Let's Talk Squash - SUSPENDED

squashpro · Newbie Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 1

I am not trying to be nasty to a lot of players on the tour, but why is it so many average players training there hearts out and getting no where. Im not going to mention any names but these players are just not good enough. There are PSL games being played and i wouldnt pay a pound to watch it.

I have seen so many great juniors through the ranks which have never made it and could off been the best squash players engalnd have ever seen. Why dont the England coaches ever have the bottle to take these players on???? I can think of so many english players which could of made it big if they had the right forcus. Can anyone else name any???? my list is from my generation:

tom young
laurence delasaux
adam terheege
clinton gallard
ashley flathers
adam stevenson
toby mortimer

THE COACHES NEED TO GET SOME BOTTLE!!!!!!!!!!

u wont post this anyway as you dont like the truth.

Leviathan · Contributor Joined: 30 Jun 2007 Posts: 15

It's not just limited to English players. I actually (half) agree with you. I watched a $30,000 event last year. I watched the qualifying rounds as well and the difference between the top 6 seeds in the qualifying draw and the rest was an abyss. A couple of the matches were borderline embarrassing, a couple of the matches were no better than watching two club-players. Now, I do not expect every match to be a down-to-the-wire contests, but at the professional ranks I would expect a little tougher competition than what I witnessed.

I spoke to some of the players afterwards and some of them were dead serious about their squash and convinced that the pro squash tour was where they belonged even though they just had there rear-end handed to them. Others readily admitted that they knew they were out of their league but loved the sport and enjoyed the tournaments, the events, and the friendships. They just loved playing and wanted to see how far they could get.

I believe, that if the PSA are serious about their image, and the sport that they no longer can allow anyone Tom, Dick, or Harry onto the ranking. Some sort of minimal level must be achieved. Just because somebody sends in their money should not automatically get them a world ranking. One of the players in this event was ranked around 150 at the time - he shouldn't have been ranked 150 in the country, let alone the world. There should be some sort of qualification system that only allows players onto the tour that have achieved a certain standard. Much like the PGA golf tour. PGA tour cards are extremely difficult to aquire but it ensures that if you go and pay to watch an event, only the best of the best are playing.

Of course squash is too small a sport to do this, and there is no where near enough money, but watching a one-sided 10 minute drubbing is no fun for the players, or the fans and leaves the PSA looking like a Mickey-Mouse organization. For PSA, there is absolutely no difference between professional and amateur. They readily accept money from anyone and place them on the list. They have no interest in what level you play.
_________________
Squash is to die for

Squasher88 · Contributor Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 10

Anyone notice that random player (Joe Chapman) playing in the World Open?????? He isn't even a PSA player....this is a prime example of how unprofessional the PSA is.....there is absolutely NO justification for him being allowed to play, he was probably just a spectator who realized some openings in the qualifying draw and decided to step on court...but wait, according to his quote he knew he was entered in the event since 2 MONTHS ago!......he is not a WSF wildcard (he isn't a psa player) and he is not a local......"it's my dream to play in the world open next year", maybe i can make a deal with the organisers to let me in the draw!

bendi36 · Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:41 pm Post subject:

anyone is allowed to qualify. That is the point of qualifying, to find out who is good enough to play in the actual open. PSA or not it doesnt matter
_________________
If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite

Adam Hildred · Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:49 pm Post subject:

Maybe there should be some pre-qualification system where locals and really low ranked players fight it out for a few spots in the qualification stages for the main draw. It could be a couple of weeks before at local clubs.
_________________
Adam Hildred
PM me or something if you add me to MSN please!

Calsquasher · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:21 am Post subject:

Here's my two cents: Unless there's more money invested in young players, you're not going to see the quality go up. To be a successful pro at any sport, you need to train full time and have access to coaches, trainers, and equipment starting from a young age. Only a very select few players can afford to do this. Julian Illingworth, the top American, has made appeals on his website for financial assistance so he doesn't have to coach in order to make ends meet. Compare that to the LTA who paid $900,000 to Brad Gilbert to train Andy Murray starting 2 years ago. Unless you see that type of financial commitment in squash, you're going to see a lot of young, talented players fall by the wayside.
_________________
"Drive for show, drop for dough."

