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News Archives 2006

- Whitman H.S. Rag Talks on the Emergence of Squash

For the first time in Whitman history, students have a chance to participate in a Squash Club associated with the school.  Follow this link to read the full article.
 

-Bulls take on Pride whilst RIO faces Longhorns in Premier League

The third round of the $3000 Lyceum Premier league will be held at Potomac Squash Club this Sunday Dec 10, 2006 from 2-5pm. Sport and Health teams feature in two match ups, with the Bethesda Bulls taking on Potomac Pride, and RIO S&H taking on the Bethesda Longhorns. Full list of matches is:

  • Bethesda Bulls vs Potomac Pride
  • RIO vs Bethesda Longhorns
  • Results Lucky Charms vs Results Spicy Tuna

The second match features the Bethesda Longhorn’s visiting PSA challenger Taiwo Kuti who, like countryman Jude Odeh, is very quick and delights in giving the ball "a little nudge" every now and then! The round also includes the battle of the Result’s premier leaguers in their derby match up, and should also produce some great matches. Spectators are encouraged to come and watch and admission is free, so why not come along and support your local team.

-Sport and Health Inter-Club Varsity League (SIVL) Gains Momentum

Connie Barnes has provided us with the schedule for the 2006/07 Sport and Health Inter-Club Varsity League (SIVL).  No less than eight high schools, three middle schools and one conglomerate, playing under the Sport and Health banner, are participating in the SIVL which is being held at three Sport and Health Centers viz. Bethesda, RIO and Tenley. The schools and clubs participating this year are; Holton-Arms, Pyle, Landon, Maret, Whitman, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Sidwell, Wakefield, Westland,  and Woodberry. The league is in its third season of operation but has taken a jump in size and stature this year. The intensity and standard of competition is also steadily growing.  The competition runs from November 17 until February 23. The level of participation is a wonderful indicator of the vigor in the junior squash scene associated with the Sport and Health program,  which is being well supported by Sport and Health corporate management. Even with this level of growth, Barnes says she is still not satisifed, and that Sport and Health are in negotiations to add two more shools early in 2007. The SIVL participants are competing for school and individual awards which will be presented at the Sport and Health awards and celebration night which will be held on February 24 at a location to be announced shortly.

- AussieNick sponsors the Longhorns in $3000 Lyceum Premier League

AussieNick is the proud sponsor of the Bethesda Longhorns, who will compete in the $3000 Lyceum National Capital Premier League which starts this Saturday (Nov 18). Past champions, the Bethesda Bulls, will also be competing and are sponsored by Merrill Lynch. In a fabulous gesture of support for National Capital squash, local company Lyceum is providing $3000 worth of backing for the inaugural National Capital premier league season. A seven team competition will see battle over a spectacular perpetual trophy which is being purchased through the sponsorship package. Spokesman Norman Ireland indicated that Lyceum are thrilled to be supporting local squash through the Premier League initiative which was created this year by AussieNick's Rod Barnes in his role as NCSRA premier league coordinator. One of the aims of the revamped competition is to increase spectator participation at events which will see the best players in the area converging at the various clubs on a rotational basis. Clubs have been encouraged to provide a social aspect to the Premier league events, either through or after the squash. 

At Bethesda, Altius Financial Advisors have stepped up to the plate to assist with catering. Worldgate (Jan 20) and Bethesda (Mar 23) Sport and Health will be hosting events through the season.The competition is demonstrably the strongest National Capital league for a long time and perhaps ever. Sport and Health will have three of the seven teams in the competition, two from Bethesda and one from RIO. RIO patron Malcolm Jensen has to take a lot of the credit for nurturing the diminutive RIO club to such status that it can post a credible Premier League team.  The Lyceum National Capital Premier League season starts 2pm this Saturday at the Sports Club/LA. Spectators are encouraged to come watch the matches and join the players for social activities.

