Geez. . .er. . . Player of the Week

 

Scott Hamill with the "Geezer Goblet" after the Mill River Tournament. To quote Nancy, his wife, "Who does he think he is...Djkovic????? Total Geezer!"

Scott Hamill did it. He was sly, hard to read, and quick about it too. You have to be, to be the best of the geezers.

Scott has been a super consistent player over the past several years, participating in many tournaments and being an integral part of the West Prince squash community. Recently, he had a big win at home, at the Mill River Resort Squash Tournament, beating several of the greats in the Master's Division to win the title and the coveted "Geezer Goblet". Oh yeah, and Scott totally made my "Mill River Bar Fight Team".

Scotts tricky play and quick shots make his matches fun to watch, and make him a touch opponent. Below you might find a couple tips on how to take him in the future, though I think he's keen to keep that trophey up west.

How long have you been playing squash? How many times a week do you get onto the courts?

I have been playing squash for 14 years. I started while my daughter Shelby was @ swimming lessons...I saw the empty courts and went in and started hitting the ball. Instantly loved it. I play approx 4x a week.

What is one of your biggest strengths on the court?

I am not sure if this is a strength of not...however, I try to be unpredictable. I am also ambidextrous. 

Are you a tournament player? If so, what's your favorite tournament and why?

 Yes. I love going in the tournaments. Being from Mill River, it gives me an opportunity to hang with all the other players. I enjoy the social aspect of it.

Mill River because it is my home court and we are all under the same roof. Love the social on Saturday night. It's a family event. Great seeing everyone come to my neck of the woods. 

What racquet do you use and what would your strongest and weakest shot be?

I use a Dunlop Inferno. I have used many different ones over the years. Manta, Black Knight etc.

My strongest shot is my right hand cross court drop to the left side. My weakest shot is  my left hand cross court drop to the right side. Ha!

What is your proudest squash moment?

When I moved from B to A  because it is a hard division to get out of....HOWEVER, winning the Geezer Goblet on home soil the same weekend Djkovic won the Aussie Open...ranks right up there! 

Thanks Squash PEI for your hard work and effort. Aside from news and fishing websites...Squash PEI is the go-to. Much appreciated. 

Congrats Scott!!

Playa of the Week

He's fit. He's fast. And his shots are on the mark.

Darren Chaisson has always been good, but his natural talent for squash combined with fitness and more experience on the "T", has made it so that in a short period of time, he's become one of the best players on the Island. Darren has had a huge month with squash already, representing PEI at the National Men's Team Championships, along with brother, Mitch, and buddy Mike Buchanan. Darren performed spectacularly well, with big wins again New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, and tough, hard-fought losses to Manitoba, BC, and Nova Scotia. Darren and his teammates hard work on and off the court resulted in PEI securing a 7th place ranking, out of 12 teams. 

This past weekend was also a good one for Darren. In the Junior Fundraiser Tournament, Darren met brother and teammate from the week before, in the semi-finals. Several long rallies and many crazy shots later Mitch came out on top - but we expect more entertaining match ups from those two in teh future. Darren took that loss in stride, however, and took down patriarch of our own squash dynasty, Lester Jinks, in 3.

It seems the only way to get ahead of Darren is to find out some of his secrets . . . he shared a few with us!!

How long have you been playing squash? How many times a week do you get onto the courts?

I have been playing Squash for almost 5 years. I try to get on court twice a week.

What is one of your biggest strengths on the court?

I don't know if I have any strengths, but I really try to use my fitness to help me win matches.

You just participated at the National Team Championships. What was that experience like?

I had the time of my life at Nationals.  It was lots of fun hanging out with Mitch, Mike and Chansey and  

free breakfast, lunch, supper and beer, didn't hurt the experience any.  Just being around that level of squash  

for a full weekend was extremely exciting. 

What did you learn at the Nationals that you plan to bring back to your game on the Island?

Something I've learned at Nationals hmm...I need to minimize errors, my shots need to be tighter, harder and I need to be fitter.

What racquet do you use and what would your strongest and weakest shot be?

I use a Harrow racquet (thanks to Mitchell), and my weakest shot would be any type of drop shot, and my strongest  

shot would be my forehand cross court nick...haha

I would like to thank the many volunteers that run squash PEI, from the time spent with junior development programs to tournament directors, you all do an amazing job!!

Thank you Darren!

The family that plays together, stays together . . .

Move over Jinks', there's a new squash family on PEI!

The Philips gang, consisting of Dad (Stephen), Mom (Jackie), Nathan, and Olivia, kinda just showed up at the courts this fall and never left! Their enthusiasm for the sport, though new, has been infectious.

Their talent for the sport hasn't been anything to scoff at either.

At the recent UPEI open, the entire family found them playing on Sunday, and all of them came out with big wins. Nathan won the Junior A consolation side, and was runner up in Men's D; Olivia came out on top of the pack in Junior B, and Stephen came out with the Men's C consolation win. 

Such quick success in the sport can be credited to natural talent, a strong sense of competition, and hard work outside of the tournaments. If you frequent the Spa, it isn't unusual to see the family in a couple of the courts. 

When did you each start playing squash?/What brought you back to the game?

I’ve been Playing off and On for about 12 years. My kids started playing Hockey,  and it was hard to find the time to play other than the occasional  pick up game

Olivia and Nathan, have you been taking lessons? Do you enjoy them?

