BOAST &SPIN THE SQUASH CLUB A YEAR IN ... - Chelsea Piers

Issue 1 • July 2013Jocelyn Lehman (GU17)Finished 5th atGold Nationals 2013The Squash ClubA Year inReview

CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH | 20132Dear Members:A note fromthe DirectorWe have enjoyed quite anamazing first season sinceopening our doors July 9, 2012.We thought that it would befun to revisit our first squashseason and showcase someof the experiences, events andextraordinary accomplishmentsof our members. We have alsoincluded information on upcomingsummer events leading into thefall and the beginning of our 2ndseason.Thank you for your support as weestablish ourselves as a leadingclub in the area. We look forwardto building an even more extensiveprogram and creating a fun, socialand active environment for playersof all ages and skill levels to enjoy.Natalie GraingerChelsea Piers Racquets DirectorBoast & Spin is a publicationof Chelsea Piers ConnecticutChelsea PiersTournament RoundupBy John BurkeIn addition to the success of our Singles Club Championship and Doubles MemberGuest Championship, the Squash Club at Chelsea Piers hosted a number of US Squashsanctioned junior and adult tournaments this past season. The Squash Club welcomedover 800 squash players from across the country for events including the ConnecticutJunior State Championships, the Bronze Junior Nationals and the US National Openand Masters Championships.The three-tiered junior tournament system employed by US Squash allowed us to caterto every level of squash enthusiast. It was exceptionally gratifying to host so manyparticipants associated with the local Urban Squash programs. Through squash andacademic tutoring these organizations help motivated and talented young people fromeconomically disadvantaged households fulfill their personal potential.Doubles Member Guest ChampionshipThe first official match was contestedbetween two Chelsea Piers members,William George (right) and MaxMandell (left), in our October JuniorBronze Tournament. William gained a3-0 victory.Our first doubles championship was well subscribed and many of our singles-onlysquash players enjoyed playing in the event. Perhaps they only entered for the gift — alovely blue and white striped Harrow shirt with the Chelsea Piers logo! The father-sonduo, Michael and Max (13 years old) Finkelstein, lost in the semi-finals to doublesspecialists Peer Pedersen and Guy Cipriano. The other semi-final was hotly contested.Partners Pug Winokur and Alec Arader, overcame a 2/1 and 14/10 match ball downdeficit to beat David Hang and John Pastel in a 5-game thriller.The final was scheduled a week later to accommodate the players changing schedulesand during that fateful week, Guy Cipriano tore his achilles in a practice game. In goodspirit, the two teams decided to play the final match when Guy is back in action. Theonly condition is that the final is played before the first round of the 2014 championship.

RecapInaugural Chelsea PiersClub ChampionshipsFebruary 1-3, 2013ABCThe inaugural Club Championships was incredibly wellDEFsupported, with nearly 70 members playing over the courseof the weekend of February 1-3. We ran 10 different drawscovering age categories from U11 to O55 to create moreopportunities for participation and to help us grow the eventin future years.GHIIn addition to the exciting and highly competitive matches, itwas wonderful to see our members make new connectionsand squash buddies. The Squash Club was especially proudof its first women’s O35 draw that was filled with 8 players— Go, Ladies!AThere was great action in the Men’s Open final. Gary Beesonwas relentless against a much younger opponent, AlexFThe Girls U15 Final between Emily Rose and EmmeLeonard was one of the highlights of the weekend. EmilyKamisher, winning in 4 hard games. Alex went on to win thenarrowly defeated Emme 11/8 in the 5th, with both girlsBoys U19 title!giving everything they had with a very high standard of play.BThe Women’s Open event was won by an in-form KayleyLeonard, who also won the Girls U19 title. She defeatedher fellow Greenwich Academy Varsity teammate, JocelynLehman for both titles.GESP training partners and friends, Ian Blatchford and MaxFinkelstein made it through to the Boys U15 final. Ianshowed up really focused and Max found it difficult to breakinto the match; Ian won in 3 excellent games.CAndrew Falcon whistled hard length and corkscrews in hismatch against David Hang and proved too strong to take theMen’s O35 title.HNina Mital (right) proved too strong for the Girls U11 drawand defeated Rachel Ong (left) for the title.DElizabeth Blatchford competed in a hard-fought matchagainst Katie Adams, who managed to fit her matches inIDavid Beeson (right) followed in his Dad’s footsteps anddefeated Walter Huftman (left) for the Boys U11 title.Ewhile also playing in a paddle tennis tournament that weekend.John Michaelson took down Sundar Mirchandani to claimthe Men’s O55 “Old Lions” Cup – Sundar played some ofhis best squash, but complained that there was no O70sdivision. If you rustle up an age-appropriate opponent for nextyear’s Club Championships, we will create an O70s divisionspecifically for you, Sundar!Our first Club Championshipswas a huge success.Thanks to all who participatedand congrats to the winners!2013 | CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH3

CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH | 20134JuniorSQUASHBy Natalie GraingerBack in March of 2012 I spent a lot of time mapping out myphilosophy of coaching and the blueprint for the Chelsea PiersJunior Squash Program. In order to do this I first had to work outwhat I value and believe in as a coach. I then had to implementthose values and beliefs into a structured program to deliver thisphilosophy to both recreational squash players and kids training tobe elite level juniors recruited for college or the U.S. National Team.My core values are enjoyment, growth, dedication, hard work,excellence, community, respect and fairness. Within these corevalues are a number of sub-categories, such as competition,challenge, learning, trust, creativity and inspiration.I believe that for children to stay motivated and continue to playa sport, they need to enjoy it. Once you have captured a child’sinterest and they have fun, they practice and play more often,concentrate and try harder, and are prepared to push themselvesphysically and mentally. This ultimately leads to improvement anddevelopment as a player, which consequently leads to success.Children love to succeed and this shows them how learning andhard work drives success and therefore further enjoyment as thechild discovers greater challenges.My role as the Director of Squash at Chelsea Piers was to createa positive playing and teaching environment that the players andcoaches want to be a part of. I strongly emphasize developingcertain basic fundamentals like correct grip, footwork patterns,competitive drive, strength and conditioning. However the mostimportant element of a child’s development is not solely in learningthe basics of the game, but in developing as individuals that reactpositively to failures, respect their fellow opponents, play fairly withpassion and grit, and get involved in the greater squash community.

Catherine Kimmel wins GU15 tournament in Surrey, England July 2013.HAVE YOU GOT ESP?In the second week of September 2012, we held our first EliteSquash Program. I remember that squad fondly: the kids all arrivingand meeting the coaches, some for the first time, but all the kids(or their parents) considered themselves elite level players. Well,we discovered quickly that meant that “Elite” = “can hit the ball onthe front wall.” Clearly my views of “elite” were slightly different andmy team quickly embarked on developing this motley crew of kidsinto skillful players.I think back to the dismay I felt when I saw my players unable todo simple drills like drive and boast, or feed each other in drop &drive target hitting, or volley more than 3 balls in a row with eachother. Learning ball control, footwork patterns and good swingthoughts are the key elements to becoming a great player, and weemphasize these techniques in every session. We have been greatlyrewarded, witnessing our kids morph into true ESP players, with theability to play alley games, complete rigorous ghosting sessions andexecute complicated drills such as: boast, drive, boast, x-court drive,drop, drive, volley-feed, volley drive, drive, boast!The kids in this program are a delight to work with. They have appliedthemselves and learned how to concentrate for longer periods oftime, keep the ball going and become creative and competitive duringconditioned games and matches. Most importantly we have fun andare grateful for the relationships we have built with the kids and theirfamilies.TOP GUNS ADVANCED (TGA)Olivia Blatchford started coaching this program of 4 kids, and itquickly developed into a program of 12 kids with a cult-like following!Cece Cortes joined Olivia in coaching this unique program thissemester, and the kids are going from strength-to-strength. TGA isthe breeding ground for ESP, and we have seen the benefits of Oliviaand Cece’s coaching and disciplined training with the kids pay off.Arjun and Will McLaren graduated to ESP this past semester andothers are eager to follow.To register for junior squash programs this fall, please call203.989.1600 or visit chelseapiersCT.com/squash.2013 | CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH5