- Touring pros coming to Worldgate Sport and Health

In some very exciting news for Worldgate S&H Squash patrons, negotiations are underway to have downunder touring pros Mike Corren (PSA #38 in 2004) and Lisa Camilleri (WISPA #52 July 06)  basing at Worldgate Sport and Health for extended periods next year. Mike and Rod played squash in the 90's in Adelaide, Australia, and until recently Mike was based at Salt Lake City whilst playing tournaments in the US. He is currently recovering from injury in New Zealand, but plans to make his way to the States in the latter half of next year. Lisa plans to come to the US early next year for some WISPA tournaments. During her stay Lisa will be available for training hits at Worldgate and Bethesda and when available will play in the Lyceum Premier League for Bethesda.

- Latest Programming for Bethesda Squash Players

A guide to the latest in programming for Bethesda Squash Players.
 

- A Peak Performance an Article by Mike Corren, Touring Pro

Mike Corren is a PSA touring pro, currently recuperating from injury in New Zealand. Mike's world ranking peaked in 2004 at #38, but he has vowed to threaten that again next year when he returns to the circuit. With some luck we should see quite a bit of Mike in 2007 when he bases with Sport and Health to attack the US circuit later in the year. In the meantime enjoy his entertaining style and relive what he calls  "the single greatest performance by a sportsman over successive days". In this story Mike brings to life a week of squash that stays with many Australians who witnessed Rodney Martin overcome a supreme run of opposition players, including the mighty Khans, to win the 1991 World Championship. Whilst never dominating in the way Hunt or the Khans did through their respective eras Martin was nevertheless a great player whose extraordinarily quick hands could dispatch a devastating array of shots and bring a gallery to its feet.  Click here to read.

 

- Squash Coaching Opportunity:  Jude Odeh Lands Job!

Sport and Health Coach Jude Odeh has been named coach of the GWU men's team. During a visit to the University for SquashEmpower related coaching, Connie and Jude went to see the athletic director on SquashEmpower business, but some time later Jude walked out with a second job, coaching the men's team!! Having someone of Jude's calibre in their midst will be an enormous bonus for the boys of GWU, so don't be surprised to see their ranking climb this year.

- Tournament and Gala Events

Wrap up:  Well the tournament came and went as did the gala. Saturday night was the pinnacle, what a night - pictures attached of dinner room and the co-chairs!  Bigger, better and more successful than last year, this all assisted in helping the SquashEmpower wagon keep on rolling for another year....and for the kid's sake, let's hope there is many more years to come.  There was not much time to recover from the gala as the action re-started early on Sunday. The day was highlighted by two excellent five set finals in the Men's 5.5+ and 4.5 divisions. Match reports here.

Full photo spread can be found here.

8<--------------------------------------------->8

Deadlines for the the Sport and Health Extravaganza tournaments are approaching. If you have left it too late to mail your entry but want to play, please contact us at conniebarnes@aussienicksquash.com with details of your application.  Numbers are filling up well in many divisions, but because all centers are being used there is plenty of room left.

The Gala event looks like it will be a big success again. Only 20 or so tickets left so hurry on that one also! Plenty more room for the winetasting, $30/head is about the best bargain you will ever have for the extensive array of quality wines available.

Event Summaries:

ENTRY FORMS:

Softball Entry Form (Arlington, Regency, Worldgate, Bethesda, RIO)

Hardball Entry Form (Tenley)
 

-Feature Article by Gus Cook of Richmond on 10 years of PSA event promotion

The Richmond squash lovers community is very fortunate indeed to have PSA event entrepreneur Gus Cook in their midst. Gus is the secret behind the most successful tournament in the mid-Atlantic region, the Virginian Open. However the Virginian Open is not Gus's only success in tournament organization. Find out his fascinating story through this autobiographical expose of his time in the US.

