SQR+ Squash Radio

THE BREAK DOWN (TBD): #19 ‘Story Time‘ featuring Jamie Maddox

Welcome to TBD #19!  Gather round boys and girls, its story time as Conor, PJ and Bill welcome Squash Stories founder and moderator Jamie Maddox to the show. Jamie discusses the growth of his Facebook group, his alter ego Eshan, and his love of all things "El Shorbagy". You don't want to miss this episode of TBD. It's so good PJ may even give it a listen!
 
REACH OUT:  FAN FOLLOW UP > The Appendix!! In this segment, we will be sharing the feedback, comments, insights, you name it!  So reach out us on social media or email squashradio@gmail.com. As always, thanks for listening! SPONSOR: This episode of Squash Radio (SQR+) sponsored by ProSportLED – the most advanced lighting technology for your racquet sport needs.
ProSportLED and Squash Radio (SQR+) are both aligned about the importance of sharing the stories of people involved in our Sport.  Reach out to us at squashradio@gmail.com if you know of anyone interested in LED lighting.

QUICK HIT #3: It’s Women’s Squash Week! Listen to Kim Clearkin (Senior VP @US Squash) give a snapshot of the week + Women activities Nationwide

It’s that awesome time of the year again when the community takes time to highlight women’s squash with a week-long, multi-state and country celebration for Women's Squash Week!
 
 We thought this would be the perfect time to connect you to Kim Clearkin, who has been at the forefront of driving women's squash initiative forward for 15 years now, along with being the Senior Vice President at US Squash and Co-Chair of the Women’s Committee.
 
 We go through a quick background of this week, give you a snapshot of women's squash in the U.S., and talk about the Howe Cup; one of the most beloved events in the Country.
 
 If you want to find ways to join in the fun this week, go to USSquash.org to learn how to sign up, and join in the fun!

#34 Manek Mathur: #1 Doubles player on SDA turned Real Estate Career. Learn how Creativity helps him thrive in all aspect of life.

Welcome back, squash fans! This week we have Manek Mathur on the podcast. Most well known for being ranked the #1 doubles player on the SDA Tour, four-time College Squash National Team Champion, DJ and music producer and his new career path in the world of real estate. 
 
The episode starts with Manek’s experience playing at Trinity and the relationships he formed with his coach (Paul Assaiante) and fellow teammates. Originally from India, the transition to being an international student at Trinity was welcoming, in large part to the squash family community built over the years. This was huge for Manek and a common theme throughout the episode. 
 
He shares what competition was like among teammates, including tension, but how they moved past it to thrive and create lifelong friendships. There’s a shift in the conversation when Conor asks about a former teammate (Shaun Johnstone) and how they all handled the news of him being diagnosed with Cancer. Manek shares how the community dealt with it and what can be learned from it.  
 
The episode continues with Conor asking about Manek’s experience moving from singles to doubles, and eventually being ranked #1. Manek talks about the transition and how he took pointers and tips from other players along the way. 
 
Manek then discusses his time at the Racquet and Tennis club, and how much he enjoyed his time and his community there, along with the changes he made to improve the club. 
 
The conversation shifts to the topic of Manek’s passion for creating music, more specifically, as a DJ/Creator. He brings up how music used to help him before playing matches, and has since become a lifelong passion. Conor and Manek talk about the “flow state” and how that’s a common theme in both Manek’s music making and squash game. He gives advice on how to be productive in one’s craft, but not let it take up too much time. 
 
The episode begins to draw to a close when Manek talks about his fairly recent career change into real estate. He’s currently working in Brooklyn, NY, and loving his new job. Of course, the episode finishes with the classic “quick fire” section, where Conor asks questions about Manek’s interests and passions beyond the squash world. Tune in for an episode filled with topics about community, creativity, finding one’s passions, and how it all intertwines!
 
Music Credit@ Manek Mather ‘Seeing Ghost’
SPONSOR: This episode of Squash Radio (SQR+) sponsored by ProSportLED – the most advanced lighting technology for your racquet sport needs.
ProSportLED and Squash Radio (SQR+) are both aligned about the importance of sharing the stories of people involved in our Sport.  Reach out to us at squashradio@gmail.com if you know of anyone interested in LED lighting.

#33 Danielle Maur: Former National Director of Racquet Sports at Life Time, launches Squash 3.0

This week’s guest is Danielle Maur, former National Director of Racquet Sports at Life Time Fitness, CEO & Co-founder of Global Squash, and named on the list of the top 50 most influential people in the sport of squash by Squash Magazine.
 
