Irish Squash

Welcome to Junior Squash Page Season 2011 - 2012

Latest Junior News

Welsh Junior Open - if you are interested in taking part in an Irish Squash superivsed package, read on here

Mount Pleasant Mixed Open - this tournament has been rescheduled to September 7th - 9th 2012.

Leinster Junior Open - taking place in Carlow on Jan 21st, 22nd - click here to enter

Junior Nationals Coaches - Irish Squash have appointed Hadrian Stiff and Paul Bell to look after all junior teams for 2012.

Irish Junior Open 2011 - took place at the weekend in Belfast Boat Club. Thank you to all the organisers, in particular Iain Hughes, Kieran Doherty and Ger Holohan that helped to make the event a great success. Pictures from Irish Junior Open 2012 can be viewed here.

Junior Squad - Final Junior Squad of 2011 took place in Westwood last weekend - November 19th, 20th - click here to read Hadrian Stiffs final report

A junior squad session was held in WestWood Squash Club on 22nd & 23rd October. Click here to read the report from Hadrian Stiff.

Connacht Junior Open -The Junior Season got underway at the weekend with a total of 80 Juniors taking part. Summary of winners and runners up below. A full results breakdown can be viewed here.

Junior Rankings - Season 2011 - 12

Junior Rankings - Latest Rankings updated Jan 2012 - click here

Season 2011-12 - Check out the Entry Form section of the website to view first of the Junior Competitions - Mount Pleasant Junior Mixed Open and Connacht Junior Open!!

Irish Squash Junior Coaches
Irish Squash are currently reviewing their junior coaching structures and invite all coaches who are interested in becoming part of this initiative to send your details to info@irishsquash.com for review.

Squad Sessions:

These will be centralised depending on the address of the players and their Coach and
players are expected to attend. The dates will be published on the Irish Squash website
and phone and text reminders will be sent to the players and their parents. Failure to
attend squads may lead to a player not being selected on a team. There will be many more squad sessions than there has been in previous years.

Schools Competition:

The age rule for these competitions is the same as all other junior competitions and a
player must be under the relevant age on the final day of the competition.


Communication between players/parents and Irish Squash:

If you have an issue relating to junior squash please let us know by contacting your
Provincial Junior Secretary who will be able to provide you with an explanation or who will be able to follow up your query through the Irish Squash Junior Committee and the Irish Squash Junior Secretary


Please consult the bye-laws of Irish Squash for additional information.

Junior Squash Coaching with National Coaches - Juniors at Levels of U15 & U17 took part in some comprehensive training days recently in Mount Pleasant under the watchful eye of National Coaches, Hadrian Stiff and Paul Bell. This is part of a new junior programme that is currently being reviewed. Some of the members of junior squad pictured right.

AGM 2011 - Thank you to Lee Healy who has stepped down as Junior Secretary. Lee has contributed a vast amount to junior squash over a number of years and we thank him sincerly for all the work he has put in. Lee's final report can be viewed here.

Junior Secretary 2011/12 - Henry Gillanders is the Junior Secretary for season 2011-12 -henrygillanders@gmail.com . Henry is a member of Mount Pleasant. Please review the Junior Matters information below for ideas around Junior programmes and general information. This information can also be downloaded here

Please note there have been some changes to the guidelines for this season.

Irish Squash Junior Secretary: Henry Gillanders

Provincial Junior Secretaries Contact details:

Connacht: Edwin Brennan 086 3622415 or edwinbrennan@eircom.net
Leinster: Dermot Dineen - 086 1722138 or dermotdineen2@eircom.net
Munster: Cyril O’Mahony 087 2825820 or comahony2@eircom.net
Ulster: Kieran Doherty 07837507795 or glensofantrim@hotmail.com

Player Behaviour:

All junior players are required to be familiar with the Conditions and Rules for Juniors Travelling to Tournaments and Events. A copy of these conditions and rules is
available from your Provincial Junior Secretary and can also be downloaded from your provincial website and from www.irishsquash.com


Tournament Organisation:

All four Provincial Junior Opens will be run over either 2 or 3 days as each provincial organisation sees appropriate.
The Irish Junior Nationals will be run over three days.
Players and parents should note that when a tournament is played over 2 days that matches will be scheduled for 9.30 on Saturday and Sunday mornings to allow for reasonably early finishes on both days.


Tournament Draws:

The standard Swiss 8 or Swiss 16 and where a competition is ‘over-subscribed’ players 9 and 10, and 17 and 18 will be reserves. Entries of 11 and over will result in a 16 draw.
It is also open to each provincial organization to adopt a mixed (gender and age) format if they so wish. This means players would be seeded e.g. 1 to 100, with draws of 16 from the top down.

Withdrawals:

Where a player withdraws from the competition up to the day of the event there will be a redraw but where the withdrawal is on the day of the competition there will be a redraw only where the player is in the top 4. Players should also note that penalties apply for players who withdraw after the draw or who fail to complete the competition. The bye-laws on late withdrawal can be found on the competition entry page on www.irishsquash.com.