 

- Sport and Health Junior Clinics Starting for Fall and Winter Sessions

Information on junior clinics and school squash clubs at Bethesda Sport and Health is now available. Go to the Bethesda Junior pages for more information or follow these links:

Junior Squash from beginners to Elite at Bethesda Sport and Health
Landon Junior Squash
Maret Junior Squash
Pyle Junior Squash
Westland Junior Squash
Whitman Junior Squash

- Play the Pro Events Scheduled for Sport and Health Clubs

In the lead up to the Sport and Health open tournaments at the end of September, a series of play the pro events are being offered free at all the centers. The first kicked off Saturday September 3 at Worldgate. Nearly 30 people turned up between 10am and 2pm to try their hand at toppling Rod Barnes in one game.  Rod SAYS he held off all challengers at Worldgate, but if they saw him latter that afternoon they would certainly be having the last laugh.  Four hours of continuous play took its toll, a long hot bath and a lot of lying around complaining was all he could manage that afternoon!

Tentative timetable for future events is:

RIO 10am-1pm Saturday September 9
Arlington weekday in Sept 11 TBA
Bethesda 10am-1pm Saturday 16 TBA
Regency 10am -1pm Sunday 17 TBA

- Open Tournaments, Functions, Auctions and More!
 

1. Gala Function

SquashEmpower held its fundraising weekend Sept. 24-25 last year, and those who were there have raved about the wonderful time they had. The weekend was enormously successful and funded the program through its first full year. Thanks went to the invaluable contributions of SE patron Chris Walker, former USSRA CEO Palmer Page, SE 'Volunteer of the Year' Hunt Richardson, and staff at the Embassy of Australia for making the weekend's events a wonderful success. Deputy Mayor Neil Albert was a guest of honor at the Gala and spoke  very supportively of the program and its goals. This year, we are holding it Sept. 30, once again at the Embassy of Australia. It promises to be a wonderful night! See www.squashempower.org for your invitation and details of corporate packages and auction contributor forms.

           2. Sport and Health Open Softball Tournament

As part of the extravaganza weekend, Sport and Health Clubs are planning a USSRA sanctioned Open Squash Tournament. The tournament promises to be unparalleled in the region incorporating five of the Sport and Health venues, Arlington, Regency, Worldgate, RIO and Bethesda. Go to the tournaments link at www.aussienicksquash.com for more details. Entry form available here.

 

3. Tenley Sport and Health Open Hardball Tournament

Last but by no means least SquashEmpower will be holding a hardball tournament at Tenley Sport and Health. This will be a USSRA sanctioned event with the profits from the weekend going entirely to the charity. Entry forms available August/September. Entry form available here.

 

            4. Play the Pro at Sports Club/LA with Chris Walker (ex World No 4)

 

- The inaugural newsletter for Sport and Health Squash and Racquetball programs available at this link. Features include: Meet the pro articles, story on former Egyptian squash champion Mohamed Awad who is conducting summer camps at Sport and Health, story on the US Men's selection event, Racquetball tournament at Lakeforest S&H and all the latest happenings with juniors and coaching.

-Planning for the running of a Premier league for the National Capital region has been in the making for about 6 months now. The Lyceum company has agreed to be the major sponsor for the league which is tipped to start in November 2006. Teams that have expressed interest include:  Bethesda, Meadow Mill (Baltimore), Pentagon, Potomac, Regency, Results, RIO and SC/LA. Teams have to organize their own sponsorship, with a minimum level of team shirts. The players will be playing to have their names on the Lyceum Cup which will be a substantial perpetual trophy. The  latest development has been a draft of the design for the advertising poster for the league. If you have suggestions to improve the poster please contact us.

-Julian Illingworth continued his impressive rise triumphing in the 2006 US Men’s selection event held at Worldgate S&H, enduring four sets (7,(2),2,1) and 70 minutes of punishing squash with Cincinnati’s Jamie Crombie. The brilliant final capped a financially successful weekend, which also gave a spiritual lift to the Washington area squash lovers who attended. The final figures are not in, but it appears the tournament netted several thousand dollars for its charity beneficiary SquashEmpower. DVD’s of the Illingworth v Crombie match are available on application from AussieNick. Proceeds go to SquashEmpower. Full report on the tournament available here.    Video Clip.

