Player's Playing the the West of Squash Men's League 2014-15

Hi all. The new season is not far away and I for one just can't wait. I have just, with a lot of discussion amongst some of the other captains, set the starting positions in the order of players. This may develop in to a full ladder system and perhaps that can discussed over beers at the bar during the season. As you might imagine this was far from easy and in fact very difficult. We have players returning from abroad, players weighing 20lbs less than last year (no-one that I know going that far in the opposite direction), players joining from other clubs and everyone getting a little bit older. Equally we have had a pre-season tournament to help sort out the team order. Some did better than expected and some went home to lick wounds. I had to decide whether a poor night in this tournament meant anything and whether a good night was a flash in the pan! Equally we have players that excel on match nights but play a bounce game as a bit of fun and we have players that (at the moment) struggle in the heat of the gladiator arena. We seem to have a glut of players wanting to play division two squash and without a third division team this is clearly a problem. This was not entirely unexpected, which is why I organised the tournament and why I have introduced the captains challenge. If you feel you are playing too low then you now have the mechanism for sorting that out. Simply ask your captain or me and I doubt in most cases you will be denied. Win that challenge and the higher captain has the option of picking you, win a second challenge against the same player and you're in. If you lose a challenge then wait a respectful timescale and try for revenge (or challenge someone else). In the past once the team order was established we have found it difficult to change. Not any more. I will put up on the ladder the team order we are starting with in due course (I am away all this week). That way you will know where you stand. The ladder had to change from last year, some have hugely improved and we have had new players join as I have said. In that game there has to be winners and there has to be losers. We needed a clean start. I want to create an environment of openness, fairness and frankly to retain the fun. I want players to accept a challenge safe in the knowledge that they can challenge back. If you want a challenge refereed then do that. Nothing is fixed in position and systems and methods can be changed as we learn. I hope you will support these aims. Regards all Geoff Cordwell Squash Convenor

29/09/2014