Re-Visiting: The Unfair Playing Field or East versus West
by Nick-At-Will

photo Nick-at-Will

September 18, 2017

At a recent U.S. Squash junior JCT event, there were a total of 357 players registered to play, with 280 of them making the "cut." Of these 280 players, 244 were from the eastern region of the country, with only 36 from the western region making it ! Why so!? Well again...if a junior squash-player can't (for whatever reason) attend a school back east competing in high-school team-league play, (earning them junior ranking points) they shouldn't expect to make the "cut" in JCT...or even Gold events! Should ranking points earned in high-school team-league play be used in/for ranking/seeding players in "open" and accredited U.S. Squash junior tournaments? We don't think so, as that certainly contributes to an "Unfair Playing Field." What's the answer!? Perhaps U.S. Squash could re-evaluate the system of awarding ranking points to those players playing in high-school team-league play...to those same players entering junior "open" tournaments...creating a more "Fair Playing Field."