-The player list for the SquashEmpower US Men's Selection Event has been released. We are thrilled to have an extremely strong contingent of US players who will be participating at Worldgate Sport and Health from Thursday June 8 through Sunday June 11. Leading the line up is two-time and reigning US National's (Citizens only) champion Julian Illingworth. Julian was brilliant at the Nationals in March and swept all before him. The draw is very strong though and even unseeded players like Francis Odeh and Jack Wyant are capable of troubling the top players. Watch out for seeds 6 and 7, Ryan Donegan and Gilly Lane, who are great talents that are rapidly improving. Don't be surprised if they upset a few of the very top seeds and go all the way.

We are also mighty pleased to see that four local players have made the draw. They will find the competition hot, however it will be a great experience for them, especially High School Students Peter and Phil Sopher. Connie reckons Results' player Sean Doherty will pull out a big one over the week, so we look forward to that. The full player list is included here.

#1 Julian Illingworth
#2 Michael Puertas
#3 Jamie Crombie
#4 Christopher Gordon
#5 Richard Chin
#6 Ryan Donegan
#7 Gilly Lane
#8 Beau River
#9-16 (Unordered)
     Sean Doherty (local)
     John Fulham
     Jake Gross (local)
     Francis Odeh
     Mike Semprucci
     Peter Sopher (local),
     Phil Sopher (local)
     Jack Wyant

The draw is being constructed and will be posted here soon. Tickets still available for viewing matches, clinics and play the pro. Go to the US MENS SELECTION PAGE for instructions and details.

- There will be a Quanangle starting in late May for Sport and Health Players. So what is a Quanangle? It is not a widely used term, in fact some suggest it's use has previously been restricted to remote areas of Nigeria, but a Quanangle is actually when different clubs get together for a friendly tournament and social respite. The Quanangle will be played at Bethesda, Regency and Worldgate clubs. Details and application available here.

-Pilates can improve your squash game. Pilates on the Reformer will teach you stretching and strengthening sequences that can help you to:

*Add power to your swing
*Avoid injury and back pain
*Improve the accuracy of your swing
*Lengthen and strengthen your muscles
*Build core strength and stability

Join the Worldgate Demonstration Sessions:

Wednesday, May 17 from 5:30-6:00pm
Wednesday, May 17 from 6:00pm-6:30pm
Saturday, May 20 from 11:00-11:30am
Sunday, May 21 from 11:30-12:00pm
Wednesday, May 31 from 12:00-12:30pm

Contact: Tracey Downey at tdowney@shcorp.com

-Worldgate is starting to warm up. It is not just because it is spring, but the fact that the squash is starting to get hot again at the once leading club. When Worldgate put in its international spec courts a decade ago it became one of the regions' leading clubs. That slowly deteriorated with time, but it is all turning around again. Go to the blog for the full story.

-April 26 is "Hug an Australian Day" for the US, see http://www.aussieinamerica.com/advisory/day.htm or http://www.wellcat.com/april/hug_an_australian_day.htm for more details.   Rod and Connie will be available and are quite happy to assist you with your obligation.

-For the first time in its history, the prestigious US Men’s Squash Team Selection event will be held in the DC area. Sport and Health Management, ASTi and SquashEmpower have worked to secure the event for Worldgate S&H. From June 8 – 11, the best players in the US will be vying for a spot to represent their country internationally – this will be four days of some of the most exciting squash you will ever see.  Beside the top quality squash, many activities involving these brilliant players are planned including clinics for juniors and adults at RIO, Regency, Bethesda and Worldgate Sport & Health Clubs.  For information about ticketing and sponsorship packages go here. This is going to be a terrific week-end, be sure to join in the fun and support a very worthy cause. A raffle and auction will also be held for SquashEmpower.