Entry Fees:

The entry fee is payable at the venue before the first match. Entry fees will be €20 (£15stg) per player (€30/£25 for 2 siblings & €40/£30 for 3 siblings). In the case of the four Provincial Junior Opens there will be an Irish Squash subsidy of €10 (£8stg) per player (or 50% for siblings) thereby reducing these entry fees.


Seedings:

Tournaments will be seeded by the Junior Secretary on the basis of Irish Squash rankings published on www.irishsquash.com. Rankings will be updated after each tournament. Players dissatisfied with their rankings should, in the first instance, communicate through their Provincial Junior Secretaries (listed above).


Balls:

In line with ESF tournaments the Dunlop Double Yellow ball will continue for all age groups except U11s.


Selection Criteria for U13, U15 and U17 Irish Teams 2011 - 2012:

1. Players must be eligible to play for Ireland (see Byelaw 7) and be under the relevant age on the final day of the competition and be selected by the selection committee.
2. The Selection committee comprises: The Junior Administrator, The Team Coach, and The Team Manager.
3. Team Selection will be based on the ranking points gained from a player’s best three competitions from The Connacht Open; The Ulster Open; The Munster Open; The Leinster Open; The Irish Junior National (Closed) Championship.

The Irish Junior Nationals earns higher points than the Provincial Opens. In the event of equality of points the selection committee will chose the player finally

4. Players wishing to be considered for selection must play in the Irish Junior Open, although that competition will not earn any points.

5. If a player is unable to compete in a tournament (or complete all matches over a tournament weekend) due to illness/injury a doctors/physiotherapists certificate/letter must be submitted to Irish Squash in the week following the tournament.

6. The Selection Committee will also consider a player's general behaviour on and off court, attendance at squad sessions, commitment to squash and adherence to whatever training programme is recommended by the Team Coach. Players may be selected to play on teams outside their own age group, at the discretion Junior Sub-Committee of Irish Squash and of the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee may also take advice from the National Coach, when making decisions on team selection

7. Once a player receives notification of selection, all monies must be paid by the required date, otherwise their selection will be revoked.

8. Players moving up from one age group to the next during the season will carry over 30% of the points gained at the younger age group.

9. Where players enter a tournament in an older age group the points thereby earned will also be credited to their actual age group.

10. The Selection Committee will have the final say in team selection matters.

11. A new wildcard rule will be in place this year for all age categories to ensure that the strongest teams represent Ireland.

The rankings will be used to select the members of the team, with the exception of two optional wildcards per team which can be chosen at the discretion of the selection committee. A wildcard selection will be based on, but will not be constrained to:

Current form & recent results

Commitment

Attendance at squad sessions

Consideration and opinion of the selectors




Selection Criteria for U19 Irish Panels 2011 - 2012:

1. Players must be eligible to play for Ireland (see Byelaw 7) and be under the relevant age on the final day of the relevant competition and be selected by the selection committee.

2. The Selection committee comprises three members: The Junior Administrator, The Team Coach, and The Team Manager. The selection Committee may also take advice from the National Coach, when making decisions on team selection.

3. A panel of players (6 boys and 4 girls) will be selected on the basis of the points earned at the Connacht Junior Open and the Irish Junior Nationals. Players from younger age categories may be selected and added to this panel on the basis that their presence would

strengthen the panel. Compulsory tournaments - Irish Junior Open.


4. The Selection Committee will select the team from the members of the panel based on what it considers would be the strongest team.

5. The selection committee will also consider a player's general behaviour on and off court, attendance at squad sessions and commitment to squash and adherence to whatever training programme is recommended by the Team Coach.

6. If a player is unable to compete in a tournament (or complete all matches over a
tournament weekend) due to illness or injury a letter or certificate from the doctor or
physiotherapist must be submitted to Irish Squash in the week following the tournament.

7. Once a player receives notification of selection, all monies must be paid by the required date, otherwise their selection will be revoked.

8. Players may be selected to play on teams above there own age group.

9. Players moving up from one age group to the next during the season will carry over 30% of the points gained at the younger age group.

10. Where players enter a tournament in an older age group the points thereby earned will also be credited to their actual age group.

11. The Selection Committee will have the final say in team selection matters.

Representing Ireland

It has been observed that Irish team spirit is not what it should be at some international events. It is hoped that more squad sessions and greater interaction between squad members and their Coaches throughout the season, will result in greater bonding within Irish teams and generate more team spirit.

Any player chosen to represent Ireland at junior level must adhere to the following basic rules:

Always wear full Irish tracksuit while at tournament venuewear correct team attire when playing matchespossible give support to team members and those of other Irish teams during heir matchesall instruction from Coaches and Team Managers

Ranking points:

The points to be earned in this season's junior tournaments are the same as those in use
on the Senior Tour. The extra points for the Junior Nationals do not apply to U19 players.

Players who move up in age group carry 30% of the points already earned at the younger
age group.

‘Points Rankings’ are used to select players for panels and will be published on www.irishsquash.com and updated after each tournament.

The seeding of tournaments is NOT based on ‘Points Rankings’ but on ‘Irish Rankings’ and these will be done by the Irish Squash Junior Secretary, Henry Gillanders.

Junior National News

Including Team Selection. Team Coaches, Eligibility to Play for Ireland - click here