REVERSE ANGLE

Squash ’s High Performance Newsletter Published by JAMIE HICKOX Performance Director

Email: [email protected] January 2017

Spotlight on our Athletes

PSA Success

Our athletes clocked up five PSA wins in the final quarter of 2016 along with many other notable performances. In recognition of this unprecedented success and excellent work we are highlighting our athletes, as well as their Primary Coaches.

Athlete result event Primary Coach

Sam Cornett (ON) winner 5k Sarnia, ON Jessica DiMauro (ON) (ON) winner 10k Vancouver, BC David Palmer (AUS/US) (AB) winner 10k London, ON Jonathan Hill (AB) Nick Sachvie (ON) winner 10k Minneapolis, US Chris Sachvie (ON) Nick Sachvie (ON) winner 5k Montreal, QC

Sam Cornett (ON) runner-up 15k , ON Jessica DiMauro (ON) Andrew Schnell (AB) runner-up 10k Cleveland, US Graeme Schnell (AB) Mike McCue (ON) runner-up 5k Niagara on the Lake, ON Andrew McDougall (ON) Mike McCue (ON) runner-up 10k Saskatoon, SK Mike McCue (ON) runner-up 10k Ottawa, ON (BC) runner-up 5k Virginia, US John Musto (US)

Shawn De Lierre (QC) and (SK) had a slow start to the season nursing injuries but both are back and ready for competition.

2016 World Women’s Team Champs

Named above, Hollie, Sam, Danielle and Nikki did an excellent job to meet their seeding by finishing 10th. With an 11th two years ago, the girls out performed an ever improving field. The Women’s World Team Champs again showcased how the depth and level continues to grow significantly. More in deeper dialogue.

2016 Pan American Champs

Tyler Osborne (ON) scored a huge upset in the men’s individual event beating number one seed and US number one, Todd Harrity (US) in the round of 16 to make the quarter final.

Squash Canada’s High Performance Newsletter January 2017 P a g e | 1

Team Canada

December, and for some early January, is an intense window for high performance junior players and certainly the time for peak performance. The Canadian Junior Open at White Oaks kicked of the string of four major junior tournaments. The US Junior Open followed the CJO with the British & Scottish Junior Open’s beginning in the New Year.

2016 Canadian Junior Open

With 283 entries, including 91 from 21 different nations, five Canadian winners at the 2016 CJO (up from 3 wins last year):

Akasham Rajagopaul (ON) boys U-19 winner Andrea Toth (BC) girls U-17 winner Abdelrahman Dweek (AB) boys U-15 winner James Flynn (ON) boys U-17 winner Salma Mounir (ON) girls U-13 winner

Other notable performances:

Brett Schille (AB) boys U-19 2nd Christian Yuen (BC) boys U-13 3rd Elliot Hunt (ON) boys U-17 2nd Emma Jinks (PEI) girls U-17 4th Lucia Bicknell (BC) girls U-15 2nd Sarah Cao (BC) girls U-15 4th Nikhil Ismail (ON) boys U-15 2nd Alexandra Brown (BC) girls U-13 4th Jacob Lin (BC) boys U-13 2nd Joseph Toth (BC) boys U-13 4th Grace Thomas (BC) girls U-19 3rd Ryan Picken (BC) boys U-19 5th Julien Gosset (ON) boys U-19 3rd Maya Mansoor (ON) girls U-13 5th George Crowne (ON) boys U-17 3rd Mohamad Kamal (AB) boys U-13 5th Jana Dweek (AB) girls U-13 3rd

2016 US Junior Open

A significantly tougher level tournament than the CJO, notable Canadian performances at the US Junior Open with 6 quarter final places, best finish was 2nd by Maria Min (BC).

