Revisiting...the "Deprived!" by Nick-at-Will July 29, 2015
- Over the next ten months, (August 2015 - May 2016) there are 17 U.S.
Squash accredited junior squash tournaments of different levels being
hosted in the state of California. How many in Northern California
versus Southern California? Well...it's embarrassing! There are 13
events being held up north, only four down south...ALL at the same club!
Did you know that there are over 70 squash-courts in the Southern
California Squash Racquets Association district, from Santa Barbara
down to San Diego!? Those courts exist in 40 different clubs, schools
and/or university facilities. With these statistics, you would expect
there would be an abundance of tournaments scheduled...especially
junior ones! Unfortunately nothing could be further from the truth.
Okay...we'll have to excuse those clubs with only one, two or narrow
(18-1/2 foot wide) courts, of which, (of the 40 clubs), there are 25.
What about the other 15 clubs having three or four courts?
Unfortunately...no club in the So. Cal. Squash district has more than
four squash courts!
So...of those 15 clubs eligible to host U.S. Squash accredited
tournaments, (most importantly junior ones) how many have (in the past)
done so? To our knowledge, only five! They included: The Santa
Barbara Athletic Athletic Club; The Cate School (using SBAC); The Los
Angeles Athletic Club, San Diego Squash and the Renaisance ClubSport in
Aliso Viejo. What about the others? Of those, seven have three courts,
and one has four! Why are they not hosting at least one junior squash
tournament per season? Good question!
And now...only ONE of those clubs (San Diego Squash) is hosting
junior squash tournaments - and that's over a full ten-month period!
Where are these other seven clubs? 1) 24 Hour fitness in Glendale; 2)
24 Hour Fitness in Irvine; 3) The Claremont Club in Claremont; 4)
Claremont McKenna College in Claremont; 5) South End Racquet &
Health Club in Torrance; 6) Tri-Fit Club in Santa Monica; 7) Equinox
Sports Club in Irvine...which has four courts! Oh yes...one more to
add, as UCLA has recently converted two of their (many) racquetball
courts to squash...finally! And...the word is that they've hired a
former top ten international squash professional to promote, teach and
coach the game. That certainly IS good news for the area.
We think the best answer is...that of the eight above-mentioned
facilities, only four have professionals teaching and/or organizing
squash programs on a regular basis. Okay...that reduces the realistic
potential for hosting junior tournaments down to four. With two or more
squash-courts and thriving squash communities, why are they not hosting
junior tournaments?
As was mentioned in three previous DSR articles titled "America's
Deprived Junior Squash Players," Southern California is way behind the
rest of the country, not to mention compared with its neighbor Northern
California, which now has 13 junior events scheduled.
This situation makes it extremely difficult, inconvenient and very
expensive for the Southern California junior squash players to enter
events that would avail them of an opportunity to earn and establish
local, regional and national ratings and/or rankings - so that they
could be competitive with the rest of the country's juniors.
The sorry fact is...as of this date, (July 2015) only four junior
squash tournaments are scheduled on the U.S. Squash-tournament schedule
for Southern California through May of 2016, all four in San Diego! For
the sake of Southern California's junior squash-players and their
parents, let's hope additional events will be scheduled for our So.
Cal. "Deprived junior squash-players," sooner...rather than later!
FOOTNOTE: In July of 2007
(eight years ago) The west coast, (Los Angeles in particular), was far
behind the rest of the country in junior squash development. Of the
1400 plus nationally-ranked boys and girls under the age of 19, only 50
were from the west coast…and only two from greater Los Angeles. Have
things changed and/or improved? The answer is...yes, but not enough!
Today...eight years later, the statistics are as follows: There are now
1,580 boys and girls ranked nationally; 84 nationally ranked juniors in
the state of California, up by 34; and 32 ranked in Southern
California, up by 30 players! Is this a satisfactory number (compared
with the rest of the country) for EIGHT years!? We don't think so!
