Category: Junior Squash

2025 upcoming events at the Pickering Squash Club

– From Nicole Pirko

The first half of the squash season has been a success and there is much more to come in the new year.  So don’t you dare put your racquet away over the holidays because we have a busy schedule of house leagues, tournaments and lots of clinic opportunities coming up in the new year.  

First up is our Monday Night Singles House League that will be starting up again on Monday Jan. 20th.  I have automatically added everyone from the final round in December so there is no need to sign up if you were participating in the final weeks before the break.  If you are new to the league and would like to participate, simply send me an email and say “I’m in” and I will add you to the list. If you are not sure if you are included, just send me an email and I’ll confirm.  All levels are welcome and the house league is a fun way to meet other players and get a great work out.  

Our doubles house league will also be starting on the week of Jan. 20th.  The sign-up sheet is posted on the board outside the doubles courts.  Please find yourself a partner and add your team to the list!

 Our annual Lee Hanebury Memorial Tournament – Jan. 31, Feb. 1, 2, 2025. I would like to invite you all to participate in the Pickering Squash Club’s annual Lee Hanebury Memorial Tournament on the weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 2.  This is a tournament weekend you do not want to miss!  Tournament events include Men’s and Women’s singles events levels A-E (This means everyone at every level should play), as well as 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 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 (under the “tournament community” tab.  The sign-up deadline is Wed. Jan. 22th but please sign up early to avoid disappointment as some draws WILL fill up fast!  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.  

Junior Squash Programs:

Our junior squash program is in full swing and we have added more clinics for juniors of all levels and ages!  All clinics are 12 weeks and the emphasis will be on teaching the kids proper techniques, drills, game play and of course fun!  Here are the details below.  Please sign up early because the clinics fill up fast!

Tuesday’s 4:30-5:30- Advanced Junior Clinic (all ages)

Tuesday’s 5:30-6:30- Intermediate Junior Clinic (Ages 7-14)

Saturday’s 12:30-1:30 – Novice/Beginner (Ages 4-15) 

Saturday’s 1:30-2:30 – Intermediate Junior Clinic (Ages 7-14) this is an additional class for our Tuesday Intermediate players. 

Please contact Nicole to sign up for all Tuesday classes and Sameer for all Saturday classes.

Are looking for some extra training to improve your game, why not try a clinic?  Here are the new clinic dates for various levels starting in Jan. 

Beginner Squash Clinic (men and women) – Wednesday’s 6:00-7:00 – 4 week program – Contact Nicole to sign up

Men’s intermediate Skills Clinic (tournament level C/D) -Thursday’s 6:00-7:00- 6 week program- Contact Sameer to sign up

Mixed Performance Advanced Clinic (tournament level A/B) – Thursday’s 7:00-8:00 – 6 week program – Contact Nicole to sign up

Lastly, our social directors are busy planning this year’s banquet party and we have a date confirmed.  Be sure to add Sat. April 5th on your calendars for this year’s banquet party following our Club Championships Tournament.  More details to come!

I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday and we will see you on the courts in the new year!

Nicole

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.

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!

Pickering Wins 3 Gold Medals!

Report from Nicole Pirko – Pickering Squash Professional

3 of Pickering’s top junior players take home gold medals in the Grand Prix Silver Tournament!

Pickering was well represented at this weekends Grand Prix Silver #3 tournament at Parkview Athletic Club.   A very special congratulations to Ranya Malik, Rayn Malik and Raamis Malik who all took home gold medals by winning their respective age group title. I was extremely proud of all our juniors who participated this weekend not only for their hard work and dedication on the court but most importantly for their positive attitude and sportsmanship throughout the entire tournament.
Great job!

Pickering Hosts Grand Prix Silver Event for Juniors

Pickering Squash Club hosted a Grand Prix Silver event this past weekend. Congratulations to all our junior Pickering players that participated in a fun day of competitive squash!

Under 9 finalist: Alexis Pirko and Champion: Payton Schiele

Alexis and Madison Pirko

Great “T” position Maddy!

