www.ma-.org Fall 2006 MSRANewsMSRANewsMSRANews Squash Racquets Association Newsletter President’s Letter The smell of fresh baked apple pie A Clean Sweep at the Howe Cup! fills my house…I had to wait an hour for a by Kara Kardon frost delay on the golf course last Well, it just doesn’t get any better for Beantown women’s squash than the weekend…and the Red Sox are already sweep of the 2006 Howe Cup played October 19–22 at the Meadow Mill hibernating for the winter. Ahhh, it must Athletic Club in Baltimore! Not only did our A, B, and C teams emerge victorious, but be the beginning of another squash sea- our own Wendy Ansdell and Hope Prockop were awarded the Sportsmanship and son. In fact it is! As I write this letter, the Achievement MSRA league season is in its first week, awards respectively. with a full 74 teams poised for action. The tournament was This is always an exciting time for local run wonderfully by squash players as many of us work off our Baltimore hosts, the rust and get back to the sport we love. and a great time was Your MSRA board has been busy plan- had by everyone! ning another eventful year, and we hope All the women at the you all take advantage of all the squash tourney were green activities Massachusetts has to offer. with envy of the As you’ll see in this newsletter, the depth of the players squash U.S. Open once again returns to from Boston!! Many Boston November 13–16. This year it’s thanks to the MSRA Boston B Howe Cup Players (L–R): Szilvi Sombati, Meredith Johnson, bigger and better than ever, with a new for sponsoring all Wendy Irwin, Bry Roskoz, and Kara Kardon venue and virtually all the top players in five teams again this the world competing. Never before has year. Boston assembled this level of talent in 130 women from 10 cities participated in this year’s tournament, 25 of us from our fair city. To make this good news bet- Boston. Boston sent two C teams to Baltimore to compete, with C1 finishing first and ter, the MSRA has arranged for a 50% C2 finishing third. The C1 team included last-minute sub Beth Rasin (1), Beth Collins discount off all tickets for Monday, No- (2, UClub) Betsy Hargreaves (3, Maugus), Sabrina Davies (4, Maugus) and Lucy vember 13 as well as a 10% discount for Bradley (5, Maugus). The C1 team finished the weekend completely undefeated, but all other sessions. Details are in this is- nonetheless managed to create a sue. I hope you all get out to see and wonderfully tense final match on learn from the best. Sunday morning versus a strong In addition to supporting the pro tour- New Jersey team. Sabrina and Lucy naments, the MSRA is also supporting had won their matches and the two local players interested in representing Beths were defeated, leaving the Massachusetts on the national stage. As deciding match in Betsy’s hands. we’ve done for many years, we’re send- The knee brace Betsy wore as a ing five woman’s teams to compete in result of an injury sustained earlier the annual Howe Cup. I’m sure they’ll in the tourney gave some in the make us proud, as they always have in audience cause for concern. But the past. New this year is a men’s team Betsy managed to keep her win- competition being held in Hartford on De- ning streak alive in just three games, cember 8–10. Please let a board mem- using long drives to keep her de- ber know if you’re interested. termined opponent in the rear of In other exciting tournament news, the court. the MSRA, along with Head, is sponsor- Boston C2 was comprised of Peg Sestrich (1, Concord-Acton), Maria Mayorga ing our first-ever tournament Grand Prix, (2, CRFC), Bernadette Dixon (3, CRFC), Dominique Farinaux-Dumas (4, Concord-Acton,

