Press release #2: A historical look at squash in Concord and Eastern Massachusetts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM THE UNITED STATES SQUASH RACQUETS ASSOCIATION (USSRA)

Squash in Concord, Groton, and Boston: Today and Yesterday

February 20, 2000. By Ron Beck. © 2000 all rights reserved.

The first US National Squash championship of the new millennium arrives in Massachusetts. The rural Concord and Groton area offers a unique mix of new and old.

Semi-rural Concord boasts two brand new squash facilities - the two new exhibition courts at the Concord-Acton Squash Club and the new Concord Academy Courts. Rural Groton contains the wonderful twelve court arena at Groton School. Across the Boston metro area, over 90 courts have been constructed in the past 5 years. This weekend enjoy your squash in a community that is both traditional and cutting-edge.

Squash traditions are strong in Boston-fueled by the long-reigning squash juggernaut of Harvard University squash and the history-rich Tennis and Racquet Club (T&R), Harvard Club, Union Boat Club (UBC), and University Club.

FAMOUS BOSTON AREA PLAYERS

The first famous player from Boston was Jack Summers, winner of the first four Professional Squash titles in 1930-33 and again in 1935. Jack Summers taught generations of Union Boat Club members. He was a skilled racket-man and a fine teacher. He was still active (on an occasional basis) at the club in the 1970s. Summers is also famous for the strobe photo Dr. Harold Edgarton of MIT took of him (which now hangs in the new UBC courts).

On the women's side, Eleanora Sears and Margaret Howe gave Boston five of the first seven national titles, starting with Sears' title in 1928.

The next three Bostonians who took national titles were George Waring and Harold Kaese in the veterans ranks (over 40 in those days) and Henri Salaun, who won the North American Open over Hashim Khan in 1954 and the National amateur title in '55, '57, '58, and 1961. Since then, Henri won almost every age-group title available to him-the over 40's six times, over 50's six times, over 55's three times, over 60's four times, and over 65's four times. Salaun is still active and has a skilled racquet, but he doesn't compete in softball. Salaun was (and is) a wonderful stylist with his racquet, shooting from any part of the court and was also famous as a gamesman.

For the decades of the seventies and eighties Boston squash was closely associated with Tom Poor, Lenny

Bernheimer, Ron Beck, Bill Kaplan and Derrick Niederman on the amateur side and Mo Khan and Gul Khan on the pro

side. Bill Kaplan and Ron Beck made the switch from amateur to pro in the late seventies. And from time to time top touring pros John Nimick, Greg Zaff, and Mark Talbott made Boston a training center.

Bernheimer and Poor, in addition to carrying on an interesting rivalry for many years, brought the Boston Open to prominence. The open showcased Mo and Gul and brought top pros to Boston again and again. They also staged one of the most memorable national championships in Boston in 1978, which was won by Mike Desaulniers, a Harvard student.

Boston also always had its share of enigmatic squashers. Ted Malley, highly ranked in the early 70's, split his time between sword fishing and squash, and persevered for years on swollen knees. Will Bigelow, in the late 70's came onto the scene with incredible talent and speed. He disappeared as quickly. George Poonen, with wonderful touch, only played locally except for the annual intercities Lockett Cup. Though he always appeared exhausted, he usually won. Ed Mank at the Harvard Club played with phenomenal touch. He preferred his one favorite court (it was frigid) at the Club. Don Boyko at the University Club lumbered around the court with the omnipresent ambition of someday beating Henri Salaun. He achieved his goal in the 1989 National over 60's championship. And here were many others.

Though the Harvard squash community was always somewhat separated from the rest of Boston area squash, the presence of such wonderful champions as Beekman Pool, Germain Glidden, Charles Ufford, Victor Niederhoffer, Anil Nayar, Peter Briggs, Mike Desaulniers, Kenton Jernigan, and Adrian Ezra repeatedly elevated local squash. Pay a visit to the Tennis and Squash Shop in Cambridge and review Harvard history with their wall-of-fame of championship winning rackets.

On the women's side, the T&R was one of the first USA old line men-only clubs to go "co-ed". Top regional player, legendary Baba Lewis, was followed by Marigold Edwards, Aggie Kurtz, Ginny Akabane, Debbie Brickley and Jessie Chai.

Today, Boston boasts an equally distinguished group, with Angus Kirkland, PSA pro, at the Harvard Club, Mark Lewis, respected USA pro, at the Union Boat Club, Paul and Wendy Ansdell at the Concord Acton Club, and now Satinder Bajwa at Harvard.

KHANS ADD COLOR

From the day Mo Khan arrived in Boston, soon afterwards bringing brother Gul, he added color and flavor the the Harvard club and whole Boston squash scene. In addition to Mo and Gul's incredible racketwork and court control, the two elevated their games to a level of showmanship that entertained a generation of squash audiences in Boston and nationwide.