Maria Min (BC) girls U-11 2nd Mike Mehl (AB) boys U-19 10th George Crowne (ON) boys U-17 5th James Flynn (ON) boys U-17 10th Salma Mounir (ON) girls U-13 6th Lucia Bicknell (BC) girls U-15 10th Ryan Picken (BC) boys U-19 7/8th Grace Thomas (BC) girls U-19 11/12th Andrea Toth (BC) girls U-17 7/8th Hannah Blatt (MB) girls U-19 11/12th Elliot Hunt (ON) boys U-17 7/8th Nicole Kendall (ON) girls U-19 13/16th Brett Schille (AB) boys U-19 9th Maya Mansoor (ON) girls U-13 13/16th Jacob Marrison (ON) boys U-11 9th

2017 British Junior Open

Team Canada had an unprecedented 24 entries for the 2017 BJO. Unprecedented success too with 6 top 16 finishers in a field which is essentially the best in the world. Unfortunately, top 8 contender Mike Mehl (AB) had to withdraw from the event but fellow Albertan/World Health player Abdelrahman Dweek (AB) more than made up the difference by finishing 4th, the only Canadian to reach the semifinals since 2009. Darosham Khan (ON) had an excellent run to finish 7th.

The following athletes competed at the 2017 BJO:

Abdelrahman Dweek (AB) boys U-15 4th Lucia Bicknell (BC) girls U-15 15th Darosham Khan (ON) boys U-17 7th Alexandra Brown (BC) girls U-13 18th Salaheldin Eltorgmen (ON) boys U-15 11th Brooke Herring (BC) girls U-17 19th Grace Thomas (BC) girls U-19 12th Cynthia Cao (BC) girls U-17 22nd Emma Jinks (PEI) girls U-17 13th Elliot Hunt (ON) boys U-17 22nd

Squash Canada’s High Performance Newsletter January 2017 P a g e | 2 Dylan Deverill (ON) boys U-15 23rd Sara Khan (ON) girls U-17 43rd Noel Heaton (AB) boys U-19 26th Amin Khan (ON) boys U-15 44th Sarah Cao (BC) girls U-15 28th Maaz Shah (ON) boys U-13 53rd Liam Jinks (PEI) boys U15 28th Ismael Matti (BC) boys U-19 60th Sydney Maxwell (ON) girls U-17 33rd Michael Greenwood (ON) withdrew 62nd Sam Scivier (BC) boys U-17 42nd James Flynn (ON) withdrew 63rd

Full results here: http://bjosquash.tumblr.com/draws2017 If you are planning to commit to the 2018 BJO please let us know.

2017 Scottish Junior Open

Squash BC did Canada proud as their athletes featured very well at the Scottish Junior Open with 4 reaching the finals:

Grace Thomas (BC) girls U-19 winner Sam Scivier (BC) boys U-17 runner-up Cynthia Cao (BC) girls U-17 runner-up Alexandra Brown (BC) girls U-13 runner-up

Full results here: http://www.scottishsquash.org/events/draws/

PanAm Senior Champs

US Squash hosted the 2016 Pan American Senior Championships from 18-24 September, 2016 at Trinity College. Team Canada members:

Men’s Team

Tyler Osborne (ON) Ahad Raza (ON) Blake Reinsen (AB)

Full results here: http://www.panamsquash.com/en/2016panams/

PSA in North/South America

Recent PSA tournament success outlined on page one has reflected positive movement for our players in the world ranking.

National Champ Hollie Naughton (ON) continues her rise on the PSA ladder making a career high of 42. Danielle Letourneau (AB) has also reached a career high of 52. The highest riser goes to Nicole Bunyan (BC) who has jumped 50 places in the last six months. With Sam Cornett (ON) on her way back Team Canada could see 5 girls in the PSA top 60 within six months. Only Egypt, England and Hong Kong can boast 6 or more in the 60’s: as of December 2016; Egypt-16, England-8, HK-6, Malaysia-4, Australia-5, France- 3, US/NZ/India-2.

Andrew Schnell (AB) remains our highest PSA ranked male player as of January 2017. Shawn De Lierre was plagued with injury but both Mike McCue (ON) and Nick Sachvie (ON) have firmly placed themselves in the top 100 PSA.

