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14th July:
Having a famous father could be a double-edged sword - instant
recognition, but a lot to live up to. Framboise met Joey, son of, at the British Open in November
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From
November 2004 |
Joey Barrington
Jonah Barrington
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 JOEY
BARRINGTON :
PROUD OF MY NAME
It must be sooooo boring to be constantly reminded that you
are the son of…
No, I’m pretty used to it now, and I’m very proud of the
family name and of what my father achieved in squash.
Are you that different from you dad?
Well, spirit wise, I have a similar spirit to him, I’m quite
strong, I never give up a match, like today for instance, I
was 2/0 down and 7/2 down in the 3rd, and I managed to pull it
through. Now, squash wise, he was a lefthander, I’m a right
hander, and I think that athletically, I inherited more
athletic abilities from my mother who used to be a very good
runner. In terms of my game, it is very hard to compare
because of the time that has now gone by, and the
modifications with racquets and everything, so it’s really
hard to compare.
You know, my father is really open minded about squash, a lot
of people say that he just coaches one way, and more on the
physical side, which is a lot of rubbish, he is a very open
minded person, and we try working on adapting to the new
scoring as well, which is again a totally different way of
playing the game.
With all that family history, why did you choose to play
squash?
Well, I played for a year between the ages of 11 and 12, and
then I gave up through all of my teenage period, I didn’t play
any competitive squash at all, and then I went to University
and I got myself in quite a bad way through drinking and
various other things. So I started playing a bit of squash
just to kind of get my health back really, because I was down
in the dumps, and I was playing just for general fitness, and
then I picked it up very quickly and got very hooked on from
playing. And then, after University, I committed to train as a
pro, and that’s what I’ve been doing since.
So you like squash because it makes you fit?
No, it’s just everything, it’s the lifestyle, it’s a great way
of living. I’ve always been naturally very competitive, I’ve
always enjoyed playing a lot of sports, football, hockey,
athletics, I’ve always loved to compete. So it’s a whole
really, I’m living a healthy lifestyle because I play squash,
I get to compete, I get to travel, and basically do a hobby
which I enjoy for my job, which is what everyone would love to
do, I imagine.
What about your match with Renan in the 1st round?
Well, all the players in the draw are difficult, every match
is different and I’m very happy to be playing Renan. The fact
that it’s 12am is a bit difficult, as I had a pretty hard
match today, I think it lasted 1 hour 30 minutes, but as I
have been injured recently, I had a bit of time off so I think
that the running today has done me more good than harm, so I’m
very much looking forward to tomorrow…
And to finish, where do you see yourself going in the next
5 years?
I just want to be the best squash player I can be, and if that
takes me to the highest level, fantastic, if it gets me just a
bit higher, so be it, but it’s just more of a test with
myself, I want to see how far I can get, and how much I can
get out of myself. |
After the British Open Joey
spent a few weeks on the world tour, literally, then returned
to Nottingham in January 2005 for a National
League match ... Framboise was waiting ...
JOEY HAPPY TO BE BACK
I have been training very hard. I’m happy to be back home
after spending about six weeks away. I came back ten days ago,
and I’m just starting to settle down.
I had a good think about my squash, and I have now a clear
picture of the way I have to play intelligent, good, positive
squash. I can’t just simply rely on my fitness to win
matches…
I have been training with David Pearson and my dad, and the
combination of the two has been very beneficial. I’m enjoying
my squash more now.
 Today,
I played solid squash. I’ve now recovered fully from my trips,
and I’m ready to attack Chicago, then the TOC.
My goal was to start the year in the top 30. I haven’t reached
it, but I’m not too far away. It’s so hard to get in the top
30. Once you’re there, you are OK and can stay for a while,
but it’s very competitive and hard to get there.
I must say I’m happy I was at last asked to play for Wolves,
as they haven’t picked me all season, and although I’m top 40,
I only played one National League match all year. So, I hope
they are going to select me more often…
Joey
Barrington |
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from
November 2004 |
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