Today, the Pakistani squash tradition is carried on in Boston by Mo's sons Sakhi and Naji, at the Cambridge Racquet and Fitness Club in Kendall Square and by Mohammed Ayaz at suburban Longfellow club.

BOSTON'S TREND SETTING

Despite its tradition, Boston squash has always been known for trying new things and pushing new trends. Following the lead of Quentin Hyder, who established a spring softball tournament in New York in the early 1970s, Boston quickly became the most active softball-playing city in the US.

The spring softball league, established in the mid 1970s by the czar of Boston softball, Dr. Denis Bourke, was so popular that it made the "squash establishment" nervous about a wholesale switch to softball in Boston, and the MSRA established a rival spring hardball league to try to stem the tide. Bourke's annual spring tournament regularly attracted 70-80 players, many from out of town, without any advertising. That trend never faltered - as Boston's 95-plus softball courts lead the country today.

Boston also pushed tradition in the modification of the all-white squash dress code. The Boston team raised eyes and caused a near fracas at the annual Lockett-Ketchum cup match taking place in 1976 at the Merion Cricket Club, when the Boston players took the court wearing all-pink team shirts.

And Greg Zaff, a great competitor in his own right, pushed the whole mindset of the sport of squash when he created the SquashBusters inner city squash program - a wonderfully successful program now being mirrored in New York and Toronto.

CONCORD - OLD AND NEW

The push to bring squash to the western suburbs was slow, with the best squash traditionally happening in downtown Boston. Middlesex and Groton schools, however, had a long squash tradition.

Maybe the most famous squash player with Concord roots is Peter Briggs, an incredibly athletic, skilled and good natured champion, who challenged Sharif Khan for North American supremacy in the mid 70's. Peter learned his squash at the Middlesex school, before moving to Harvard.

A group of about fifty active adult players were given informal access to the Middlesex school courts, and they fielded several long-running league teams. At the beginning of the '70s, John Wheeler decided to build a squash-only club in Concord for those players. Most of those players joined Wheeler at his new club in 1972. It was always a "bare-bones" club - one only squash fanatics could love.

In 1992, the club was sold to a group of players led by Wayne Hodges, and the club's courts were converted to softball courts. This became the first "softball only" club in New England, and the resulting migration of the best area players out to Concord-Acton spurred the other private clubs in Boston to begin converting their courts as well-a task now almost complete.

With the concentration of high tech business west of Boston, Concord squash has become a fascinating mix of internationals - players at all levels from South Africa, England, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, India and other countries.

Wayne Hodges also brought top quality coaching to Concord-first Pat and Richard Millman, and now Paul and Wendy Ansdell. Paul's popular and rigorous junior programs have made Concord a mecca for most of the area's private school and ranked junior players, who undergo Paul's weekly fitness sessions, pressure drills and stroke training.

GROWTH FOR THE FUTURE

It's the growth of the junior game in Concord and all over Massachusetts that best demonstrates the vibrancy of squash in the region. Today there are over 500 active Mass juniors in the league and tournament programs. After hosting a team at the Concord Acton club for several years,

The Concord Academy, known more for its art than for its sports, decided to build a brand new squash complex, and now has a growing squash program as part of its new sports focus. Nashoba-Brooks School, a private Concord elementary school, just initiated a squash program this year.

And Paul Ansdell's club juniors have started to make waves with Jennifer and Rebecca Shingleton, Michael Trobagdis, Nate and Elliot Beck, Lilian Rosenthal, Kate Esselen, Anna and Nicola Ansdell, Julia and Laura Nickrosz and others all playing in tournaments and on school and college teams. And Paul has got a great group of eight to eleven year olds just getting started.

Health Point, a high-end health club that just opened its doors in neighboring Waltham, put in a new squash facility, demonstrating the demand for squash west of Boston.

So welcome to Concord, Groton and Boston - a tradition-filled area with long-held squash traditions mixed with lots of new growth.

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The USSRA is a member organization of the World Squash Federation (WSF) and is the squash governing body recognized by the US Olympic Committee. The USSRA offers sanctioning of tournaments in the USA at both a senior and junior level, as well as masters and skill groups. Additionally the USSRA governs the selection process and coaching for national teams that compete in the Pan American Games and World Squash Federation world championships.

Squash is a sport played by over 18 million players worldwide, and an estimated 1 million in the USA. Squash is offered as a team sport in over 250 secondary school programs and over 100 colleges and universities in the USA. Men’s and women’s world professional tours are organized by the PSA (www.psa-squash.com ) for men and the WISPA (www.wispa.net) for women.

For further information or media credentials contact Ron Beck, US Nationals 2000 Press Officer, at 617-966-4209 or ronbeck@squashtalk.com .

For sponsorship information and more information about the USSRA contact Craig Brand USSRA executive director, or Mike Hymer USSRA tournament coordinator at 610-667-4006.

The tournament will be covered on a live basis at www.squashtalk.com/concord2000 , and further USSRA information can be found at www.us-squash.org