Now that the summer has loosened its fiery grip and cleared a path for autumn, the change of seasons can only mean one thing. That’s right, the exciting U.S. Junior Championship Series is right around the corner. This year promises to be the most exciting yet, with brand new events, first-class venues and of course, lots of great squash!
Participation on the Rise
Participation in juniors has been rising steadily each year, and with players such as Carey Celata, Chris Holter and Alexander Ma populating draws in at least 14 tournaments during the 06-07 season, squash is taking its rightful place along with soccer, lacrosse and baseball as one of the most popular sports for young athletes. When a Peter McCall or Peter Sammis travel around the country playing in junior events, 13 each last season, the growth of squash naturally follows. To accommodate this growth, the U11 age category will accrue ranking points in all national events for the first time, with a national champion being crowned at the Gold tournament.
Regardless of the number of events you play, it’s important to remember that four exposures are needed to receive an end of the season ranking. Every junior player needs at least one exposure by October 31, two by December 31, three by January 31 and four by the end of the season in April. Players not meeting the necessary exposure requirements will not be listed in the rankings until the requirements are fulfilled. If you have any questions on exposures please consult the Junior Guidebook at www.us-squash.org or call the US Squash office at 212-268-4090.
Trinity to Host U.S. Junior Open
The highlight of the squash calendar comes in December when the U.S. Junior Open Championships return to the East coast as Trinity College hosts the event December 15-18, in Hartford, CT. Top junior players from around the globe will be in for a treat as they compete on the same courts the Trinity Bantams have used to dominate college squash for the past decade. For many juniors, the trip to this squash mecca will serve as an inspiration to improve their games in the hopes of someday competing here on the collegiate level.
Selection Event Jump Starts 2008
Following the holiday break, the season gets into full swing during Martin Luther King Day January 19-21 in Boston, MA, with the Frank Millet Junior Championship, the second junior selection event of the season (The first selection event, the Hunter Lott Junior Championship, takes place Nov. 16-18, in Philadelphia, PA.). Selection events are designed to promote head to head competition between the top U19, 17, 15, 13, and now U11 juniors and, along with the U.S. Junior Gold and Open tournaments, are used to select the U.S. Junior Teams as well as the Canadian-American series participants.
This season we are ranking, as mentioned previously, the U11’s and offering divisions in the US Junior Open and Closed (Gold) events as well as a new event on the calendar for 2008: the National Middle School Team Championships. This tournament is taking place at Yale University in New Haven, CT, February 1-3. The tournament will give young juniors an early taste of team competition, experience that will serve them well as they move on to compete with top scholastic schools in the U.S. High School Team Championships, scheduled this season for February 8-10, at Yale.
The junior season rounds into the home stretch with the Gold, Silver and Bronze U.S. Junior Championships. The Gold Championship, March 7-9, will be the first of what promises to be many nationals hosted on the sparkling new courts at the Fairmount Athletic Club in King of Prussia, PA, just outside of Philadelphia, while the Bronze Championship will be contested in nearby Berwyn, PA, April 4-6. The Silver Championship will run simultaneously with the Under-23 Championships, April 25-27, in Baltimore, MD, giving juniors a great opportunity to glimpse their future while competing in the season’s final event. We wish all our juniors the best of luck as we look forward to a great season ahead.