(continued on page 2) (continued on page 6) MSRA Summer League won by Northeastern Huskies by Sam Magruder, Summer League Coordinator In their inaugural season, the Northeastern Huskies, led by Captain Michael Prince, won the 2006 MSRA summer league competition. The results were very close, in part because the top three teams each lost to one of the others. In week 3, Northeast- ern defeated the Harvard Club 4-1, with the sweep prevented by a 5-game victory by Bill Buker over Michael Prince. This match also featured the closest decision of the season, Steve Portela over Peter Papesch by 3-2. Three games were decided 15-14 and the other two by 15-13! In week 5, the Harvard Club visited the Boston Racquet Club, coming away with a 4-1 win, featuring strong performances by Adam Vartikar, Aaron Rosenthal and Moe Masoud. In week 8, Northeastern took on the BRC and lost 3-2. There were three 3-0 decisions, two of which went to the BRC (Josh Howland and Simon Shelley), and the other to the undefeated Huskies #1, Gifford Sommerkamp. The winning margin in the 8-6 win was recorded by Coalter Powers even while losing 3-2. Team Points % of points Won Huskies 33 73.3% Harvard Club 32 71.1% Boston Racquet Club 29 64.4% Boston Sports Club-Waltham 23 51.1% Cambridge Racquet-Silhouettes 19 47.5% Maugus Club 21 46.7% Tennis & Racquet Club 21 46.7% University Club 16 40.0% Union Boat Club 11 24.4% Cambridge Racquet-Butterflies 6 13.3% The 10-team league featured 96 players in at least one match. Noting the performance of the captains, Carl Cummings of the BRC played only once himself but organized a record 15 players for a default-free season. Merrill Martin also led his Maugus team to a default-free season, the only other team to accomplish this feat. The two Cambridge Racquet Club teams were almost perfect; Harold Helson’s Butterflies were unable to field a fourth player in Week 7, and Jay Rogers and the Silhouettes were perfect until the 9th week, when his number #1 got lost trying to find the Harvard Club. Bill Keevan did a good job for his Boston Sports Club-Waltham team in his first year as a captain. There were several notable performers among the players. Steven Portela of Northeastern was the only competitor in the League to record six wins, while playing 7 of the 9 weeks. At five wins were undefeated Gifford Sommerkamp and Tim Heneroty for Northeastern, and Bill Buker and Aaron Rosenthal of the Harvard Club. Captain Mark Cendron and Moe Masoud of the Harvard Club, Jeff Brown of T&R and Steve Neumeier of the University Club all went 4-0 for the summer. In part due to the leveling effect of the adjustable handicap system, the only other players with at least three wins to go undefeated were Simon Shelley from the Boston Racquet Club and Rich Schafer from the Maugus Club. President’s Letter (continued from page 2) with six tournaments lined up for your squash pleasure. Compete to win points in each event across 9 different divisions and see if you’ll be our first Grand Prix winner. There are lots of prizes up for grabs as well as the all-important bragging rights the winners will always have. Outside of tournaments, the MSRA has already held a free referee clinic this year, which by all accounts was educational for all who participated. Our thanks to Sharon Brady of the Harvard Club and MSRA board member Nat Lovell for putting this on. Continuing a benefit we started last year, we’ll also be offering free squash clinics this year hosted by the best of our local pros. Be sure to watch for these announcements and take advantage of a truly valuable member benefit. I mentioned in last year’s fall letter that the MSRA was working closely with the USSRA on refining their Rail Station software to make it suitable for our use. I’m happy to announce the enhancements are complete and Rail Station will be the engine where all our league and tournament match results are recorded. We’ve also sanctioned all MSRA leagues with the USSRA, which means all league matches count towards your local and national rating and rankings. You’ll be able to access all this fun and valuable information through our own web site (www.ma-squash.org) and track how you compare to your squash playing peers. Good luck. Seeing ratings and rankings calculated at the national level is, of course, nothing new for juniors, and that practice will continue. Tom Poor and his dedicated volunteers have again outdone themselves with plans for the upcoming season. For those of you (like me) who started playing squash later in life, I can only envy all the opportunities afforded our juniors. Best of luck to the juniors this season and we hope to see a few of you on the courts at a U.S. Open soon! —Eric Godes, MSRA President [email protected]

