Think Spain, think Borja Golan…..think again! by Matt McFahn March 11, 2014 -
When you think of Spain and squash you probably think of world number
6, Borja Golan, and rightly so, he’s a world class player delivering
some fantastic results….but if you dig under the skin of Spanish squash
you’ll find an active and vibrant club environment delivering squash to
those who “discover” it.
Squash in Spain, like
many countries, receives only limited government support, this year I
understand it to be €85k, the management of Squash in Spain no doubt
does a great job with such limited resources but the life of the sport
is driven by committed and enthusiastic individuals with a love for the
sport, I suspect a familiar story in many countries with limited
resource.
One of these
committed individuals is Tino Casas, a quietly focused individual,
based in Salou, Catalunya, he operates a thriving squash
business. I met Tino a few months ago, I was looking for
somewhere to play whilst I was spending a short time in Spain, he
greeted me with his typically respectful style and negotiated a great
rate at the local club, Royal Tarrico for my temporary stay in the
area.
Over the coming weeks
I got to know Tino, he has an established relationship with three clubs
in Catalunya, travelling over an hour to one of these to deliver weekly
squash activity and coaching to an enthusiastic group of players.
This is the same in all three clubs, but the enthusiasm is frequently
driven by Tino, he spends many hours each day calling players, and
we’re not talking elite players, these are often regular club players
who turn up week in, week out, encouraging them to be at squash for the
next session or to remind them there is an annual squash diner after
the club session, you get the idea. Tino also uses technology to
help keep things vibrant, a Whatsapp group has been set up and only two
weeks ago he sent out a message to this group telling them there would
be two squash pro’s joining them for the evening session. When I
arrived, I couldn’t move for people I’d not seen for a few weeks and
the buzz of the evening was a joy to be a part of. Later in the
evening, one of the better players arrived saying he was looking
forward to getting on court with Borja and that as a great pro he was
always happy to spend time on court with all levels of player……Tino
gave me a smile and whispered to me he’d sent the message out without
saying the names of these pro players, the special guests were in fact
his 3 month old twins on their first ever visit to the club.
Marketing at its best…..and easiest!
Tino also provides
many training sessions for the Spanish junior squads, making the
regular trips to across Spain to provide the necessary training and
contact time players require to help them improve.
The final element of
Tino’s squash business is squash holidays. 12 years ago Tino had
been a pro player on the PSA circuit. Following a motorcycle
accident and whilst convalescing he had time to reflect and decide on
his future career plans. He decided he wanted to remain in the
squash world and went about setting up a squash business,
interestingly, using the non sport related name WorldEnjoyer, to
provide options away from squash as the business grows, and now
includes Padel Tennis camps.
It’s an interesting
business model, it’s simple, customer focused and takes advantage of
the fantastic heritage and climate Spain has to offer as a first class
holiday destination. The main block of squash holidays operate in
weekly blocks in July however, there are camps operating throughout the
year, mostly at weekends. Last weekend Valencia was the
destination and 25 people from all over Spain had a fun and informative
weekend on court.
This is the 11th year
of WorldEnjoyer Holidays. During this time Tino has slowly
developed the programme, offering a more sophisticated (or simplified,
depending on how you look at it) package. He tries to gain as
much information from the customer as possible, what you want to get
from the course, what level do you play, is your family coming, do you
want a bespoke package? This really is a squash holiday with a personal
touch.
Annually Tino also
invites professional players to the camps, present and past, the last
couple of years have seen both Gregory Gaultier and Simon Parke attend
the camps, get on court and train and play those on holiday.
So, when you next
think of squash and Spain, don’t just think of Borja, think of the
vibrant squash scene occurring across clubs in Spain, offering high
quality training and social opportunities. Like me, you
could of course visit Spain and enjoy the culture, climate of Spain and
friendliness of the Spanish people……and if you find yourself in Spain
and want to play squash, give Tino a call first, he’ll recommend a club
and coach for you, whatever part of Spain you find yourself visiting.
About the Author
Matt McFahn
is a English Level 4 Coach, he has worked for England Squash and
Racketball (then SRA) as National Development Manager and after a hip
resurface operation and a lay off of 7 years from the sport (aching
from the op), he is has spent the last year playing and coaching.
Currently livingin Spain, near Tarragona and enjoying playing and
coaching again!