Female Male

42 Hollie Naughton (ON) 70 Andrew Schnell (AB) 52 Danielle Letourneau (AB) 81 Shawn De Lierre (QC) 54 Nikki Todd (SK) 89 Nicholas Sachvie (ON) 61 Sam Cornett (ON) 91 Mike McCue (ON) 77 Nicole Bunyan (BC) 139 David Baillargeon (QC) 110 Melina Turk (MB) 193 Albert Shoihet (ON) 158 Micaala Seth (ON) 218 Thomas King (SK) 182 Grace Thomas (BC) 252 Cameron Seth (ON) 200 Pooja Chugh (NWT) 253 Josh Hollings (ON) 202 Hannah Blatt (MB) 316 Brock Janzer (AB) Squash Canada’s High Performance Newsletter January 2017 P a g e | 3 407 Pranav Sharma 407 Owen Butler 430 Corey McCartney 422 Noel Heaton (AB) 362 David Mill (ON)

Featured Canadian PSA Events coming this quarter:

26-29 January M 10k Linear Logistics Bankers Hall Club Pro-Am, Calgary, Alberta 2-5 February W 10k Winnipeg Winter Club Women’s Open, Winnipeg, Manitoba 9-12 February M 25k Holtrand Open, Medicine Hat, Alberta 22-25 February M 5k Guilfoyle Financial PSA Squash Classic, Toronto, Ontario 23-26 February M 5k Mount Royal University Open, Calgary, Alberta 9-12 March W 10k Calgary CFO Consulting Services PSA Women’s Squash Week, Calgary, Alberta 23-26 March M 10k Manitoba Open, Winnipeg, Manitoba 28-31 March M 25k Montreal Open, Montreal, Quebec 19-22 April M 10k Northern Ontario Open, Sudbury, Ontario

‘We continue to appreciate those promoters, coaches, club members and volunteers who run PSA (and other) events and therefore contribute greatly to our Canadian HP system.’

If you are interested to host a Team Canada National Series Event for the 2017-2018 season please get in touch with us at [email protected]. You will see below as a part of our 2015 PanAm legacy fund we will be looking to set up a few of these events where Team Canada visits a region to compete, train and promote.

Andrew Schnell (AB) Amongst Olympic Medalists in Final Standings of the 2016 Commonwealth Cup

A fantastic new initiative from Commonwealth Games Canada, the Canada Commonwealth Cup offers athletes the opportunity to see how they stack up compared to top athletes in other Commonwealth sports, as well as a potential funding boost. Andrew Schnell (AB) finished 5th on the points table and earned himself $2750 bonus.

Canadian Commonwealth athletes and teams earned Canadian Commonwealth Cup “points” using their best results from up to 6 (six) major international events such as the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Cups and other competitions put forward as NSO approved competitions between January 1st and December 31st.

High Performance Strategic Planning

High Performance Investment Boost

Squash Canada has received a $165,000 funding boost to their high performance program. As a part of the 2015 PanAm Games legacy, Squash Canada was gifted the All-Glass singles/doubles court by the host committee and Sport Canada. Initial thoughts were to find a Canadian venue for the court with the hope and opportunity of on-going Softball Doubles training for our National athletes. There was interest but logistics kept this idea in the box. In the end, Sport Canada granted permission to sell the court and use the funds to support our High Performance programming. The funding will be allocated within the program in relatively equal instalments through the 2017 – 2021 period.

The proposed plan was reviewed by HP stakeholders, by the HPC and the Board before sending to Sport Canada for approval.

Squash Canada’s High Performance Newsletter January 2017 P a g e | 4 De-centralized Model

We have been moving toward a de-centralized approach to athlete training and support.

Key benefits; 1. Direct athlete funding support for coaching, training, travel to tournaments, PSA membership etc. 2. Squash Canada has enlisted 10 Primary Coaches to work closely with our National Athletes with their yearly training plans, guidance and monitoring. 3. Funding to help toward Targeted Training Stints at established training programs with high level sparring

Battle of the Border and Athlete Development Program (ADP) Camps – save the date

For those already planning their summer please be aware of the following dates for the 2017 Battle of the Border and our two Athlete Development Camps. We had 30 ADP junior athletes participate last summer. Tentative camp and Battle dates for next summer:

30-3 August ADP boys’ camp 4-6 August Battle of the Border 6-10 August ADP girls’ camp

Please let your relevant ADP Coaches know if you are interested in the BOTB or the ADP Camps or if you have any questions.