PLAYER HighlightTraining Kayley Leonardfor the World JuniorChampionshipsCHELSEA PIERS SQUASH | 20136This summer, Chelsea Piers Squash Club member KayleyLeonard will be traveling to Poland to represent teamUSA at the World Junior Championships.She has been hard at work followinga training regimen set by ChelseaPiers Squash and BlueStreakSports Training. Sessions haveincluded strength, agility and mobilitywork, racquet technique, movementpatterns to improve her efficiency,ghosting and conditioning, solo, drilling,and match play.“I am very honored to be given the opportunity torepresent the United States in the 2013 WorldJunior Championships in Poland. I have devoted alot of time, effort, and dedication to improving mysquash game this past season, and am thrilled withthis wonderful opportunity. This could not have beenaccomplished without the help of Natalie, Cece and theChelsea Piers Team. Natalie has not only provided me with hervaluable coaching abilities, but she has also mentoredme in the squash process and has thoroughlyprepared me strategically and mentally to facethe top world junior players. My training bothon and off the court continues to be verysignificant to my development as a player.Over the past two months I have addressedmy areas of weakness and attended to thesespecific areas by creating focusedtraining programs with the help ofKayley’s proud parents Kieran and Brian with youngersiblings Emme and Brian.Natalie, Cece and the BlueStreak trainers. Natalie and Ihave been working hard to better my technique, and wehave already seen considerable improvement in my footworkand striking of the ball. Cece has helped me to create anorganized training program focused on improvingFollow Kayley andTeam USA at the WorldJunior Championshipsat Squashsite.co.uk.my strength, agility and speed. I am aware ofthe strides that I have taken throughoutthe past two months and I plan tofurther develop both technicaland tactical strategies that canbenefit my game and enhancemy performance at Worlds.”We are proud of Kayley’sefforts at the tail end of arigorous school year andwish her the best ofluck at Worlds!

PLAYER HighlightSilver National ChampionCaroline NeaveApril 12-14, 2013Caroline Neave (left) and HarbourWoodward (next to her in pink)both won Most Improved PlayerAwards from US Squash in theirrespective age divisions GU15 andGU13 at the Silver Nationals.We recently sat down with Silver National Champion, Caroline Neave, to talk about how shegot started in the sport. Caroline is 14 years old and lives in Harrison, NY. She started trainingat Chelsea Piers last summer when she attended summer camp. We immediately saw that shehad potential, a great work ethic and passion for the game. This season she steadily worked herway up the rankings and clinched the GU15 Silver Nationals Title. She also received the MostImproved Player award in her age group from US Squash. We are extremely proud of Caroline’sachievements and look forward to seeing her raise many more trophies!Where did you first see squash and one who helps me stay strong through mywhat prompted you to play? I was first matches because he put up a hard fight untilintroduced to squash by family friends the the end and always put his all into everything.Leonards. I would sometimes go watch themplay or hop on the court with one of them. In When did you first think that you couldthe winter of seventh grade, my friend asked excel at squash? Natalie, Supreet, and allif I was going to try out for the squash team, the pros at Chelsea Piers were so helpful;and I thought why not? I ended up trying out, I felt I was learning new skills every week.making the team and realized I really loved to That’s when I thought that if I kept workingplay squash.hard on the skills I needed to improve, I wouldget better.Have you played other sports and didit help your squash game? I have done How did you prepare for the US Juniorgymnastics, soccer and basketball. Currently, National Silver Championships and tellI play squash, lacrosse, and I dance. I feel that us about the final? I prepared by playing inlacrosse has helped me play squash because clinics at Chelsea Piers and playing gamesboth sports require hand-eye coordination with different people. The final was a littleand endurance.nerve racking, but fortunately I was able topull it out.You won the Most Improved Player Awardthis season. What do you enjoy most Were you nervous? I sure was! I was upabout the game? What inspires you to 2-0, 9-6 in the 3rd game but wasn’t able totrain hard? I love the whole idea of the game win that game. After, I was bummed outof squash. My cousin Charlie, who died on that I wasn’t able to win the 3rd game,December 2, 2012 at age 12, inspires me so I came out and lost the 4th game reallyto always give 110% of my effort. He is the badly. Once I got off the court, I realized Icould win if I came out quickly in the gameand let each point go that I lost. My opponentmade it very difficult to win because she wasa very good player.Do you have any goals for next season?Since I am aging up next season, I’m hopingto do well and win some silvers in GU17.I hope to keep improving on my game.Since we can’t play squash all the time,do you have other hobbies and interests?I play lacrosse on RYL for my town, on myschool team, and I am going to play onChargers which is a summer team (league).I do modern dance at the Rye School ofDance. Other than lacrosse and dance,I enjoy art and spending time with my familyand friends.Caroline Neave2013 | CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH7

