February Newsletter

Hello everyone!

Welcome to February's Newsletter. We have some interesting things to cover this month but first of all we would like to thank all members for their patience whilst work has been completed on the Court lighting. We know courts have been in short supply so thank you for baring with us during this transformation period.

Remember January's internal Leagues have been extended to the end of February for everyone to get their games in. There were 14 new entrants and only one drop out due to work commitments, so the number of 6-player leagues was increased to 14. There are now 107 league players, which is a record number! Hopefully you are all having fun and improving your game by playing other members of similar standard albeit different styles.

Sunday Club night has been really popular recently which is great to see. We think it's best that when it is busy that members use their initiative and play shorter games or shorter points so that other members get some court time. On a couple of occasions I have noticed that some people hog the courts when it's busy and whilst there is no specific rule on this we ask that members respect each other and keep matches short when it's busy. Everyone wants court time and we understand that when you are on the court you want to make the most of it but remember, so does everyone else.

Lots of juniors and new members have been coming to Sunday Club night too which again is fantastic. Shout out to Fin Aimer and Billy Rivett who have been massively improving their Squash recently and had some great games on club night.

Hope you all have a great February and good luck with your Squash.

Scott

Meta-what??

So you’ve no doubt seen the posters for Meta-fit around the club, and you may have even taken a curious glance at all the commotion and noise on court 3 on a Monday night – then hurriedly looked away in dismissal!

‘Meta-fit’ sounds like something you might expect to endure during a hospital visit in some form of physiotherapy appointment. It’s hardly inviting sounding, that’s for sure... It also appears to be pretty gruelling when you’ve seen the state of some of the participants afterwards and it’s easy to think ‘not for me’. I know. I did the same.

Never one to turn down a freebie and despite being out of action for a few months beforehand with injuries, Sunday 13th January represented a great chance to give it a go. So I did! Before I tell you about it though, it has to be mentioned that the Meta-fit offering attracts 15-20 members per session over at our rivals at the Rugby Club, and they’re putting on extra classes to accommodate the demand! Now as the self-proclaimed no.1 venue for squash in the county, are we, the members not quite at the same level of enthusiasm and dedication for our sport as them over there? Surely not! Back to Meta-fit… Firstly, as I discovered, it’s only 30 minutes in duration and 10 of those are comprised of warm-up and cool-down periods! The 20 minutes in between are designed purely for squash fitness and to enhance that explosive power we need to survive and surpass our opponents during long rallies and tough competition. It’s a series of different activities in short bursts that work on the really important muscle groups - not to mention pure stamina. Is it tough..? Well it’s not easy but it’s so quick and varied throughout that it’s over before you know it. Plus, you only work to your own level (although you will push yourself harder when in a group – which is great!).

After 30 minutes we all had a good sweat on but all felt really good. The following hour on court felt fantastic too - fully warmed up, stretched and raring to go.

The club has been offering Meta-fit for quite some time now and we’re at risk of losing it entirely if a few more don’t get involved! Having done just that, I’m now converted and will definitely be joining in weekly. It’s nowhere near as bad as it looked! 30 minutes a week. Who’s up for giving it a go? (E-Team I expect a 100% attendance rate next session!!! : ) Come down next monday at 19.45 and see how much Metafit can improve your Squash.

Andy Lawrence

External Leagues

Div 3 leaders, Cup Contenders and best players club in Shropshire

Bold claims but all 6 teams are doing very well.
In league Div 3 we are leading and are in the finals series of the cup.

In Div 2 we have two strong teams and also have a chance at the cup.

In Div 1 we have the two teams both with a chance for a podium finish.

Fair to say while, we do not have all the top sports we are unlikely to have any relegation and may have to rethink number of div 2 teams. Wow fantastic effort from everyone involved.

In the Leagues the current tables look like this:

All teams are doing well and we currently are holding 4th and 5th in Division 1, 2nd and 5th in Division 2 and 1st and 6th in Division 3.

Andy Lawrence's E team had a tough match away to Lilleshall B this week. Some very close games and a few tough calls going in each team's favours at times. E team came together with great team spirit and support for each other on the night. Neil Manley's match was nail biting to watch as they went on last and a win either way would have secured victory for either team. It went to 2-2 and required some deep breaths and calm calculated squash from Neil to secure the win for E team. In the end Neil managed to keep his head and pulled off a great win to give Shrophire E a well deserved and hard fought win. Well done!

January Pizza & Prosecco Ladies Night roundup

The club welcomed 28 ladies to the second of these events. 10 of these players had either not played before or had only played a little, with a further 7 having played a bit more or in the past.

After an on court warm-up Shirl & Elaine provided coaching for the beginners whilst the others played fast paced "25 up" games. Meanwhile Tracy had the tricky task of placing 28 ladies into 5 equal teams of mixed ability.

After nearly everyone played 2 games, Janine's Squashems won by a close margin.

Prizes went to:

* everyone who brought a friend - chocolate

* winners of 25 up - chocolate

* the winning team - trophy & chocolate

* players who won both games - prosecco glass & chocolate

* players who won no games - winner medal & chocolate

It was a happy lively night with much music, pizza, prosecco and chatter. It was great to see so many ladies discover and rediscover their love of squash and we should see more of these ladies coming to other events including the Squash 101 and club nights.

Thanks also to Ben for sharing his wardrobe - the skorts and England Squash t-shirts went down a treat!

Squash 101!

Our first ever Social night for new members, guest beginners and league 10 or lower members is on this Friday 1st of February. The emphasis is on fun and this is your opportunity to try the worlds healthiest sport and mingle with other club members and guests in a mixed environment.

It all kicks off at 6pm with some squash and Racketball 101 coaching which is totally free. We will supply all equipment and the only thing needed is your energy level and non marking court shoes.

From 7pm you will get to practice your prowess against other players in some fun team based activities and will be be awarded with player points. Points mean prizes so turn up to get these towards the end of season party and presentation night.

Bring a friend, stay for the free buffet and plan your squash world domination at the bar afterwards. Places are limited so get your name down quick.

Contact Dan Aimer at: captain@shropshiresquashclub.co.uk or phone Andrew on 0788 949 4786

A signup sheet is also on the notice board at the club"

Spread the word and let your friends and colleagues know about this event.