In the U.S. at Least, Onward and Upward

I was recently at a meeting about squash in the U.S. when the talk turned to the sport's fortunes elsewhere. Someone said the situation in Australia was bad, as real estate pressures have caused many clubs to shut down entirely or convert large squash courts into fitness centers. The same is true, to a somewhat lesser extent perhaps, in the U.K. Someone else complained that clubs were closing down in Canada, and the national squash organization there seems too disorganized to do anything effective about it. 

Bad news, then, on several fronts. But the good news, at least for us in the U.S., is that squash is on the ascendancy. The US Squash association, under Kevin Klipstein's remarkable leadership, has in the last 5 years ratcheted up membership by 80%; doubled the number of national championships to 20 and increased participant numbers to 5000; spearheaded the US High School Championships, now the largest squash tournament in the world, with 125 teams and 1000 players; and increased junior squash participation numbers by 88%. And in what I predict will be a continuing trend for the foreseeable future, the Men's and Women's national adult and junior teams are making steady progress in world rankings.

The US Squash organization has also improved its own governance significantly and has demonstrated its desire to hear from as many voices as possible on how best to further the U.S. game. The association will host the inaugural U.S. Squash "Annual Assembly" this October 1-2 in Chicago, which can be attended by any interested player and will include a keynote address, the presentation of programs for the 2010-2011 season, topical breakout sessions on various programs, and constituency breakout sessions covering districts, pros, coaches and referees.

All in all, great news, about which the US Squash association should be proud. That there are still those out there who don't see the value in forking over a couple of bucks to support their sport's association remains a puzzlement. 

Exercise-Induced Illness: The Open Window

Not too long ago a reader of this blog wrote in complaining that he suffered from periodic flu-like symptoms that tended to bedevil him after training hard or playing especially tough squash matches. He is in top shape, and was wondering why this would happen to him of all people and if there might be anything he could do about it.

That's a good question, and unfortunately there is no definitive answer.

There is no doubt that moderate exercise is good for you and, more specifically, your immune function. But exercising at a peak level, such as what one might do during a difficult hourlong squash match, can put the body under immunological stress. Elite athletes in many sports have long suspected that overtraining can lead to bouts of illness, particularly increased upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). Studies have found that these athletes are correct.

Indeed, epidemiologic studies have proven that URTI risk rises with heavy training (Nieman DC, et al. J Sports Med Phys Fit. 1990;30:316-328).

So what exactly is happening immunologically after intense exercise? Well, here comes some science....

There is a decrease in NK cell activity, which may heighten risk of viral transmission. NK cells are 'natural killer' cells that protect against infection.

Development of neutropenia (low blood neutrophil) or neutrophilia (high), depending upon the athlete. Neutrophils are an essential component of the body's innate immune system, and are involved in the phagocytosis of both bacterial and viral pathogens. (Phagocytosis means to encircle and destroy -- a good thing!)

Development of lymphopenia (low blood lymphocyte count), important since these white blood cells are integral to the development of immunity and should increase in number in response to an infection. Also decreasing is mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation, which is a way to gauge the function of T lymphocytes (called 'T' because they are dependent upon the thymus).

Increases in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which mediate cellular interactions. Types of cytokines include interleukin-6, -10, and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

Depression of serum immunoglobulin levels, including IgA and IgG, both commonly found in airway secretions.

And there are other changes, but we are not reading this to get an advanced degree in exercise immunology, so let's cut to the chase....

The fact is that most immunologists now believe that there is an 'open window' after intense exercise in which the athlete experiences some level of impaired immunity (which can last anywhere between 3 and 72 hours, depending on the immune measure) and during which both viruses and bacteria may achieve a foothold. Lack of sleep, unusual mental stress, malnutrition and recent weight loss may all decrease immune function further.

So why would my reader be bothered by exercise-induced illnesses while many other squash players of equal intensity not experience these problems? I suspect the answer lies in the difference between the innate immune system and the acquired immune system. The innate system, which as its name implies is the system we are born with, is greatly affected both by genetics as well as nutrition in early life. One's genetics may just not support a vigorous innate immune system. Likewise, poor nutrition as an infant and child may not have provided the needed micronutrients to build up one's innate system. My reader may keep getting tripped up by an innate system that is not as vigilant as it might have been, for want of better nutrition.

