Category: EVENTS

Exciting Events for the 2024/2025 Squash Season!

The new 2024/2025 squash season is fast approaching and we have some exciting upcoming events!  Please get out your calendars and be sure to read this entire email so that you don’t miss out.  

Upcoming Events at a Glance

  • Provincial Singles Championships & Harvest Hit Tournament:
    October 25-27, 2024
  • Monday Night Singles House League:
    Starts September 16th, 2024
  • Doubles House League:
    Starts Week of September 16th, 2024
  • Fun Round Robin & AGM:
    Tuesday, September 24th, 2024 at 6:00 PM
  • T&D and OSDL Leagues Registration Deadline:
    Approaching Soon
  • Junior Squash Clinic:
    Weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays
  • Friday Morning Drop-in Doubles Round Robin:
    Fridays, 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM
  • Instructional Clinics:
    Various Dates – Contact for Details

See below for more details.

Provincial Singles Championships and Harvest Hit Tournament combined!!

Oct. 25th-27th 2024

Yes, you read this right!  We will be hosting the Ontario Singles Closed Championships (Oct. 25-27th) which will include Men’s and Women’s Open, A, B, C, D, E draws.  This means everyone can play! 

At the same time, we’ll also be running our annual Harvest Hit doubles tournament, including Men’s and Women’s B and C draws, plus a Mixed B draw. Women can participate in both the women’s and mixed doubles events, subject to court availability.

Be sure to find yourself a partner for the doubles event. 

How to Register:

Sign up for both tournaments (listed separately) on the Squash Ontario website here. Don’t forget—register early to secure your spot and take advantage of the early bird discount for the Provincials!

Looking for sponsors and volunteers

We would like to make the Provincial Championships a huge success and we need sponsors!  Your sponsorship will go towards mandatory prize money for the open players, a doubles pro exhibition match (if we raise enough money), and providing pizza for all the players on Friday night.  

Any donation amount would be really appreciated.  Tax receipts are available for all sponsorships. Sponsorships over $1,000 will get your company logo on the tournament shirts.

We also need volunteers to help with Saturday’s lunch service. If you can assist, please reach out!

Monday Night Singles House League

Starting Sept. 16th

Our Monday night singles house league kicks off on September 16th. Sign-up sheets are on the board across from Court 4. If you can’t make it in to sign up, email Nicole, and she’ll add you to the list. Please note, all players must have a Chestnut Hill Developments squash membership and be a member of the Pickering Squash Club ($40 fee—see our membership form).  

Doubles House League

Starting week of Sept. 16th

We’ve posted the sign-up sheet for the doubles house league (all levels) in the doubles court area. Depending on your level, you’ll play on Monday (Div. 1), Tuesday (Div. 2), or Wednesday nights (Div. 3). You’ll need to find your own partner, or if you sign up solo, we’ll place you on the sub list so you can still get plenty of playing time.

Fun Round Robin and AGM

Tuesday Sept. 24th 6:00pm

Join us for a fun round-robin on both singles and doubles courts on September 24th at 6:00 PM. This is a great opportunity to meet other players, sharpen your competitive edge, and have some fun! We’ll start with a short AGM in the doubles court area to update everyone on club events and gather input on future plans.

We encourage everyone at all levels to come out for a fun evening of squash followed by a fun social. 

Join Our Executive Team:

If you’re interested in joining the executive team, please let us know. We’re always looking for passionate members to help shape the future of the club.

Bring Non-Perishable Food Items

We will also be collecting non-perishable food items for the Pickering Food Bank that same evening.  

T&D and OSDL Leagues – For competitive players

The T&D/OSDL league registration deadline is coming up soon. Nicole needs to submit our teams in the next couple of weeks, so please let her know if you’d like to be on a team this season.

Junior Squash Clinic

Our junior clinics are a great way for kids to learn and improve their squash skills in a fun environment!

The beginner players will learn the basics of squash including proper technique, footwork, rules, scoring and how much fun this sport can be!  Intermediate players will learn more advanced techniques to continue improving their skills through drills, fitness, and strategic play.  

  • Beginners/Intermediate (Ages 7-12): Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 PM
  • Teen Beginners (Ages 12-16): Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 PM
  • Lil Ones/Novice (Ages 4-8): Saturdays, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM

Contact Nicole for more info or to register.

Friday Morning Drop-in Doubles Round Robin (F55)

Join us Friday mornings- 8:30am – 10:30am

Contact Nicole for more details.

