This Week in Squash - RICC

The Christmas - New Year's Hiatus

2012-01-08T20:23:00.004-05:00

GLAD All THAT IS OVER

Now that the lights are no longer blinking, the ornaments are put away and the ugly sweater is stored away for next year's party (Yes honey, it is ugly) we can finally try to get back on the court and work off the Viking portions of cookies, pies and eggnog we crammed into us. Did you avoid self-restraint like me and ingest so many sweets that you felt the commercials for diabetes were being directed at you personally? So what are you doing about it? Are you pumping out star drills, court sprints, outside road work, drinking water instead of liquifying the left over apple pie? Lets hope so.

The flip side of the "season" is that you may have someone in your life who knows you have a squash addiction. That makes it easy for gift giving. Hopefully, you can work off the seasonal up-tick in personal volume with some newly acquired gear. New racquet, shoes, shirts (For the Love of God Jenks! Please tell us the kids came through), shorts,wrist bands?

If you haven't already started then you need to get moving. There's only 4 months left in the season.

I truly hope everyone had a happy and healthy holiday season. Now lets get on with the Squash!!

SO WHO DID WE PLAY, HOW DID WE DO AND WHERE DID WE EAT?

FALL RIVER AND RIVER BEND

UGH and DOUBLE UGH!

Oh the similarities:
1 court - 1 with a frozen sponge for a front wall, the other not even close to regulation.

RI OPEN - THE PROS and THE REST OF US

2011-12-08T07:42:00.007-05:00

BILLETING - The Pros

Golfer 1: "Hey, you going to the pro tournament in town this week?"

Golfer 2: "Yeah. You?"

Golfer 1: "I might as well. Tiger Woods is staying at my house during the tournament and he needs a ride to the course."

Golfer 2: "Really?"

Golfer 1: "Yeah, and Ernie Els and Vijay Singh are staying a street over at Greg's house."

Golfer 2: "Wow. What's his World ranking now."

Golfer 1: "Tiger is 52 and the guys at Greg's are in the 60-70 range."

Golfer 2: "You gotta do anything special?"

Golfer 1: "Not really. They sleep a lot, text continuously, need to practice a little and love pasta. Really nice guys and they gave me some tips on improving my game when we hit balls together."

Now, just change the names to Zac Alexander, Amr Swelim and Jan Koukal. Although not household names, they rank among the best in the World at what they do. As a squash junkie, it's very cool to hang with they guys you see on Youtube or read about in Squash Magazine.
Getting on court with them is also a treat. Just when you think you have your game dialed in or a particular shot that you think is absolutely perfect, they open your eyes to just how good they really are (and how much we normal humans really suck). They not only get EVERYTHING, they hit a winner off the best shot you've ever hit in your life.

So, next time a pro tournament comes to town fix up the spare bedroom and eat some pasta with the guy that could soon be the best squash player in the World.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Zac Alexander beat Jan Koukal in the final 3-0. The rally's were incredible. At one point there were over 100 shots in a row (the point ended in a LET!)

You might also be interested to know that Zac also won his next PSA tournament in Saskatoon with a win over Amr Swelim in the final there.

THE REST OF US

RICC was very well represented in the tournament on all skill levels. Apparently, some forgot to put their age in the registration form - mare later.

Father Hugh was in attendance all days, not playing - just keeping an eye on everybody and the tournament to make sure it all went off without a hitch.

Gemma played in the 5.0 draw and had his hands full with the 17 year old, Junior at St. George's. The kid had a huge advantage due to being used to the courts so it was a bit unfair. It also looked like he didn't sweat or breath hard - in any of his matches. Apparently he's being groomed for a slot on the Indian National Team.

In the 4.0 draw Nina had a run in with the basketball short wearing, giant, sleeveless ogre - 2nd year in a row. A new rule will be put in place for next years tournament - Shorts must be worn above the knee and all shirts must have sleeves.

I was in the 4.0 and like Gemma, was not used to the courts. The best part of the tournament for me was that I was lucky to come across a men's clothing store where I scored a great pair of corduroys. I just don't play well on the St. George's courts.

There were a bunch of 3.0 and 3.5 guys from RICC around. I'm not sure what draw they were in but they deserve mentioning. Auber played pretty good. Mini-Ted played OK but Auber clobbered him. Unfortunately for Sweet Lou, he was battling a severe cold. But, as we know, there's no quit in Lou and he valiantly battled on. Nice job guys.

But the magic of the tournament was in the 2.5 draw. RICC showed up with a couple never-evers and they were a treat to watch. I was even lucky to be asked to referee one of our guys. You're wondering what a "never-ever" is. A "never-ever" is a guy who has never-ever played in a tournament before. The "never-ever" walks around the squash venue with eyes like saucers trying to take it all in, not knowing where to turn and which court to watch. They don't know where they can or should stand to watch, when they can get on a court and they can't figure out who is in their draw so they can "scout" them. They are in disbelief. They've never-ever seen so many squash players and so many courts. They can't believe how hard some of the other players hit the ball and why nobody showed them the skid-boast or the "whadcha call that shot? A Philadelphia?" You can see them become visibly apoplectic with excitement, consternation, and nervous energy. But, the "never-ever" is the heart and soul of the future of squash. The "never-ever" is the new blood, the growth of the sport and squash junkies in the making.

Finally, the never-ever does settle down just enough to find the locker room, find the right court, check the number on the door again to make sure and then when they see their opponent, question themselves again. (I can't be playing her!)

The two stand-out "Never-evers" were TROOPER and LA JAY.

LA JAY is a clothing and fashion trendsetter. He is bringing his golf fashion prowess to squash and is about to turn the squash fashion world on its head. So much for all whites or conservative gear to match the historically stayed game of squash. Bumble Bee fashion is IN. Yellow shirt, knee high socks, left and right upper arm tendon bands and matching yellow trimmed court shoes let all the participants know there is a new "playa" in RI Squash and he is here to stay! I'm not sure how he did in the tournament but he looked like he was having a great time.

The TROOPER, not to be outdone by LA JAY, and measuring in on the hyper-competitive scale at a smidge over the Sweet Lou level, he decided to throw his weight around and do what he had to do to win. At 6'3" and 240 lbs he's an intimidating figure in jack boots, starched blouse and britches, Canadian Mountie hat and fire-arm. Maybe in his next tournament he'll wear his uniform on court. Because, without it, he was no match for a 4'10", 83 lb 7th grade, private school, girl. Apparently she's tougher to intimidate than your average felon. Despite being hip-checked and "accidentally" knocked to the floor, little Molly picked herself up and kicked the coffee and donuts out of the Trooper.

In the Trooper's next matches he looked like a man among boys . . . because he was. The talent was tougher but not much bigger or older than his first match. The Trooper held his own in the following matches a bit better after learning the lay of the land. The next tournament he plays in he'll be sure to wear his leather holster and firearm on court for affect. "Hey, if it ain't illegal then its legal."

All that being said, it's fair to say that most everyone enjoyed themselves.

Better luck next year!
Former

THE AGAWASP

2011-11-28T21:36:00.005-05:00

IT'S LIKE GOING BACK IN TIME

We go on the road for our first away match of the season. It's only about 10 miles away but it feels like 60 years ago. Everything about the place reeks of old school, exclusionary, white, protestant, old men. You get a sense of where you are when you walk in the "renovated" locker room (they kept the old metal rusty lockers) and see the actual old men, typically stark naked just having a chat, or still in their whites undressing from the floor up. When you attempt to avert your eyes you are also taken by the names on the various champions plaques. Names like Aspinwall, Chase, Chillingsworth, Chittenden, Pierpont, Robertson, Stockbridge, Sylvester, Tabor, Winslow and Wentworth are indelibly printed in gold leaf on plaques such as, and I am not kidding, THE AGAWASP CUP. After being directed to one of the rusty metal lockers by the ever jovial and personable attendant, you get ready to make your way back outside to the squash building.

The faster you can scrub the hard drive from the gravity ravaged, saggy man experience the better. The quick jog over in the cool, crisp, night air seems to help.

WE ARE LINE-UP CHALLENGED

S3 is still out with a sore neck so everybody has to move up. No problem; just like the old days.

JENKS v. DARBY IN THE #1 SPOT(See, who names their kid Darby?)

Again with hitting the crap out of the ball?!?!?! Darby was able to handle the pace, hit decent length and cut the fat ones off. Despite the tight game scores Darb was able to wear his shorts a little higher after the win and we moved down to court 1 to see how Hads and Drew were faring.

HADS, a typically slow starter lost the first game. It was a matter of Hads just figuring out his opponent and playing to his weaknesses. Although it was a 5 gamer, Hads worked Drew over pretty good. Both were exhausted at the end of the match but Hads was wearing the smile.

I had the last match of the night against a 17 year old man-child. The kid is about 6' 1" and hits the snot out of the ball. Luckily I've been playing with Jenks for a few years now and have seen that movie. His lack of patience was evident and I snuck out a 3-0 victory.

Nina and Kick had make-up matches at RICC on the following Sunday and although gracious hosts they both were victorious. Despite every intention to get over to see you play and show support I found myself otherwise unavoidably detained elsewhere.

We have a couple weeks off due to a bye, The RI Open and Thanksgiving weekend. I'm sure all of us will be working on fitness and 1 particular thing in our game that we have identified that needs some attention.

Former

SO FAR, NOT BAD

2011-11-13T14:47:00.003-05:00

WEEK 1

Brown came in and it was clear we were not in game shape. Alex Putinfrontkoner was working his normal routine and S3 didn't have it. Actually, he had already lost it multiple times before he even got on the court - YUCK! Dehydration and a crick in his neck and he's out of the line-up.

Jenks had his hands full with the Rhodes Show. A bit more patience and his better ball striking would have become more apparent. However, week 1 readily makes apparent our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. What appeared to be the beginnings of a major blowout turned into a WTF match?

Hads completed a 5 gamer with PST Joe, a/k/a FNG. We had him believing he was on the hook for dinner due to his FNG status. FNG Joe came away with the win and Hads came off vowing to go on a diet.

I overate and under-coffeed at lunch (roast beef grinder and no Starbucks), unlike Nina who had a couple cashews and a sunflower seed, and felt like my feet were in cement. It was a circus out there with Caleb.

