Bendigo Squash Club is creating a bright future for its junior players.
The club has called on the expertise of Victorian squash veteran Corben White to lead its junior program into the future.
"I see this as a great opportunity for me to sink my teeth into a junior program that I can help grow," White said.
"The bulk of a lot of the junior squash is being played out here in country towns and rural areas."
White has been involved with the sport for his entire life as his family owned a squash centre while he was growing up in his native Melbourne.
"There's no other sport quite like squash in terms of its high pace and it really is a thinking sport as well."
White has more than a decade of experience coaching juniors and will apply all he has learnt into the BSC's new junior program.
"I am looking to run a program where I have measurable outcomes for the players," White said.
"I will do some testing when the program first starts. I will then run a tailored program throughout the term and will then do some more testing at the end to see the results."
The club is holding a free come and try day this Thursday for juniors to experience squash.
BSC president Russell McLean said the junior squash program offered the chance to junior players of all abilities to have a go.
"It is a sport that is really easy to develop the required basic skills and this program includes introductory coaching," McLean said.
"We have young players who enjoy squash to fine tune their reflexes and fitness for sports such as football, cricket, tennis and netball, but best of all squash can provide a sporty outlet for kids who may be too shy to play traditional team sports, or had never had an interest in sport at all."
McLean said it was a key goal for the club to grow its junior development program.
"It's the one piece of the puzzle that we're missing, we only have around 20-30 active juniors and to grow the sport we are creating better pathways for our young players to grow into," McLean said.
But above all the players will be joining a broader community with a passion for sport and each other.
"The Bendigo Squash Club is a fantastic, safe environment for young ones to make friends and put some energy to good use. Some may even develop a lifelong passion for the sport," McLean said.
The free come and try day will be held this Thursday July 18 at the Bendigo Squash Centre, 242 Barnard St from 4-6pm.
The program will then run every Monday and Thursday from 4.30pm-6.30pm for the remainder of the school term.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.