The episode begins with Danielle discussing her time at Life Time Fitness, from how she helped it grow, to her role in the education of the club, to how she advocated for squash courts to be part of fitness clubs. She continues on to discuss how important community and friendships are in the game of squash, and how building squash communities at fitness clubs could help the sport to grow, especially in regards to gyms. She brings up points on why it isn’t as simple as just putting a squash court in every gym and hoping players come – there’s a fine balance between the community, utilizing space in the best way possible, and how finances come into all of it.
 
The conversation continues to a comparison of racquet sports, especially in a sports club setting. Of course, all are similar in a lot of ways, but Danielle brings up how, for example, tennis brings in a different crowd than squash, including revenue, engagement, and space.
 
The dialog takes a slight shift when Conor brings up the topic of both Danielle and her husband Andre’s past health scares. Danielle discusses her experience with burn out, trying to keep everyone happy, and eventually suffering a stroke and in turn, falling into coma. She’s passionate about how people can recover from trauma, especially through mental determination, and gives advice on what has helped her.
 
The episode wraps up with Danielle discussing her newest endeavor with her husband, Squash 3.0, which is an online course for squash coaches to revamp their teaching styles, and live up to their highest potential. Find more information on Danielle’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/globalsquashevent/.
 
SPONSOR: This episode of Squash Radio (SQR+) sponsored by ProSportLED – the most advanced lighting technology for your racquet sport needs.
ProSportLED and Squash Radio (SQR+) are both aligned about the importance of sharing the stories of people involved in our Sport.  Reach out to us at squashradio@gmail.com if you know of anyone interested in LED lighting.

THE BREAK DOWN (TBD): #18 Dirty Laundry with Sheldon Anderson (National & PSA Referee)

Welcome to TBD Episode 18!  Conor, PJ and Bill welcome special guest Sheldon Anderson.  Sheldon shares his insights on the state of officiating in squash and the continuing steps being taken to further professionalize this critical aspect of the sport.  Based on Sheldon’s long career in the hospitality industry, this episode's R&R segment is devoted to sharing our top hotel experiences.  Have a listen as the guys air their own dirty laundry!REACH OUT:  FAN FOLLOW UP > The Appendix!! In this segment, we will be sharing the feedback, comments, insights, you name it!  So reach out us on social media or email squashradio@gmail.com. As always, thanks for listening! 
SPONSOR: This episode of Squash Radio (SQR+) sponsored by ProSportLED – the most advanced lighting technology for your racquet sport needs.
ProSportLED and Squash Radio (SQR+) are both aligned about the importance of sharing the stories of people involved in our Sport.  Reach out to us at squashradio@gmail.com if you know of anyone interested in LED lighting.
 

#32 Alicia McConnell: Former USOC Executive, Squash Champion, Mentor, Advocate for Women in Sports & more!

It’s an honor to have past U.S. #1 Alicia McConnell, in the hot seat today! A sports fanatic from a young age, Alicia’s rise to stardom may have appeared seamless from the outside, but it was certainly not an easy journey. In this episode, Alicia describes the mental health struggles that she went through when she was playing professionally, the immense pressure that she felt, and the lack of support she received. We discuss how Alicia got through this, and she shares some valuable advice for anyone who may be experiencing something similar. After her playing career came to an end, Alicia stayed close to the squash world, first as a coach, and then as part of the United States Olympic Committee, and she shares what she loved about both of these roles, and some of the incredible projects that she was an integral part of. We end the episode with a few questions that give further insights into Alicia’s personal life, and her passion for giving back.
 
Key Points From This Episode:
 
Alicia describes what it was like working in the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
Two of the achievements that Alicia is most proud of. 
Some of the organizations and corporations that USOC partnered with. 
Why Alicia recommends that communities build skateparks.
Accessibility barriers that exist in the sport of squash. 
The importance of keeping squash up to date with progression in the digital world.
How the skills Alicia learned in squash impacted other areas of her life, and inspired her to pass those onto others.
Alicia explains what her childhood was like, and the tumultuous relationship she had with squash.
Upsides and downsides of Alicia’s fierce independence.
Lack of support Alicia experienced when she was at the top of her game.
Anger and negativity that Alicia was prone to, and the moment that fueled her to seek help. 
Struggles that Alicia experienced on her journey to self-fulfillment. 
Alicia’s love for coaching.
How Alicia became a part of the USOC. 
Things that bring joy into Alicia’s life.
Alicia’s passion for giving back. 
Highlights:
 
“We need to look at an athlete as a full person, a balanced person, with their mental, emotional, physical, spiritual life. It’s way more than just a medal.” — Alicia McConnell [0:02:26]
 
“A lot of countries supported their athletes; I was just out there on my own trying to figure this thing out.” — Alicia McConnell [0:31:13]
 
“You need support, you need to tell people how you feel. First you need to become aware of how you feel, and be kind to yourself.” — Alicia McConnell [0:32:23]
 