RecapU.S. Junior Championships“Gold Nationals”March 15-17, 2013By Natalie GraingerThis year’s Gold Nationals, held at Yale University in March, waswithout a doubt the most impressive level of junior competition I haveever seen. Throughout the weekend I enjoyed watching the top USJuniors, including 15 Chelsea Piers ESP players, compete. I wasincredibly proud of all of our kids, not only in the way they played, butalso in the way they conducted themselves in stressful competition.Marina StefanoniJames WatsonThe Chelsea Piers ESP Players that competed at Nationals were:Kayley Leonard (GU19), James Watson (BU17), Jocelyn Lehman(GU17), Kate Feeley (GU17), Laura Watson (GU17), Emily Rose(GU15), Riya Mital (GU15), Emme Leonard (GU15), Ian Blatchford(BU13), Binney Huffman (GU13), Emma Carney (GU13), PatrickKeller (BU11), Tara Chugh TGA (GU11), Marina Stefanoni (GU11)and Nina Mital (GU11).Stand out performances came from James Watson, who had beenfollowing a training program improving his strength, footwork andbasic structure of his game. James played Derek Hsue from NJ, the#3 seed, in the finals. Both boys competed hard but fairly. James hada match ball at 10/9 in the 5th and went for a cross-court nick! Hejust missed and allowed Derek another chance, which he took to winthe final game 12/10. It was incredibly exciting!Nina Mital (left) and Marina Stefanoni (right).Marina Stefanoni and Nina Mital cruised to the finals of the GU11draw. Often training partners at ESP (nick-named “MaNina”); Marinaand Nina have well developed games and are incredibly quick. Ninahad maintained a winning record during the season over Marina,but Marina came to Nationals well prepared and played the mostmature game of squash to win the title 3-1. We expect many moreunbelievable matches from both girls over the course of their juniorcareers. Well played both of you!Jocelyn Lehman recorded her highest finish ever, #5 in theCHELSEA PIERS SQUASH | 20138GU17 and Kayley Leonard secured her spot on the USJunior team finishing 6th GU19. Ian Blatchford createda sensation when he beat Willy Ezratty in the finals ofthe JCT 2 weeks before Nationals, and their semi-finalmatch at Nationals was much anticipated! It was Willywho prevailed 3-1 and he went on to win the BU13title. Ian finished strong winning the 3/4 play-off.

RecapSquash Haven“Show Down”April 6, 2013Chelsea Piers fielded two teams at the 3rd Annual SquashHaven Show Down, held at Yale University on April 6, 2013.The event brought together 100 players — and quite a fewmore fans — from throughout the Northeast, and raised over$60,000.Special congratulations were given to the members of thetwo Chelsea Piers Teams, captained by Natalie Graingerand Michelangelo Bertocchi, who brought home thefundraising prize with over $11,000 in contributions.Squash Haven students spoke about their experiences withthe program at the awards ceremony. Osuman “Oosie”Imoro charmed the crowd with his story of climbing over200 ranking spots to place 12th at the BU15 Gold JuniorNationals this March. Cassidy Pagan spoke about being atwo-time undefeated spelling bee champion, and ninth gradeteam member Wengel Kifle spoke about her decision to goto Taft next year on a full scholarship — all incredible kids.Chelsea Piers and Chelsea Piers “Andiamo!” (“Come On”in Italian) competed in the final play-off round. “Andiamo”was ahead 4-3 when Natalie and Micke took to the court.The Show Stoppers Team took home theNatalie fought hard and leveled the match 4-4 and thecoveted trophy given by up-and-coming sculptorpair had to play one final sudden-death point to decide theand jewelry designer, Tommy Wolfe, theentire match – Micke got lucky! Thank you to Chelsea Pierstrophy was presented by Squash Haven Boardmembers for supporting Squash Haven. We had a wonderfulChairman and Chelsea Piers member, Pugday together!Winokur (right).Squash Haven provides individually directed academic enrichment and squash instruction to New Haven publicschool students in fifth grade through high school. Through intensive tuition-free academic and squash sessionsat Yale University, Squash Haven supports New Haven youth to achieve school success, physical fitness, athleticexcellence, and access to compelling academic and summer opportunities. Learn more at squashhaven.org.2013 | CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH9