Her diet worked. Nina was the only one to get a victory as she essentially crushed the philosopher (Kniesche)

Kick Ess showed his team spirit and made it to the home opener despite not being in the line-up.

The Admiral was the call for post squash consumption and libation. Despite the score it was a nice start to the season.

WEEK 2

The Other Brown Team came for a visit to Barrington and this time we turned the tables. It seems like we are starting to hit our stride and took 4 matches.

Unlike week 1, the matches were enjoyable and there was a lot of good squash.

Jack got his first official RICC match win under his belt over the league president. Not a bad way to start; unfortunately your dues have doubled.

Hads had a pretty easy time with Cioffi with 3 straight short games.

Itchy, always a fun guy to play, walked away pretty dejected after getting wo-managed around the court. It was a double bummer for Itch as he couldn't join us for dinner at Billy's due to his 6 am flight the following morning.

My match was very fun. It's amazing how important diet and caffine are to good squash play.

There was some disconcerted energy floating around on court 1 during Jenks match. A little birdie told me that some of the referee calls were a bit inconsistent. Unfortunately, the calls were going against Jenks and the result was less than what he was looking for.

Billy's was the choice for post match sustenance and as usual the bill was higher than expected when we were tallying it up. We really need our Capt. to make a few calls to the various eateries and negotiate a squash menu for Tuesdays!!

TJM

WE START AS CHAMPIONS

2011-10-24T19:49:00.003-04:00

Welcome back everybody! Thankfully, we have everybody back this year. (There's even a little more of some of us . . . if you know what I mean). It was touch and go there for a while; the off-season can be tough but we all pulled through.

We had a great season last year. As a team we dominated the league and held our own in the Nationals. We also had our share of individual accolades to go along with our team effort. Remember, competition makes us strong!

So we enter a new era this year. We have a new Captain or shall we say Den Mother or Capthern or Captneen or Alpha Female or Bella Don or Womanager. We haven't seen her much but we hear things are progressing.

We are also lucky to have a new teammate - The Jack Ess (just trying it out). He played with us in the Nationals and his competitive spirit, quality play and political manipulations allowed him an expedited application process. Welcome!

So it all begins tomorrow. The "Under New Management" sign will be prominently displayed and we will play hard, play smart, play like gentlemen and leave it all on the court just like she does.

It's gonna be a great year.

How about some fitness ?

2010-10-26T23:47:00.002-04:00

NEW SEASON - A YEAR OLDER - INJURIES ABOUND

EARLY SEASON FITNESS

Court sprints are the best and fastest way to get into game shape.

Suggested format:
1. Play your match or do your drills
2. Do the sprints at the end.
3. 12 lengths with a 30 second break, another 12 lengths, another 30 second break, continue until exhauseted
4. Concentrate on your footwork so you go into each length with the proper foot and touch low on the wall
5. The footwork becomes key especially under pressure and when tired.

RI SQUASH UPDATES

2010-10-25T22:25:00.003-04:00

RI SQUASH OPEN

The tournament is being played the 18-21 (Amateurs 19 - 21) which is the weekend BEFORE Turkey Day. There's no reason we shouldn't all sign up and support the event. It will be good to work hard and get in game shape for the season.

Also, just like last year, each team is being asked to kick in $20 per player. Jenks will be at your door looking for the dough-ray-me ($$$).

Housing for the pros is requested. I know Neens is supporting Gilly. There's 1 guy from Ireland and I think I can help out there. Hads - there are a bunch from your old country (that missed the Mayflower) but might enjoy your antics.

Monti - there may even be a guy with multiple vowels in his name that you would be comfortable with.

NEW BLOG APPEARANCE

I felt like I need to do something new to improve the image. Since the 99 didn't quite cut the mustard last week I REBLOGIFIED with a cool, new burger background.

Maybe Thai with the Newporters this week?

Weak 1 - All Around

2010-10-21T17:06:00.005-04:00

DOES IT SEEM EARLY TO YOU?

FALL RIVER TO START
First and foremost we need to welcome the newest B-Teamer (Not a Blue nor Red - because we only have 1 B team this year) Slammin Sam Sylvester a/k/a Triple S or S Cubed. Welcome to the squad. We're happy you joined us and you will be happy you joined us too. Our plan is to have a lot of fun and win every match this season. Doable!

There's no place I'd rather start the season (24 weeks by the way)than in FALL FREEKIN RIVER. The court is a pleasure to play on, the showers are tremendous and there's no better chiropractic care anywhere.

MATCH 1 - HADLEAN v. DIRK THE FRENCH IRISHMAN

I came in late for this one. Hadlean was clearly not in mid-season form. There was no appreciable lean. The pace of play was a bit slower than normal and the shots were not as crisp as we tend to expect from LEANER. It went 4 games and it appeared Hads was gearing for a comeback but it never fully materialized. (1-3)

A "brief" conversation in the locker room with Dirk revealed his proclivity for dressing "French" after his squash match. One just couldn't help but notice the pastey white skin slipping into the Carhout work pants. That's a bit rough.

MATCH 2 - JENKS V. BULLARD - The Mutual Admiration Society Match

Bullard was true to form. Yapping before the ball was first served. Coincidently Peter had on his approprate "Blowhard" t-shirt. For an old guy he will make you work for points. Lots of nasty reverse boasts, high lobs and misdirections. All the talk started to get into Jenks head.

Jenks started to settle down and soon realized that a rally lasting more than 3 or 4 shots was to his advantage. It was apparent Peter had a fantastic Summer with plenty of golf, tennis, yard work and beach time (His first week of squash season tummy was well tanned).

Jenks attempted to get into Peter's head by calling him "Sir" and chatted him hup a bit. It didn't work; it only gave Peter more of a breather (which he desperately needed). Nevertheless Jenks did a nice job, held on tight and closed appropriately. (3-1)

MATCH 3 - Capt M. v. Tenney

Tenney was breathing hard early. He threw in a couple Hadlean immitations and with a couple of extended rallys he started making some unforced errors. It felt good to get the first one out of the way. (3-0)

MAKE-Up Matches

Both matches should be a pleasure to see for various reasons.

Nina v. B. Hads - Now that is a complete contrast in all respects

Triple S. v. Chiro - S Cubed will love that match. You really need to experience it on your own to fully appreciate it. Good luck.

SURPRISE!

Riley showed up for our match in FR. It was nice seeing him there.

Food After - There is a prior post on this Blog indicating we should never go to the 99 again - for good reason.

HOME vs. HOME

2009-11-02T08:42:00.002-05:00

RED v. BLUE – 5-0 Good Guys
Week one of the RI Squash season pitted us against the other RICC B team. Despite valiant efforts at the RI Squash Board meetings to place clubs with multiple teams in the same league in different divisions, the Board voted to set up the league in a geographically “friendly” manner. Apparently the State of Rhode Island is now so expansive, due to global warming I suppose, that it shocks the conscious to suggest a squash player would tolerate a 40 minute drive. You can get from anywhere in RI to anywhere in RI in 40 minutes. I digress!

The result of the RED v. BLUE match was predictable. RED squeaked out a 5-0 victory. It should be noted that Ted BLUE gifted a win to Jenks due to a hamstring injury suffered in his attempt to run the Newport Marathon. A tough week for Ted Blue as he only made it approximately 3 out of the anticipated 26 miles before packing it in. As an aside, Z-Bride ran the ½ marathon on the same day in what was a true Nor’easter.

The Blue Capt. was a bit confused coming into the match. Clearly he hadn’t utilized the Jenkinese Rosetta Stone VOL I to decipher the “Encrypted” line-up. Much bitching by the Blue Capt. over nothing – (“Who’s Former? Is he a new guy? I’m just looking to see who we’re playing and I get a list of names I’ve never seen before. What’s going on here?”) Captain Blue also brings to light that Jenks sister was HOT when he knew her in high school. Very good intel!

FOOD, SPIRITS, $, PROMISES and PONTIFICATING

It was a tough decision but we chose Billy’s over Chiasa this week. We did get some great service due to the owner sitting at our table. Most notably, Hadlean ordered up the BROKE BACK BURGER, Jenks bailed before the bill came and Nina had a $0 balance on her debit card. Ironically, Jenks share of the bill went to Nina instead of mine. Is Jenks the new Nina? Jenks, Don’t forget to pay her back!
The beer must have been a tad more potent because DOBY AGREED TO BE CAPTAIN NEXT YEAR! A night to remember!

Hadlean indicated that Sexual Self-fulfillment was a better cure for a headache than Advil.

Jenks, true to form and as expected, had the perfunctory BURP! NICE! and came close to wearing Tennis Browns. Smartly, Jenks scheduled a Box League match knowing Ted Blue was injured.

All in all, a great start to the season. A very fun gathering – until Jenks left – and then it became a little uncomfortable.

Former Capt.

WEEK 1 - Pre-game Hype

2009-10-18T20:03:00.003-04:00

THE OLDER WE GET THE MORE WE STAY THE SAME
So Hads and I get together today for a pre-season hit around after the kids clinic to get some of the rust off. We both missed yesterday's "Get the rust off session" due to family sports obligations (two goals by my kid, not sure about Charlotte).

It was a good thing we went out there. The rust was extensive and there were many errors. The new point- a - rally format is not conducive to early season, aggressive, risky shotmaking. The tin was getting a workout.

After about 30 minutes we seemed to fall back into familiarity. No Stroke for Hads, as I saw it (thanks Sebby) and "Bone on Bone" and the patented "Hadlean" reared their heads. Hads did surprise a few of us with a new comment which, you can be assured, he will rely.

After the match was over and we were enjoying a cool, refreshing adult beverage, Hadlean actually told those in earshot that he "grew more arthritis over the summer." The guy will do anything to win - even fake an injury during a preseason workout to change the pace and the flow of the match. Wiley veteran!

Home vs. Home - Week 1

The squash kick-off function was last night. I missed it. I hope everybody that did attend had a great time.

The courts are starting to fill up. The kids looked like they were having a blast at today's clinic with Coach Riley - especially KATE!

Tuesday is the first match for the RICC B-squads. Not sure if the other team is showing or who is on it but we'll be there ready for the match. Post match dinner will undoubtedly be at Billy's now that it is open.