When the innate immune system fails, the acquired immune system kicks in. The term 'acquired' is used because this system relies on the immunological memory of specific infectious agents to which the body has been subjected. The acquired immune system relies on such cells as the B- and T-lymphocytes -- the very cells that are temporarily decreased following strenuous exercise.

OK, so what to do? In addition to the obvious -- eat right, get enough sleep, don't stress out too much -- is there anything one might take? Several micronutrients are very important for optimum enzyme function, including zinc, iron, copper, selenium, and vitamins A, B-6, C and E. Eating correctly, however, easily takes care of these nutritional needs, and studies testing if high-dose supplements of these vitamins are beneficial against exercise-induced illness have failed to show any definitive benefit. Other studies looking at plant sterols, N-acetylcysteine, butylated hydroxyanisole, and glutamine have also failed to show a definitive effect. The jury still seems out on newer immunonutrition supplements, including beta-glucan, curcumin, and quercetin, but I have my doubts about them as well.

And here I would stress caveat emptor -- buyer beware. There are a lot of nutrition and supplement companies out there, none of which have to answer to the FDA and thus can pretty much say just about anything about their product. The usual line is: "This product supports [body part] health." It's a load of crap -- this industry needs much better regulation, because people are wasting a lot of money on often useless supplements, and sometimes are ingesting these agents at toxic levels. Don't be a sucker!

The one nutritional intervention that HAS proved helpful for elite athletes is carbohydrates, usually ingested in the form of a sports drink (or flavored cookies and bars). Carbohydrates reduce perturbations in immune cell levels and lower inflammatory cytokines.

So for my reader I would suggest two things:

Carbohydrates, before, during and after intense activity. In addition, there are many specific approaches one can take that involve food (e.g., avoid refined carbs and saturated fats, etc.), so a consultation with an experienced exercise nutritionist would likely be money well spent.

Moderation of his most intense activities. If he is currently playing 4 tough matches a week, then he should try ratcheting back to 3, and using that extra day to work in the gym on core strength, without raising his heart rate too high.

My reader is an athlete in great condition, so cutting back is not what he wants to read, but he should consider this: 3 good matches played fit is better than 4 played sick.

For those interested, the following reference is a good overall review of this issue: Moreira A, et al. Does exercise increase the risk of upper respiratory tract infections? Br Med Bull. 2009;90:111-131.

Tennis Squash

In the olden days there was a variant of squash called 'squash tennis,' which enjoyed a rather brief popularity before sliding off the face of the world. You can still read about it in places like Wikipedia (here), but the game is no longer played by anyone. There is a new game developing however, called 'tennis squash.' This game could be around for a long while.

The French Open is underway and the men's final is in place, with the surging Robin Söderling, heir apparent to the great viking Bjorn Borg, ready to take on Rafael Nadal, who would dearly like to prove that his defeat by Söderling in last year's French Open was a fluke. I've always maintained that Nadal, with his quickness and maneuverability around the court, would make an absolutely fantastic squash player, and lo and behold recent press reports claim that he has taken up the game. Squash aficionados are well aware that Roger Federer is no stranger to squash, and occasionally will use a wristy slice shot when he is in trouble, particularly on the forehand side. Andy Murray, England's great tennis player, enjoyed squash as a kid, and Ivan Lendl, even when playing pro tennis at the highest level, is said to have used squash as an exercise to build up his backhand strength (see here).

The use of the wrist to apply extra spin and the breaking of the historically stiff tennis wrist has become a noteworthy recent innovation in tennis, with observers attributing the development to advancements in racket technology.

But what about the obverse? Are there any stiff-wristed, topspin shots that would be at home on a tennis court that we in squash might adopt? I know of one, and it's quite effective. Here is the scenario: your opponent has played a ball into one of the front corners, but you are on it without difficulty. You obviously have several choices here, including a hard wide cross-court, a hard rail, or a looping cross-court lob, among others. But another shot is to hit the loose ball into the corner with topspin at medium speed. The topspin makes the ball whip around the corner faster than either a flat or undercut ball, and the surprising shot selection will either leave your opponent flat-footed, forcing a weak return, or even outright fool him. Try it sparingly, and you might be surprised how effective it is.    