- Check all the latest squash happenings at Worldgate March 2006. Worldgate Information Sheet 

- The UK RAF squash team are visiting the US for the first time in 20 years. On April 30th 2006 from 2-5pm, the best of Sport and Health will be playing the visiting team at Worldgate S&H. Several Sport and Health participants played the UK RAF team on their last visit 20 years ago! These matches will part of Worldgate World Squash Weekend and include various activities; handicap tournament, free coaching trials, reception to follow UK RAF matches.For details contact Connie.

- Suburban Maryland 2006 Junior Spring league is starting soon. Go to the Bethesda S&H juniors page and look under League for information and on-line applications.

- Former Nigerian #1 player and African Games bronze medalist Jude Odeh will be available for coaching for Sport and Health members. Jude's tremendous squash ability and  friendly and helpful disposition is a welcome addition to the Sport and Health team.

- Junior Spring Break and Summer Camps as well as Spring Clinic information is now available. Please go to the juniors page for more information.

- Connie has taken the position of Director for Racquet Sports for Sport and Health. First on the priority list is providing professional services at Worldgate. Initiatives will include, adult and junior programs, round robins, ladders, tournaments and quality coaching. Watch the AussieNick site for more details.

- Jeffery Wollstein of Squash Australia is one of the world's top squash coaches and educators. He will be providing us with information based on decades of research on various important squash topics. For instance what you should eat before and after squash matches, other nutrition, the mechanics of squash, anticipation etc. The first series of articles are available here.

- Holly Morris and the FOX5 morning news team did an expose of squash at Bethesda Sport and Health, Wednesday 4 January. In over 10 minutes of live footage which depicted Connie and several of her juniors doing some drills, Holly quizzed them on their views of various aspects of the game. The action is available on streaming video here.

-Massage Promotion at Bethesda S&H (21 Nov 2005)

15% discount Massage for First Time Clients Promo will last until December 2005. The Promo applies with Renato Javier (see below) and should be scheduled with him directly
(phone: 301 656 9570)

REGULAR PRICE:

1/2 Hour Massage : $45
1 Hour Massage : $70
1 1/2 Hour Massage :$110

MASSAGE PROMO PRICE:

$38.25
$59.50
$93.50

Massage Benefits:

- An increasing number of research studies show massage reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, increases blood circulation and lymph flow, relaxes muscles, improves range of motion, and increases endorphins ( enhancing medical treatment ). Although Therapeutic Massage does not increase muscle strength, it can stimulate weak, inactive muscle and thus, partially compensate for the lack of exercise and inactivity resulting from illness or injury. It also can hasten and lead to a more complete recovery from exercise or injury.


-Renato Javier, LMT, NCTMB

Currently working at the Bethesda Sport & Health Club as a Massage Therapist. His days are Sunday 11am - 7pm and Wednesday 11am - 8pm.
Studied Massage Therapy Program at Heritage Institute Falls Church VA, currently licensed and in good standing with the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, also a member of International Massage Association.

Check out October Clinics by Rod Barnes

-HEAD Racquets now available


-Record Team Participation in League

More evidence of a burgeoning Washington squash scene has surfaced, with participation in softball league hitting an all time high. With the introduction of Division 6 and a sustained participation in the other divisions a record total of 49 teams have entered this summer, seven more than ever before. Division 4 is the busiest with 12 teams, followed by Division 2 with nine. League play competes with early evening social play, and in some premier centers this has limited participation rates, however the numbers suggest the allure of league play is having its effect. In terms of clubs, Bethesda are the trailblazers with nine teams and Results the next most prolific with six. These graphs illustrate the exciting result for NCSRA league.

 

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AussieNick, a squash information center for adults and juniors based on the Potomac in the USA, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of squash players in the Washington DC, Suburban Virginia and Maryland regions. It was created to provide information about Junior and Adult squash, coaching, equipment, pro tips and more. AussieNick programs are associated with Sport and Heath squash courts at RIO (Rockville and Gaithersburg, Maryland), Tenley (North-West Washington DC), Bethesda, Regency (Mclean, Virginia), Arlington and Worldgate (Herndon and Reston areas, Virginia) Sport and Health Clubs.

 
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