Player highlightFrom Stamford to the European Team ChampionshipsMay 1-5, 2013 By Michelangelo BertocchiRepresenting Italy at the European Team Championships meant everything to me.There is nothing better than playing for your nation against the best squash playersin the world. This is the biggest honor and the pinnacle of achievement in your sport.Since arriving at Chelsea Piers in January I have worked really hardunder a lot of pressure. In order to be selected for Italy, I neededto see significant improvement in my game. Natalie Grainger andBlueStreak Director, Chris Zapata worked together to create aunique and synergistic training schedule that allowed me to take mygame to the next level. In March I won the 2013 Big Apple Open inNY, a result that showed the selection committee back home thatI was competitive. They granted me a place on the National Team.The Italian National Men’s and Women’s Teams.I left for Italy a week before the European Championships to spendsome time with my family and friends but also to see my CoachMarcus Berrett for some final polishing sessions on court beforethe team flew to the Championships in Amsterdam.The Europeans was by far the most outstanding week of squashI’ve ever experienced in my life. The vibe and atmosphere wereincredible and I was able to hang out with the best players in theworld. The tension competing for my team was unique and sodifferent than when you compete for yourself. Having the Italianflag behind the court gave my performances an extra boost. I wonagainst Scotland, Spain and Denmark and enjoyed sending DarylSelby from England, world ranked #13, the wrong way with anCHELSEA PIERS SQUASH | 201310incredible flick! The Italian Team finished #6 overall.Thanks to the staff at the Squash Club at Chelsea Piers andBlueStreak for making me competitive and my wonderful family forsupporting me.

Greenwich’s GraingerReclaims Squash TitleBy Martin B. Cassidy © 2013 Hearst Communications Inc.Bertocchi’s Training Regimenat BlueStreak Sports TrainingBy Chris Zapata, BlueStreak DirectorMicke’s goal was to make the Italian National Team. We atBlueStreak were able to help him reach his goal through ourscience-based, high-performance sports training. Micke trainedconsistently at least three times per week during 90-minutesessions. He was committed to getting better and achievedincredible results because of his dedication.Phase one of his training was to build strength and explosiveness.It was a little different for Micke because of his competitive squashbackground. His base fitness levels, strength and speed werealready developed, however he needed to be competitive withsome of the best players in the world. We introduced heavy lifting(squats and cleans), the Generation III Super Treadmill, plyometrics(hopping, jumping and bounding exercises that train fast-twitchmuscle fibers and nerves to activate for speed and power), andagility (change of direction, speed and cardio exercises).In phase two we focus on Micke’s speed and acceleration. Moreintensive agility and plyometrics routines were introduced, and thestrength he had gained from Phase 1 allowed him to go faster,higher and for longer periods of time. During the final phasewe added more circuit strength conditioning and removedall heavy lifting. We wanted Micke to feel weightless toreach his top speeds. The most crucial part to his trainingprogram was having a date to work towards and knowingwhat the goal was. Nothing deviated from that plan.BlueStreak is located in the North Rink.To book a training session, call 203.817.0900.As an avid crowd watched Sunday [March 10, 2013], NatalieGrainger and Amanda Sobhy battled to a 2-2 tie in a rematch of lastyear’s U.S. championship, before Grainger, the former top-rankedfemale player in the world, opened the decisive game with fiveunanswered points. Though Sobhy battled back, Grainger, 35, theracquets director at the Squash Club at Chelsea Piers, completedher upset, 11-7, in the last game, reclaiming her long-held title ofwomen’s national champion this weekend at the club.Last year, Sobhy, 19, who currently plays for Harvard University,dethroned Grainger, the champion at the annual tournament from2006 through 2011. “I think Natalie did a fantastic job of controllingthe pace of the game and then really going for her shots,” said BillUllman, a New York City resident who sometimes plays Grainger indoubles at Apawamis Club in Rye, N.Y. “I think this was definitely acase of the new guard meeting the old guard,” said Joe Dowling, aRiverside resident and spectator whose daughter plays with Sobhyat Harvard. Grainger said she mustered some extra savvy down thestretch to fend off Sobhy’s surge in the decidingmatch, and praised the younger player for herability and potential. “Amanda is just an incredibleplayer, so I knew what I was in for,” Grainger said.“…I had to call on all my experience because itdefinitely turned into what I was looking for, areal throw-down match.”More than 220 of the country’s bestprofessional and amateur squash players from26 states along with players from Canada, South Africa,and Barbados gathered to compete at the 2013 U.S.Masters Championship this weekend. In additionto the main men’s and women’s championshipmatches, participants competed in bracketsdividing competitors by age into divisions ofContinued on page 15.2013 | CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH11