Slicing Up My Feet With Razors

The squash equipment we use today has gotten a lot better.

I was reminded of this by a great old video you can check out here on SquashZAG that shows Mohibulla Khan and Geoff Hunt engaging in a long, old-style point that involved less shot-making than you would see today and more attritional back-and-forth play. The difference of course is in the rackets they used then and the rackets we use today, which among other things have higher racket-head speed and larger sweet-spots. I can remember playing hardball way way back when with a (in hindsight perfectly ridiculous) metal racket that was significantly heavier than normal. This racket was soooo heavy and made of non-breakable metal, and thus it was great for a guy (that would be me) with very little money, because it would last a really long time. It was only after several months, when I realized my wrist was developing tendinitis, that I threw out the still-unbroken racket. I think that was the one and only time I ever threw out a racket that had yet to break.

Happily, racket technology has advanced. We also used to build up the top of the racket with tape in order to reduce the possibility of breakage as we scraped the racket head along the wall; nowadays, not many people do this, because the racket heads come with sturdy build-ups and don't seem to need it like they used to. 

Another important advancement has been with shoes. I can remember limping home after a tough match, filling the bathtub with water, and soaking my feet for a half hour or so. I would then take a razor and cut out the bumpy calluses and blood blisters that had developed on my soles, sometimes shearing off 2-3 square inches of hardened skin at a time. 

My wife, a psychologist, was concerned....

I told her I wasn't sick, just in love.       

Ode to a Winning Squash Ball

Well see here, my black rubber friend with two dots that stare like eyes!

I must say I'm quite fond of you for today's squash match surprise.

See, I played a level up today—not hoping much to win—

Against a very tough player with great court movement, good spin.

But at the loud clang of the tin at the close of the first game,

Behold! I had eked out a win, a faint echo of some fame. 

At the break my sweat-drenched opponent I could see was bone-tired.

But my winning of game 1 was so sweet I became up-fired!

He's drinking water from the fountain like a dog at his bowl.

All that running the diagonal will surely take its toll.

As the second game begins I feel cautiously elated,

And as it unfolds my opponent's more and more deflated.

I hold my shots so brilliantly, my footwork, ahhh, superb.

I feign shots leftward, hold, then shoot to the right, which helps perturb

My weakened opponent, who has taken to heavy sighing,

A reflection of the fact that on court the sucker's dying. 

Another game for me, and he's off court slurping like a fool.

A mess of gasping breath, twitching muscles, rivulets of drool.

Game 3 starts, and my opponent starts mouthing his excuses:

A twitchy back, a cough, a late night drowning in his juices.

And soon the tragic tale is through and I its mighty hero,

While my flummoxed opponent limps home, feeling like a zero. 

In the bag you go, squash ball, I'll save you for another day,

You've got plenty of nap to keep you till the next time we play. 

God help me if a seam should split you and ruin your facade!

Forever and ever I pray, saints preserve you, please, o god!

Amen!

What's Urtak? Some Recent Findings ...

It's time for another look at what's doing at The Squashist's Opinion Emporium, made possible by our good friends at Urtak (accessible to the right of this blog, as well as here: Squash Urtak).

So far Urtak's squash forum has over 10,000 responses, so thanks very much for those who have taken the time (it doesn't' take long!) and thanks in advance for those who will respond in the future.

Here are a few interesting findings:

1.  When asked if they are addicted to squash, 79% said yes. Of those who said yes, 74% said they can tell a lot about someone from the way they play the game; but to those who said they weren't addicted, only 53% said squash was a good barometer of personality.

2. The squash-addicted proved to be more generous with their time, as 83% of addicts claimed they happily played the game with less talented players, while only 69% of non-addicts did so.

3. Addicts also hung out with fellow squash nuts more: 85% of them said they did, as opposed to 70% of the non-addicts.

4. Beer seems to play a larger part in the addict's worldview. 83% of the squash-addicted said a beer tastes great after squash, while only 56% of non-addicts admitted as much. Perhaps they prefer wine?