Contributed by Nicole Pirko –  Pickering Squash Professional

Upcoming Events for the 2017 Squash Season – A Note From Nicole

Hi Everyone!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful summer and that you’re ready to get back into the “swing” of things for this squash season!  I would like to take this opportunity to let you know about the upcoming events that will be happening at the Pickering Squash Club.  There is lots of information below so get out your calendars and book off these dates!

Monday Night Singles House League

The Monday night singles house league will be starting on Monday Sept. 18th.  I have just posted the sign up sheet on the board across from Court 4.  There will be limited spots available so if you don’t have a chance to get to the club in the next two weeks, send me an email and I will sign you up! 

Singles Rules and Refereeing Clinic

On Monday Sept. 11th at 7:00pm, we are hosting a rules and refereeing clinic for all levels located in the upper floor meeting room.  I strongly encourage every single player to attend!  The clinic will cover strokes, lets, no lets, the turning rule and so much more.  I am hopeful to see all our T&D and house league players out for this clinic.  

Wednesday Night Doubles House League

The intermediate doubles house league will be starting on Wed. Sept. 20th.  This is for everyone with or without experience to come out and enjoy this awesome game!  You may sign up with a partner or we will do our best to pair you up.  If you will not have a chance to make it to the club, send me an email and I will add your name to the list.

Tuesday Night Doubles House League

This is for competitive players that participate in OSDL and tournaments throughout the season.  There will be limited spots available and a “try-out” may be scheduled to decide which teams will be participating.  If you are interested in playing, add your name/partners name to the list posted outside the doubles courts.

Side note:  I have been playing doubles squash for about 10 years.  I absolutely love the game.  I love the partnership of working as a team, the strategy of having four on a court and the benefits of getting a great work out.  If you have never played, I encourage you to give it a try and find out for yourself just how much fun this game can be!

Sat. Junior Squash Program

The Saturday junior program is for kids ages 6-14 who are interested in learning this sport.  The program runs for 8 weeks on Saturday mornings from 10:30-12:00.  We will be starting on Sat. Sept. 16th.  I still have spots available but they are filling up fast.  Please contact me if you would like to sign someone up or if you are interested in volunteering your time to help out.  I really do count on the help of volunteers to keep this program successful and I would really appreciate anyone who would like to volunteer their time on Saturday mornings to help me out.

T&D Squash League

For those of you who are interested in participating in a competitive/social league I have posted the sign-up sheets in the hallway just outside the singles courts.  Registration deadline is fast approaching so please sign up asap so we can decide which divisions we will be participating in this season. 

Squash Day in Canada – Sat. Sept. 30th

All over the country, passionate players will be celebrating this wonderful game we play.  I will be organizing a fun, non-competitive event in Pickering and I encourage everyone to come out and share their passion for this sport.  More details will be coming soon!

Harvest Hit Doubles Tournament

This year our annual doubles tournament will be on Oct. 20-22.  Mark this date on your calendars!!  This is a great weekend of squash and social events.  I hope to see everyone playing regardless of your doubles experience.  This years events include Men’s B, Men’s C, Women’s B, Women’s C and a Mixed B.  If you wish to play in two events, sign up early!  You must sign up on the Squash Ontario website: www.squashontario.com  

Singles Drop-in Round Robin – Thursday Nights!!

Our singles drop-in round robin is Thursday nights on courts 3 and 4 from 6:00-7:00.  This is a fun, non-competitive atmosphere and I encourage all levels to come out and enjoy a good workout and a chance to meet some new players.  All levels are welcome, no sign up required. 

Beginner Ladies…this ones for you!

I will be running a free beginner clinic for all women in the Pickering area that would like to come out and learn the game.  Non-members are welcome!  The goal for this clinic is to recruit new players to this wonderful game.  The clinic will be held on Sunday Sept. 24 from 2:00-4:00.  Please feel free to contact me if you would like to sign up or if you know someone who may be interested in coming out!  

 Lastly, we have a fantastic website.  Be sure to check it out at https://pickeringsquash.club A very special thanks to Terry Bruce for all his hard work in creating and designing the site to keep you all up to date on events going on throughout the season.  

See you on the courts!

Nicole

Check out events on the Events Calendar