2 MSRANews Fall 2006 So You Want To Be a Referee? This season the MSRA is offering its members the chance to be assessed at two upcoming tournaments in Massachusetts (see page 4 for details). If you’re interested in refereeing or are already a certified referee and what to learn more, read on… Before you can be assessed, you should already be Club Referee certified. There are two ways to achieve a Club Referee certification: successful completion of a Referee Certification Clinic—these are usually held at National events and advertised on the USSRA website—or a self-test. The self test is available on the USSRA website. After completing the “open book” test, send the test to the USSRA for grading. The USSRA will inform you of the results. If you attain a grade of at least 80%, the USSRA issues a Club Referee certification credential. If you attempt the Club Referee test unsuccessfully twice, attendance at a Certification Clinic is required. Referee Upgrading After gaining initial certification and additional experience, upgrading is accomplished by being assessed while refereeing matches. An appropriate level Assessor observes every call and fills out a Referee Assessment Report while the match is in progress. Subsequently, the Assessor analyzes his/her observations, takes into account the number of decisions the candidate made, and the number of marginally incorrect or clearly incorrect calls made. Following each observed match, the Assessor summarizes his/her observations and recommendations in the candidate’s Upgrading Certification Booklet. A referee may make no more than 10 upgrade attempts at each level. Matches without sufficient decisions do not count as attempts, unless the candidate’s performance is unsatisfactory. Assessors record all attempts, whether they count or not. Upgrading to State Referee can be achieved by receiving a total of: · Three “pass” recommendations from two or more Certified Assessors, or · Five “pass” recommendations, including one or more from a certified Assessor and the remainder from at least two different National or Regional Referees. The level of the matches may be club, local team, or tournament competition involving players with a skill level above 5.0. The candidate must make at least ten correct decisions in each match and perform competently for the match results to count. Successfully completing the Referee Instructor course also results in State Referee certification. Upgrading to Regional Referee can be attained by receiv- ing a total of: · Three “pass” recommendations from two or more Certified Assessors, or · Five “pass” recommendations, including one or more from a Certified Assessor and the remainder from at least two different National Referees. The matches must be competitively equivalent to the quarterfinals of a major state or district championship or the early rounds of the U.S. National Championships. The candidate must make at least 15 correct decisions in each match and perform competently for the match results to count. Each Assessor must conduct an oral debriefing. Upgrading to National Referee can be achieved by receiv- ing a total of five “pass” recommendations from at least two Cer- tified Assessors. The matches must be competitively equivalent to those involving the top 20 U.S. men and top 10 U.S. women. The candidate must make at least 20 correct decisions in each match, including a sufficient number deemed “difficult” by the Assessor, and perform competently for it to count. A minimum of two of the matches must be “very difficult” (A+), with the remain- der of “moderately difficult” caliber (A). Each Assessor must con- duct an oral debriefing. To achieve International Referee status, a National Ref- eree must referee at least 15 matches at the international level, be nominated to the WSF by the USSRA, and be observed and assessed by top players. The athletes’ assessments are reviewed annually by an international panel of assessors, which makes the final decision. So there you go—it’s easy! This is, of course, a summa- rized version of what you will find on the USSRA website regard- ing refereeing. Another useful source of information is the WSF website If you are interested in refereeing and/or being assessed, please contact Nat Lovell at [email protected] or Wendy Ansdell at [email protected]. Fall 2006 MSRANews 3 New Faces at SquashBusters Nathalie Fontanez was originally part of the first team of SquashBusters that began in 1996. She returns this fall as our new Director of 6th Grade Squash. She is looking forward to reconnecting with the program, and teaching and working with a new generation of SquashBusters. Matt Mulder returns to the United States after six months abroad in Kenya, where he assisted in the startup of a school on a fellowship after graduating from Harvard University. He is looking for- ward to getting to know the new 6th graders in the program, planning their curriculum and service projects, as the Director of 6th Grade Academics & Community Service. Rana Suh joins the SquashBusters support staff as the Grant Writer & Communications Coordinator, after earning her Masters in Education from Harvard University. Previously, she worked with kids as a teacher, coach, and camp counselor. This fall, Rana will be writ- ing grants and working on the new website, as well as teaching an SSAT test preparation course for some of the program’s 8th graders. NUSEA Update The National Urban Squash Education Association has made the leap from its planning stages. Earning official non-profit status in April 2006, NUSEA’s vision is to serve thousands of urban kids New SquashBusters employees (L–R): Rana Suh, Matt Mulder, across America through squash, academic, and community enrich- ment. The association will serve as a teaching resource for member programs and startup efforts by providing direction and counsel on all operational aspects of various programs. This will ensure that programs are high quality and adhering to the mission of serving urban youth. NUSEA has been quite busy in its six-month existence: coming up with major criteria for becoming a NUSEA member program, choosing a Board of Directors, and determining the actions necessary to fulfill the mission of the organization. This fall, NUSEA will begin program accreditation of programs across the country. MSRA Rules Clinic Tournaments for by Nat Lovell, MSRA board member Former World #9 player and Harvard Club professional Referee Assessing Sharon Bradey hosted a large group of enthusiastic MSRA At the following two tournaments, assessors will be avail- leaguers at this year’s Rules Clinic at the Harvard Club on Octo- able for referees looking to upgrade their certification: ber 12. The Middlesex Bowl/Wheeler Cup After an introduc- November 17–19, 2006 tory lecture on the finer Concord-Acton Squash Club points of judging Lets Divisions: Open 5.5, 4.5, 3.5, 2.5 vs. Strokes, several of Women’s 3.5, 2.5 the attendees were called Open 50+, 60+, 70+ on to play demonstration games as the audience discussed and deter- The SquashBuster Open mined which rules to ap- February 2–4, 2007 ply. SquashBuster Center/Northeastern University Divisions : Open 5.5, 4.5, 3.5, 2.5 Many thanks to Women’s 3.5, 2.5 Sharon and all who at- Open 50+, 60+, 70+ tended and engaged in the lively discourse. Watch the MSRA Interested referees should contact Paul or Wendy Ansdell website at www.ma- to arrange their assessment details at: squash.org for informa- [email protected] tion about future rules clinics.

