Youth programs, a new league and regular tournaments have the Inuvik Squash Club busy heading into the down season of summer.
The club held a tournament May 19 and 20, with about 16 players involved in three tiers of play.
“Everything went well,” said Grant Convey, a coach in the club. “We had four beginners come out, which was great.”
One thing that didn’t go well, though, was a player getting an eye injury during a game. He was taken to the hospital, but thankfully the injury was not serious.
“It was a good reminder that the sport can be a bit dangerous, and certainly that afternoon playing in the tournament, everyone put their safety goggles on,” said Convey.
The rec centre provides safety goggles for anyone who needs them.
The club is going into the fourth week of its youth program next week, which sees youth in two age groups drop in on Tuesdays to learn the fundamentals of squash for an hour.
There are about 12 youth involved in the program overall, all 13 years old and younger.
“In squash, it can be difficult keeping between eight- and 10-year-olds busy on the court and keeping them safe at the same time,” said Convey. “That’s always a challenge for a coach – you want to get through all the kids equally, but in the hour it can be a bit of a handful sometimes. They’re pretty energetic.”
At that age, the goal is mostly learning hand-eye coordination and doing drills related to those fundamental skills.
“They can hold a racket, but it’s more getting their young bodies better used to hand-eye coordination drills,” said Convey.
To be able to hold an extended rally and be in control of the ball, students would need upwards of 10 coaching sessions, thinks Convey.
Squash demands ball control, he added.
“You work with the kids progressively, give them confidence. Some kids get it right away. They’re good little athletes. Some kids struggle being able to hit the ball altogether.”
The seven-week program is aimed to get more youth in the community involved in the sport, with the hope that squash continues to grow in Inuvik for years to come.
League nights are held on Wednesdays, with usually about eight to 10 players coming out, said Convey.
Friday drop-in sessions continue to be the group’s most popular day, as there’s less pressure than participating in a league.
The club is looking at holding one more tournament for the season in June. After that, play usually drops off until the fall.
“It’s also an indoor sport, and for a lot of people in the Arctic, they like to be outdoors in the summer,” said Convey.