Instructional Clinics

We offer a variety of clinics for adults:

  • Beginner Clinics (Wednesdays)
  • Women’s Daytime Clinics (Thursdays)
  • Competitive Group Lessons (Book a 4-week group clinic with Nicole and/or Sameer—first come, first served)

Contact Nicole for upcoming dates and to secure your spot.

Membership Form

To participate in any club activities, you must be a member of the Pickering Squash Club and have a squash membership at the recreation complex. The PSC membership form is available on our website and is easy to submit. After completing the form, you can e-transfer your $40 fee. Contact Nicole or anyone on the executive team for the email address to send it to.

Exciting Events Ahead – Mark Your Calendars!

Get ready for an action-packed few weeks filled with thrilling events that you won’t want to miss!

Doubles “Shin-Dig” Tournament:

Join us from Wednesday, April 26th to Saturday, April 29th for our doubles “Shin-Dig” tournament! We’ll kick off the evening matches with paired-up teams, ensuring a level playing field for everyone. If you would like to participate, simply shoot Nicole a quick email, and you’ll be added to the list while we still have space!

Our Annual Banquet!

Celebration at Drums ‘N Flats. Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 27th, as we gather at Drums ‘N Flats for an unforgettable celebration! Enjoy a delightful evening with our fellow squash player, filled with dinner, drinks, live music, and fantastic prizes. Bring a friend or your significant other! Tickets are just $25 each, so let us know if you’d like to secure your spot!

Ian Parsons Doubles Squash Courts Naming Ceremony

Join us on Saturday, April 27th, at 12:00 noon for the official renaming ceremony of our Doubles Squash Courts to the Ian Parsons Doubles Squash Courts.  Please come out and show your appreciation for all of Ian’s hard work and dedication to build these courts for our club.  

Monday Night Drop-In Round Robin

Although our singles house league has concluded, the fun doesn’t stop there! Join us for our Monday night drop-in round robin starting this week, from 6:30 to 7:30. No need to sign up in advance—simply show up and enjoy some friendly competition!

We’re looking forward to seeing you at these exciting events as we celebrate the spirit of squash and camaraderie within our community.

Parson’s “Shin-Dig” Doubles Tournament and Banquet Party

For those of you who have participated in this annual event, you will remember that it is an absolute blast!  Here is how it works…

The tournament will be played on the evenings of Wed. April 24th-Sat. April 27th (daytime matches on Sat.).  The first 32 players to sign up are guaranteed a spot so sign up asap!  Once the sign up is complete, teams will be made as even as possible so that all teams have a fair shot at winning the tourney and having their names on the big trophy.  We make the teams so you don’t need to sign up with a partner.  

If you decide to sign up, please make note of the dates and have them available.  The draw and start times will be sent out the week prior to the tournament. The sign-up sheets will be posted soon on the boards outside the doubles courts (for the Shin-dig).

No doubles playing experience necessary!  I encourage all players to participate as this is a great opportunity to discover how much fun doubles squash can be.  

Lastly, we all know that any fun event at the club requires a social night!  This year we have a groovy themed party event that you won’t soon forget!  No more boasting about your Saturday Night Fever dance moves, come show us what you’ve got!

Here are the details:

  • Date: Sat. April 27th
  • Time: 6:30pm 
  • Where: Drums ‘N Flats – Main Floor
  • Address: 60 Randall Drive, Ajax L1S 6LB
  • Theme: Groovy 70’s
  • Ticket cost: $25

Dinner, Live Band (Blue Thumb Envy with our good friend Ron Delavigne on drums!!), and lots of prizes!

There will also be tournament awards, prizes for best dressed and some fun games.  You can reserve your tickets by sending Nicole an email or see Jim, Carol or Sara Jane.  We will need to know numbers so if you plan on coming, please send Nicole or any of the following people an email to get your ticket!

You can make e-transfers using the email tickets @ pickeringsquash.com. Make sure you include your name in the comments so we can track your tickets.

Lee Hanebury Memorial Tournament

The Lee Hanebury annual tournament is almost here! If you signed up to play, congratulations! This is a fun busy and social weekend, with all sorts of signgles and doubles play going on, from beginners all the way through to highly skilled.

For those who have registered to play in the tournment, please keep the following points in mind:

Start Times

Show up early!

