DEVELOPMENT SQUASH CLINICS

For the last two years, I have been involved in teaching young achievers from Claremont Primary School to play squash. This year, 6 more schools in the Claremont/Lansdowne area have been invited to join the squash development programme. About 60 kids turned up to learn how to play from: Rosemead Primary School, Livingstone High School, Abbott’s College, Windsor High School and Islamia College Primary and High School.

The venue used was Villagers squash club. The children were split up into various groups where they participated in various activities at different exercise stations. Theses activities included: active stretches and warm, body strength (push ups, sit ups, skipping etc), shuttle runs, racquet skill games, as well as playing the game itself.

The weather was on our side, and the clinics were a tremendous success, thoroughly enjoyed by both learners and teachers. The two saturdays of clinic would not have been possible without the coaches and helpers. Thank you to you all.

We will look to include these children into our weekly squash programme starting the week of 15th March. This will eventually lead to matches being played on Fridays between the schools in the next terms. For those that show potential, we we look to groom them towards achieving Western Province colours in 2011.

MATCH vs NATALIE GRAINGER

SUNDAY 28TH FEBRUARY – FINALS
Opponent: Natalie Grainger
Country: USA
World Ranking: No.5
Result: Lost 3-1; 12/10 11/8 5/11 11/8

The task of playing one of the world’s best players may be a daunting one, but I’ve signed up to a be a professional squash player and that comes with the package. In fact, I should look forward to more encounters at this level, because it doesn’t get any easier, therefore it doesn’t help to wish it was so.

I wanted to last as long as possible on the court so I could feel the different pressures that come with each stage of a match. The first game was long and hard, where I stayed patient yet attacking, but didn’t open up the court at silly moments. You don’t want a player like Natalie to be in front of you regularly – that just spells trouble. It is harder to read what shot she will play. The second game was like the first, where I worked hard for the points, moved appropriately well to pick up her shots both short and deep. The third game was a real surprise for me, where the basic game of keeping her deep, moving her around, lead to openings where I could win rallies at the front of the court. Before I knew it, it was game to me.

In the fourth game, I started well and strong, and became a little aware than my effort were wearing my opponent down a little. After being 6-1 up, I made and unforced error to the front. I then started going short too early, which allowed her to get in front of me and it took the pressure off her slightly. A serve out caused me to become so focused on myself that I stopped enforcing my game plan effectively and I also stopped watching my opponent’s reaction to the game situation. I lost one point after the other and soon it was 7-6 to her. One long rally even out the score at 7-7, but by now she had recovered and a player of her caliber knows how to change the game to her favour.

She took the match. I was a disappointed with the way the last game turned out, but happy to see that I’m on the right track in efforts to take on the world’s best players, with the South African flag flying high.

KEITH GRAINGER UCT OPEN

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

FRIDAY 26th FEBRUARY
Opponent: B. Angileri
SA City: Port Elizabeth
Result: Won 3-0; 11/4 11/6 11/4

SATURDAY 27TH FEBRUARY – QUARTER FINALS
Opponent: C. Birch
SA City: Pretoria
Result: Won 3-0; 11/7 11/4 11/8

SATURDAY 27TH FEBRUARY – SEMI FINALS
Opponent: Milnay Louw
SA City: Cape Town
SA Ranking: No.2
Result: Won 3-2; 10/12 11/6 12/10 9/11 11/6

SUNDAY 28TH FEBRUARY – FINALS
Opponent: Natalie Grainger
Country: USA
World Ranking: No.5
Result: Lost 3-1; 12/10 11/8 5/11 11/8