An academy offering top-rate squash and racketball coaching and facilities has been launched at Plymouth College in partnership with England Squash and Racketball. The Plymouth Squash and Racketball Academy is the brainchild of fitness instructor and squash coach, Steve Perrins, who wanted to ensure regional-standard squash opportunities remained available in the city after the closure of Westcountry Squash.
As part of the project, Plymouth College's two squash courts have been refurbished with funding from England Squash and Racketball. Three further venues in the city will also be part of the Academy so that all abilities, from beginners to elite players covering different levels of the National Coaching Scheme, can be catered for.
Plymouth College will be the school clubs' link and the Academy hub while Plymouth University will provide higher education and 16+ development. The Elfordleigh Hotel and Leisure Club will focus on ladies and over 50s racketball with Esporta Devonshire providing racketball development for existing members. The Academy will also be building two ASB courts at the new Life Centre in Central Park.
"As the new Academy's director, Steve Perrins has worked tirelessly to recruit coaches and refurbish venues to ensure Plymouth's rich heritage of producing champions lives on", said Matt Baker, South West Regional Manager for England Squash and Racketball. "England Squash and Racketball are supporting the Academy with equipment and funding and the additional courts in the new Life Centre will really add value to this very exciting project.
"England Squash and Racketball has invested a significant amount of funding into this project because we believe that the Academy is set on solid foundations. Steve refuses to accept second best and I firmly believe that squash and racketball in Plymouth will recreate its heyday very soon."
"I am delighted to be opening the Plymouth Squash and Racketball Academy in partnership with England Squash and Racketball and Plymouth College", said Steve. "This is an initiative that will raise the profile of the game and will see the delivery of squash and racketball across the city. I am extremely excited to have the British number one, Nick Matthew, as the Academy Patron. He is a player with the highest work ethic in the sport and an exceptional role model for our junior players."
Nick Matthew, British Open and British National Champion, World No.2 and British No.1, said: "The Plymouth Squash and Racketball Academy is a fantastic project that will help raise the profile of the game of squash both in the local area and on a national scale and I am delighted to be associated with it. It gives me great pleasure to become a patron of the Academy, which has been set up by Steve Perrins, with the help of England Squash and Racketball, both of whom have given me great support during my career. I'm sure the Academy will inspire many future generations to take up squash and hopefully produce a few champions of the future."
Kevin Hall is Plymouth College's Sports Centre Manager and will be the Academy's conditioning coach. "Having the Academy based at Plymouth College is going to be a great asset for both the school and the local community. Not only will our school squash team gain greatly from the improved facilities and expert coaching, but we can now share this with other young people from across Plymouth."
Squash and racketball programmes will start at the Elfordleigh next week and Plymouth College the week after.
Photograph: L to R Steve Perrins (Squash and Racketball Academy Director), George Stephenson (Plymouth College Squash Team), Kevin Hall (Plymouth College Sports Centre Manager and Squash and Racketball Academy Conditioning Coach), Sarah Dunn (Plymouth College Deputy Head), Ed Knight (Plymouth College Squash Team), Matt Baker (South West Regional Manager England Squash and Racketball)