5. There was a big difference in scoring preference. 71% of addicts have changed completely over to the 11-point scoring system; only 44% of non-addicts have done so.

6. Addicts seems to be willing to put their money where their enthusiasms lie, as 81% of the addicted belong to private clubs, as opposed to 64% of non-addicts. Learning to play the game with your nose up in the air takes considerable fine-motor control.

7. Squash addicts are also much more supportive of US Squash's efforts on behalf of the game. When asked if USS is doing a good job, 66% of addicts said yes, but only 20% of non-addicts agreed. As one of the addicted who believes without question that USS is indeed doing a good job -- I'd say a great job, in fact -- I'd cheekily like to venture the opinion that squash addicts have a deeper knowledge of the challenges and successes we see in our sport, and that as the non-addicts become ever more ensnared in the addictive joys of the sport, they will come to see the light.

And finally, racket manufacturers should take note that the response was evenly divided to the question whether the quality of a racket makes a significant difference in performance: fully 50% thought it didn't make a perceptible difference. That, dear sirs, strikes me as a marketing problem! You all should be buying more advertising and supporting more squash tournaments as a way of gaining dedicated adherents! I'm sure the same nonchalance can be said for squash sneakers and squash clothing. 

Hey Nike! You have a worldwide sport here that has yet to embrace a particular manufacturer en masse. Wake up! Throw us some money and we will be yours!

Whack-It Ball

I read today on squashsite.co.uk that Peter Nicol has decided to play in a racketball tournament, England's Dunlop National Racketball Championship, where he may end up playing 5-time winner Daryl Selby. [But, see Postscript below...]

Now why would Nicol go and do a foolish thing like this?

Actually, I can understand. About a decade ago I moved from the city to suburbia, and because of the move I didn't have enough money to maintain my city squash club membership. Believe me, the Squashist was very sad about this. Very sad indeed. After a while I realized that there was a local fitness club that I could afford to join so I could at least stay in shape, so I did, and I found myself drawn to their racquetball courts. What the heck, I gave it a whack one day. 

It's not squash, you run much less, and you are mostly concerned with hitting to the back corners, so tactically it is less interesting. Still, it's a court and a racket and a ball, so I hit a few times. I then noticed they were having the club tournaments, so decided to sign up. The pro there said, well, if I played squash, I should do okay in the 5th grouping, of which there were 11 in all. Although I didn't practice at all and only played the tournament matches, I won easily.

I then went back to just working out, but lo and behold time went by and the club championships came around again. This time the pro told me to play the 2nd grouping. That too I won, again without practice, although the final was tight. Soon after this, I recovered my financial wherewithal and rejoined the squash club, and so have never played racquetball again. But I had a pretty good time playing. I'm told, incidentally, that the 3 top players at the club, the ones in the 1st grouping, are all ex-squash players who have adopted the sport since there are no local squash courts nearby to play on.

The racket skills and court sense one learns in squash are transferable to both racquetball and racketball, the latter of which is what an American would call racquetball but played on an international squash court, which I believe is the version most common in the U.K. where Nicol will play the tournament. I very much suspect Nicol will win this tournament, his skills are too immense. I am reminded of a story about Gary Waite, an excellent squash player as well as top hardball squash doubles player, who became the champion Canadian racquetballer, just to see if he could. Heather McKay, Australian squash champion who is the winningest female squash player ever, also famously played racquetball, winning multiple American and Canadian championships.

The point is that racket skills and court coverage are transferable. That is the intriguing idea behind Racketlon, a marathon racket skills tournament in which opponents are tested in squash, badminton, tennis and table tennis. Each set is played to 21 points, with the winner being whomever scores the most points across all sport disciplines. Racketlon started in Finland in the 1980s where it was called mailapelit, meaning 'racket games', and has continued to gain adherents. 

I recently had a chance to play badminton, and found that the court movement and wrist action were similar enough to squash that I did well. And since I play tennis regularly, that sport's different stroke biomechanics are not a problem for me. Furthermore, a squash player's coverage of a tennis court is as good as anything a tennis player could offer. The problem for me: table tennis, which is much different from the other games of racketlon.