RecapXodus 7 Continent Challenge Final MatchApril 20, 2013 By Cece CortesThe Xodus 7 Continent Challenge, held at Chelsea Piers on April20, 2013, celebrated the tremendous feat of two squash veterans,former world #1 Peter Nicol MBE and his close friend and formerworld #26, Tim Garner. The pair traveled over 40,000 miles in aneffort to play 7 squash matches on 7 continents in 7 days. ChelseaPiers hosted the final leg of their epic journey.The event brought together over two hundred members of theFairfield/Westchester squash community. Kids and adults alike hitthe courts in the afternoon to show their support for the sport’s 2020Olympic Bid. Later in the evening, doubles phenom Damien Mudge(World #1 Doubles & Head Pro at the University Club NY) partneredwith Nat Grainger to play a hardball doubles exhibition againstGreg MacArthur (Assistant Pro at Round Hill Club), and JacquesSwanepoel (Head Squash Coach of Columbia University). Thefoursome put on a show to rival the main event! Players and supportersall enjoyed the hardball match, and Damien’s incredible hard hittingand gifted racquet play left many observers with expressions of awe.The night concluded with the much-anticipated 7th global match ofthe week. Everybody settled into the bleachers and watched from thebalcony of the squash bar. With the overall global match score tiedat 3 matches a piece, we knew we were in for an awesome matchto decide the 7 Continent Challenge Champion. Peter and Tim didnot disappoint and delivered an intense five-game thriller that usedall corners and angles of the court. We could not turn away for amoment, what with the many tricks Nicol had apparently kept up hissleeve during his 60 months at #1.We had a wonderful time watching the squash community cometogether for this unique event, and hope to see more fun,unifying events come out of this region in the future. The eventCHELSEA PIERS SQUASH | 201312raised $1,500 for Peter and Tim’s charities, SOS Kit Aid andNatasha’s Steps Trust. Stay tuned for the 2020 Olympic Biddecision, which is expected in September!Peter Nicol MBE,Natalie Graingerand Tim Garner

2013 | CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH13

Summer Camp and Elite Training ProgramsThe Squash Club is home to the best summertraining and camp programs for squash players ofall ages and abilities. Join our fun and experiencedcoaching staff this summer! We still have a numberof weeks to go before the summer is over. OliviaBlatchford (US Team member) and John Burkerun outstanding Developmental Squash camp forour youngest athletes beginning at age 5 through14. The kids enjoy learning squash and discoveringother fun activities such as gymnastics, the SplashZone and Adventure Center during the recreationperiod. The Advanced Power Camps and EliteSummer Training for college players and pros runby Natalie, Supreet and Micke, with special guestpros Vikram Molholtra, Andres Vargas andAdam Bews, sets our summer program apart byoffering a unique training environment. The SquashClub is also offering a Racquets Academy Campthat allows players interested in both squash andtennis to take their games to the next level.Clockwise from lower left:Brian Mullen (Connecticut College),Pierson Broadwater (Horace Mann),William Douglas (off to Trinity),Kevin Bradicich (Brunswick),Lindsay Arader (Hamilton),Kindade Webster (Fordham).CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH | 201314Ryan Abraham and Adam BewsSummer Pro LeagueJune 12 - August 28, 2013 • Wednesday Nights at 7:00pmWith so many pros and college players showing up each week to play and enjoy dinnerin last season’s Pro League, we decided to continue the league this summer and it hasdoubled in size! The idea is to develop Wednesday night into an external league night in theFall for our members, with home & away matches against other area clubs. Pro League isfor pros and amateurs. Teams are organized so that everybody plays at their level.The Summer Pro League is a lot of fun and showcases some of the best pros in the area.Spectators are welcome to watch the action-packed matches. Interested players,please visit the Squash Desk or call 203.989.1600.