We love it, Squash PEI is lucky to have such dedicated people such as Mitch, Shara ,Lester, John and many others who coach and give their time to help develop the juniors.

 You are all all-round athletes. . . what other sports and hobbies do you partake in?

The list is long, we all have been playing hockey since we were about 4 years old, soccer, badmintonn, tennis, golf, downhill skiiing, snowboarding, and waterskiing.

What would each of you say your strongest and weakest shots are?

Olivia's strength has to be her serve; Nathan is his forehand drive down the wall, and I consider myself a bit of a duffer, so I don't really have a strength, but you'll have to play us to find out our weaknesses'!

What will it take to get "Mom" out of the courts too?

Jackie is a bit shy, It will  probably take the installation of vertical blinds on the glass at the back  to get her in the courts.

**Photo to follow

Player of the Week

While we're a little late posting the most current Player of the Week, it hardly even matters; this player has been on fire since the season began, and at the rate she's going, we could probably name her player of the week at any point.

Emma Jinks, member of the reknown squash clan of PEI, maybe small (though it's worth noting she grew a foot this summer) and maybe young, but she's an absolute force to be reckonded with on the courts.

So far this year she has won Women's B/C at the Fall Fiesta, Moncton Open, and the Aspin Cup (aka undefeated in Women's B/C this season), and been runner up in Junior A in the Fall Fiesta and Aspin Cup. She's quick on the courts, decievingly controlling of the "T", and has several trick shots in her back pocket. 

Emma's awesome play is rivalled only by her great attitude on the courts; her smile hardly ever leaves her face in a match, even when she's down. She has the focus and attitude of someone twice her age which has allowed her to come back in more than one game. . . lots of our adults could take a note or two from her *cough*Cam*cough*.

We look forward to seeing more great squash to come out of Emma in the future!

Emma having lots of fun at the Atlantic Open social last spring.

How long have you been playing squash?

My first tournament was when i was 7.

How often do you play/practice/train?

Around 3-4 days a week, maybe more maybe less.

Your whole family is pretty well known for being good at squash. Would you say you've learned a lot from them? Have you been developing a style of your own?

Yes a lot from my dad especially because all the years I've played squash he has been my coach and have coached me basically everything i know.

Your signature smile rarely leaves your face while in a match. What is going through your head while playing? How do you keep your focus?

HaHa, I don't really know whats going on through my head i just kind of play my best and be happy with how i played I keep my focus by taking in the encouragement's and than focusing on my game and only

my game.

Are you excited about Junior Nationals in Edmonton?

YES it's going to be soooo much fun !! I can't wait !!!

"Tazmanian Devil" of the Week

The Aspin Cup was set up years ago to honour the vision of John Aspin, the man largely credited with first fostering the sport of squash on PEI. The 2011 Aspin Cup was no different than any other year, and was jam-packed full of great games.

Particularly exciting is the "fresh meat" joining Men's A in the UPEI Open. Johnathan 'Juice' O'Keefe is also referred to (usually behind his back) as the Tazmanian Devil for his short stature, but quick movement around the court. Juice made it out of the the highly competative Men's B division with lots of hard work, and tons of respect for his oppenents, who in turn have lots of respect for him.

Hopefully Johnathan's following answers won't give his new opponents too much of a leg up!

How long have you been playing squash? How did you pick it up?
In university a buddy of mine asked me to go hit around in the squash court between classes a few times. I never really got into it at that point, but about 2.5 years ago I decided to pick it up for the cardio workout. Now I'm hooked. My first tourney was the UPEI open in 2009 so I've been playing in tourneys for a bit less than 2 years now.

How many times a week to you get out to practice?
Now that the summer (and golf season) has ended, I try to get out to the courts about 3 times a week.

What do you consider your strongest attribute on the court?
My strongest attributes are likely my quickness and my forehand drive. If someone out there has a fool-proof way to learn to hit a drop shot, I'd be more than interested in listening...especially if it doesn't involve hours of practice!!!
 
What do you like the competitiveness associated with squash tournaments?
Growing up I played a lot of competitive sport - hockey, baseball, soccer, golf. Now that I'm playing sports for fun and health benefits, I love the opportunity to get into a competitive squash tournament every once and a while. Everyone gets so hyped up, it's great! I truly believe competition brings out the best in people. It's awesome seeing everyone improve and play their best in the tournaments. Also, thanks to everyone who helps out with the tournaments. The volunteers and the people are what make the squash community on PEI so great. Hopefully it continues to grow!

Men's B is widely considered one of the most competitive divisions we have. What are your thoughts on advancing to Men's A?

Men's B is a great division. Every match is close and competitive. I've really enjoyed playing in that division and will miss it. Moving to Men's A is exciting and brings forth a whole new set of challenges (I'll be just trying not to embarass myself)! Playing tournament matches with these fellas will be a real treat and I hope to be able to develop my game to a point where I can compete in every match. Don't think the 1st match against Mike B is gonna be much fun...better work on my fitness, I think I might need it!!! I heard a lot of "Fresh Meat" comments on Saturday!!!

It's worth noting a couple of honourable mentions for this week's Player of the Week. Ryann Jinks came out to prove to us that the tide is changing, proving victorious on the Women's A side, and was the runner up against our Player of the Week in the Men's B division. Joel Robichaud, should also be applauded for his big win in Men's C, which will see him replaying Johnathan in Men's B in future tournaments.

Congrats to all players!