PRE AND EARLY SEASON FITNESS

From experience I can say that court sprints are the best and fastest way to get into game shape.
Suggested format:
1. Play your match or do your drills
2. Do the sprints at the end.
3. 12 lengths with a 30 second break, another 12 lengths, another 30 second break, continue until exhauseted
4. Concentrate on your footwork so you go into each length with the proper foot and touch low on the wall
5. The footwork becomes key especially under pressure and when tired.

Looking forward to a great season.
Former Capt.

2009 - 2010 B-Season

2009-10-07T10:57:00.003-04:00

IT'S BACK

Feeling like we missed something last year. TWIS will be re-established for the enjoyment of the team. A form of glue to help cohesiveness.

UPDATE FOR LEAGUE
See the following below regarding number of B Teams and who we will play.

This year, there are 12 teams in the B league, requiring 2 divisions, each with 6 teams. There will be no need for "bye" weeks since there are an even number of teams.However, in the North, we have 3 teams from Brown, 2 from UClub, and 1 from Agawam. If we were to try to do what we discussed at the board meeting, and put one of the RICC teams in that division, that would force one of those above-named teams to play in the south. Having discussed this with various folks at those clubs, it is clear to me that none of them want to deal with the extra travel implied by this. That also implies extra travel for the teams in the south. Also, to take one team out of 2 or 3 from a club and force them to do that travel while their peers on the other team aren't doing it is also viewed as "unfair."If, like last year, there were only 11 teams in B, then it would probably have been no problem to put the two RICC B teams in different divisions. But it doesn't seem possible this year.- Don

Next team event: PRE-SEASON CONDITIONING.

I'll speak to Jenks and give him some ideas.
PSYCHED!

PRE-SEASON

2008-09-06T14:12:00.003-04:00

RICC B-RED

A Pre-seaons hello from your FORMER CAPTAIN. Yes, I have officially passed the baton to Jenks for the season.

Although it is still golf season there has been some pre-season workouts going on. Serious squashers!

Former Capt.

Final Standings

2008-04-05T16:49:00.002-04:00

When you look at the final standings on the RISRA webpage, it looks pretty accurate.

THERE'S NO CRYING IN SQAUSH

2008-04-03T21:07:00.006-04:00

I'm Way Behind on the Posts - SORRY!

PLAYOFFS - VS. BROWN

Well, that does it. We really did a great job this season. Except for Coogs, everybody really stepped up their game. Sorry to single you out Coogs but, you're old, your bones are letting you down, you never showed up and when you did play, you choked! Give Bubba Lombardi a call; he choked in the C - playoffs - up 2-0 and Nina's GAG Reflex showed up. Maybe you can beat him?

For such a conciliatory posting I'm sorry for being so harsh to my fellow team mates.

#2 Patch vs. Capt.

Patch is a freak. He crushed me but, I did everything I could to get in his head. Tough to penetrate rock. Hads, thanks for reffing. I know I promised - way back at the beginning of the season - not to argue with the Ref, even if he's wrong but . . . 1. The ref was wrong - sort of; 2. I had to try something; 3. I had nothing to lose. Sorry Chris. 1 down with 4 to go.

#5 Nina vs. The Professor

This was a good one for Nina, after turning purple she put the hurtin on Horowitz he so justly deserved. As we were aware all week, we needed to win at the 3, 4 and 5 spots. Nina held up her end of the deal and kept hope alive. Nice solid win with good tight shots, playing smart deep rails while moving her opponent around - NICE SQUASH! Oh, by the way - Paddle sucks and it hurts your squash game. Good luck at the Nationals next week!

#3 Jenks vs. A-league hands and D-league feet

Are you kidding me? This was one of the best matches I have ever seen, bar none. I cannot wait to see Jenks at the pool this year. He dove more times in 5 minutes on the wooden floor than I did all last summer off the diving board at the club pool. There was no quit in Jenks. Every point counted and the only point that was going to make him stop was the LAST POINT - no matter who got it.

The knees were battered, bruised and bloody. The elbow and wrist were swollen. The wet spot on the floor was extensive.

Would I get in a foxhole with you? ANY DAY!

Jenks goes out to a 2-0 lead in games and I'm thinking "This is our night." Games 3 and 4 are the exact opposite of 1 and 2 as Jenks stopped listening to his own advice and either hit it into the tin or resorted to his hardball, reverse boast bullshit. Please FOCUS!

Game 5 does not start well for Jenks! He's down 0-6 and hope is fading. Then, all of a sudden, the straight shots come back and he throws in a couple, "F U I'm not giving up" dives that turn into winners. The British doctor with the Muslim name is stunned! Not only is he stunned but he is now too tired to even get excited, nor does he have enough energy to fight. His D-league legs have given out on him and he starts to feel the match slip away from him.

At 8-8, A-hands calls Set 2. Jenks goes down 9-8, he wins the next point on a 2-dive, dropped racquet, get up and win the point and the gets it to 9-9. At match ball he hits an unlikely cross court winner to win the game and match 10-9.!!! As Al Michaels said in 1980 - "Do you believe in miracles?"

Dobby and I kept track of all the NICE SHOTS!, Great Serve, OHHHHHH and WHHHOOOO comments. Jenks dominated there as well; Dr. A/D had only one Oh Shit! Who has all the heart? JENKS!

YOU REALLY NEED TO CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE!

All Hads has to do is tame the Spider Monkey and we are in the finals!

#4 Hads vs. Spider Monkey - -Click here!

All our hope was resting on the one guy who has all the stories and has been playing for more years than the rest of our team combined. Unfortunately, Hads is in skiing shape and not squash shape. The Monkey just kept running, and running and running and running. - Click here!

All our hopes rest with Gryphon!

#1 GRYPHON vs. WunderLICK
Thanks for the supreme effort. On behalf of the team, thanks for making the match, re-arranging your schedule, flying home when it was not that easy, playing as hard as you can and remembering your team mates were counting on you. Your effort is appreiciated.

We will win the whole thing next year!

Capt. Morgan

2 Week Summary

2008-02-06T21:56:00.000-05:00

NEWPORT
Newport was awful, except for the food. Even with an interesting line-up shuffle we got our assess handed to us.

#1 Capt. v. Braisted
Surprisingly, the match was pretty close. I lost 3-1 to a guy who plays A-5.

#3 Jenks v. His Excellency The Pope
Even with the white hat and staff, The Pope just crushed Jenkins. It was awful to watch. The guy is a total shooter/dinker. It's not even squash. The Pope should be excommunicated from the squash league for the way he plays. 3-0 and Peter took a beating and didn't know what hit him. White man over-bite squash, i.e., no rhythm.

#4 Nina v. Huggins
A 5 gamer. Unfortunately, Huggy runs very well to the front and Nina decided to hit shots to the front. Shots to length worked great but she used too few of them to get the win. Our #4 spot is turning into our #5 spot from the 1st half.

#5 Hads v. Fashion Genius
Hads traveled to NPT from Fall Reeeve for the make-up match. I didn't bother asking what he wore this time but you can bet that it wasn't pretty. Maybe he graced the court in his saggy, tope bike shorts that were once black. Anyway Hads rolled 3-0. Our only win so far.

FOOOD! We ate at Pour Richards on Broadway. Great little place. Little nceks with portugese sausage was great. Scallops and risotto was delicious. Grilled chicken sangwich with salsa and gwock was very yummy.

AGAWAM

This was the first time in a long time we all showed up and played on the same night.

#1 Gryphon v. Guy with a serious heart problem
Short match 0, 3,0. The guy with the heart problem wasn't even sweating. Gryphon lost. Hey, playing 3-way after was fun.

#2 Capt. v. High Shorts
The court was hot, the ball stayed up forever and my legs were tired. This was the first time I had ever lost to HS. He's in good shape and playing a lot better than in the past. I'm disappointed in the 3-1 loss. I think I lost a few pounds of water. At the end I think I was dehydrated because I almost passed out.

#3 Hads v. Hockey Player
A pretty easy match for Hads. Not too much work and never in doubt 3-1 to Hads. Plenty of F - bombs from the hockey player during the match. Nice job Hads!

#4 Nina v. President of Bryant Univ.

Another 5 games for Nina and another loss. See the next Blog Update for a full account of the Nina Chronicles.

#5 Dobby v. Wally

5 games but in the end the victory was clear. Dobby was much more fit than Wally and didn't need the calls to go his way to get the win. A strong victory and the winning streak at the #5 slot continues. Nice work Dobby.

Capt.

FALL RIVER FUN

2008-01-23T17:20:00.000-05:00

FALL RIVER YMCA - THE LAMBEAU FIELD OF SQUASH

You need GPS to find the place due to all the construction. Some of us without GPS got a little lost. Those who got it as a present from their Mommy found the place no problem. It's hard enough to find the place; it's harder to play once you get inside.

There's only one court so the matches take forever. The one court that they do have has a front wall like a frozen sponge. FRY has home court advantage like no other place in the league. Throw in the sideways bounces out of the back corners and the whole match turns into a big guessing game. Luckily we were treated to some fine quizine at The 99 Restaurant after the match. So much for their catch phrase,"You'll always go back for more." Thanks, but no I won't. It would be more appropriate if it were "You'll never go back for more."

#2 Jenks v. Big Bob Hads

Bob the bunter tried to play his standard dink and run game but Jenks countered with smash and cross-court smash. I only saw a little of the match. From my perspective it appeared Jenks had the match in hand from the beginning. At the end of the match his shirt was only slightly sweaty. Maybe it was the domination or maybe it was that the match was played in a freezer. 3-1 Jenks.

#3 Capt. v. Tenney

I'd never seen anyone so tired so fast. I concentrated on hitting the ball as high on the frozen sponge as possible and worked on getting to the T so I could pick up those tricky drop shots the FRY guys all use. Tenny was gassed, he hit his drops into the tin and if the rally went longer than 5 shots he looked like he was going to puke. Another win for the good guys.

#4 Nina v. The Bird

It was a good match. Lots of good reaction shots with good hands. No rules disputes like the week prior. As a matter of fact, there were a number of points in the match where Lets and Strokes would have been awarded but the point was played through. (NINA - Call a Let once in a while).

There were some bad decisions which resulted in some minor outbursts - "RETARD!" which sounded extra funny coming from a Yale grad. And, there was some tangling at the T by both players when they were tired resulting in "Move your Fat Ass!" being called. It was quickly pointed out by a spectator (Harvard Grad and teammate of the Bird) that Nina was not talking to the Bird, although he could understand if he thought she was.