Athlete Development Program Coaches

We have now filled our 6 ADP Coaching positions. The following Coaches are a key part of our Athlete Development Pathway and have begun to lay the foundation of another layer of athlete support:

 Nicole Garon (ON) Athlete Development Program Coach U-17 Girls  Greg Hutner (ON) Athlete Development Program Coach U-17 Boys  Giselle Delgado (BC) Athlete Development Program Coach U-15 Girls  Victor Berg (BC) Athlete Development Program Coach U-15 Boys  Janet McLeod (NS) Athlete Development Program Coach U-13 Girls  Spider Jones (NWT) Athlete Development Program Coach U-13 Boys

Format Change for Open Event at Canadian Squash Championships;

In an effort to make matches more meaningful and competitive and to reduce the number of matches for those who reach the semis and finals so that the level of play in latter stages remains at its highest, a review of the Open Event at Nationals was conducted. The review was initiated partially after feedback from the athletes at our July National Camp. Athlete Director, Andrew McDougall and athlete reps, Sam Cornett (ON) and Mike McCue (ON) gave their thoughts and a new format for the Open draws will come into effect for the 2017 Nationals to be held at Mayfair Lakeshore 3-6 May, 2017.

Some key features include:  The main draw is capped at 16 players.  If more than 16 players register, a qualification round capped at 16 will be held to fill 4 qualifier spots. The qualifying round will be held the day prior to the start of the main draw (May 2).  Players in the qualification round who do not advance to the main draw will carry on in the Canadian Championship ‘A’ Category.  Play off all positions in the main draw from 1 to 16, with possible consequences for main draw in-tournament withdrawals, defaults or retirements  Earlier entry deadline of 45 days prior (March 19) in order to determine who qualifies for direct entry into the main draw, and who may need to make travel plans to arrive a day early for the qualifier.

National Team representative Mike McCue appreciates the initiative; ‘I'm very happy that SC has taken athlete feedback on board regarding the Nationals draw format! This will undoubtedly increase the prestige of competing in the "Open" draw and improve the quality of matches in the top 16.’

The new format/regulations are available here: http://squash.ca/sites/default/files/files/NewCdnChampionshipOpenRegulations_APPROVED.pdf

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Deeper Dialogue

Primary Coach

The importance of a Primary Coach (PC) role as created within the HP program may not be widely understood. Here is some perspective on the Primary Coach role:

 Your PC is the one person to have your back in all things squash and beyond.  With so much info out there and so many coaches and others offering advice, your PC is the one you come back to and discuss the merit of any ideas/thoughts offered by others.  Your PC is the one that will help you with planning. A Yearly Planning Instrument (YPI) is key to a seasonal/yearly overview of your training, your tournaments and your R&R.  Your PC should be up to speed in all things Squash Canada re policies, criteria and mandatory requirements if you are working toward a spot on Team Canada.  Your PC is likely the one to help with Strength and Conditioning, nutritional and mental training advice/direction.

Six months ago half of our High Performance and Transition Squad athletes did not have an identified Primary Coach. We have since rectified this and each of our 12 Squad athletes now have an identified Primary Coach on contract with Squash Canada.

The next step is to identify Primary coaches for each of our Athlete Development Program (ADP) Athletes and begin dialogue and a partnership with each of those coaches who are helping our ADP Athletes.

If you do not have a Primary Coach we highly recommend you look toward securing this type of relationship. Booking a ‘planning lesson’ with your club pro could be a way to initiate a partnership with a coach.

Women’s Worlds

There was a very strong community feeling that top 8 was possible and Coach Graeme Williams, Therapist Tim Marshall and especially the girls, Hollie, Sam, Danielle and Nikki showed us just how close we are.

Squash Canada’s High Performance Newsletter January 2017 P a g e | 6 It was no secret, the US match was key for a top 8 finish and the girls did well to set that up with a solid pool match against England and a good win over Wales. The setting was perfect for a Canadian v US win but it is hard to imagine the immense pressure placed on our 2nd and 3rd string players going into the match. Topping the pool is quite simply the difference between a top 8 finish or a nervy 9- 12 showdown.