4 MSRANews Fall 2006 Stellar Main Draw Confirmed for 2006 U.S. Open ’s , World #1, Tops Field for 2006 U.S. Open Squash Championships BOSTON – October 18, 2006 – The 2006 U.S. Open Squash Championships has lured world number one, Amr Shabana of Egypt, to compete in this November 13-16 competition held in Boston’s Back Bay Events Center. Reserved seat tickets are now available by calling 877.524.5685 or by visitng www.usopensquash.com. As Australia’s world #2 ranked David Palmer, whose recent win at the World Open has put him within striking distance of the very hot Shabana, closes in on reclaiming the number one spot, a great tournament is ensured with the remaining top seven players: (#3, France); (#4, Austrailia); (#5, En- gland); Gregory Gaultier (#7, France); (#8, ); (#9, England); and John White (#10, ). Nine of the top-10 players in the world are confirmed for the 2006 U.S. Open in Boston (#6 of England has retired). Further bolstering the excitement will be the participation of Shabana’s fellow countrymen (#13) and (#14), as well as Malaysia’s (#16); Finland’s Olli Tuominen (#18); Canada’s Graham Ryding and Shahier Razik (#21 and #22, respectively); and the always competitive, Mark Chaloner (England, #35), among others. John Nimick, U.S. Open tournament chairman and president of Event Engine, explains, “First Super Series status and now the addition of the world’s number one player to the competition...truly, the draw for this year’s U.S. Open is beyond our expectations.” Main tournament sponsors to date include The Boston Racquet Club, Dover Rug Company, Dunlop, IXIS Asset Management Advisors Group, Shipyard Brewery, and WBUR. The United States Open Squash Championship title is owned by the United States Squash Racquets Association and licensed to Event Engine, Inc. The schedule of main draw matches at John Hancock Hall’s Back Bay Events Center is as follows: Monday, Nov. 13 Noon – 10:00 p.m. 2nd Round (2 sessions, noon & 6:00 p.m.) Tuesday, Nov. 14 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Quarterfinals Wednesday, Nov. 15 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Semifinals Thursday, Nov. 16 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. Championship Match Reserved seats tickets are available by calling 877-524-5685. E-mail [email protected] or visit www.usopensquash.com. Qualifying matches run November 10–12; visit the website for a compete schedule.