There is something about a racket player, no matter what the racket. See ball, run to ball, hit ball. I already feel a little sorry for Mr. Selby, poor fella. 

POSTSCRIPT: It seems The Squashist has revealed a touch of ignorance with this blog, and stuck his big size 13 foot into his gaping maw. Mr. Selby, it turns out, is a top squash player, in fact is currently #9. I'm sorry, Mr. Selby, I didn't appreciate that fact when I wrote this blog! It does argue in favor of my basic point, though, that squash players can walk on the racketball court and play a mean game from the get-go, but it also puts into question whether Peter Nicol, retired from the pro game, can likely put up stiff enough resistance against a top-10 squash foe. However, Mr Nicol rarely does me wrong, so I still say he'll take it! Selby, prove me wrong!

The 5-Let Rule Passes a Test

There was quite a bit of interest in the idea of the 5-let rule (see here), which was recently given a test run at US Pro Squash's Franklin & Marshall Invitational Tournament. Many comments were rabidly against the idea, while others were more open to it. My reaction was positive, since I thought it was at least an attempt to address the fan experience, which I believe is hampered by bickering over lets. 

Guy Cipriano, long-time hardball player and doubles aficionado, was able to get a brief e-mailed comment from John White, F & M's squash director, who played in the tournament. Guy was kind enough to share White's comments with me.

White felt the experiment with 5 lets 'went well.' He noted that the 'players played more balls than normal when there was minor interference.' I think that's the principal result of this rule: players will not automatically stop when they could just as easily nudge around their opponent and get to the ball. White also said that Mike Riley, the ref, was careful to award strokes if he felt the opponent was blocking the other player, trying to force the player to use up a let call. 'This made players get out of the way more.' Another good result.... White's feeling was that the 5-let rule needed a few more trials to test its overall utility, but so far, so good.

This of course was a limited test. You had top players who were willing to give this new concept a go (including Baset Chaudry, who despite reports has apparently not given up the game of squash), and a capable ref who was prepared to handle the different dynamic that resulted from the new rule. Is this a good idea for amateur tournaments? Clearly, no. For other pro tournaments? Quite possibly yes, if further trials pan out.

While the new rule was a success, the tournament was not a success for John White. Most unfortunately, White suffered a torn plantar fascia on the bottom of his left foot in the semis, and now can be seen shuffling around in an orthopedic boot waiting to heal. Having had to wear just such a boot myself in the last few months, I deeply sympathize!

Kjell Olsson, R.I.P.

For those who have read this blog for a while, you may know that I am a Swedish-American. I did not grow up speaking Swedish. Instead, I decided I wanted to learn more about my mother's country and started learning Swedish about 4 years ago. My Swedish teacher would visit me once a week in my office and we would talk Swedish; he'd give me assignments and I would do my best to learn the words, grammar, pronunciation, and beautiful lilt of this fascinating language. I would also get to talk to my very wise teacher, who had a great combination of humor, calm, and intelligence -- not only about teaching Swedish but about life as a whole.

One thing he learned early on about me was my interest in squash, so he went on the internet and got information about squash that was written in Swedish. That's a smart teacher! I found myself discussing the importance of proper court movement with Kjell, in Swedish, even though he had never played, nor would. But he pretended to be interested. And as he did he gently corrected my grammar.  

Sadly, I just found out that Kjell (it's pronounced 'Shell'), who had a week or so ago gone to Sweden for a visit with his children, fell, and ultimately died from the fall. 

It's a sad day. May he rest in peace.

Zug on Chaudry

James Zug has a great article in the just-received March issue of Squash Magazine about the backstory of Baset Chaudry's on-court meltdown. If you are a US Squash member you'll get the publication soon or already have it, so please read the article, it's a very nice bit of reporting. (And if you are not a US Squash member, again I ask, 'Why not?!') 

In it he reviews Chaudry's stellar squash and academic career and explores the emotional turbulence that ended in Chaudry's inexplicable -- even to him -- fulmination. As Zug rightly notes, 15 seconds of poor behavior clouded years of gentlemanly behavior, off-court as well as on-, sometimes in the face of outrageous taunting from spectators whose 'Paki-bashing' included chants of 'terrorist' and references to Bin Laden. Truly disgusting behavior, none of which should be permitted at an academic institution. 

