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David Hebb
February 22, 1941 - July 19, 2017
In Memory
Last year the community of squash in British Columbia lost a lifelong supporter of the game.
On July 19, 2017 David Hebb passed away at his home in West Vancouver.
He was thought of as the consummate sportsman and his brother Peter fondly remembers David as being an all-around good athlete excelling in many sports.
Remembering his sibling, Peter recalls as a youth David being focused to tennis, a sport spurred by the family's membership with the Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club. He was an all-around good athlete and a strong runner with height and weight on his side. This physical t
rait gave him an athletic advantage in the sport of rugby and he was arguably considered the fastest player in the
scrum line.
But it was the Shawnigan Lake School boarding school on Vancouver Island where he was introduced to the sport that was to become his lifelong passion. The sheer speed and intelligence of the game of squash appealed to the young athlete and combined with David's natural sport excellence, a winning combination was born.
In his late twenties however, the constant pounding on his body from rugby and squash resulted in knee problems that would eventually lead to an operation and subsequent physical problems that would plague the athlete through his entire life.
In his forties, David was forced to stop playing competitively and quickly converted his passion of playing the game to supporting emerging squash players. He spent much of his adult life instructing the youth squash community at both the Jericho and Vancouver Lawn Clubs.
David spent most of his professional career in the sales industry and in the latter period of his life bringing up dozens of players in the game.
According to his brother Peter Hebb "this was the real legacy David gave to BC Squash - his love and skill of the game".
Today David Hebb's memory continues in the players that were brought up under his tutelage and through his legacy gift to Squash BC, a gift that directly supports youth development in the sport in British Columbia.
Future of Squash on Display in Chilliwack
June 15th and 16th saw some of the future stars of the sport come out and play an exhibition series in Chilliwack. The event was put on by local pro Shawn Zwierzchowski and featured some of the top juniors from around the world.
[L to R: Shawn, Zane, Scott and Emilio]
Representing Ireland was Scott Gillanders the current Irish #1 junior and European #3. Zane McGee-Lowdermilk represented the USA as a former #1 junior. BC's Own Emilio Carrillo represented BC and Mexico as one of our rising stars.
Friday night saw a capacity crowd watching the first two matches of the weekend. McGee-Lowdermilk triumphed 3-0 over Carrillo and then Gillanders put on a clinic in dispatching Zwierzchowski 3-0.
With the improvement in the weather on Saturday the crowd size diminished. Carrillo fell 3-0 to Gillanders and Zwierzchowski lost 3-0 to McGee-Lowdermilk. After the morning matches several Chilliwack players took advantage of the opportunity to get on court with one of the juniors to experience the difference in the sport at the higher levels and improve their own games.
In the last matches of the weekend Zwierzchowski fell 3-2 to Carrillo after being up 2-1 and 9-5 in the 4th. In the final match of the weekend McGee-Lowdermilk took the first game before Gillanders powered through to win the match and the entire weekend.
In the end the event raised $500 for the 2020 fund and both increased the excitement and profile of the sport in Chilliwack. For more information feel free to contact Zwierzchowski at chilliwacksquashpro@gmail.com
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The 2020 Fund was established in 2000 by Squash BC to help protect the future of squash in British Columbia. The income accumulated through the 2020 Fund will be used to promote the growth of the game through the development of junior squash. To learn more about the fund and/or to donate, click
here.
How can you ensure squash longevity with your kids?
Even though Roger Federer is out of Wimbledon this year, it is amazing to consider that at the ripe old age of 36, he is still a Major contender and in the top 3 in the world rankings. So how did he achieve such longevity?
Many would say it's due to his talent and development that began at an early age, but more realistically it was through a balanced approach to sport and through self-determination that Roger got to (and stayed) at the top.
Only at age 12 did he decide to focus on tennis. And when he decided to leave home at the age of 14 to attend the Swiss National Centre for specialized tennis training, this was his own decision not through parental pressure (see 2:30 in Short Roger Federer Documentary 2007).
