Charlie's Story
Charlie Hoare | UK
My Dad was a professional squash player and introduced me to squash as soon as I could hold a racket. We hit together at all the clubs he coached and played at from the prestigious St George's Hill, Hurlingham and RAC to clubs that looked more like large sheds from the outside, most of which have long since been developed into housing estates.
I now play at the Bourne, which is the perfect balance of the two - down to earth and relaxed but with a long history of racket sports (it's in its 100th year) and home to some national champions in various age groups. I joined just over a year ago, after not playing competitive squash for about 15 years. I was soon playing the odd match at no. 5 for 2nd team, but after setting up some informal weekend training and drills with a couple of team mates I'm now seeded no. 1 for the summer season that has just started. But the best part is that the weekend training is starting to grow as people have heard about it. There's now 9 of us on the WhatsApp group who are like-minded enough to choose to start every weekend with some boast and drive!
Before the weekend training took off I used to do solo sessions early on a Saturday morning, and I'd use SquashSkills 'Test yourself' to help measure my progress as a way of motivating me to head to the courts on my own and giving a purpose to the sessions so I wouldn't get bored just trying to hit a length over and over again. Then once I'd found a couple of other people to join the weekend sessions we used some SquashSkills' 'Threes' suggestions - the rotating drives variations are firm favourites!
After 15 years off competitive squash I was fit but not squash fit. My core and leg strength needed some serious work for all the lunging that came as a big shock to the system. I needed a squash specific workout, so the Strength/Stability Circuits were perfect. By the time I started my second season my fitness became my biggest strength and I was beating people technically better than me because I had stamina. The strength exercises have also undoubtedly helped me stay injury free, touch wood, so I've been able to play continuously without any large gaps or set backs.
When I joined the Bourne and was introduced to Squash Levels (it didn't exist when I last played competitively!) I had a goal of 2,500 points in my head, which I reached at the beginning of this year. I'm now aiming for 3,000 by the end of the summer season. But my proudest moment has been encouraging my Dad (a former ex-professional) back on court after two hip replacements and a slipped disc. And also to introduce my own son (aged 4) to squash. He often comes with me at the weekend and has a hit with me after my training. On one occasion myself, my Dad and my son played together, three generations of squash players on court together.
Squash was such a big part of my childhood that it is more than just a sport to me. I even find the sound of squash strangely soothing. It's one of the only sports that is as humble as it is exclusive. In the Surrey League you can play a club match in a glorified shed with cans of beer from a cool box one week followed by a three course dinner and rubbing shoulders with some of the world's top players the next.
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