  • Show up early to give yourself plenty of time to check in, find out where you need to be and warm up.
  • Give yourself extra time to find parking as there are other events going on throughout the weekend at the centre.

Start times are now posted on the tournament Club Locker page. Draws will be posted on this webpage under the draws tab by the end of day Thursday.  For those new to tournaments, only your first matches are scheduled. Whether you win or lose dictates the time of your next match. You can get an idea of those times based on the flow chart on the Club Locker page under the draws tab. All particpants are registered in the main draw. If you win you continue in the main draw. If you lose tyou go into the consolation draw and so on.

Tournament times throughout the weekend are subject to change. Things happen and sometimes the schedule needs to be updated as we go! Be sure to look at Club Locker throughout the weekend. If you are unsure of your next match, please see Nicole or a volunteer for help.

If you are running late or unable to make your match, it is extremely important you let Nicole know ahead of time, so she can alert your opponent. Check your email for contact details.

If you win your match: Reffing

Congratulations on winning your match. Don’t leave just yet, now you get to referee the next match played on that court!

If you are not very experienceed playing or or have never reffed before, please check in with Nicole or a volunteer to see if there is someone more experience to help you.

Scheduled Events

Friday

  • Squash Matches 5:00pm – 10:00pm (some players may play two matches on Friday night so come prepared)
  • There will be our famous samosas and complimentary pizza on Friday night.

Saturday

  • Saturday- Squash Matches 9:00am – 7:30pm
  • Breakfast 8:30am – 10:30am
  • Lunch 12:30pm – 2:30pm

Breakfast and lunch will be served on the second floor in the meeting room outside the singles courts

Please note there is no towel service at our club so please bring your own towel.

Saturday Calcutta/Pub Night

Following the final matches on Saturday evening (around 7pm), we will be having a super fun Calcutta on the doubles courts! This event is fast and furious…

Eight teams will be evenly selected throughout the day and posted on Saturday afternoon. You will have a chance to pick the team that you think will win to bring home the dough $!

There will be a group heading out to a local restaurant for a drink (or two) following the Calcutta, please join us!  Check your email for the address or ask one of the volunteers while you are at the event.

Sunday

  • Squash Matches 9:00am – 2:00pm
  • Presentation and Awards – 3:00pm approx.

Parking

There are numerous events happening at the recreation complex over the weekend so again, please give yourself extra time to find parking, it’s going to be busy! 

There is additional parking in the back of the building where the arenas are located.

Our club address is Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex, 1867 Valley Farm Rd. Pickering, L1V 6K7

Upcoming events at the PSC for the 2024 winter season

Happy New Year! We hope you have enjoyed the holidays! It’s been great to see so many of the “regulars” on court throughout the holiday season. If you’ve taken time off away from the club, we know you are itching to get back on court. So here is what we have got coming up.

Monday Night Singles House League

Starting Monday Jan. 15th.

All levels are welcome and the house league is a fun way to meet other players and get a great work out.

Nicole has included everyone from the final round in December is automatically included, so if you were playing in the final weeks before the break, no need to sign up.

If you are new to the league and would like to participate, there are two ways to join.

  • Sign up on the sheet across from single court 4 , or
  • Contact Nicole Pirko via email and say “I’m in”. She will add you to the list!

If you aren’t sure if you are included, just send Nicole and email and she will confirm.

Doubles House League

Starting the week of Jan. 15th.

Our doubles coordinator, Jim D, is working hard on the doubles house league and plans to send out the schedules early in the new year. Stay tuned!

Friday Morning F55 Drop-in Doubles

Starting January 5th, 8:30am to 10am

We’ve got a great group of people that come out to play Friday mornings for a fun round robin style. It’s a good format for any singles player who want to see what doubles is all about, or anyone wanting to work on some aspect of their game or simply for anyone who loves doubles and up for some fun and friendly games with a mix of people.

Come play!

Our annual Lee Hanebury Memorial Tournament

Tournament dates: Feb. 2-4, 2024

Deadline is Wed. Jan. 24th, (assuming draws still have space!)

We would like to invite you all to participate in the Pickering Squash Club’s annual Lee Hanebury Memorial Tournament on the weekend of Feb. 2-4th. This is a tournament weekend you do not want to miss!

Tournament events include:

  • Men’s and Women’s singles events levels A, B, C, D, E (This means everyone at every level can play!)
  • Doubles Men’s and Women’s B and C draws (you will need to register with a partner).

