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
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Newport Update
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
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
Thursday, November 08, 2007
THE NEWPORT GAG REFLEX
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
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
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
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
Monday, October 29, 2007
Preparing For the Season
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
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
Thursday, September 06, 2007
WARM-UP
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
L.W.I.S
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
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
Monday, February 26, 2007
Writers Block
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
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
Monday, January 22, 2007
UClub
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
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
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
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
Friday, December 22, 2006
RICC v. Brown
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
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
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Merry Christmas
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
Ho Ho Ho!
Capt. Morgan
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
VICTORY AT LAST
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
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
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Progress
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
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
Friday, November 24, 2006
A Week Off
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
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
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Week 2 - Newport - Frustration
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
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
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Week 1 - A Slow Start, Too Much Confusion And Outcome Potential
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)
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)
Monday, November 06, 2006
1, 2, 3, 4, - Hey! Who took all my balls?
The Prince balls do not play like the Dunlop balls and should not be used in match play.
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