I'm on the record for forgiving this mistake, based on his aforementioned exemplary college career (see The Chaudry Incident). As it happened, Baset removed himself from the individual college championships, thereby stripping himself of a chance to tie Kenton Jernigan as the only other squash player with 7 intercollegiate or team titles.  As you read Zug's article, you see both how sad this result is, and how unnecessary. 

The most newsworthy item in the piece, however, was the revelation that, according to Zug, Chaudry "doesn't like squash." I was thunderstruck by that. (His first love was apparently cricket.) The many hours of grueling courtwork have left Chaudry numb to the joys of the game -- for me, a terrible legacy. I've heard this story before: college squash players are so over-trained and over-extended playing the game for their alma mater that, upon graduation, they leave the game forever, all youthful enthusiasm well and truly spent. Chaudry tells Zug in an interview that his rackets "are locked up now."

I wonder, what does that say about the coaching?

The 5-Let Rule: FANtastic News

Several times in my career as a squash enthusiast I have dragged uninitiated sports fans to pro squash tournaments, assuring them that squash is a great spectator sport and they'll have a blast. 

Some did, but some didn't, and in the latter group a major reason for this less-than-stellar result has been irritation over the repeated entreaties to the ref, with players childishly begging for a Let, like a toddler whining for candy. Some players routinely whine more than others because it is literally part of their game-plan, and some matches devolve into a whine-fest that renders this great game into a stuttering, spasmodic, episodic, unflattering denial of the many athletic attractions that should exist in a top-flight match. 

I have several friends who are excellent squash players, and even they -- who should know better -- argue that squash is a bad spectator sport because of all the starts and stops that one is subjected to in many matches. 

So the news that the US Pro Squash Tour is actually doing something about the over-abundance of Let calls is, for me, fantastic news -- with an emphasis on the first syllable, for it's the fans who will be the big winners from this change. You can see the full press release here: 5-Let Rule Announcement.  John White, one of my favorite players of all time, is quoted in support of the rule: "By limiting the Let calls to 5 per match, players will have to start playing and clearing the ball a lot more. There are too many Lets for minimal interference. Once players know that it could come down to a Stroke or No Let they will start to play the ball." After 5 Lets have been awarded, the referee will be limited to awarding only No Let or Stroke decisions.

Change is always hard. We need only remind ourselves how difficult it was to transfer over to the PAR 11-point scoring system -- many opposed it, and some still do. So this new 5-Let Rule will likely be opposed by some, but my feeling is that if squash wants to attract more attention, both from players and the media, it has to relentlessly focus on the fan experience. This is a very good, hugely welcome, and major step forward which was made with the fans' interests uppermost in mind.  

At What Point Does One Say 'Enough'?

The Squashist is not amused. Not happy. Pretty pissed off, even.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I've had a tough time lately with injuries. In the summer I experienced a torn rotator cuff, but after much rehab I was able to get back on the court and avoided an operation. Then, an old nagging ankle injury flared up, and what used to be a mild annoyance began actively hindering my game and keeping me off the court. So I had laparoscopic surgery to correct that. It was successful; that was nice.

For a couple of weeks, that is. Probably as a result of a slightly altered gait from the ankle injury, I also developed runner's knee, or what's called chondromalacia patellae, a misalignment of the knee joint that can lead to pain, particularly on the back of the knee. This too is rehabable, which I was doing. But I was also playing, because I felt pretty good.

Which is why last Friday I was on the court in a tournament, playing pretty well, but in the first game I realized that my knee was going to be a bit of a bother. Not a big deal, but it was in the back of my mind. I lost that game, though it was close. In the second game, towards the end, I planted my right foot and swiveled to my right to hit a fairly standard rail. Unfortunately, pop went my knee. I lost that game and made a lame attempt to get back on in the third, but after the first point I realized I might be hurting myself more and the pain was enough that it was stupid to continue. 

I have an ortho appointment tomorrow to get the word on what happened, but I suspect that the chondromalacia allowed my knee to move in ways it shouldn't, and damaged something as a result: ligament? tendon? muscle? confidence? Now I look back and see that, in the last nine months, I've had three serious squash-related injuries. I've been more off the court than on. 

