Category: Inter-Club Play

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.

🏆🥇 A Week Packed with Squash Excitement!🥇🏆

Get ready for an action-packed week ahead at the squash club, with a lineup of events that’s sure to keep you on your toes! It’s all about doubles this week as we dive into the heart of the playoffs and celebrate the incredible contributions of one of our own.

Here’s what’s in store:

  • Monday, April 22nd: Division 1 Squash Doubles House League Semi-Finals kick off the week with intense matches and fierce competition. Don’t miss the showdown as our top teams battle it out for a spot in the finals! Teams will be playing at 6pm and 7pm.
  • Tuesday, April 25th, the top two teams in our Division 2 doubles house league will battle it out for first place. Dayan and Shan will play against Mark and Winston.
  • Wednesday, April 24th – Saturday, April 27th: The highly anticipated super-fun Shin-dig Doubles Squash Tournament takes center stage, promising four days of thrilling matches and friendly competition. Matches begin Wednesday at 5:30 and will continue to about 9pm.
  • Saturday, April 27th: It’s a day filled with festivities as we honor the legacy of Ian Parsons with the naming ceremony of the Ian Parsons Doubles Squash Courts at noon. Later in the evening, join us for the annual banquet at Drums ‘n Flats for dinner, drinks, and celebrations with our fellow squash enthusiasts and friends.

But wait, there’s more:

  • Monday, April 29th: Division 1 Squash Doubles House League Finals mark the culmination of an exciting season of competition, where the top teams will battle it out for the championship title.
  • Wednesday, May 1st: The excitement continues for Division 3 Squash Doubles House League as they play their Finals, rounding off our week of squash celebrations.

And don’t forget:

  • Mondays: If you’re into singles squash, come join us for the drop-in round-robin matches every Monday night. It’s a great way to stay active and connect with fellow players.

With such a busy and exciting week ahead, there’s something for everyone at the squash club. We can’t wait to see you on the courts and celebrate the spirit of squash together!

🏆🥇 Division 1 Squash Doubles House League Semi-Finals – Monday, April 22nd 🥇🏆

As some of you know, our Division one teams are made up of some of the clubs best doubles players. With the stakes higher than ever, our top teams are poised to battle it out on the courts for a shot at the house league championship title.

Here are the matchups for the semi-finals:

Court 1 – 6:00 PM:

  • First Place vs Fourth Place:
    • Raj and Sameer vs Steve and Rick

Court 2 – 6:00 PM:

  • Second Place vs Third Place:
    • Jonathan and Savio vs Kevin and Eric

Court 1 – 7:00 PM:

  • Fifth Place vs Eighth Place:
    • Mike and Eric vs Fred and Mark

Court 2 – 7:00 PM:

  • Sixth Place vs Seventh Place:
    • Roger and Devon vs Trevor and Dom

It’s sure to be an evening filled with intense matches, nail-biting rallies, and fierce competition as our teams vie for a spot in the finals. Don’t miss out on the excitement!

And mark your calendars for the finals on Monday, April 29th, where the top contenders will face off for the ultimate title.

Follow the Pickering Squash Club on Instagram and Facebook for more content!

🏆🥇 Pickering/Parkway Women’s Squash Doubles League Semi-Final Match: Wednesday, April 10th 🥇🏆

Excitement is in the air as our Pickering/Parkway Women’s Squash Doubles League Team gears up for their semi-final match on Wednesday, April 10th, starting at 6:30 PM! It’s set to be an exhilarating showdown as our talented team takes to the courts to vie for victory.

A little background on the Ontario Squash Doubles League (OSDL): It’s a prestigious league that brings together some of the best squash talent in the region. This year, Pickering Squash Club proudly fields men’s teams in Division 3 and Division 4. However, we’ve also made waves by joining forces with Mayfair Parkway last fall to form a formidable women’s team in Division 2.

Despite being newcomers to the league, our Pickering/Parkway women’s team has showcased incredible skill and determination throughout the season. Finishing in first place ahead of established competitors like Cricket, Richmond Hill, and RCYC (Royal Canadian Yacht Club) demonstrates their hard work and dedication.

