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Holiday Musings from SquashTalk's Publisher:

2001 --- Year in Reviewael Grinham smothers Nicol

SquashTalk Looks Back at 2001© 2001 SquashTalk.com
by Ron Beck (Ron Beck is the editor of SquashTalk and spent five years on the WPSA pro tour)

Happy Holidays to all you frequent or occasional readers of SquashTalk. You now number close to 100,000 visitors a month!

A Great Bunch of Contributors
All the quality content on SquashTalk is due to a great bunch of contributors, who each are committed to and knowledgeable about the game of squash. At this time of year, when we each gather to enjoy our friends and think about the new year --- I'd like to personally thank all the SquashTalk contributors.

I'd like to thank Martin Bronstein, our lead journalist, out of London, for his dedication, unflagging views, commitment, and creativity. Martin has been supportive of our activities in countless ways. Also Colin McQuillan (London) and Elspeth Burnside (Edinburgh), fellow UK journalists, who have generously covered key tournaments with midnight (and later) reports. And, bravely venturing into the world of softball squash, Rob Dinerman (New York) has been a key contributor in recent months, providing both insight into current squash competition as well as his own unique and valuable historical retrospectives. Sarah Fitz-Gerald, who is plenty busy training and competing, has been dedicated in providing WISPA event reports, even after she (infrequently!) loses. Pro Chris Walker has tried his hand, providing as his first effort some interesting perspectives from the Qatar event. Edel Costigan from Dublin has provided some great pro reporting, from her refreshingly direct point of view. K. M Boopathy, excellent sports journalist from Malaysia, has allowed us to use several of his stories. Also I'd like to thank Howard Harding, the WSF press officer, who without fail provides the daily official reports of scores and events, too numerous for any outfit like ourselves to personally cover. Freelancer Jim Zug has also provided some historical vignettes positively received by our readers. Blair Richardson and Bill Summers provided great personal accounts as part of Princeton 100.

On the graphical side, I can't possibly express the value that Debra Tessier (NJ) has brought to the website, both with her fresh photography but especially with her constant graphical ideas and moral support. Also, Vaughn Winchell, a great sports photographer, who unselfishly provides coverage of squash events when he can, when he could be earning larger paychecks those days by covering other, larger sporting events; Fritz Borchert (UK) who also provides some great pro photo coverage and from Penang Malaysia, Ho Kah Ye, (who I've never met) produced some great photos of the World Junior Women's event. And also Steve Cubbins, of SquashPlayer who provided the Michelle Quibell Junior British Open photo and Andrew Shelley of WISPA who always provide great shots of the WISPA promotional tours.

SquashTalk has also had some invaluable behind-the-scenes backers. Paul Walters, Dunlop's Squash Czar, has offered ideas, support, and endless energy. Arnie Berman, HiTec USA's head, has also given ongoing support and ideas. Arif Sarfraz, a great friend in London, has helped in collecting important Pakistani Squash archival materials. And I'd like to also thank a number of people in the world of squash who have recently given us encouragement to keep going ... people like Craig Brand at the USSRA, college coaches Satinder Bajwa, Dave Talbott, Paul Assaiante, and Bob Callahan, and readers worldwide who have given us feedback, ideas, and critiques from time to time (keep that mail coming!

At our eStore, I'd like to thank Joanne Ward, who's never played a game of squash in her life, but has learned many of your names as she handles your orders (each of which helps to support this website!)

On the Pro Tour, we would like to thank John Nimick, for naming SquashTalk to provide web coverage of the EventEngine events and John Power, for working with us to cover the PSA/NA challenger events.

And I'd like to thank squash enthusiasts worldwide who have sent us contributions, photos and more, people like Tomas Barva from the Czech Republic and Mike Callaway from Westchester NY.

SquashTalk Arrives?
Thanks to those contributors and your ever-increasing readership, I guess SquashTalk's arrived. Everywhere I look, people are copying SquashTalk. Squash newsletters copy our pictures (usually without permission), other squash websites copy our ideas and graphic layout (always without permission), even some squash publications have used our reporting as source material for their stories (we're glad they view us as an authoritative source.) Reporters from prominent newspapers routinely use our tournament coverage as background material before they arrive to cover an event (we're most pleased to be able to educate these journalists about squash.) So I guess that means we've arrived --- all that from modest beginnings in January 1999.

Imitation is the Best Form of Flattery
But what about all this imitation? Does it matter. Well. its no secret that SquashTalk, like most web enterprises, is a money-losing proposition. The prinicipals (my wife and I) have invested a six-figure sum in this ever-expanding venture, in order to give squash a global, high quality journalistic platform. So, though we're flattered by the imitation, we'd like all you borrowers out there to know that you're riding free on our investment in the game of squash.

Squash - A Healthy Sport!
I'd like to close this end of the year note by commenting on the State of Squash. From our viewpoint here -- an outpost on the NET - squash is strong and growing. Just look at what's happening in the USA. Colleges are adding some great facilities (Trinity's two new 3-glass-wall tourney courts, Colgate's new facility, Princeton's planned new Exhibition court, Bowdoin and Cornell's new facilities) and new college programs are being started at schools who never before offered squash teams.

Junior Squash is booming --- the US Junior Olympics, just concluded, and the Junior British Open, in a few weeks time, have record entries, including players at impressive skill levels worldwide. Programs in Egypt, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Mexico, Columbia, and many others are producing dazzling junior talent.

New Clubs are springing up --- just in SquashTalk's home town, Boston, two new clubs have been constructed downtown in the past year --- the brand new completely rebuilt Boston Racquet Club, in the heart of the Financial District, and the Sports Club LA/Boston at the base of Beacon Hill. And its happening all over the country and in many other regions worldwide.

And squash is being introduced to the public in dramatic locations --- the Commonwealth Games promotion in Trafalgar Squash, the PSA Exhibition at Hradcany Castle in Prague, and John Nimick continuing dedication to showcasing squash at Toronto's Financial Hub and New York's Grand Central Terminal.

All great signs as we move well into the first decade of the 21st century.

It is our sincere hope that Squashtalk, the contributors, and readers will continue to grow and support the great sport of squash over the coming year. Get out and spread the word about that great sport of ours!

Winter at SquashTalk's Offices in Concord MA USA