MSRANews Fall 2006 The MSRANews is published three times per year. MSRA, P.O. Box 51611 Boston, MA 02205-1611 PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION: PrintCentre, Inc. 4 Arlington Road, Needham, MA 02492 CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE: Paul Ansdell, Wendy Ansdell, Dominique Farinaux-Dumas, Eric Godes, Simon Graham, Kara Kardon, Nat Lovell, Sam Magruder, Tom Poor, Dan Reagan. MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION may be obtained from P.O. Box 51611, Boston, MA 02205-1611, or [email protected], or www.ma-squash.org. Comments or suggestions may be addressed to: Sarah Lemaire, Editor, MSRA News, [email protected].

Fall 2006 MSRANews 5 (continued on page 6) Howe Cup Sweep SquashBusters), and Catherine Kniker (5, Concord-Acton). Not only was the C2 team undefeated going into the semifinal on Sunday morning, but each player was undefeated entering the semifinal round. Was it the late-night poker game on Friday night (beware of Dominique’s poker face), or was it the “flugtag” at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and the crabs at Obricky’s on Saturday afternoon, or was it the combination of cosmopolitans and wine at the Kiss Café on Saturday night that resulted in the first loss for C2 in the semifinal round on Sunday morning at 9:00? We may never know, but what we do know is that the C2 team put New Jersey to the test early in the morning, giving Boston C1 a bit of an advantage when they met New Jersey in the final later that day. Congratulations to the 10 C players for outstanding play and sportsmanship! Szilvi Szombati (1, Maugus), Meredith Johnson (2, UClub), Kara Kardon (3, Concord-Acton), Bry Roskoz (4, UClub) and Wendy Irwin (5, UClub) ably represented the Boston B team. The B division is historically one of the tough- est for the Boston teams, but the B ladies were undefeated during the course of the weekend, both on the court and when facing a Hungary v. Wales tequila shot challenge. Boston defeated Philadelphia, Seattle, DC, and Baltimore to get to the final, facing the DC team again. First, Wendy was overpowered by her DC opponent, and Meredith lost in five game in a tense nail-biter. Subse- quently, Kara and Bry won their matches, assuring a climactic final match for Szilvi. Szilvi was down zero games to one in the second game of the match at 9-8 and picking up speed, as is her calling card. Her opponent from DC stopped in her tracks and fell to the court with an Achilles tear that stopped the match from proceeding. We congratulate Boston B for a superb effort and victory in Baltimore and hope for a speedy recovery for our new friend from DC. Boston sent 10 A players to the Howe Cup as well. Like their sisters in the C division, Boston’s A1 team finished first, and the A2 team finished third. The A1 team included Hope Prockop (1, Concord-Acton and the U.S. women’s world team), Margaret Elias (2, Harvard), Shona Kerr (3, Wesleyan coach), Wendy Ansdell (4, Concord-Acton), and Lilian Rosenthal (5, Harvard Club). After Hope dropped a match in the first round versus Philadelphia 2, this team never looked back. They defeated Connecticut, Baltimore, and Boston A2 decisively, not even dropping a game! They had to work harder in the final to Boston’s C2 team (L–R): Bernadette Dixon, Dominique Farinaux-Dumas, Catherine Kniker, Maria Mayorga, and win the Cup over Philadephia 2, but the outcome was never in doubt. Perhap Peg Sestrich they didn’t indulge in the cosmopolitans, wine, and tequila consumed by their B and C team compatriots. Congratulations! The A2 team included Orla O’Doherty (1, MIT coach), Sarah Coleman (a last-minute sub from Wash- ington, DC), Jeanne Blasberg (3, Harvard Club/USSRA), Susan Lawrence (4), and Susan Rafuse (5, Concord- Acton). In their first match, they tackled the eventual finalists—Philadelphia 1. Susan Rafuse won her match, but Susan Lawrence and Jeanne each lost tough five- gamers. Orla and Sarah had tough matches as well. If it had gone another way, there would have been an all- Boston Final!! Boston A2 next defeated the DC team, 4- 1, finishing second in their pool, which placed them in the semifinals against the winners of the other pool— Boston A1! We know how that turned out! But every- one had a great time. In the ¾ playoff, A2 players Jeanne Blasberg, Susan Lawrence, and Susan Rafuse pulled out wins to clinch third place.