Tough match with Lambeau court being the advantage. 2-3 to the Bird.

#5 Dobby v. Larry

Dobbs was pissed. He couldn't get the ball back past the service line due to Lambeau Court. The losing streak continues at the #5 position. All tied 2-2.

Capt. Morgan

RIVERBEND FINALE

2008-01-20T23:05:00.000-05:00

DOBBY V. KAMBIS
It looked like the UN had taken over the squash courts. Those two guys were walking around, Riley was throwing his Cockney accented slang around in front of kids and some other guy was speaking Jenkinese. It was all very confusing.

Ultimately it was a good day for the Patriots and they're going to the Super Bowl against the NY Football Giants.

Anyway, the streak at the #5 spot continues. 4-1 on the week isn't bad. Hang in there Al!

Capt. Morgan

Last Week Of The 1st Half

2008-01-09T20:30:00.000-05:00

RIVERBEND - WHEN WINNING WASN'T FUN
4-0 with 1 to go (bring a ref)

Squash is a special sport and sportsmanship is an essential component of the competition. Playing in the league as a team intensifies the raw competiveness of the game because you are not only out on the court to win for yourself but also for your team. You have an obligation to the other 4 players on your team; they are counting on you to try your best and play as hard as you can until the last point. We keep score for a reason. However, when we play we are supposed to be fair and honest.

We all love to win and we all hate to lose. As competitors we thrive on the challenge, the workout, the comradery, the feeling of exertion and execution, the feeling of being a teammate and especially the thrill of victory. We know the difference between the feeling we get when we lose and when we win. Depending on the individual, we compete to enjoy the feeling of winning or we compete to avoid the feeling of losing. I think it was the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle or Socrates who said "The beer is always a little colder and tastes a little better after a win." Oh, how true that can be.

In our second year in the B-League we are finally getting to taste the sweet nectar of victory. We are consistently winning matches and we are enjoying ourselves much more this year. Unfortunately, despite the 4-0 beat down of Riverbend, the experience left a sour taste in our collective mouths. 2 of the 4 opponents last night showed incredibly poor sportsmanship. The details of the matches below will reveal why the beer was warm and skunked.

#2 Toph v. Martin

As Toph told anyone who was in earshot, this was the re-match of an epic battle from long, long ago. In summary:

15 yrs ago they played in the RISRA team finals (Fall River

(4th year in a row without winning) v. Newport), 4th match,

Toph losing 0-2 and 4-8, 4-8 and 4-8 -pulls off the win, ties

the match at 2-2, 5th match - FR goes up 2-0 and 5-0 -

LOSES AGAIN! Did I leave anything out?

OK. Back to present day. Toph and Martin played a nice clean game. Plenty of rails, drops and lobs. Toph did all he could to drag his ragged ass all over the court. The patented lean over with elbow on inside of knee and almost excessive talking and ball bouncing was prevelent. He also made a point to ask the for the score - again - every time it reached 8-4 or 4-8. We get it already. A nice win to start out the night.

#3 Capt. v. Otto

I had played this guy before down at Riverbend. He just hits the crap out of the ball, stands in the way, crowds you and never thinks when you ask for a let it is deserved. I was looking for a ref for my match but Toph had to go home to eat, Nina was going on the other court and Jenks hadn't arrived. We managed with Jenks' opponent watching and providing some commentary to help out in some of the rough spots. Nathan was there too but bailed out after the second game. Otto was making some suspect calls - like a let on game ball in the 1st that nicked out. Although the attempt to frustrate and obfuscate were there I didn't let it bother me. That doesn't mean I let him get away with anything; I let him know what I thought of his calls. Fortunately, game 1 was the only game I lost and my 2008 resolutions are still in tact as there was no ref to argue with.

#4 Nina v. Little Tony the wrestler

This is where the night really begins to get interesting.

Short version: A win is a win - good job Nina.

Long version: Nina was crushing the Midget Wrestler after the first 2 games. LTTMW (Little Tony The Midget Wrester - Click on the link) clearly couldn't handle losing to a girl and started cheating. Calling for Lets when clearly not entitled, arguing with Nina when she asked for a Let. As anyone who has played with Nina knows, you can count on her for absolutely failing to call Lets and Strokes for her own benefit; if she asks for a Let it's most likely a Stroke. That being said, the little bugger was having a serious problem with the rules. A clear indication of his not knowing the rules is that he slammed a shot into Nina's thigh. Nice bulls-eye! For those reading this and thinking I'm picking on the poor little fella - NOT TRUE! The guy has a seriously bad reputation. He and his ways are well known throughout the league. He hunts for Lets and Strokes by playing the body instead of the ball.

As it happens, I was watching the 5th game of the match when his antics were patently obvious. He asked for a Let, rightly or wrongly, I commented "No Let." I was then asked if I was the ref. I answered no, but was willing and it appeared that one was needed. The game went on without one and almost immediately another attempt at cheating was made by LTTMW. At this point, our mild mannered, most always friendly and polite teammate in Pink says "Just play Freekin Squash!" At this point LTTMW walks off the court forfeiting the 5th game. As he was walking away he says "I'm disappointed." To which Nina responded, "That makes both of us." Nice!

A few minutes later, in what seemed almost surreal, Nina asked LTTMW if he wanted a beer, gatorade or something to drink. Dumbfounded by the extreme civility, LTTMW mumbled "wha? uh. No. huh? No thanks." Ok, see you at TPG! NOT!

#1 Jenks v. The Man With 2 First Names

We really didn't know what to expect with this match. The man with 2 first names was new to the league and nobody really knew what to expect. He had a couple of good wins under his belt during the season but nobody knew his game.

As it turns out, Jenks picked up on his strengths and weaknesses and was able to capitalize. He realized that "2 Name" had a weaker than expected backhand. SHAZAM! Points were made and games were won.

Somewhere during the match - either game 3 or 4 - there was a ripping sound. Both players were looking at each other trying to figure out where the noise came from. A quick runway spin revealed Jenks had suffered a blow-out in the rear of his shorts. Nice look!

The noises continued in game 5. As Jenks was about to serve - and during his inquiry of the score - he belches like he just ate 3 hot weiners and a Coke. It was loud and probably smelled pretty bad. The funny thing is, Jenks had no recollection of the belch.

Clearly all the noises, clothes ripping and belching took its toll on "2 name" and Jenks grabbed the victory.

So now we're up 4-0 with only Dobby to play.

#5 Dobby v. Kaz

As a reminder to our teammate, the following are his quotes showing his attitude and confidence.

I thrive on pressure. I’m rested/ready. Second half of the season. It’s go time.

I guess we'll see.

Capt. Morgan

A Break In The Season

2008-01-02T12:24:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

With the squash season being so long (like a marathon) and our bodies needing a rest, the break in the competition comes at a great time. There's been no lack of rest for the weary on our team. Travel for the squad included skiing in Vermont and Lake Tahoe (excellent cross-training) and numerous warm weather venues, St. Thomas, Jamaica and Philadelphia. I hope everyone had a great holiday, is well rested and ready to get back on the courts.

2008 Squash Resolutions
With an attempt to become "better" - in a number of ways - I'm going to resolve to "improve" myself in the coming year by doing the following:
1. Do not argue with referee - even when they don't know the rules
2. Play with lower level players to help them get better
3. Play with higher level players to get better
4. Read at least 1 squash rule and its explanation per week
5. Do at least 12 court sprints after every time I play

Capt. Morgan

Battle For The Castle - Continued

2007-12-16T11:41:00.000-05:00

Hadley vs. Patrick
The score indicated a long, hard fought battle between two veterans. This time - and this time only - power overcame precision. Dave won in 5 with a 10-9 game 5. We play them again!

Gryphon vs. Ted
The 7:00 a.m. match was, like our teammate, akin to mutiple personalities. There were great rails, long rallies, one shot shooters, shots into the floor, huge amounts of hustle, self admiration after thought to be winners, power shots and finesse shots.

The battle was on after the first game. Gryph took an early, solid lead but let Ted back into the game and the win. Game 2 was where the craziness started. Gryph bageled, blanked, shut-out and mind tweaked Ted with a 9-0 pasting. Which personality was that? Game 3 went to Ted in another good game but the tank was running on fumes as the rallys went a little longer than usual and Ted made some remarkable shots with great hustle that looked like sure winners for Gryph. Game 4 was a reverse bagel - 0-9 and as Carl Spackler aptley says in Caddyshack, "That's all she wrote - click here."

The Battle For The Castle - US vs. THEM

2007-12-13T19:35:00.000-05:00

RICC vs. RICC
The line-up was set and we were looking pretty strong. Confidence has been building; we're comfortable as a B Team. Team fitness has improved; pounds have been shed and strength has increased.

Nina vs. Grossman - The 2 slot - more on that later.

Jenks vs. Wall
There was great anticipation for the #4 match. Two rather large former hockey/lax players in a confined area trying to hit the ball as hard as they can, you could feel the potential volitility. Everyone watching the match was expecting and hoping for some checking and slashing. Unfortunately, there were no sparks, no yelling - other than Jenks regular NICESHOT! (Yes, it's all one word), no checks, no dropped gloves. As a matter of fact it was described as FUGLY Squash by one spectator (more on the spectator later). Apparently, the guys kept hitting the ball down the middle at each other which allowed them both to swing harder and harder. Ultimately Jenks wore down his opponent and closed out the match 3-1. There was even a friendly 5th and Jenks rolled 9-1 in that one.

The Capt. vs. Mully
The match pitted 2 Irish guys against each other, one older who loves to shoot, the other, younger, more handsome and prefers the sustained rally. It wasn't a great match. Mully pulled something and couldn't run. I got a better sweat warming up with Hads before the match.

Nina vs. Grossman - So now we're up 2-0 and the only match left is the #2 match between Nina and Grossman. Nina comes out blazing and wins the first game. She's cutting it off, hitting to length, getting around the court great. She's just outclassing Grossman in all aspects of the game. At the same time, The Spectator (see above) has just finished up his match with Hads. The Spectator has been receiving a ration of grief for his not-up-to-par play and overly boasty game. Apparently, his head and chest cold have resolved and he's been getting some practice in. The Spectator almost pulled off the upset. The match went 5 and Hads, true to form, clawed his way to the win. Nice work guys.

