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 Manchester
Junior Magic
Manchester Squash Development Programme |
by Nick Taylor
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A Big Programme
Manchester City Council launched the biggest squash coaching programme in the UK
September 2000, and it has grown rapidly since the National Squash
Centre started being used after the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002.
The programme, which is delivered by a team of 20 coaches whose
members range from local community to international players, reaches
more than 90 schools and over 7,500 children every year. |
A Centre For Squash
The National Squash centre is not only used by the World Class
Performance programme but for the local schools squash coaching
programme, after school/weekend clubs, and has teams playing in the
North West Counties league, with most of the players Manchester
Juniors, it is also open to the public. |
The Academy
The ‘Nick Taylor Squash Academy’ was established in April
2003 for local children who showed promise in the sport, starting
with 10 players it now has over 35 players including:
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Morgan Hibberd U15 England No4
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Ky
Hibberd U15 England No 5
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Alex
Bowden U13 England No3
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Emma
Molyneux U15 England No8 (Former England U13 No1)
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Ben
Molyneux U17 England Top16
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Daniel Ince U15 England Top 16
Other Academy players are also
County squad/team, and will soon be Nationally ranked, the boys U15
Lancashire team this year are all members of the Academy and also
Beat Yorkshire for the first time in the Inter-County Championships.
Academy members are drawn mostly from the squash clubs of
Cheetham Hill, The Northern, and Leisure centres around the City. As
a result Manchester juniors dominated titles in the Lancashire
County Championships in 2004. |
Event After Event
Events ranging from school competitions to National Squash
Championships play a huge part in the squash development
programme as they provide opportunities for children at every level.
All the children who participate in the school coaching programme
are invited to take part in the Manchester Primary school
championships which take place three times a year. The clubs and
leisure centres are used as qualifying events and children from each
venue compete in the final.
The Manchester Leisure Junior Open takes place every October
and November and it attracts top juniors from all over the country.
A National Squash League team Manchester/Pontefract won the title in
2003, and is in the final again this year.
The
National Squash Championships
has been held in Manchester for Nine years and is thought by the
players to be one of the best tournaments not only in the UK, but
the World, the prestigious event has found a permanent venue at the
National Squash Centre, Manchester juniors may well be playing in
the National Championships or the National Squash League and the
future British Champion might well be a Mancunian!
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A Full Time Job ...
 I
am now employed by Manchester Leisure as Head Squash Coach and am
heavily involved in the Squash Development Programme.
This has got to be the biggest Junior Squash Development programme
not only in the UK, but the World, and I would like to stress that
the success of Manchester’s Squash Development Programme would not
have been achieved without the commitment of all the squash
partners, and would also like to give a special thank you to Hi-Tec
and Dunlop who provide the coaches and elite juniors with shoes and
rackets.
Nick Taylor
Manchester Head Squash Coach |
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