Now, with the home-court advantage on our side, we’re gearing up to face off against the 4th place team, RCYC, in the semi-finals. It’s bound to be an intense match, but no matter the outcome, our team will demonstrate heart, determination, and the spirit of camaraderie that defines the Pickering Squash Club.

We invite all members to come out and show your support for our Pickering/Parkway women’s team as they strive for victory in this crucial semi-final match. Let’s cheer them on to success!

Go Pickering/Parkway!

Women’s Quarter Finals, March 12th

“OH YES, IT’S LADIES’ NIGHT, AND, THE FEELING’S RIGHT, OH YES IT’S LADIES’ NIGHT, OH WHAT A NIGHT”

It was the ladies turn to shine tonight and they did just that in their quarter final match against One Health. After watching both the men’s and women’s teams competing over the last couple of weeks in their play-off matches, i’ve noticed some significant differences between the two teams. I narrowed it down to my top 3 favourites and here is what i’ve discovered some of the very obvious differences to be…

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The women came out very prepared, they had double checked that they had packed all their equipment, made sure their racquets had been re-gripped, brought their proper court shoes and arrived ready to play. On the men’s side, well let’s just say that I found JP desperately rummaging through the lost and found bin 20 min before his match looking for his shoes he had left at the club the day before. That pretty much sums it up.

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I took note of some the the comments the women made on court during their match. They included “good shot”, “wow, nice get”, “great boast”. In the men’s matches I heard comments that included “oh, come on”, “I totally could have gotten that” and the most ridiculous of all…”baby food”.

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Both the men’s and women’s matches had long rallies but the women didn’t appear to be tired until the 4th or 5th game. The men on the other hand were completely exhausted after the first game (sorry JP) and used every excuse possible to have a chance to catch their breath. Jordan took it to extremes to and walked all the way down to the doubles court water fountain in between games just to give himself some extra time!

Here is the recap from the evening…

Philloza and Karen were up first. Karen decided she was going to make a statement about how the night was going to go by winning the first game 15-1! The other two games weren’t quite as quick but there was no doubt Karen had control the match and she got the job done. On the other court, we all took one look at Philloza’s opponent with her tall stature and giraffe like long legs (don’t get me wrong, they were very nice legs) but I have to admit, I was a little worried. Well no way was Philloza going to be intimidated, she controlled the T brilliantly and volleyed all the loose balls which had her opponents giraffe like long legs running like crazy all over the court. That is until the 3rd game…Tied at 1-1, I had a little chat with Philloza to give her some tips in between games. I told her to make sure she hit the ball deep to the back. Well, it turns out she took my advice literally because in the 3rd game, she hit every single ball to the back and didn’t hit a drop shot the whole game. Oh no, I had some major damage control to do. I quickly let her know after losing the next game that she still needed to hit her awesome drop shots right after hitting the ball deep to the back of the court! 3-2 win for Philloza (phew…I may have been out of a job for that one)

Next up was Joanie and Deb. We all knew that the night could easily come down to games or even points but we didn’t dare say that out loud out of fear of making the ladies nervous. Nerves was definitely not an issue for Joanie as she had a solid plan. I’m not sure if Joanie’s opponent knew if she was on a squash court or a volley ball court with all of Joanie’s overhead smash winners and unbelievable dives to retrieve the ball. Joanie’s comment to me going into the 5th game was that she was going to “leave it all the court” and she did just that. She gave it her absolute best but unfortunately fell short with a 2-3 loss. What a match though!!

Deb on the other court knew that it was her job as the number one player on the team to secure their position in the next round. She had her opponent running in one direction while strategically hitting the ball in the other direction…can you say “TAXI”! Deb had fantastic shot selection and kept the ball deep before hitting numerous winning drop shots. 3-0 win for Deb. Victory for Pickering!

See you on the courts,
Nicole

Go Pickering Go – recap from March 10th T&D matches!