It's a question that every squash lover must unfortunately address sooner or later: When do the insults of age (I'm 51) exert enough of an effect on your ability to play this game as you are accustomed that you would rather bow out with honor then peter out pathetically? I was playing well against a player who was nearly 30 years younger; that's a nice feeling. But it's not nice to forfeit because of injury and limp off the court for another month or two of rehab.

I also play tennis. Tennis is a nicer game on the joints and legs. It has more upper-body work, so it is tougher on the rotator cuff and shoulder, and in my experience it is also a little harder on the back, but in general tennis is nicer to the body. 

Is a smart progression for a squash player feeling his years to segue into tennis? Am I really the Tennisist? 

I've decided I will rehab this latest injury according to what the experts tell me to do and wait to get their okay to get back on the court. But I don't think I can take another injury.... 

Sex and the Squash Player

OK, kids, look away now, this one ain't for you....

Back in 1995, Austin M. Francis, an avid squash player and marketing guru, wrote a very important book for the squash community in the U.S. called "Smart Squash: How To Win at Soft Ball." It was important because the great tidal shift from hardball to softball squash was under way, and many players were going out on the new international courts with the strangely squishy ball and didn't have the foggiest notion how to play the new game. Most players, me included, started out by playing hardball tactics with the softball, and that, friends, doesn't work. So he set out to teach us a thing or two, and he did. It was a very important work in the history of U.S. squash.

Francis also added a brief chapter towards the end of his book on the eternal question raised by participants in athletically demanding sports: Is it okay or bad to have sex before playing the game?

He only briefly raised the question, and quoted only from one unnamed pro player who had 'scientifically' tested his physicality after sex and after no sex, and had decided that abstinence fully 48 hours before a serious match was advisable.

This is called an N-of-1 study, and while it certainly has its place, it doesn't pass much muster among the scientific community. Indeed, there seems to be wide agreement that the physiological evidence for abstinence before squash is just not there. In fact, science has found that testosterone levels increase following sex, not diminish, so loss of power -- except for the brief recovery period directly after sex -- is not an issue. The psychological effect of the sex, however, could vary greatly among the participants, so it might provide a tremendous psychological boost or wreak havoc on the ego, or somewhere in between. Thus if the sex distracted an athlete, for example made them feel poorly about themselves for some reason, then that would likely not be a positive influence on their game.

The advisability of sex before competition has been argued for millenia. Pliny the Elder wrote in the year 77 that "Athletes when sluggish are revitalized by love-making." I note that he was "the Elder," so he must have succeeded in creating "the Junior," and hence may have known what he was writing about.

Boxers have mostly taken a hard line in favor of abstinence, believing by doing so that they get meaner and more aggressive for the trials that await them in the ring. It's been reported that Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer ever, would abstain for six weeks before a bout. He apparently didn't realize that having sex can actually reduce the sensation of pain, by blocking a neuropeptide pain transmitter called 'substance P.' Apparently, Ali didn't have to worry about reducing pain, since his opponents often had a hard time hitting him. But still....

Since the majority of pro athletes have historically been men and the science behind this question has therefore mainly focused on male athletes, women who wonder about sex before competition will have to keep on wondering. However, I offer this quote, from an article on BBC.com, which I suspect will be heartily endorsed by female athletes the world over:

" ...And then there's Israeli physician Alexander Olshanietzky, who's all in favour of sex -- for female athletes, at least. "We believe that a woman gets better results in sports competition after orgasm," he said in 1996, before the Atlanta games. "... The more orgasms, the more chances of winning a medal. Coaches generally tell their athletes to abstain before competition. In the case of women, that's the wrong advice."

And finally, there is the rather rare question of whether sex during a competition is advisable. This would not be possible in a squash match, since there are literally seconds between games (unless you are a gerbil; they're fast), but the question, I suppose, has to be raised. Here's a quote from "The Observer" that addresses whether this athletic tour de force is advisable:

"What about sex during an event? There isn't scope for it in most sports, but the experience of snooker star Paul Hunter suggests it can help. Trailing 6-2 to Fergal O'Brien in the final of the 2001 B&H Masters, Hunter retired to the Wembley Plaza Hotel with girlfriend Lindsey Fell. 'Paul's manager told me he was under pressure and that I should relax him,' explained Lindsey. 'So I stripped down to my lacy g-string and bra. We made love and he didn't think about the tournament for a second.' Hunter returned and notched up four centuries in six frames to win the final 10-9."