Boston’s C1 team (L–R): Becky Rasin, Beth Collins, Betsy Hargreaves, Sabrina How could it get any better? They could choose Davies, and Lucy Bradley Boston to host the 2007 Howe Cup…What do you know? They have. See you next year.

Special thanks to Kara Kardon of Boston’s B team for providing this writeup on short notice.

6 MSRANews Fall 2006 Boston’s A2 team (L–R): Jeanne Blasberg, Orla O’Doherty, Susan Lawrence, Sarah Coleman, and Susan Rafuse

Boston’s A1 team (L–R): Wendy Ansdell, Hope Prockop, Shona Kerr, Margaret Elias, and Lilian Rosenthal

Fall 2006 MSRANews 7 8 MSRANews Fall 2006 MSRA Junior Committee A Preview of the 2006-07 Season The leaves are beginning to turn, signaling the return of squash season (among other things). Clinics at various locales have begun and the junior tournament season swings into full action in October. October also marks the beginning of many activities that have helped to build the MSRA Junior Program to its current prominent standing in the USSRA junior ranks. Some of the details are described below, but be sure to check the Juniors link on the MSRA website (www.ma-squash.org) for activities, updates and results. Entry forms for MSRA junior tournaments will be on the USSRA website (www.us-squash.org). U.S. Open and the Junior Open The world’s top professional men and women are coming to Boston in early November. An important part of the U.S. Open festivities is the second year of the New England Junior Open to be held at Harvard’s Murr Center, where many of the professional matches will be played. The junior participants will have the chance to watch pro matches on adjacent courts at the Murr while competing in their own age division events. There will be qualifying matches on Friday and Saturday, with 1st round matches on Sunday before the Open moves to its new venue @ the Back Bay Events Center (John Hancock Hall) for the balance of the tournament. In addition, MSRA juniors will be treated to a Junior Jam, an 80-person clinic on Friday with the pros. Tournaments This year’s schedule is posted on the USSRA website. MSRA-sanctioned and other national or regional tournaments are scheduled on virtually every weekend from late September to early April. Included are three Grand Prix events from which players will be chosen for Improvement and Sportsmanship awards from Black Knight. The sanctioned events count towards national rankings where MSRA juniors have been well represented. In addition to the New England Open, the MSRA Junior Committee this season will run three major tournaments: the Massachusetts Junior Open in January, the Frank Millet Championships (a USSRA selection event) and the Massachusetts State Championships in early March. Rankings MSRA rankings for the past five seasons are posted on the website. The 2005–2006 rankings are derived from the national rankings where four sanctioned events plus passage of the referees test are required. More information on rankings is available on the USSRA web site (www.us-squash.org). Virtually everyone who meets the requirements has a chance to be ranked, hence a national/MSRA ranking is always within reach. All tournament players are reminded that they must have passed the USSRA’s Level D Club Referee examination to be eligible. Junior League The Junior League will be held at the Murr Center again this year. This Sunday afternoon program from 2 to 5 PM has been so successful that six dates are scheduled for this new season. Scheduled dates are 10/22, 11/5, 12/10, 1/28, 2/11 and 4/1. The “league” is probably a misnomer since players are grouped into five “pods” based on ability and a round robin is then played with the 8-10 players in each pod. This format is intended to provide competition for players who aren’t necessarily tournament- oriented along with some instruction and commentary. All juniors are welcome and will be placed on teams by Azi Djazani, the League Co-ordinator. Exhibitions and Clinics Throughout the season the MSRA Junior Committee schedules exhibitions, usually when a world class professional is in town. These exhibitions usually include a clinic with attendees. Referee and coaching clinics are also scheduled during the season. Website The Juniors’ link on the MSRA web site will be the latest source of information on junior activities. The site will also feature pictures and results from events as well as articles. The MSRA Junior Committee can be contacted at [email protected] for further information. Newsletter The Junior Committee will publish articles, results, pictures, etc. to some extent in the MSRA newsletter but will not have a separate newsletter. The web site is a more efficient and time saving method of communication. We look forward to an exciting and rewarding season for junior squash, and we welcome all suggestions and comments. —MSRA Junior Committee ( Sharon Bradey, Mike Loucks, Libby McClintock, Gary Rubin, Azi Djazani, Chris Spahr, Jim Sullivan, Lenny Bernheimer, Chris Smith, Bill Nimmo, Tom Poor, Chair)