Oh yeah! Nina vs. Grossman - Grossman comes back in the 2nd game to even it all up. Some good solid squash with a lucky break here and there. Game 3 goes to Grossman again but he looks like he's almost out of gas and getting frustrated with both his game and his racquet. He changes rackets once and pulled off the grip tap to start the 4th. He's also doing a good job of not letting the momentum build for Nina by delaying the game (See the Rules of Squash - "Continuous Play"). Not only is it poor sportsmanship but also a breach of the rules. Nevertheless, Nina is focused like a laser-beam and causes Grossman to hit 5 tins in a row to lose the 4th in style.

Nina is looking strong and Grossman is looking like hell. It's well known that when Grossman starts hitting tins he continues to hit them lower and lower. Between game 4 and 5 the Spectator comments that Nina is a 90% lock. True to form she comes roaring out and is up 6-0. Smiles and winks go back and forth between the members of RICC because we know she's a great closer and with 3 more points we get a team win.

Nobody thought Grossman was going to just give up and lose 9-0. He gets a couple of points on some dumb luck nicks, a shot that was so bad it was good that went up the middle and through Nina's legs and he stemmed the tide on the "That's not a Stroke" point (more poor form).

The #1 and #3 matches needed to be rescheduled and I'll provide an update when I get the details. Hadley was supposed to play Patrick tonight but the snow storm might have interrupted those plans.

Anyway, all we need is Hadley or Griffin to win and we get that team win we were almost positive we had until the GAG REFLEX kicked in again. What seemed to be a win for the Pink turned into a no-loss for the Blue.

Capt. Morgan

2 Weeks Ago

2007-12-13T19:28:00.000-05:00

BROWN
We played Brown. I was away. I didn't see any matches. Hadley and Griffin were the only winners.

Capt. Morgan

2 WEEK SUMMARY

2007-11-29T23:24:00.000-05:00

AGAWAM & BROWN

The Agawam matches went pretty good:

#1 - Neens was primed for the match. Unfortunately her opponent failed to answer the bell - or the bells were going off in the cardiac intensive care unit- and we scored a double win with the default. "Just be considerate and call next time." "I hope he's alright." and "A win's a win" were the most frequently heard phrases.

#2 - Jenks played High Shorts later in the week and rolled 3-0. The socks and shorts may be hiked a bit high but at least they don't smell as bad. Anyone interested in chipping in to help Pete with a new squash wardrobe? The 1986 Baltimore Open? Nostalgia is great but you are killing us.

#3 - I played the hockey player. Another win for the good guys.

At #4 Gryphon crushed the President of Bryant University. Plenty of niceties were heard during the match - Gryph looking for a cushy professorship up there with his buddy Billy D!

#5 needs some work. It was almost a perfect night.

Food and Drink

Didn't make that much of an impression but it's fair to say that STELLAS BLUES is off the radar. Except, Gemma showed up from his match in Boston. I do recall the ribs being pretty good. I will talk to TPG to see if they will accomodate us.

BROWN

Many reschedules. At print Hadley won at #3 over Yuseff. Gryphon is too strong at #4 and won going away - again. And #5 is still having problems.

#5 needs an assessment. What is happening? How can you be up 2-0 out of the blocks and lose -EVERY TIME?

THANKSGIVING & CLINIC

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Although Riley is away in Bermuda, reffing the World Championships, the courts are still booked for Sat. afternoon. See you then.

Capt. Morgan

Newport Update

2007-11-12T18:38:00.000-05:00

TIE BREAKER

Jenks took his game on the road and checked out the courts at St. George's. The courts are cold! Jenks thought he had his opponent gased. Not gased enough. Apparently the match was much closer than the 3-0 result. Maybe a little more squash and a little less paddle?

Capt. Morgan

THE NEWPORT GAG REFLEX

2007-11-08T21:19:00.000-05:00

TEAM GREEN
This is Green Week on NBC so it was only appropriate that we all piled into one car for our match on Acquidneck Island. Sometimes we make good conscious decisions, other times we have 2 cars with no gas and a mini-van that has its dvd player stuck on Little Mermaid. Too bad Jenks wasn't there to tote us all down there in the Electric car. Thanks for the ride Al.

THE MATCHES

When it was over we split 2-2. Jenks has the deciding match to play. I think he's shy - 2 weeks, 2 matches and neither with the team.

Dobby at 5 - This was the first B - match for Dobby. He climbed out of the C division to compete on Tuesdays. The match was not his best and he clearly got caught up playing CJ's game - lots of short shots, drops and barely any length. Dobby did throw in his patented D-league boast that worked 1 time out of too many. Not sure what got him out of his game. Maybe it was the gracious invitationS to join him to play on the weekend at St. George's, or, maybe he became disconcerted when Gryphon started cheering for CJ after a Griff-like, cross-court, chop, drop shot. In any event there will be plenty more matches. Besides the invitation to play, CJ also opened up to Al and all that his wife is due with their first child in March. As a father of 3, Al felt confident providing parenting tips.

Griff - The #4 match was over before it started. Griff knew as soon as he saw the bloodshot and watery eyes of his opponent that Henry was either hung over or just got off the Red-Eye. I didn't have a chance to see a point. 3-0 to Griff in 10 minutes - no sweat! Why bother washing your stuff or showering?

Capt. - You know what really pisses me off? When the ref doesn't know the rules. This isn't the D league anymore!!! You should know the difference between a let and a stroke at this level. Well, the temper flared, I got my point across and I channeled my energy into the match and defeated the loser of the Democratic primary for the Office of Secretary of State. His 2nd child is due in March - no advice offered.

Neens - She's so savy. She utilizes the mind game psych-out to gain advantage at the beginning - "Oh, your going to kill me." "You're so much younger." Anyway, the score didn't show very much disparity. The 2-3 loss to the 22 year old teacher at Portsmouth Abbey turned out to be a great match with some fantastic shotmaking.
The differences - Harvard v. Yale, 1 new puppy v. 3 girls, 22 v. 39.
It looked like she just ran out of gas at the end. Great match.

1 Beer and We'll Go

Pat's BAR was actually pretty good. The dramatic decisions coincide with the mood swings of those making them. The discussion went from "Turn Right" to "1 beer to be social" to a plethora of food - calamari, coconut shrimp, pizza and the "I'm not sharing my shrimp salad with you" special that Nina wouldn't let anyone near. It looked good. Good thing you didn't gag on it given the size of the bites you were taking.

RIDE HOME

Certainly interesting but much too serious. Hypothetical v. the real thing. The Consequences to an individual v. the responsibility to society as a whole. Protection of our children v. teaching them a lesson and suffering the consequences. To whom do we owe a greater priority - family or neighbor? The ride to the match was more fun than the ride home.

Remember - It's a marathon and not a sprint.
Drink water. Lay off the empty calories. Eat something on the day of the match.

Capt. Morgan

FALL RIVER

2007-11-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Not a lot to talk about for week 1 (Mile 1 for those applying the marathon analogy). We got off to a slow start but at least grabbed a couple matches.

Jenks beat up on chubby, tired Tenny prior to the scheduled match but showed full support by not only rallying at STELLA BLUES but losing at credit card roulette.

Nina had a good match but her opponent was just too tough.

The Capt. just didn't show up. I had aspirations of being the non-confrontational player all year and tried to keep it in check which really did not help. Inspiration, drive and emotion are bundled and you can't lose one without effecting the others - See next week!

Gryphon played like a lion with wings. He was flying all over the court and showed his mettle and a commanding presence.

The big disappointment was Coogs! He was up 2-0 and folded like a cheap suit. It looked like he gave up out there, lost his focus, ran out of gas and played into the hands of the left handed Buddah. What is Larry doing for you?

APRES SQUASH
Stella Blues - Good service and good food. Did you see their add in the Barrington Times? 1/2 price apps after 9:00 pm

Jack's BAR - Why? At least we saw the action shot of Jimbo.

Next week Newport.

Capt. Morgan

Preparing For the Season

2007-10-29T11:40:00.000-04:00

NEW PLACE TO GO AFTER THE MATCH

1/2 Price appetizers was a good thing at Chiazza. I never followed up to see if TPG would compete. Knowing that was left undone from last year, I was proactive. I recently went to dinner at Stella Blues on Water Street in Warren - across from the Wharf Tavern - and learned that a friend of mine is running the joint. I mentioned the team and Tuesday nights. He said he would be happy to provide us special treatment to compete against Chiazza if we had enough people showing up on a regular basis.

CLINICS

It seems like the clinic time is working for everyone - Sat. 2:30 - 4:00. Please let Riley know if you will not be able to make it.

Hadley made his return to the court this weekend and he was all smiles - Hey nice new teeth!

GEAR

I will be contacting the shirt guy for team shirts. Please let me know what size you want. I think we'll go with White this year. The camo didn't make the cut.

Also, please consider updating some of your practice gear (especially Coogs and Jenks) - you just can't wash the ripeness out after a while.

Capt. Morgan

WARM-UP

2007-09-06T17:00:00.000-04:00

EARLY SEASON PRACTICE

Just warming up. I hope everybody had a great summer. As is always the case, some work out harder than others - E.g. Stevie G now 1/2 the man he once was.

I was just checking the blog to see if it was still up and running.

We need names for the teams to submit to RI Squash - new name - no longer RISRA. We also need to submit a captain for each squad. Any takers?

THE SEASON

Remember, it's a marathon and not a sprint. Fitness and cross-training are very important.

L.W.I.S

2007-04-04T08:29:00.000-04:00

Last Week In Squash

This was our LAST week of squash. There hasn't been a posting since February. What happened to March? Squash Apathy took over, weight gain from multiple pounds of Irish Soda Bread during St. Patrick's Week and Beer Pong became the favored racquet sport.
Sorry.

Thank you

Thank you to everybody on the squad for a nice effort this year. This was a building and learning year. History has shown that the first year in a higher league is always a tough one. And this was a tough one. However, next year we should have greater expectations of ourselves. From my personal experience over the last 4 years, it took our squad a year of adjustment before we won the State Finals. Next year will be more competitive.

Not Bad For the 1st Year

We came up as a team after winning the C's and:
Showed up every week - minimal defaults
Won a game or two most weeks
Won a couple of matches
Made the playoffs!

