast and analysis front, from the technical side to PSA player analysis to the squash mindset. Ahad's AR Performance Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/ARProformance) is well worth perusing. Ahad hit my radar with his first of two Mostafa Asal movement analysis videos, which he freely admits was a bit harsh in hindsight. The second is absolutely spot on and highly recommended viewing. Ahad and I talk about his unique squash backstory, our PSA 2022/23 forecast, Mostafa Asal's movement and the PSA ban, and much more.

There's not a more timely episode than this one. Eduardo Alvarez is a Toronto squash club owner and health club consultant who is leading the desperate call to action in an effort to grow the game of squash. Eduardo and I flesh out solutions to many of the serious concerns that he has about the state of the game today. Check out his vision for squash article on Squash Mad here: https://squashmad.com/growing-the-game/club-owner-eduardo-alvarez-has-a-vision-for-a-squash-revolution-make-the-game-public-visible-and-affordable/