Response to: Absence Of North American Men In The British Open Should Be A Concern
by Bob Hanscom
May 17, 2012 - Well...just perhaps and due to the fact that there are only four players on the North American continent ranked in the top 64 may have something to to with it, i.e. Julian Illingworth from the USA at #29; Shahier Razik of Canada at #34; Shawn DeLierre of Canada at #47; Arturo Salazar of Mexico at #57. And...only nine players in the top 100, just two of which (Julian Illingworth and Chris Gordon at #73) are from the United States!
Should we be surprised by these statistics!? Should we "be concerned? I truly think not! To be sure, due credit and congratulations to Julian and Chris for their dedication, hard work and sacrifice in achieving a PSA top 100 ranking, as it is and has been, without a doubt, a truly long and "tough row to hoe." These two guys are unusual...that's why there's only two of them!
But where are the rest of our "best" squash-players you ask? Well, especially in this economy, they're out there taking advantage of the expensive and time-consuming education they've received, hoping to earn a living as a "professional" in the field of their academic choice...that is if they can find a job!
No...I believe we all know that earning a living as a squash-player is (at best) a "labor of love." Even being among and for the top eight or sixteen ranked PSA players, earning enough to survive is a struggle. With the training, travel and personal expenses involved, it's really a wonder (in my mind) that so many of these obviously great talented and dedicated athletes continue to "hang in," pursuing their dream of becoming one of the highest ranked squash-players in the world.
Certainly in America, where (I believe) that 99 % of our talented junior squash-players - who've come up through the ranks, first learning the game at their local clubs, then for the majority, going to boarding schools with squash teams, progressing on to a varsity college or university intercollegiate career, turning "pro" would be and is a far-fetched and ambitious chore, especially if their goal is to earn a decent living.
No...although the intercollegiate squash system just may be the largest, best organized and most active individual and team squash program in the world, (32 men's teams and 30 women's teams - with nearly a thousand players involved) it does not provide the opportunity to and for players to compete on the world circuit. If one is to "play" and compete with the "best," one must train (on a daily basis) with the "best." And even then it's a challenge - and certainly no guarantee that the ladder to the top will be attained.
Full Thread
Back To Main