We knew Hollie would put up a good fight but struggle against (which she did). This meant it was a must win for our 2 and 3 players going into the match. Sam had lost to Blatchford prior to worlds but was playing better each day. Danielle’s preparation and match readiness seemed spot on with a string of good wins leading into the event. Sam played superbly on the day to secure a 1-1 in matches’ situation. Unfortunately, the younger Sobhy sister, Sabrina, come out of the gates super-fast and strong and before we knew it Danielle was two love down. Danielle did well to steady herself and make a 1 game comeback but the tone of the match and the 4th game was in Sabrina’s favor.

The girls were understandably down after the US loss; so close. A tricky managerial job to get the energy and motivation back up for the next round of matches but the team reassessed with a 9th place finish as the new target. The girls did well to beat Japan and the Netherlands to reach their 10th place seeding. This is where it ended as the Indian team proved too good at 1 and 2 on the final day.

Projection – who will become our competitive number 1?

We have an exceptional group of female professionals whose main focus is squash performance. With Hollie, Nikki, Danielle and Sam at PSA 60 or better, the future of Canadian women’s squash is bright. Nicole Bunyan is not far behind and will help keep the others motivated and on their toes. Aside from Egypt/England, Canada has a comparable depth to any other nation. The key difference is top ranked number one player.

With such good depth for the foreseeable future, what Team Canada needs is that competitive number one player. We need one of our girls to achieve a ranking between PSA 5-12 so they can compete with, and on their day, beat any player. This person is likely to come from the existing group of 5 and if achieved will put Team Canada in with a chance of a top 4 finish.

Full story and results here: http://www.squashsite.co.uk/2016/wwt2016.htm

Here is an ‘either/or’ interview from our number one player Hollie Naughton (ON); http://framscorner.tumblr.com/post/155072227735/squash-eitheror-with-hollie-naughton

And here is insight into the struggles an injured athletes faces when on the sidelines and wondering if a return is even possible. From the heart and soul of Sam Cornett (ON): http://framscorner.tumblr.com/post/150123633140/sam-cornett-aking-injury-time-to-set-new- goals

Softball Doubles

The 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2015 Pan American Games showcased a whole new Softball Doubles outlook. For these major Games the WSF now mandates a 13” tin and a 27’ wide court. Seemingly minor changes but as a result the pro level Softball Doubles Game has been transformed into an exciting spectator sport. A SB Doubles exhibition match at the recent Men’s Team Championship on the 2015 PanAm Legacy courts as bestowed on the Moncton Squash Club will give you a good taste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seVtDNX5G2c&feature=youtu.be

Mostly, Softball Doubles is played the world over on a singles court with many clubs entertaining a doubles crew within their membership that exclusively play SB Doubles.

Squash Canada is brainstorming ways to integrate more Softball Doubles into our programming. An initial idea is to add an exhibition evening between interested provinces the day before Junior National begins. Unlikely for 2017 champs but look out for SB Doubles coming soon. There has also been discussion to align the Canada Winter Games to the Pan American Championships format where SB Doubles is featured. Once we achieve Olympic inclusion it is more than likely SB Doubles will become a medal opportunity.

A little dated but this article is still relevant, “What is to be done about Doubles?”

The buzzword ‘pathway’ is a common thread within sport and we have been strategizing our Softball Doubles pathway. At the international level, the goals are to medal at the 2017 WSF World SB Doubles Championship, and at major Games: 2018 Commonwealth and 2019 Pan Am Games where SB Doubles will feature and will be played on the newly added 27’ wide and 13” tin court dimension.

Squash Canada’s High Performance Newsletter January 2017 P a g e | 7 Canada has excellent singles players. With coaching and time together on a Softball Doubles court, Team Canada can pair up to create formidable doubles teams; two doubles Silver medals from the 2015 Pan Am Games a great example. There are opportunities to be had, medals to be won, and future entries to major games to be reaped. But it’s new, it costs money, and current budgets don’t seem to stretch far enough.

Almost more importantly, the 2017 World SB Doubles Championships are the pathway for any hope of earning a doubles entry in the 2018 Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast, AUS. In order for Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) to award a spot on the Canadian Team for a doubles team or two, a Top 5 placement must be achieved. Squash Canada were not allocated any entry by CGC for doubles teams at the 2014 Games.