MAYBE IT WAS THE FULL MOON LAST NIGHT OR MAYBE IT WAS THE FACT THAT OUR GUYS HAVE THEIR EYES ON THE BIG PRIZE…EITHER WAY, THE BOYS ON OUR PICKERING DIV. 3 SINGLES TEAM DOMINATED LAST NIGHT!
Here is the recap for the evening…

Incredible tactics, shot selection and court movement were on display by the guys during the semi-final matches against Master Fitness and Squash last night!

Darryl and JP were the first two players to start off the evening. Both of our players stepped on court focused and ready to “take care of business”. Unfortunately, Darryl’s match ended before he even had a chance to get into the match when his opponent had to default because of a self inflicted injury in the first couple rallies of the first game.

On the other court, JP started with a significant lead in the first game by putting pace on the ball and hitting tight shots. I’m not sure if the oxygen levels were low on his court or if he had been out in the sun all day but he was looking a little red in the face after winning the first game. Hmmm…maybe chasing his two year old son around doesn’t help with his cardio as much as he may think! Either way, there was no way JP was going to have to play more than 3 games so with his three wall attacking boasts (which I don’t always recommend) and his killer low drives, JP did what he knew how to do to win the match 3-0. I think those treadmills are down the hall to the left if i’m not mistaken. 🤔

2 wins and 3 matches to go…
Next up was Jordan and Praveen. Jordan literally ran around the court like a gazelle giving his opponent a tour of all 4 corners of the court. His opponent was no slouch as he desperately dove numerous times to retrieve some of Jordan’s shots. Just like an animal hunting his prey, Jordan was steady, patient and used every opportunity to completely exhaust his opponent before taking him down 3-0!

On the other court, Praveen was clearly not messin’ around. As the famous quote goes “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, this was how Praveen played his match. He glided effortlessly around the court and when the opportunity arose, he attacked every loose ball without hesitation to win the match 3-0. There was no “baby food” being served up by Praveen last night!

Pickering had officially won the night before Scott stepped on court to prove that the best was yet to come…I’m sure his opponent took one look at Scott’s intimidating forehand swing before deciding that he would concede the match. Victory for Pickering!

Pickering will now compete in the finals at Mayfair Lakeshore on Wednesday March 25th at 6:30! Please come out and cheer on our club! I will be heading down to watch if anyone would like to meet me in Pickering and carpool.

Next up is our Women’s D team playing in the quarter finals in Pickering tomorrow night at 7:20. Come out and let’s cheer the ladies on!!

See you on the courts,
Nicole

THREE OF OUR PICKERING SINGLES T&D TEAMS WILL BE BATTLING IT OUT IN THE PLAY-OFFS TO BRING US HOME THE BIG TITLE!

From Squash Pro – Nicole Pirko

Recap from last nights matches…
The boys on our Div. 3 team went in very confident last night for their quarter final match against Goodlife Dunfield!  Metallica tunes were filling the stands while Darryl and Aaron were warming up to start their match.  Darryl was able to pull off a win despite the fact that he decided to wear brand new shoes and couldn’t feel his toes by game 4! 

Aaron on the other court was fighting for the win and had a strong strategy but unfortunately fell a little short with a tight 3-1 finish. 

Next up was Praveen and Jordan hoping to get a win to take the pressure off Scott.  The tension started to build as both matches were tied 1-1.  It was a huge relief when Jordan took control of his match with a 3-1 win while Praveen yelled out “baby food”, a term from the Gen Z generation, on the other court when he just missed an almost perfect drop shot that would have given him control of the game. 

With matches tied at 2-2 it was Scott’s turn to strut his stuff… He did just that with his signature head fakes and his undeniable tight drop shots to finish off the night with a win for Pickering!

Here is the schedule for the next league matches…please come out, show your support and let’s cheer our teams on and help them bring home the titles!

Men’s Div. 3 semi-finals (home game) – Tues. March 10th – 7:20 – Come out and watch!

Women’s D semi finals (home game) – Thurs. March 12th – 7:20 – Come out and watch!

Men’s Div. 4 (quarter finals)- They will be playing an away game on Friday!  (good luck guys!)