Leviathan · Contributor Joined: 30 Jun 2007 Posts: 15

canadianfiend · Newbie Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 3

Why are you picking on Joe Chapman? He is a fairly good junior and got a chance to play in the biggest event of the World. If you got a chance to play in that tournament, I am sure you would say yes in half a second...

nmc8 · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 6:31 am Post subject:

The World Open is the shop window for Squash. Probably other than the British Open it gets the highest profile outside the Squash only media.

As with many other 'minority sports' (from a media perspective) it needs to showcase it's self in the best possible light and by having a weak qualifying this does not help.

Look at Snooker for example. To get to the main draw of the world championships the top 16 automatically make it but everybody else has to qualify. It takes months for this to happen and maybe squash should have a series of tournaments that act as quasi qualifying rounds therefore we get players capable of winning at the last qualifying stages.

The sport at the mid to bottom range of the professional rankings can only improve if the incentive and level of competion is raised.

nmc8

mark · Prolific Contributor Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 66

HACKER

tom young
laurence delasaux
adam terheege
clinton gallard
ashley flathers
adam stevenson
toby mortimer

THE COACHES NEED TO GET SOME BOTTLE!!!!!!!!!!

I do agree with some of those although some did make it from the juniors into the seniors but couldn't make enough money so had to pack the game up as a profession (Adam Stevenson and Delasaux for example).

Others like Adam Terheege, who is probably the most naturally gifted squash player England has produced over the last decade just hadn't got the right temperament to make it as a professional squash player. This is a real shame as he has more talent in his little finger than soemone like Nick Matthew has in his whole body! Unfortunately coaches like David Campion were more interested in banning him from events instead of trying to work with him!

asdf · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:46 pm Post subject:

Why was he (Adam Terheege) being banned from events?

What does it mean to "get some bottle?"
_________________
Still keeping one principal object in view -
To preserve its symmetrical shape. -- Lewis Carroll

HACKER · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:14 am Post subject:

Let's just say his conduct on court left a bit to be desired!

th0mascricket · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:49 am Post subject:

Hacker, how good was Tom Young? Saw him play a couple of times in the NW leagues. Handy player, but was he all that? Heard on the grapevine he was very very good as a junior.

off the wall · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:32 pm Post subject:

Racket talent isn't all you need.

You need physical talent (athleticism if you like) and you need mental talent.

These guys you mention lacked one or other of these ingredients. Sure the weaknesses could be coached and improved, but not to the required levels. I think that most of these players will have worked with a number of coaches who tried to help them, but failed to get them to reach the potential that just looking at their racket skills might have indicated.

squashclub · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:55 pm Post subject:

Keep in mind, just a half level difference will result in a lopsided victory. It just take a minor difference in skill levels for one player to dominate the T while the weaker play chases the ball at all four corners at the court. . So while it seems the weaker player just picked up squash last week, the reality is much different..
_________________
My Squash Profile
" Squash racquet is like toothbrush, once you lend it to someone, you don't want it back" Hashim Khan

*hacker* · Newbie Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 7

squashaddict1234 · Newbie Joined: 15 Dec 2007 Posts: 7

What are you talking about, HACKER? Adam Terheege? He is a complete joke. He got beat 27-0 by Steve Townsend in a Warwickshire League match. With such talent, how could he not get one point off him? Steve was a fairly good player in his day, but now he is only average (sorry Steve). Lawrence Delasaux, I agree with, but the others don't really deserve a mention. I also have to ask, Hacker; what is you reasoning for suggesting that Adam Terheege is so greatly talented?

HACKER · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:55 am Post subject:

Yes that wasn't a great result i must admit but if Terheege trained hard for 6 months he would beat most players ranked outside the top 150.

HACKER · Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:56 am Post subject:

Don't know Tom Young but was meant to be one of the most talented players ever. Even made Terheege look average.

squasher · Newbie Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

tom young was good, what about brandon hanley and the other sussex juniors that won the national champs juniors with jordan sopp and daniel clark...any of them still play