The Official eNewsletter of Squash BC 
Volume 3, Issue 2
February 18, 2016
In This Issue
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Hello, from Squash BC!

As we approach the last quarter of the Squash season, we want to wish everyone luck in the various league play offs and BC Closed events coming up. It's a culmination of all your hard work throughout the season so play your heart out!

We have lots of news and events to share with you. Probably the most exciting news this month comes from the owners of the River Club who announced that the club will stay open indefinitely. There was a consecutive sigh of relief followed by cheers that could be heard across the lower mainland following that announcement.

Squash BC is also excited for you to try out the new Squash BC portal on SportyHQ, where you can find your upcoming tournaments, rankings and match history all in one place. Also, don't forget to keep entering those games in SportyHQ to ensure your ranking points are as accurate as possible!

Launching the Junior Pathway

Squash BC is excited to announce the roll-out of the new Junior Pathway program which aims to attract younger squash players and keep them playing our great game for longer in an inclusive and fun environment. Designed to take youngsters from their introduction to squash, through to eventually competing in our Junior competitive events, the program has three stages and combines technical skill acquisition with cooperative or competitive play, depending on age and level. The 3 stages are:

Fundamentals - Ages 5-8 years old
Developing - Ages 7-11 years old
Progressive - Ages 9-12 or 13-16 years old

We encourage you to talk with your local squash pro about signing your child up for the appropriate level or scheduling an event in your area. You can also sign up for some of the upcoming events now:

Squash BC would also like to recognize ViaSport for the BC Sport Participation Grant to help launch the program, and Promosapien for supporting this initiative through corporate donations. If you would like to get your company involved in supporting the growth of junior squash, please contact the Squash BC office.

Upcoming Tournaments

2016 BC Closed Championships participation guidelines
There are two Closed events coming up within the next few weeks. What is a 'Closed' event, you ask? To participate, you must meet the following conditions:

Athletes must be members of Squash BC, AND
1) Must have physically resided in BC and maintained their primary address in BC for the 12 months preceding a Closed Championship, OR
2) Must be Canadian Citizens or have Permanent Resident status and must have a permanent address in BC.
If requested by Squash BC, proof of residency must be provided.

2016 BC Closed Championships presented by Nicola Wealth Management, February 24-28, 2016


Sign up for these events now!

King of the Courts 2016, March 1-5, 2016


2016 BC Doubles Championship, March 15-20, 2016

2016 Comox Valley Easter Bunny, March 17-20, 2016

Americas Masters Games, August 26 - September 4, 2016

Event Recaps

Pacific Coast Doubles Squash Championship 
The Pacific Coast Doubles Squash Championship was held in San Francisco, CA on January 28, 2016. The Pacific Coast tournament has been running since 1972 and has been a west coast fixture with a grand, storied tournament rotating between the cities of Vancouver, Portland, and San Francisco. This year, there were over 80 participants across 8 competitive classes. There was a strong showing from Vancouver with participants in Class A, Women's, Class B, 50+ and 60+ categories. One comment from Cathy Covernton that resonated for many players, "My feet hurt from playing lots of Squash and then touring the city by foot, taking in the beautiful sights of San Francisco".

Check out more event recaps from the PNW Junior event and Evergreen Squashes Cancer!

Regional Training Squads

As part of the targeted athlete program we have Regional Training Squads located around the province that train and compete on a regular basis. There were two Regional Training Squad sessions that took place the last weekend of January. The Coast Regional Training Squad was led by Andrew Lynn and Andrew Henderson, and the Interior Squad was led by Adam Terheege and Derek Carnell. Check out the detailed update about the growing interior squad on our website!

Rankings update

The Squash BC Board of Directors passed a policy change that pertains to the ranking system. The change states that to remain on the rankings, a player must play a match for points (i.e. challenge, tournament or league) once between the period of September 1 - December 31 and once between the period of January 1 - April 30. If at the end of either of these periods, a player doesn't record a match for points, the player will be removed from the rankings until they play a match. Once a player plays a qualified match, they will return immediately back to the rankings. This does not affect the status of a person's membership with Squash BC in any way. 

Member Benefits: Canadian Direct Insurance for Home, Auto and Travel Insurance!

A reminder to all of our members, that as a member a benefit you receive  up to a 10% discount and enhanced* coverage on your home, tenant, condominium and town-home insurance with Canadian Direct. For more information, go to www.canadiandirect.com/squashbc

*Comprehensive and Premier Policy forms only.
 
Signing up is simple and convenient:
  • For home and auto insurance, simply call 1.888.225.5234 or 604.699.3838 (lower mainland) and speak with a licensed Insurance Advisor.
  • Please self-identify that you are a member of the Squash BC group insurance program to ensure you get the best coverage and rates
  • For Travel insurance, you can get a quote online here www.canadiandirect.com/squashbc
If you have any questions about home, auto or travel insurance 
please call Canadian Direct Insurance at 1.888.225.5234 or email  [email protected]

For more information visit: http://www.canadiandirect.com/SquashBC/
Upcoming Courses, Clinics & Events

Singles Officiating certification is available through the online course offered by Squash Canada. It's a great way to get more comfortable with the rules and the calls. It can be taken entirely online, at your own pace.  Click here to take the Online Squash Officials Course . Once you complete the course, you are a certified "Club" official (previously referred to as D). 

The Squash BC Calendar if full of events for adults, juniors, singles and doubles. Be sure to check out the Calendar here
 
DISCLAIMER
You have received this email because you are a Squash BC member or you have subscribed to receive news updates from Squash BC. If you have a question, comment or concern, please write to us via email at [email protected].

Jordan Abney, 
Executive Director
Squash BC