Women may play both singles and doubles (only required to pay one entry fee) but due to limited court time, men may only play one event.

Your entry fee includes a great tournament souvenir, licensed bar, Saturday breakfast and lunch, Saturday night doubles Calcutta (if court time permits) followed by a social night at our local restaurant and lots of squash.

You must register on the Squash Ontario website at: www.squashontario.com. The sign up deadline is Wed. Jan. 24th but please sign up early to avoid disappointment as some draws may fill up fast!

Please feel free to contact Nicole Pirko if you have any questions or concerns.

Junior Programs

Starting Tuesday Jan. 16th & January 20th

Nicole’s junior program runs on Tuesday evenings with a beginner group from 5:30-6:30 and an advanced group from 4:30-5:30 for kids ages 7-15 years old. We will be starting this program on Tues. Jan. 16th. Sameer will also be running a junior program on Saturday’s from 1:00-2:00 starting on Jan. 20th.

At this time our programs are full but we would be happy to put your child on a waiting list and contact you if any spots open up. We are always looking for volunteers to help out with our programs so we can include more kids. If you are interested in volunteering your time to help out, please feel free to reach out.

Adult Beginner Clinics

Adult Clinic starting the Wednesday Jan. 10th.

Women’s Only starting Wednesday Jan. 17th.

Nicole will be running two 4 week adult beginner clinics starting Wednesday Jan. 10th. The first clinic is for adults that are new to the game and interested in learning the basics of squash.

The second clinic is for women only want to learn how much fun this sport can be (Jan. 17 start date). Please contact Nicole if you are interested in signing up or would like more information. Absolutely no experience is needed. All equipment is provided.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the courts!

2023 Toy Drive A Great Success

On behalf of the PSC executive team, a sincere thank you for joining us for a fun evening of squash, social and contribution to our toy drive in support of the Children’s Aid Society of Durham Region. A better turn out than expected and significant contributions!

Special thanks to Nicole, Steve Dizig, Sara Jane Cresswell, Jim Delouchry, and others (apologies for others missed) who helped organize this special event. We are very pleased to inform you Steve delivered a very large load of toys, including several hand made and donated by previous member, to the CAS this morning. Rest assured all donated toys will be provided to children in need, under the care of the CAS. There are so many heart breaking stories with children we are helping to brighten their day.

Thank you all again for your kindness and generosity, during such difficult times. A huge thank you as well, passed along from the Children’s Aid Society of Durham Region! 

Best regards, Merry Christmas, happy holidays and prosperous 2024 to all! 

Fred Dizig

President, PSC.

Check out a few pictures from the 2023 Toy Drive Night.

Mark Your Calendars

The 2022-2023 Pickering Squash Club Season is coming soon. The following are just a few of the events to plan for.

PLEASE NOTE: The Season Kick Off Fun Tournament and AGM previously scheduled for September 24th has been postponed. Stay tuned for a new rescheduled date to be announced.

  • Tuesday September 13th 5 PM to 7 PM
    • Junior Clinics start
  • Week of September 19th
    • House Leagues, both singles and doubles will kick off this week.
    • Singles House League September 19th
    • Doubles Division 1 (Advanced) House League September 19th
    • Doubles Division 2 (Intermediate) House League September 20th
    • Doubles Division 3 (Novice) House League September 21st
    • Sign-up sheets are posted by the courts
  • October 14th to 16th
    • Harvest Hit Doubles Tournament

Don’t forget, you have to be a fully paid up member of the Pickering Squash Club and the Chestnut Hills Development Recreation Complex to take part in PSC House Leagues and Club organized events.

You can get the 2022-2023 PSC Membership Form Here.

2022 Food Bank Golf Tourney a success

The PSC raise $13,995 for the Food Bank

A note from Kevin Cahill

On behalf my partner Terry Bruce, and our amazing group of Pickering Squash Club volunteers, we thank you all so very much for your support of our local food bank.

Results are in and just shy of $14,000.00 was raised to help those less fortunate in our community. We are blessed to have so many like minded individuals wishing to make a difference in our community.

Words simply cannot express the amount of thanks that both Terry and I feel about each and everyone of you.

Have a wonderful rest of the summer and hope to see you all next year at our event on Thursday July 20, 2023.

Kevin Cahill, Chair of the Golf Tournament
Terry Bruce, CO-Chair

You can view pictures from the tournament here: Golf Tourney Pictures