The Tawdry Chaudhry Incident

Most of us have seen the video of Baset Chaudry, team co-captain of Trinity's squash team that has just registered its 12th year of perfection, yelling in the face of his Yale opponent and nearly head-butting him. It was, indeed, ugly.

And yet, one can only imagine the pressure that one must feel carrying the weight of so many successful years, playing in front of a rambunctious home crowd and his own parents that came from overseas to watch, playing an opponent who had goaded him at least a bit during the match.....  The stage was set.

Chaudhry lost his cool. Adrenaline kicked in as he won the match, won the team competition for Trinity, and won yet another year as the best collegiate squash team on the planet. 

By all accounts he is an exceptional kid who is also a great squash player. Chaudhry sincerely apologized, and I'm sure he meant it. He just lost it -- let it be a learning experience. Unfortunately, he has since voluntarily opted out from defending his singles title, which is up for grabs in a few days, and I'm sure this decision was at least partially, and perhaps heavily, suggested to him by his handlers at Trinity.

That's too bad. While proper behavior, both on-court and off, should be an important focus for educators, forgiveness is a wonderful thing to teach too. His four years of exemplary scholarship and athleticism should have bought him a ticket to the action. While Chaudhry's on-court behavior was a mistake, his removal from the singles competition compounds the error.

Motor Overflow in Sports

Watching high-performance athletes, one sometimes can observe unusual facial phenomena that the athletes would never do normally, but during the heat of battle do with gusto. It's interesting to note that many of the very best athletes have these muscular contortions, so the question is why.

There are three contortions that involve the mouth. Michael Jordan, who many consider to be the best basketball player ever, was famous for sticking out his tongue as he raced down the court preparing to go airborne for a monster dunk. Jordan's fame was so great that schoolyard players took to imitating the tongue-wag, perhaps thinking it was done by Jordan out of bravado and not an unconscious act. In squash, the great Peter Nicol would often be seen demonstrated another mouth phenomenon, known as a rictus, in which the lips are pushed tightly backward in what looks like a half-smile, half grimace. Opponents knew that if Nicol had that look he was fully concentrating on the task at hand, and that spelled trouble for them. 

The third possible mouth contortion is biting the lip, as one sees most often in children who are concentrating intently on something. (Another profession that shows its share of facial tics: professional musicians, such as pianists and violinists, where lip biting and rictus are more popular than tongue wagging, since licking your violin while you play may be problematic.)




So why does this happen? These actions are all examples of motor overflow or motor disinhibition, in which the athlete's capacity to direct their overall motoric response to the circumstances at hand is diminished. A pictorial representation of the part of the human brain that directs movement and motoric information to the rest of the body is called a cortical homunculus (above), a fancy name for a drawing that proportionately relates a body part with the motor cortex of the frontal lobes of the brain. Thus, the legs are represented in superior regions, while the arms are below the legs, and the neck, brow, eye, lips, jaw and tongue descend from there. These relationships vary individually, and also change with age, but the topographical drawing is useful for neurologists and other clinicians studying the brain. 

Are you still with me? (Are you biting your lip perhaps?)

Motor overflow occurs when an athlete is working exceptionally hard physically and mentally, necessarily exerting extensive control over superior and medial regions (i.e., the legs, arms, and hands) and temporarily 'disinhibiting' regions where control isn't particularly necessary for the task at hand, a dunk, say, or a crosscourt shot to the nick. The disinhibited regions result in movement of the face, lips, and tongue.

There are many top athletes who don't exhibit motor overflow, of course, so there is nothing to suggest that only the very best of the best show motor disinhibition. But I think one can say that of those athletes who do show these signs it is wise to be careful when playing them if the tongue comes out, the rictus starts smiling, or the lip gets bitten.

Because you are about to lose....