These days, more and more young athletes are specializing in one sport at younger ages than ever before. Burnout and injury are the risks that these athletes take to excel in their sport. But what if they are actually limiting themselves and their potential by not playing other sports?
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[Image by Caroline Gamon]
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Roger's experience is consistent with findings in the article on "How to Avoid Burnout in Youth Sports". In the article, Dr. Charles A. Popkin, pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Columbia University Medical Center, indicates that "parental influence on sports specialization can be profound" and counterproductive if it doesn't mesh with the child's goals and interests.
If children are to be successful at a sport, the drive to specialize and succeed must be intrinsic, of their own choosing. "If they lack an intrinsic drive, if they're not having fun, they'll likely become frustrated and quit."
The NY Times article looks at some interesting data, such as how baseball players from the northern US are more likely to make it to the MLB precisely because they can't play their sport year-round and are less likely to get injured.
"Children who specialize in one sport early in life were found to be the first to quit their sport and ended up having higher inactivity rates as an adult" says Dr. Popkin, based on data from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.
On June 19 the Pros and Coaches from Squash BC's member clubs gathered at the River Club to discuss issues facing their clubs, brainstorm for solutions and share ideas.
This annual Pro's Meeting is a unique opportunity for busy Squash Professionals and Coaches to meet face-to-face with peers and to collaborate. The session enables squash professionals to gather feedback, align on goals, plan for the next season and coordinate among member clubs and Squash BC.
This year's 4-hour agenda included discussion topics:
The Business of Squash
- the different types of clubs were discussed and ideas from various club facilities were shared. For example, Rebecca Vassilakakis of the Nelson Squash Club forwarded some 'BlueSky ideas" for running events and generating new members / players.
As well, Kevin Dorrius of the Revelstoke Racquet Den Squash Club sent in successes they've had increasing membership by having a booth at their local farmers market (conveniently right next to their club) and through a their 'summer special' membership drive. These ideas were shared with the professional community through this meeting.
The Junior Development Pathway
- the program was reviewed and discussed for clarifications and alignment. Incorporating more junior tournaments in the competitions calendar was discussed.
The Competitions Calendar
- the goal for competitions program was discussed and used to perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis.
The analysis will be used for long-term planning of the competitions calendar.
Coaching and Officiating
- issues facing the Coaching and Officiating programs were shared, immediate tactics to address problems were listed and impact on next season's junior and competitions programming were also briefly outlined.
Thank you to those who were able to attend and participate in this year's meeting.
Mental Performance - what it is and isn't...
Squashers are always looking for ways to improve their game and get the edge on their competition.
Mental performance (or sport psychology), the most recent addition to elite performance and human development, is a crucial ingredient in the recipe for the path towards excellence and mastery.
In this article learn what sport psychology is and isn't, what its main goals are, what the benefits of doing mental training are, what some of the most potent mental skills are, and how athletes work on these skills.
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Summer Squash Spirit is strong with SquashFEST 2018 sold out!
SquashFES
T 2018
in sunny Summerland (July 20-22) is an annual non-ranking squash tournament run by the good folks at
Squash Republic
and sanctioned by Squash BC.
Players enjoy squash on the shores of Lake Okanagan where the
Lakeshore Squash Club
is located.
SquashFEST is the perfect squash tournament for families as children and dogs are always welcome. There is access to Lake Okanagan directly in front of the club and a large family beach about 50 feet away. Most of the participants choose to camp on the property which makes it a truly unique and memorable event.
2018 Sun n' Surf
at the
Jericho Tennis Club
(August 15-19)
is back for another action-packed weekend.
'Squash the Living Dead' will include lots of fun social events, Jericho's legendary Saturday night theme dinner and dance party including prizes for the best costume.
And this year the tournament is excited to announce the inclusion of a $5k PSA World Tour Event alongside the amateur tournament.
This non-ranking event provides a great opportunity to get on court, play some squash and have some fun while enjoying the best of summer at Jericho's prime beach front location (literally steps from the squash courts!) Players can enjoy squash and après squash on one of Jericho'spatios or the pool deck overlooking the ocean and north shore mountains.
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