And then the follow on year, the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru. Imagine how shiny the Canadian medals could be with a 3-year athlete preparation plan that would include training and this line-up of hardy competitions. Can we do it?! Our athletes need help. Read on to learn more…

Squash Canada Launches 2017-18 Road to Podium Campaign in Support of Athletes

Simply put, Squash Canada is one of the lower funded National Sport Organizations (NSO) out there which affects our ability to financially support our athletes. US squash supports their athletes to the tune of $40k a year. England, Egypt, India and HK are other great examples of NSO’s able to offer extensive athlete support. Top Malaysian players were on $80k before playing a tournament. Squash Canada does have the Athlete Assistance Program (AAP) but with only 4 cards available many are missing out on crucial support.

The Road to Podium campaign has allowed us to add a new tier of direct athlete support. Through the R2P funds we have been able to hire an army of Primary Coaches who are looking after the planning of our High Performance and Transition athletes. We have been able to offer direct funding to our athletes for training, travel and other expenses. The funding numbers cannot compare with other NSO’s just yet but the framework is there and with your help we are hoping to build.

Please consider donating now in direct support of our athletes: http://squash.ca/en/donate. Thank you!

Quarterly Updates and News

New era of collaboration between PSA and WSF

‘The Professional Squash Association (PSA) and World Squash Federation (WSF) have agreed in principle to adopt a new Memorandum of Understanding following the first meeting featuring newly-elected WSF President Jacques Fontaine (FRA) and PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough together with Chief Commercial Officer Tommy Berden.’

‘Ensuring the sport's successful integration into future Olympic Games, creating a centrally unified refereeing structure and expanding of the sport's commercial and broadcast arms are all elements which will be fundamental to the success of the partnership.’

Four Squash Players Receive Sport Canada Carding for 2017

The Government of Canada, via its Sport Canada directorate, has accepted Squash Canada’s nominations for ‘carding’ for 2017. Carding is a $1,500 monthly training and living allowance for the 2017 calendar year. Squash had a quota of four cards. Always tough to draw the line and there were many deserving athletes. Congratulations to Hollie Naughton (ON), Andrew Schnell (AB), Sam Cornett (ON) and Nikki Todd (SK).

2017 Canadian Team Championships

Held at the Squash Outaouais at Le Sportheque in Gatineau, QC, the Women’s results: http://squashcanada.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/draws.aspx?id=DBFFC029-FCEB-48B1-97F7-8CA4BCE62EB7

Squash Canada’s High Performance Newsletter January 2017 P a g e | 8 Held at the Moncton Squash Club, Moncton, NB, the men’s results: http://squashcanada.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/drawsheet.aspx?id=357BA3A3-223D-45B0-B521-96B0E89FAD4D&draw=2

Quebec wins both titles!

Squash Canada rolls out 2016-2021 Strategic Plan

See details and full plan here. Here’s a 1-page snapshot:

Wheelchair Squash

Former home of the Dutch Junior Open, the Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam has been home for Wheel Chair Tennis athletes for some time. Here is an amazing display of Wheelchair Squash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLDeOrlX_EM

Squash Selected for Inclusion in 2023 Canada Winter Games

The Canada Games Council announced the final sports and disciplines selected for the 2023 Canada Winter Games that will be hosted in Prince Edward Island (PEI). Read more here: http://squash.ca/en/news/2023-canada-winter-games-sports-selected

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Equal Prize Money at the British Open

The equal prize money movement gains momentum: http://squashsite.tumblr.com/post/154673088713/

Enjoy incredible shot making here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPliLiMwilM

Referee update

Canadian refereeing icon, Graham Waters retires: http://framscorner.tumblr.com/post/150467447455/legend-retiring-graham-waters- bids-farewell-to

Keeping up with the Refs: http://framscorner.tumblr.com/post/152175966070/keeping-up-with-the-refs-3

On-line Referee Certification

Have you taken the on-line referees certification? For $30 you could become a certified referee all from the comfort of your living room. Check it out on the Squash Canada website http://www.squash.ca/en/officiating-certification.

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