Fall 2006 MSRANews 9 Open 4.5 League Outlook Women’s 2.5 League by Dan Reagan, League Chair by Sarah Lemaire, League Chair Plenty of enthusiasm is evident within the 4.5 League as As the leaves start to turn and fall, we need to make sure we enter the new season. There will be 12 teams this year. We we have reasons not to get out the rakes—squash season is are happy to see that this year’s mix will include a returning starting! BSC-Allston team, after taking a season off. The Women’s 2.5 league is launching with seven teams. As is the case with all the flights between the 5.5 and 2.5, The Maugus Club is fielding only one team, and Tennis & there is always plenty of fluidity of players and team rosters, Racquet Club was unable to muster enough bodies for a team. and this year will be no exception. At the time of this writing, we Most of the captains are returning from last year, although know that at least 5 of last year’s top 10 ranked 4.5 players will long-time league player Eileen Murphy is taking over the reins not be returning. Three were graduated up/out (Jeff Carter, of the Harvard Club team from Kate Lowrie. Coleen Phillimore is Tariq Mohammed, Will Bigelow) and at least 2 others are trying hoping to lock down the “best party” team distinction early on their hand at the 5.5 level (Adam Bushashia, Matt Dunn). We , which shouldn’t be hard for those suburbanites suffering from wish these players good luck in the next level! In addition, we CASC summer league withdrawal. Concord-Acton will benefit know of some promising new/young 4.5 players, and hopefully from the addition of Elaine Apostildes this year. there will be some surprises… Bernadette Dixon is returning to the W2.5 league after a Of course, player and team roster fluidity means any- year-long stint in the W3.5 league. She must have remembered thing can happen in a new season. Concord, Union Boat, MIT, how much more fun we are! I’m sure the Cambridge Racquet BRC, Maugus-One, Andover, and University Club were the top captain, Maria Mayorga, is happy to have her back. I can’t teams last year. Will this group be as strong this year? Strong remember a time when Maria wasn’t the CRFC captain, but performers Concord, MIT, BRC, and Andover have each lost she’s always the most organized and competitive captain. top players. And we know there have been some changes or Kerry Wellington is captaining the Maugus Club team, efforts to make changes in all the other teams (T&R, Maugus- which on paper should be the strongest team in the league with Two, Harvard Club, and BSC-Waltham) so we will eagerly be three Howe Cuppers on their roster (Sabrina Davies, Betsy watching the early season’s results. Will the top 4.5 teams re- Hargreaves, and Lucy Bradley) and Nobles coach Deb Harrison. peat? Will George Steinbrenner fire Joe Torre? Yes, these are the perennial questions. Dominique Farinaux-Dumas struggled a bit to fill her ros- ter this fall, but we’re thrilled she was able to recruit a team. To This year’s match results will be posted on the USSRA’s play for a SquashBusters team, you have to volunteer at RailStation website, which can be accessed through the MSRA SquashBusters as well. Her teams are always competitive, and site. This should provide an extra benefit to players by having Melissa London has been practicing at CASC, gathering intel- their results entered into the national database, thereby provid- ligence on the competition. ing players with more accurate ratings and getting more players (than is currently the case) entered into the national rankings. Lisa Macalaster is returning with a University Club team, with Beth Collins, who came in last year as a strong #1. TonTon We have learned that getting all the results in early and Russell and Susan Mygatt are again sharing captain responsi- doing write-ups has a huge impact on the enthusiasm in the bilities for the club formerly known as HealthPoint. league, so the 4.5 captains have all committed to continuing this process. I look forward to a great year, and reserve February 6 for a league social. It should be another good 4.5 season! MSRA Night at the 2006 U.S. Open Monday, November 13, 6:00 p.m. The 2006 U.S. Open Squash Championships, November 13–16, has a dazzling new Back Bay location as it takes center stage at the John Hancock Hall in the Back Bay Events Center at the corner of Stuart and Berkeley Streets. The tournament has been elevated to a PSA Super Series Tour event, a first for Boston, and 9 out of the top 10 players have confirmed their commitment to compete for the title. Also competing is the hottest player in the game in newly installed world #13 and former two-time World Junior Champion Ramy Ashour from Egypt. The MSRA is thrilled to announce that we have negotiated a discount of 50% on all price tickets for the evening of Monday, November 13, as well as 10% discount on all other sessions. Kids & Family Day at the U.S. Open Sunday, November 12, 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. All the top seeds will be playing their first-round main draw matches at Harvard University’s Murr Center on Sunday, November 12. There will be lots of raffle prizes, racquets and t-shirts to win, as well as a chance to play on court with one of the top pros. Ticket prices are $10 for children and $15 for adults. Please visit the U.S. Open website at www.usopensquash.com for ticket options, or call Melissa Winstanley toll free at: 877.524.5685 for more information or to order your special discounted ticket. Please have your MSRA number available when ordering. 10 MSRANews Fall 2006 UNIVERSITY CLUB OPEN Dates: December 1-3, 2006 Place: University Club Contact: Nadeem Osman 426 Stuart St. 617-266-3233 Boston, MA 02116 [email protected]