“You have to really get to know yourself and like yourself, and whatever you do, you can make that your own success. You don’t have to have other people tell you that it’s a success.” — Alicia McConnell [0:40:18]
 
“If you were given a lot in your life, to give back gives you a strong sense of purpose, and I think it’s really important.” — Alicia McConnell [01:02:09]
 
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
 
Alicia McConnell on LinkedIn
Grand Canyon
 
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SPONSOR: This episode of Squash Radio (SQR+) sponsored by ProSportLED – the most advanced lighting technology for your racquet sport needs.
ProSportLED and Squash Radio (SQR+) are both aligned about the importance of sharing the stories of people involved in our Sport.  Reach out to us at squashradio@gmail.com if you know of anyone interested in LED lighting.
 

THE BREAK DOWN (TBD): #17 Olym-Pics: TBD Goes to the Movies

This week on The Breakdown, Conor, Bill and PJ start the episode off by checking in with each other and touch base on what they’ve been up to over the past couple of weeks, from PJ arriving back in the states, to golf games, to Bill’s love of Gerry Gibson.
 
This episode mostly focuses on two main topics: the guys’ top three favorite sports movies of all time, and the Olympics. Of course squash comes up in relation to the Olympics, which leads to an interesting discussion about opinions on why squash should/shouldn’t be a part of it, and how it could be possible.  
 
Conor starts off the favorite sports movies conversation (as a note – some movie spoilers throughout the movie ranking section of this episode!) with a mention of Moneyball, which sparks an in depth dialogue about the film. He mentions a couple other favorites, and next up is PJ, and then onto Bill. The whole Rocky series is a common thread among the three, but each one has a different preference (can you guess?!).
 
The Olympics seems to be the hot topic right now, with the summer 2021 games just coming to a close, and the guys go over what they watched, what they didn’t watch, and why they aren’t tuning in as much these days. Naturally among three squash fans, the topic of squash in the Olympics comes up, and the discussion leads to how the game could be adjusted to make it more plausible for the Olympic games. Different balls? Change the court? Tin height adjustment? Should we even be trying to get squash into the Olympics?
 
Tune in for in depth movie critiques, opinions on the Olympics, squash as a sport, and more! How do your opinions compare? Reach out and let us know! 
 
REACH OUT:  FAN FOLLOW UP > The Appendix!! In this segment, we will be sharing the feedback, comments, insights, you name it!  So reach out us on social media or email squashradio@gmail.com. As always, thanks for listening!
 
SPONSOR: This episode of Squash Radio (SQR+) sponsored by ProSportLED – the most advanced lighting technology for your racquet sport needs.
ProSportLED and Squash Radio (SQR+) are both aligned about the importance of sharing the stories of people involved in our Sport.  Reach out to us at squashradio@gmail.com if you know of anyone interested in LED lighting.

#31 Anderson Good: Former Head Coach of George Washington, shares the experience of Squash getting the ax!

In this episode of Squash Radio (SqR), Conor sits down with Anderson Good, the former Head Men’s and Women’s Squash Coach at George Washington University (GW).
Anderson has the distinction of being one of the youngest Head Coach of a Division 1 program in college squash history.  He took over the reins of the GW program from the talented Wendy Lawrence.
The GW program made headlines in the Squash world during Covid-19, when the Athletic Department decided to cut Squash along with several other sports.  Anderson shares what it was like to try to navigate the waters before the official news of being cut, some of the teams’ successes, how he had to break the news of the program’s future to his players and his steps in figuring out what came next for him.
Anderson moves on to discuss some of his personal endeavors, such as his role in creating the Mid Atlantic Squash Conference (MASC), which is a conference made for young varsity student squash players to get together that aren’t typically affiliated with one another and wouldn’t have a way to compete otherwise. This helps students get in touch with the right coaches and can help with college admissions.
Midway through the episode, the conversation pivots to a discussion about another one of Anderson’s passions, which is legal sports gambling. He talks about the politics of sports gambling, the potential economic benefits, how quickly the politics and legislation are changing, and answers some of Conor’s questions on the subject.
Towards the end of the episode, Anderson gives advice to prospective college students and parents of students on how to handle the recruiting process. The episode wraps up with some of Conor’s classic “quick fire” questions. Be sure to tune in to hear about Anderson’s perseverance through navigating a college squash team amidst a global pandemic, to learn a bit of legal sports gambling, and to listen to his advice to young squash players! 
 
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SPONSOR:  This episode of Squash Radio (SQR+) sponsored by ProSportLED – the most advanced lighting technology for your racquet sport needs. 
ProSportLED and Squash Radio (SQR+) are both aligned about the importance of sharing the stories of people involved in our Sport.  Reach out to us at squashradio@gmail.com if you know of anyone interested in LED lighting.