SquashZAG

Today sees the unveiling of www.britishsquashgrandprix.com the official website of the ROWE British Grand Prix Squash Championships 2010 which will be staged from 15-20 September in Manchester, England.
 

Here is a sampling of a terrific blog by Alan Stapleton at www.SquashBall.co.za

"I hated Squash. A stupid game, played in a funny little building, with funny looking racquets and a rubber ball that doesn’t bounce.

CIMB Malaysian Open Squash Championships
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By Howard Harding

Nicol David and Mohd Azlan Iskandar kept hopes of a local double alive in the CIMB Malaysian Open after straight games quarter-final victories in their home country's biggest international squash event at The Curve Shopping Mall in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
 

Many coaching manuals refer to players having a game plan when they enter the court prior to the match. Well that’s all very well if you are familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent, but what if this is a friend of a friend, or a work colleague or club member that you haven’t encountered before? The answer, naturally, is to “feel them out”. That process of taking apart your opponent’s game and analysing it starts before you’ve even got on court.

(1) Keep eye on ball.

(2) Move quick to “T.”  [Center court position.]

Hashim Khan is the legendary squash champion who founded the Khan squash dynasty. He started as a ball boy at a British Army outpost near Peshawar in what  is now Pakistan. He went on to win the British Open, essentially the squash world championship, seven times, beginning in 1950 when he was already 35 years old. In  2002 he played in the Over-60 division of the British Open at the age of 87.

Crystallizing my feelings about the game, I find that squash is less frustrating than golf, less fickle than tennis. It is easier than badminton, cheaper than polo. It is better exercise than bowls, quicker than cricket, less boring than jogging, drier than swimming, safer than hang gliding.

Post College Sport: Join an athletic board (and here’s why)
By Sarah Odell
From www.Fairgamenews.com

Just a few months ago, it was hard to think of a time when I wouldn’t be going to school — and wouldn’t have a two-hour practice built into my day. But that time has come. I’ve graduated from college, landed my dream job at Harper Collins publishers in New York City, managed to find an apartment, and have even found time during the week to exercise.

This blog by the highly regarded Seth Godin really struck a chord with me when I reflected on my struggles to grow SquashZAG membership and interaction:

"A good preacher ought to be able to get 70% of the people who showed up on Sunday to make a donation.