Keep in mind we were decimated by injuries - Coogs' knee, Nina's calf implants, Hads' knee, Jenks' mind, and my kneee and thigh, just to list a few.

We should keep in mind for next year that the league season is a marathon and not a sprint. We need to make sure that we each take some time off and cross train insteadof just heading over to the courts to hit and play. I know it's the easiest thing to do but we need to make a conscious effort to avoid falling into that trap again.

Next Year

The Squash Committee has determined that RICC will have 2 A-teams next year instead of the 1 overly dominant squad as presently constructed. This will mean that we will be fighting among ourselves and the other B-team players for spots on one of those squads. Remember, sportsmanship is the cornerstone of this sport.

Change of Season

It's official - with our loss last night and our elimination from the playoffs, it is now GOLF SEASON! The Master's is on this weekend; my new golf shoes arrived; my special ordered, logo golf balls are in my locker; my new golf slacks are on order; Hugh Richardson trapped me into playing in the Spring Member/Member with him; I have 2 rounds of golf already planned during my visit to MIL and SIL (Mother In Law/Father In Law) on Folly Beach, SC.

The Captain

It was a pleasure serving as your Captain this year. This was my 4th year in a row as Captain and need to take a break from that spot. I will be glad to show the new Capt. how to work the blog if you so desire.

Have a great Spring and Summer.
See you on the golf course when it finally opens and at the pool.

Captain Morgan

Writers Block

2007-02-26T22:30:00.000-05:00

Playing But Not Writing

Sorry about the lack of updates. Since the last update I've had some problems putting the time into the Blog. Besides an unbelieveable trip to Telluride, CO, a week off for school vacation, President's Day, Ash Wednesday and the US Nationals I really haven't wanted to write about squash. The combination of playing poorly and time away has provided me with a great excuse to not write. Then it hit me when I saw the commercial for "Cymbalta." I think about writing the squash blog and curl up into the fetal position. I think "This Week in Squash" and I can't get out of bed, heavy sighs, the squash bag is too heavy. I had Squash Depression. But I've got it licked. Squash Depression is treatable and curable. Winning is a major contributor to beating S.D. I will no longer allow S.D. to affect me. If I feel it coming on again I'll just call T.O. or Dobron and play a match.

Playing But not Playing Well

There is a big difference between playing, even frequently, and playing well and with a purpose. There haven't been any clinics; Riley hasn't been around so attempts to get a few lessons have gone unanswered and the usual intense workout by oneself have been few and far between. The focus is back and so is the effort. It's time for RICC-Red to start ramping it back up for the homestretch.

The injuries should be healed; the doctors have given us permission to get back on court; vacations are over and excuses are like ass-holes - everybody has one and they all stink.

Prior Matches

We lost some and we won some. We're in the middle of the pack and could actually get home court advantage in the playoffs. We need to focus like a laser beam, put in a little extra time (find some time to get on court)and effort, act like the cohesive team we were last year and hit another rail instead of a cross-court.

Heliskiing

If you've never been heliskiing you should. I just went for the first time and not the last. Check out this link - watch the videos and if you get the opportunity, do not hesitate. www.helitrax.com

EXTRA Effort

Play squash instead of paddle. Put down the beer. Drink water. Eat fruit instead fries. Try a salad instead of a burger. Do some sprints the next time you go to the courts (3 x 10 only takes 5-10 minutes). Throw in some push-ups and sit-ups beofre you jump in the shower after playing. Get a squash DVD from Riley's office - it will fire you up. Be available for the clinics.

Remember

There's a point when a player reaches the next level. Yours can be the next time you play.
Fired Up!
Capt. Morgan

UClub

2007-01-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

I wish we could play these guys every other week. How are they ahead of us in the standings? We really outperformed them.

Hadley started the evening off by crushing Dr. Squash 3-0 in 17 total minutes. The match was over so fast the guy didn't even have enough time to complain about an injury he has or some arbitrary, faux rules infraction- amazing.

Nina's match took way too long. It was like pulling teeth out there - dentist joke. The dentist and the BHW (Barrington House Wife) battled it out for what seemed like 5 games but was really only 4 and Nina came away the victor. Too bad she had to wait in the stairway while everybody else was relaxing and enjoying a lovely beverage after their match.

Mark and his opponent were both purple faced by the end of their match. Another 3-2 match, except this one was a disappointing loss - especially since Mark had about 10-12 match balls on P. Shannon. Mark - FYI, you cannot win the match by hitting the ball through the tin; try a drop shot every once in a while.

I love playing squash when my opponent is bigger than I am, both height and width and absolutely drills the ball as hard as he can - every time. Thank you D.P. for giving me a taste of that game from the RICC v. RICC match. Take 5-10 mph off of D.P's ball and that was my match at the UClub. I'm not a small person on the squash court but I never realized how a smaller person has so much trouble seeing the ball and front wall when there is a human wall of unmoving flabby flesh on the T. Fortunately my opponent was more competitive in his mind than on his feet that (k)night. There is no doubt my opponent either went to Notre Dame or his favorite movie is Rudy. He was psyching himself up by yelling "Play like a champion." and "Suck it up." I would have giggled out loud but he was frighteningly large.

Jenkins made up his match - Hey, it's better than a default.

LADDER CHANGE
Hads and the Capt. battled it out on Sunday in a challenge match. Bad knee and all Hads scraped out a victory over the Capt. 3-1. From my perspective the one and only good thing that came out of the match was that Hads learned the "New Rule" about turning. Glad I could help with the lesson - taking one for the team, etc. I'm sure the swelling and bruising will go down by the end of the season.

HALF-TIME
We have now played every team in the B-league. It was pointed out to me that, for various reasons, the other teams in our league look to be softening. There appears to be a lot of injuries requiring players to move up a level (Newport) or guys just falling out and being filled in from below (Brown). This helps us considerably because, as we all know WE ARE A SECOND HALF TEAM!

It's our job to make adjustments at half-time and come out playing with a new attitude and game plan. Our attitude is a new found confidence and our game plan is to play smarter more patient squash. Our objective is to get to the playoffs. The top 8 teams in our division make it.

Let's start the second-half with a win in the Ice-box.

Capt. Morgan

RICC v. RICC

2007-01-22T20:57:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year. It's been a while since the last posting and there has been much happening on and off the squash courts. Initially, I was waiting for the final match of the RICC v. RICC match to be played. The delay was mostly due to the fact that there was uncertainty in the delivery date for Baby Dessel (Girl kind).

The night of the match proved exciting. A-Rob came in from up above with some serious focus and pulled out the 3-2 victory over Ted. Nina lost 1-3 to Grossman in a tight one. Hads had his way with Mully 3-0. The Capt. was roughed up - shell shocked after the 1st game - by the pounding of Patrick 3-1 and it was all tied up at 2 each. A lot was expected of Jenks; our hopes rested on his shoulders; it was thought to be a good match-up. Apparently a stomach bug was too much to overcome even though the opponent was getting very little sleep due to the new arrival (HA!). 3-0 to the bad guys.

INJURY REPORT
Coogan is limping around with one bad peg. He actually said "I slept on it wrong and now it's blown up like a watermelon." He should have stuck to Synchronized Swimming. Nina is almost completely healed from her calf implant surgery and Hadley is forever complaining about his sore kneee - blah, blah, bone-on-bone, blah blah, 10,000 mg of ibuprophen a day, blah, blahbity, my knee brace is too tight, blahbity blah, blah, I don't get any work done because I'm iceing my knee all day in the office. Hadley is full of it. Every time I see him play he gets around a lot better than an invalid that he makes himself out to be. Very crafty.

Capt. Morgan

RICC v. Brown

2006-12-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

Whoever Hates Losing Raise Your Hand

If you did not raise your hand you're off the team. The "full loss" to Newport was disappointing but we didn't know any better. The loss to Brown was a miserable experience for all concerned. Why aren't we winning our matches? Are we good enough? Do we not understand the game as well as our opponent? Do we not hit the ball as hard? Do we not have the skill and athleticism necessary to win?

Just looking at those questions has started to piss me off! Our team is made up of some of the best athletes I have ever known. Every member of our team was a varsity athlete in college (I thing Coogs was on the synchro swimming team at PC). We know how to win; we beat every team last year to such an extent that it was boring by the end of the season. We train; we have clinics, we watch DVDs of the best matches in the World; we take lessons from a World class pro.

The reason we are not succeeding is in our head. We need to be confident when we step on court. We have to trust each of our individual games. For example, there is nothing more disconcerting to a left hander than deciding to play your first serve from the right hand box, even after he reminds you that he is left handed. (Screw him; he's playing my game). We need to approach every match like we did last year. We MUST walk into the courts a little taller, a little stronger, a lot more fit and a lot more confident than our opponent. Lift your chin and talk to the people around your opponent and not to him. As my college coach used to say, "You're not out there to make friends; you're out there to win. You can shake his hand when the match is over." Tell me if I'm wrong but, isn't it a great feeling to buy a beer for a guy right after you just kicked his ass? It feels like you just hit another nick!

The internal doubt must stop. Believe in yourself. Believe you will win when you start the match and commit to the belief.

Bye Week

This was a good week off for us. We were a little banged and bruised. We have numerous injuries and over used body parts that could use a little rest (Jenks). Coogy came back a little early even though he said he was going to stay out until the new year. That's either Irish conviction or the addictive properties of Squash rearing its ugly head.

Neener chose the right week to cosmetically enhance her appearance. Two weeks off from squash to take slow peacefull walks? Oh to be a Barrington housewife! I still don't understand why anyone would get calf defining implants.

Hadley made his first appearance for us this year. Great to have you out with us Hads! We all understand how hard it is to come back from not playing on a consistent basis. Don't get discouraged. The guy you played at #3 was as good as any #1 on any other team. Brown's line-up is a bit skewed.

Post Match

Ross Simon's seems to be the better pick. 1/2 price bar food and grilled pizza after 9:00 p.m. I'm actually going to talk to the people at TPG and let them know we want to patronize them but it's much more cost effective and fiscally responsible for us to eat at Ross Simon.

Stretching and Massaging

Should we get Athena to help us or not. I need to know.

Have a Merry Christmas.

