Charlie Baker, John Bennett and Tony Crociata Honored As US Grand Masters
from US Squash
March 8, 2012 - Three new members to the U.S. SQUASH Grand Masters Honor Roll are being recognized at National Championships this spring, Charlie Baker, John Bennett and Tony Crociata. Baker and Tony were honored at the Saturday night dinner of the U.S. Century Squash Doubles Championships on February 25th. John Bennett will be recognized at the Hall of Fame inductions taking place at the Saturday night reception of the U.S. Masters Squash Championships, March 10th.
The honor, started in 2010, recognizes accomplishments in, and contributions to, the game of squash at the national level. Honorees have demonstrated unbounded enthusiasm, competitive spirit on the court, and great skill throughout their life in the game. They have exemplified the ideal qualities of sportsmanship, on-court success, and off-court leadership contributions, and have led the way and set the standard for a life and lifetime in squash.
Charles P. Baker
Charlie Baker’s name is synonymous with Main Line squash, more specifically, squash at the Merion Cricket Club. Charlie has served ably at the helm of the William White, which just celebrated it’s Diamond Anniversary, and the U.S. Hardball Singles Championships, which he has chaired for nearly 20 years since the conversion to softball. He has won several national championships himself, including two in the 80+ division of the U.S. Hardball Championships.
Aside from his contributions on and off the court, this graduate of the USMA at West Point is no stranger to other honors and awards. His company has received no fewer than 23 awards and honors over the last 3 decades, ranging from Outstanding Humanitarian Award, American Legion Employer of the Year, and along with his wife, the Main Line Today’s Men & Women of the Year.
He ran a small family business for approximately 30 years, then, rooted in he and his wife’s own search for an appropriate working environment for their epileptic, learning-disabled son, he and his wife started a company with two employees in 1980, which has grown to nearly 200 now. Workers for the successful nonprofit, Baker Industries, come from four groups of vulnerable adults: those with physical or emotional disabilities, those recovering from substance abuse, individuals on parole or probation, and the homeless.
John H. Bennett
John has been active contributor in the game for 45 years. As a player he has been State Champion in Utah, Colorado, and California. He has won District Championships in Intermountain and Pacific Coast. He was the 1983 55+ Softball National Champion. Including Hardball, Softball, and Doubles he has participated in over 60 National Championships.
As a promoter of the game, John has been actively involved in the growth of the game in Utah. He has served as President of the Utah Squash Association. In that role, he led the effort to have an exhibition court built at the Deseret Gymnasium with glass backed wall with seating for 150 patrons, allowing the club to bring the North American Open to Salt Lake City in 1980.
When the Deseret Gymnasium closed, John opened the Chancellor Racquets Club with two converted racquetball courts and operated it for nine years until he opened Squashworks in 1999. Squashworks is a squash-only facility with six international courts and has hosted 10 professional tournaments.
Anthony Crociata
Tony started playing squash in Detroit in his late 20’s at the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) and also at the Uptown Club where the local pro was Hashim Khan. Demonstrating his passion for squash, he later bought the DAC and worked with Hashim to bring recent British Champion, Sharif Khan, to the United States to become the Head Pro there.
Tony won the Detroit City Championships 6 times, and was a finalist 11 more times. In Chicago he won the Illinois State Doubles Open 3 times with 3 different partners. He won the US Nationals 55+ in 1986, and was a finalist the following year. He also won the Canadian Doubles Championships in the 50+ in 1984 and was a finalist the following year. Residing in Longwood, Florida, he play out of RDV Sportsplex, where he trained for the 2012 U.S. Century Doubles Championships, in which his team had a total age of 134.
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