Sport In Profile UK Issue 07 | Page 50

duffield squash & racket club FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/SPORT_IP Duffield SQUASH & Racket CLUB Article provided by Bob Allen, Club Secretary D uffield Squash and Racket Club, which is centred in the rural village of Duffield, Derbyshire has come a long way in the 78 years since it was formed in 1937. Located ten miles north of Derby and within easy reach of the M1, major rail links and East Midlands airport, it is a small village members only club with a far wider appeal. 50 Issue 07 k From a single court with a wooden pavilion housing a changing room and a boiler with single shower we now have on offer a large brick built clubhouse with five courts, up-to-date changing rooms for ladies and gents, saunas, and a modern gym. We’ve not neglected the important time when players have finished their game of squash or racketball either. Members can relax upstairs in the lounge, which has a well-stocked bar and two TV’s to watch main stream, or BT Sports channels if they so wish and a kitchen for the preparing and serving of light meals. This large lounge area is also used for social functions and can be hired out for private parties. The club has not survived and thrived for so long by pure chance. It has built up a reputation over the years; together with the even older tennis club with which it shares the site, as a centre of excellence in racket sports. We are one of only 13 clubs in the country to have been awarded the coveted Gold Standard status by the ESRA. To meet their exacting standards we not only have to have good facilities but also offer coaching programmes to suit all ability levels in both squash and racketball, a youth development programme and competitive leagues, both internal and external, which can stretch even the most able of players. s courtesy o Image f Pr oS qu as h. co .u On the competitive side we have for many years been prominent in the Derbyshire Leagues, with anything up to eight men’s teams competing in both winter and summer Squash Leagues. We have also competed in the national Premier Squash League (PSL) since its inception, winning the trophy on two occasions and being in the final, including this year, on five others. One of the other key points in the Clubs success is the administration arrangement. We have no full time staff running the Club, but a mixture