Capt. Morgan

Merry Christmas

2006-12-21T11:49:00.000-05:00

If you have been good boys and girl squash players this year Captain Clause might leave you a little something in your locker.
Ho Ho Ho!

Capt. Morgan

VICTORY AT LAST

2006-12-12T12:38:00.000-05:00

A Win Is A Win

And a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Just ask Nina or Coogan. More on that topic later.

Agawam is the first domino to fall. Now we have our first match win of the season under our belt.
Griff played the 1st match at the #5 position and won 3-0 over "High Shorts" Baroker. When the match started, it looked like it was going to be a blowout. Steve had many of his very writsty, flicky, well held shots working and HS had no answer. Then the courts started to get a little hot; the ball started staying up a little bit longer; Steve's fleece jacket seemed to be a little constrictive and HS was getting everything. Some of the points were pretty long and HS climbed back to 7-7 in the middle game. Griff felt no pressure. It was patently evident to anyone watching who was in command when, in the middle of a point, Griff paused to adjust his wristband, let the ball bounce past him and returned the shot without even a flinch.

Jenks played a tough one again at #1. Although very, very short, Jenk's opponent held the edge on experience (played in college - Williams I think). The guy moved very well and didn't make too many mistakes. Maybe a lob could have been implemented? Jenks could have been a little squashed out during his match. Prior to his match he made a trip to Beantown for a Quick on-court conference; used the ball machine for 1 hour on Sun; played a Boston match; had a clinic on Sat. and probably something else that I'm missing. Dude, you need to take a day off every once in a while and let your body catch up.

Nina's opponent defaulted. SCARED!

I played former politician and current President of Bryant University, Ron Machtly. Talk about experience, the guy has been around. Hell, he lived in Washington D.C. and escaped without a scandle or an allegation of any inappropriate communications with Pages. The guy had the shot making ability you see with hardballers. Luckily for me he ran out of gas and I was able to squeek out a 3-2 win. After missing, what seemed like 20 dropshots, I went back to the "just hitting another rail" approach so I could keep the rallies going longer. It worked.

Coogan was asked to reschedule. He and Wally will battle it out on Thurs. 12/14.

The Re-Match That Never Was

The chirping, the smack-talk, the goading, and the excuses were all to be stopped with the Coogy v. Nina rematch. After his big win over Nina (even in her condition) Coogs couldn't keep the posturing to a low roar. He was called out; the challenge was made and the court was booked. Coogy couldn't make it the first time so Nina re-booked the court for Sunday (the day after the Christmas party - tough one). From all accounts, Coogs couldn't answer the bell and voluntarily offered the default and the rung on the ladder. Coogy was thinking Neens would again show sportswomanship, would decline the default and only be happy with an on-court win and hold off moving the chips around until after a best of 5 was played. Wrong! "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." So much for the 3 strikes rule. 2 lame excuses was enough for Nina.

Clincs

They seem to be going pretty well. Attendance is good and the time seems to be working for most.

Fitness

Work on increasing stamina. The heat factor on the RICC courts can be be a big advantage if you are used to the temperature and are just a bit more fit than your opponent. 3 sets of court sprints (12x) will really help in the 4th and 5th games.

Capt. Morgan

Progress

2006-12-03T21:49:00.000-05:00

RICC v. Riverbend

We are making progress. Nina humbled yet another male ego 3-0. These guys just do not know what to think. Chaffee turned in a solid performance and came away with the win 3-1. Jenkins, like the fisherman he is, had the guy hooked but couldn't get him in the boat. The guy was a bit freaky looking with his one Popeye arm. His left forearm was literally twice the size of his right arm. I apologize. I put the dagger in but forget to twist. Again, I had 2 match balls and lost 2-3. It was a good match that lasted about 75 minutes. Coogan's match was U-G-L-Y. He looked like he had never played before. Swing harder Jay! See if you can put the ball through the front wall. Jay countered power with power and it didn't work - at all. Jay did seem to work the kinks out a bit at the clinic on Saturday.

CLINIC

Peter put this week's clinic together - thanks Pete. The general consensus is that we will continue with the clinics on Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. You will receive regular email reminders from Peter.

Andover CC vs. RICC

Andover brought a few players down today as well as a couple of juniors. It was all pretty fun; lunch was good and everyone seemed to have a good time except the long lost brother of RICC's Eric the Murderer - Jeff. Jeff, my opponent was, as his teammates termed him, anti-social. He looked like Eric but much taller. His facial expressions and manerisms were similarly odd. Between games he isolated himself either at the end of the bench facing the door or left the court area all together and sat on the step by the entrance. I won 3-0. Needless to say, he didn't stay for lunch. Probably out burying a body.

Nina, bruised another ego by thrashing Nick. Adding insult to injury, she had to stop her match because she rolled her ankle. Frightening and clearly painfull from my perspective. Nothing a fistfull fo IB couldn't handle. She steamrolled the guy 3-1. Parenthetically, Nina started her match after I was already off court and cleaned up. That didn't matter to Hugh. When he thought Nina could no longer play he asked me if I was going to finish the match. WHAT!?

TO blasted his way to a 3-0 route and was off the court in about 20 minutes.

Renee Reilly crushed her opponent 3-0. Totally outmatched.

Riley simply gave a lesson to the guy he played. Didn't cost the guy $50 either.

Dobron was outmatched. We had to throw Andover a bone for coming down and Al was nice enough to accomodate.

The juniors more than held their own. Andover only brought 2 even though every email indicated they were bringing 3. Lauren Davis crushed her opponent 3-0. Philip Rizzuto romped 3-0 and Frohman Anderson played the same young man and again won 3-0. It should be noted that young Philip Rizzuto showed fantastic sportsmanship during his match. He called a stroke on himself when he didn't have to, essentially extending the torture, but nevertheless doing the right thing. Good parenting shows!

RI OPEN

Please sign up for the RI Open. You can get the registration on-line at the RISRA website.

This Week's Tip from the Capt.

1. Make a conscious effort to move the ball to all 4 corners especially if you are more fit than your opponent.
2. Know where your opponent is on the court.
3. Remember the front wall is 15 ft high and the tin is 19". Hit the ball on the wall and you're in the point. If you hit the ball into the tin you've already lost the point. - Mike Riley

Capt. Morgan

A Week Off

2006-11-24T17:46:00.000-05:00

There were no RISRA matches this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The break in league play gave everyone an opportunity to focus on fitness and conditioning. Old Tony told me he saw everyone on the squad doing court sprints and star drills after they played this week. Nice effort everyone!

Riverbend comes to RICC

This could be the first week we have all 5 matches in one night. I haven't heard from anyone about rescheduling so I'm assuming all will be at the courts at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. I'm also assuming we will celebrate our first team win thereafter. Venue suggestions: Ross Simons, TPG?

The Beer

If you haven't already noticed, Jules has taken care of us - again. He dropped the price of the beer in the fridge by a $1 per can/bottle. Additionally, he acquired a keg and keg fridge which now houses Michelob Ultra. Drafts are $2.25. Please thank Jules for his extra effort when you see him.

Clinic Day and Time

Please suggest a time and day for our team clinic. The longer it goes without a fixed day and time the less likely Riley will be able to accomodate us. I like Sunday at 2:00. I need your input on this so we can all benefit from the clinics. Riley won't do the clinic unless we have a committed group.

Capt. Morgan

Week 2 - Newport - Frustration

2006-11-19T22:26:00.000-05:00

The Matches

Jenks, Nina and I all made it down to the City by the Sea, albeit at different times, in different vehicles and even at different venues. Unfortunately, the result was the same for each of us. Jenks faced the formerly nationally ranked racquet ball star of New England who just decided to start playing squash. By all accounts, the guy hit the ball about 1000 mph and 1/100 of an inch over the tin . . . every time. That is not squash! The games were semi-close but 0-3 was the result. He played a bit early because he was moonlighting at The Saltwater Edge and got the ok from the boss to quit early.

Jenks met me in the parking lot at St. George's School after my match with the history teacher/admissions officer. The guy was not in squash shape; I should have won the match, was leading 6-2 in the 5th game, lost focus, didn't stick with the game plan and lost 7-9. STUPID ASS! It deserved a huge F-bomb but there were plenty of little darlings around so I utilized the skills acquired in Anger Management 101 and vented to Jenks on the way up to the US Open.

Nina's babysitter couldn't get to her house early enough to get a ride otherwise and, of course, Alex was in surgery, so she made the trip - ALL BY HERSELF. Good job Nina! Thank goodness the default rule was changed by RISRA earlier this year to punish DEFAULTS (All team members please see blog #1.) It would have been easier to take the long distance loss. Nina played better in week #2 than in #1 but went home 1-3.

Frustration persists. There's a difference between crushing every team we played last year and not knowing your opponent this year. Prediction - By the 2nd half of the year we should be on cruise control and racking up wins. For now, we need to focus on the upside and realize that with each match we play we gain confidence in our abilities. We know we can compete in B. These guys are really beatable as long as we show up.

#4 was defaulted. This cannot happen any more. One of the reasons we did so well last year was that we only had 2 or 3 defaults all year (Rizzuto 2x).

#5 is being rescheduled. Thank you Jay and welcome back from China.

B FITNESS

Some extra work will really make the difference on court. Please try to add in an extra 5-10 minutes of hard cardio at the end of your play. Court Sprints (12 x 3 with a 30 second break between), Ghosting (3 x 3 with a 30 second break between), Self-Boasting (boast, drop, short rail, rail, boast, get it, drop, etc.), Sit-ups and Push-ups are all good drills at the end of any court time that will increase your stamina and help keep your mind focused, especially in the late games.

S . . t . . r . . e . . t . . c . . h - Stretching will reduce injuries and increase your recovery rate after a workout. Stretch after your workout. Focus on hamstrings, quads and calves (I love veal). Also, if something hurts put ice on it immediately. Freeze some water in a dixie cup with a popcicle stick in it and rub the area until numb. Athena the physical therapist used it on me and I'll swear to its attributes.

ATHENA THE PHYSICAL THERAPIST

We have an opportunity to have Athena come and stretch us out at our matches if we want to try it out. The first one is free. If we like it she can make it a regular thing. If it doesn't catch on we can drop the idea at any point. Please let me know who is interested. I think it will be great to try anyway.

THE B1 SAGA

Player B gave me a call and, as expected, told me he decided he was going to play for the other team. Good luck and have a great year. Enough said.