Event: 5.5, 3.5, 2.5 Womens 3.5, 2.5 Times: Play begins at 5:00 on Friday Handicapped Hardball Doubles Cost: $40 for USSRA members $50 for non-members Deadline: Wednesday, November 22nd Entry Includes beer/Gatorade REGISTRATION

NAME: ______USSRA# ______ADDRESS: ______PHONE (H): ______(B) ______FLIGHT(S)______Release of liability: I hereby release, relieve, and forever discharge and agree to indemnify and hold harmless the University Club, their servants, agents, and employees from any claims and demands of any and every kind and character for injury to my person or damage to property as a result of my participation in the 2006 University Club Open, December 1-3.

Signed: ______Date: ______, 2006 Please return to: Nadeem Osman, 426 Stuart St, Boston, MA, 02116 Summers Cup Squash Singles Tournament December 1–3, 2006 Union Boat Club, 144 Chestnut St. Boston, MA 02108

Division: 4.5, 50+, 60+, 70+ Entry Fee: $40 for USSRA members, $50 for non-members. Please make check payable to Union Boat Club. Entry Deadline: Wednesday, November 22, 2006. Play: Tournament may start as early as 5:00 PM on Friday. Please plan accordingly. Start Times: UBC Pro Shop: 617.720.2252 or email [email protected] Extras: Complimentary Beer/Gatorade. T-shirts to all participants. Eye guards are mandatory for all players. Also, tournament director may combine divisions if there are less than four entrants for a particular division. Tournament Director: Preston Quick – UBC Squash Professional Entry Form 2006 Summers Cup December 1-3, 2006

Name: ______USSRA Number: ______Address: ______City/Zip: ______Phone - Home: ______Work: ______Cell: ______Email______

Division: Circle appropriate gender and division. 4.5, 50+. 60+, 70+ Current Ranking: ______Home Club: ______

I agree to hold Union Boat Club, their employees, agents, directors and officers harmless from any and all loss, claim, injury, damage, or liability sustained or incurred as a result of his or her participation in the Summers Cup.

Signature______

Fall 2006 MSRANews 11