Continued from page 11.Greenwich’s Grainger Reclaims Squash Titlefive years, running from 30 to over 80 for men, and five brackets for womenfrom 35-and-over through 50-plus years.Since opening in July 2012, the club’s staff and facilities have quicklyearned national recognition, said Peter Lasusa, president of U.S. Squash.“This is a wonderful venue and one of the best in the world,” Lasusa said.“This event has been a huge success and the support of the staff has beenworld class and we’re looking forward to hosting many more events here.”Men in the 35-and-above age divisions ranged from former top-rankedprofessionals to devoted amateurs. Ed Burlingame, 78, of New Canaan, lostthe final in his bracket to Alistair Gowan of East Greenwich, R.I., in fourgames. Burlingame said he took up squash at the suggestion of his doctorwhen he was suffering insomnia and depression in his late 30s. After sixweeks, Burlingame returned to the doctor much more fit with an improvedoutlook. “I was working in New York City and not getting much exercise,”Burlingame said. “It was a major turning point in my life.”Liam Kenny, 35, a professional squash instructor who lives in Greenwich,beat Greg Martinez in his age bracket. Kenny retired from professionalcompetition three years ago after an injury, but like many high-calibersquash players from Australia, New Zealand and Europe, he has found workteaching the younger generation. “I was pretty driven to do well at this froman early age,” Kenny saidIn the men’s U.S. championship match, second-seeded Christopher Gordon,a 26-year-old who lives in Queens, N.Y., won three consecutive gamesagainst Gilly Lane, who on Saturday upset top-seeded Julian Illingworth,who was seeking to win the title for the eighth time. Gordon, who wasranked 58th in the world before the tournament, said he worked his entirechildhood toward the championship. “This is something I’ve dreamed of allmy life,” Gordon said. “It’s certainly a huge thing for my confidence.”Grainger said the club’s instructional program now has more than 270youths involved, and more high schools and colleges are creating teams,evidence the sport is moving in the direction of greater mainstreamacceptance. Grainger said, “It’s such a fun action-filled sport for little kidswho are evaluating what sports they like to play.”This article was excerpted from the Stamford Advocate.Step Up to the BarBy Alex Judge, Squash Bar ManagerOur first season has been terrific! We have hosted somegreat events and tournaments, highlighted by the USNationals and the 7 Continents Challenge. Combiningcompetitive play with enjoyment off the court, we havestarted to create an amazing squash community atChelsea Piers. I have met some wonderful people at theSquash Club and everyone has been very positive aboutthe club and what we are trying to accomplish. The gameitself is new to me, but I have already developed a greatappreciation for the sport and the skill and motivation ittakes to play at a high level. I have particularly enjoyedplaying in the Adult Round Robins organized for memberson Mondays and Thursdays 6.30pm - 8.30pm. GeorgeNecakov and John Michaelson have taught me a lot andcontinue to push me on the court.Although have been open just over one year, we havealready accomplished so much. The Squash Bar hasbeen improving since we first opened in March. We haveadded new furniture with tables outside on the balcony,and big screen TVs behind the bar and in the seating area.We now offer a food menu from the Overlook restaurant,along with a fully stocked bar with cocktails, beers andwine. When I accepted the position of bar manager, I hadto complete bartending school, so feel free to order anyunique or fun drink — I am ready for a challenge! I can alsoaccommodate private rental requests for birthdays andother celebrations.Summer Squash Bar HoursMon WED THUR6:30pm - 8:30pm 7:00pm - Close 6.30pm - 8.30pm2013 | CHELSEA PIERS SQUASH15

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