THE US OPEN

After our matches, Jenks and I met up with RISRA Pres., Ken Wise and made our way to the Back Bay Events Center in Boston, MA for the Quarter Finals of the 2006 US Open Squash Championship.
We saw 4 great matches: Lincou v. Gaultier, Palmer v. Shabana, Ashour v. Ryding and Matthew v. Beechill. The shots were tight to the wall, there were virtually no miss hits and the boast out of the back was seen, maybe, 1 time in 4 matches. The drop shots were out of this world. The 19 year old, Ashour, was dropping from the parking lot and the veteran, Graham Ryding, was smoked in under 35 minutes.

The food, beverages and equipment were pretty good. The collection of RICC members was significant. Gemma, Jenkins, Capt. M., TO, Nathan, Auber,Ted and Player B were all in attendance.

Remember: 1. Another rail is not that bad of a shot; 2. Know where your opponent is.
See you Tuesday.
Capt. Morgan

Week 1 - A Slow Start, Too Much Confusion And Outcome Potential

2006-11-08T22:47:00.000-05:00

All the Crap Leading Up to the Match

These past couple of days have been a bit of a roller coaster. Figuring out the participants, re-working the ladder, setting the line-up, re-scheduling matches, email, phone calls and playing matches have me frustrated to the point of throwing in the towel. However, I'm somewhat accustomed to these situations. If you've known me for more than 2-3 weeks it is apparent that I have a problem avoiding slights, injustices and things I consider patently wrong. I recognize I'm a magnet for the trivial. Some things just get under my skin. I'm a crap magnet. Like the kid in school who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time, I seem to be the point man on issues that have "no real good outcome potential."

This week's situation with "no real good outcome potential" actually started FANTASTIC for all concerned. (Right there I should have recognized the situation could not get any better than it was and should have either aborted or delegated. Note to self - Delegate more) "All" being those on our squad and another player interested in playing who has a skill level we could utilize at the top of our team ladder. I'll call this person "Player B." The fantastic part was that last week it was brought to my attention that Player B was interested in playing squash this season. I contacted Player B via email and a phone call to invite him onto the squad. Fortunately, I also ran into Player B. It all seemed so fortuitous. It was during this conversation that Player B agreed to play for us. We discussed the two team situation, the different team players, the lack of parity between the teams and our need for a #1 player. Pshyched Right? Not for long. The chip gets placed on the other ladder and the emails start the disassociative process.

As can be expected, I as the crap magnet take a stand against this intolerable injustice, plant my recalcitrant foot firmly upon the ground, cross my arms and clearly but tactfully (this is new for the crap magnet) without venom or histrionics state my position. Along with the sprinkling of tact, the crap magnet also concluded, earlier rather than later, the situation has a "no real good outcome potential." So, I have left it up to Player B to decide where he wants to play. The realization is that as long as we, as a team, can enjoy ourselves during the season. It doesn't really matter. If I get a response from Player B I'll let you know his decision; if I don't get a response I'm not worrrying about it and neither should you. Our team with him or without him will have a great time this year.

The Match (So Far)

The FR 3, 4, and 5 come to our house Tues night. We re-schedule 1 & 2. We get 1 win(so far) at #4. It was a bit of a blow-out, 3-0, and it ended pretty quickly. No fireworks, no problems, no rage or anger management issues. Kind of dull.
Nina played at #3 and wasn't on her game. She took the loss, 1-3, in a manner and fashion you can expect from Neens. She was pissed and it showed. Nobody likes losing, especially on our team, which is a good thing, but Nina R-E-A-L-L-Y hates to lose. Nothing broke, nothing was thrown and it appeared the dissatisfaction was channeled internally. If she plays Peter the Bearded Dwarf again later in the year, he'll be in a Sub-Terrainian World of hurt.

Speaking of hurt, Mark was lucky he was on court with an ER Doc. From my vantage point the collapse at the front of the court looked "scary bad." Fortunately, he only rolled his ankle. He took a breather, walked it off and finished the match. There were plenty of guts in the 1-3 loss and I suspect there's been plenty of ice on the ankle and fistfulls of anti-inflamatories since.

Player B is scheduled to play #1. We'll see how that whole thing turns out. And, I'm sure Jenks will get his match in as soon as he gets back from Vegas and the 1 armed bandits.

As always, comments appreciated.
Capt. Morgan (Crap Magnet)

Just a couple more games Del. I'm almost done.

2006-11-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

1, 2, 3, 4, - Hey! Who took all my balls?

2006-11-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

The Prince balls do not play like the Dunlop balls and should not be used in match play.

Give me a minute. I'm gonna grab some PowerGel and I'll be right out.

2006-11-06T20:39:00.000-05:00

I hate this drill. It's stupid and it doesn't help!

2006-11-06T20:34:00.000-05:00

Is this thing on upside down?

2006-11-06T20:32:00.000-05:00

I wish Gemma and McNulty were here.

2006-11-06T20:23:00.000-05:00

Squash Kickoff Party

2006-11-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

The event was pretty well attended. As expected, a get together to discuss squash with a free beer kicker was all that was needed to get a decent turn-out. I was hoping for a few more of the B-Red group to show but it's understandable how travel, family and no clean clothes can get in the way. All the regulars were in attendance: Riley- #50 himself, Gemma, Davis, Dessel, Patrick, Grossman, Wall, Nina, Malone, Nathan, Tim-O, Renee, Depack, Monti and Grampa Hugh et al. There were also some newbies, guys just starting the addiction process - Boland and Goldberg.

A look at the court schedule for this weekend shows plenty of activity for young and old alike. It's great to see everybody gearing up for the season. It all starts Tues for the B's. Just keep in mind, it's a marathon and not a sprint. It's not where you start but where you finish. And, just like in a match, consistency, patience and fitness are the keys to success.

Train hard and the matches will seem easy.

Capt. Morgan

Scheduling Matches

2006-11-01T13:49:00.000-05:00

Week 1 is quickly approaching. We need some commitment on players. As of Today we have Nina, Chaffee, I think Jenks (no response from last email) and the Capt. Griff is away for 2 weeks as is Coogs, so rescheduling will not help us there. Defaulting is not an option. There is a new RISRA rule that says if you Default a match your team loses a point. Therefore, it's better to bring up someone just to have a warm body out there and get 0 points in the match rather than the subtraction of points. I'll check to see if Turner is available.

This is not the way we want to start the season. For those of you who travel for work, please "decline" all trips, seminars, conferences, sales calls, trade-shows and the like which will require you to miss any and all Tuesdays through April. I'm sure the boss will not be offended. If you already know your schedule let me know so I can work around it.

SQUASH GATHERING/ Riley's 50th - Thurs. 11/2
Hope to see you all there. I understand the Amstel Light will be free. However, and this might be mind blowing, there is a group of people involved with the "Temperence Society." No booze has ever crossed their lips. Although I don't think I've ever met one of these people and I'm sure there are no squash players as members, it stands to reason that if these people can do it so can we. Remember, "[t]here's a burger in every beer." - Gen. G. Patton

Capt. Morgan

Competition

2006-10-27T11:53:00.000-04:00

A review of the other teams in our league revealed one very positive thing: The Fall River team that crushed everyone last year has moved up to the A-league. Apparently they acquired another good player which will allow them to be competitive. That's good for us.

In order for us to hold our own we need to start gearing up for the season. I've noticed that Riley has sent out a couple of notices for clinics which have received a less than enthusiastic response. So, looking forward, we should establish a regular clinic day and time. My suggestion is Sunday around 12:00 or 1:00. There are already other clinics scheduled prior thereto.

Conditioning:
We need to work on conditioning. As former "C" players we have an idea of how fit we need to be to compete at that level. By playing other "B" players and watching "B" matches, I've come to realize that, in general, fitness and conditioning will play a greater role in the matches. Stamina levels need to be increased due to the increased length of the points played. There will be fewer opportunities to cut off a loose ball to end the point.

The use of a timing device during drills is very helpful. For example, rather than just acting as the driver in the "Boast/Drive" drill until you feel you've had enough, set the timer and only switch when the time is up. Increase your time to increase your fitness.

SQUASH KICK OFF PARTY/50th Birthday
I hope to see everyone next Thurs. in the Newth Room.

Capt. Morgan

Addition to the TEAM

2006-10-23T16:03:00.000-04:00

This Week in Squash - RICC

Addition to the TEAM

I neglected to include our "Player to Be Named Later." Our B-Team (CC Red) will take the #6 player from the A-Team, whoever that may be. Presently the A-Team consists of Riley, Gemma, Davis, Salem, A-Rob and this year's new addition, Parker. However, Parker is nursing a hammy so presently there are no extras. With a legit #1 we could be pretty competitive.

Capt. Morgan

Pre-Season Welcome

2006-10-23T00:52:00.000-04:00

Hey Everybody.

Since the golf course is officially closed and the restoration project is in full swing, I figured it was time to get the TWIS going again.

I want to officially welcome everybody back to squash season with the new and improved TWIS. Each week I'll be sending a link to the blog so you can click on and hopefully enjoy. The blog format allows for comments, pictures and outsiders to become associated with our weekly squash fun.

As we all know, pre-season is very important. A good pre-season can take the team a long way through a long, grueling season. Remember, try a salad and water instead of a burger and beer? Well, it worked for us. I understand that some of the team has taken it upon themselves to work on fitness and weight loss in an effort to sharpen up for the up-coming season. For example, there has been a concerted effort on the physical therapy front to ready the weary bones and there is the purging/detoxifying others are using to drop a couple of lbs. summer created. That's the effort I love to see.

THE TEAM

We will consist of basically the same core group, sans Joe D, but at a higher, more competitive level. As the State Champions in the C Division last year, the jump to B is not a stretch for us. It won't be easy but we won't get slaughtered either.

We will also be adding a few new players to our roster. So, the official group shall consist of:

Jenks, Neener, Mark C., J. Coogey, Griff, Turner (after soccer season) and Captain Morgan himself.

LEAGUE NIGHT

Tuesday is our night and the schedule is posted. We start the second week in November. Check out the schedule at www.risra.org

Well, that's about it for the intro to this year's TWIS. I'm excited to start the TWIS program and hope you enjoy it as well. Keep an eye out for some cool new additions to TWIS.

Capt. Morgan