U23 Men’s Recap “Battle of the Border”
By Tucker George

            Our trip couldn’t have begun better. Nine players, two coaches and a shaggy haired groupie arrived successfully at Buffalo Airport on Friday August 17th. There was no lost luggage; there were no delayed flights. Everyone looked well rested. Team USA was storming the border ready to rumble.
            Before we get into the details of the trip, let’s review our story’s characters. First we have US Squash’s very own Vijay Chitnis, the Director of Junior Development, National Teams and Events. One cannot truly understand Vijay without first understanding the game that defines his existence. No, I’m not talking about squash. I’m talking about RPS (rock, paper, scissors). Let me assure you that his RPS is no friendly game; Vijay employs this sometimes shocking and usually expensive tactic to everything imaginable. That said, Vijay also happens to be the driving force for the US U23 program and his dedication and enthusiasm are contagious.   
            Current Head Coach at the University of Rochester, Martin Heath was the men’s team’s fearless leader. Known as ‘Heathie’ to some, he should really be called ‘Samson,’ as anyone who knows him understands his secret obsession with his perfectly coiffed hair. Martin’s thick Scottish brogue complemented his sage advice in the corners, and he was quick to instruct the “proper” technique that we all seem to have butchered.
            The U.S. squad was led by the newly full-time pro Gilly Lane, a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. As his career progresses you will hear more about “The Artist,” thus dubbed not only due to his affinity for designer hats but also for his patented forehand pump cross-court. Flown in from Boston was John Fulham, who joined the team after having spent the past twelve months training in England. A man of deep and rooted convictions (For your own safety, I would advise all Yankees fans to hide their hats), John brought his “kicking ass and taking names” attitude straight to the Canadians. The Naval Academy granted the squad full security detail for the duration of the trip in the form of Tucker George, a player whose notable one-liners seemed to put the squad at ease. Jake “The Body” Gross brought needed style to the team. Not only was he equipped with extra bottles of hair gel but reverse boasts to boot, the latter much to Martin and the Canadian’s dismay. Last but certainly not least is Garnett “The Quiet Professional” Booth. You will not find a better team player, or lunch concierge and waiter (the result of a losing RPS hand, of course) than Garnett. Garnett will be able to keep up with most of the men’s collegiate players this coming September by taking his game to the financial streets of NYC.
            After those first euphoric moments in Buffalo, the team crammed into a shuttle and headed for the US-Canadian border, where we would spend the next three days a forty-five minute drive North at the White Oakes Resort, a five star resort in Niagra-on-the-Lake, Ontario as guests of White Oakes’ Head Squash Pro Mark Sachvie.  Mark has hosted multiple “Battle of the Borders” before, but this past weekend he was acting as a complementary force to Vijay by spearheading the Canadian U23 program. Just to repeat, the team stayed in a FIVE start resort with eight indoor courts, unbelievable training facilities and dining second to none. So no concern need be voiced for the level of our comfort throughout the weekend.
Having settled into our lavish hotel rooms we engaged in some court games with the Canadians in order to get our competitive juices flowing. After narrowly losing in the “kick the ball off the cup and over the service line” game, we got into some fun offense/defense drills. Given the opportunity to feel out our competition, we felt pretty confident in our ability and were looking forward to getting in some pre-match Round Robin games on Saturday.
            On Saturday morning, after enjoying the bountiful buffet breakfast in the Sun Hill Dining Room, each team member played in a Round Robin against the opposing four players on the Canadian side. We split the matches into two sessions: morning and afternoon. Despite being more tired than expected, emotions were running high as we experienced both good wins and unexpected losses. This was our first time playing together, so we were able to sound out our team’s depth and analyze Sunday’s match-ups against the Canadians. Having played eight games during the morning session, Tucker seemed to have rubbed his blisters raw, creating a potential problem that will be elaborated upon later.
            Saturday night was definitely a night to remember. After our noon hit, we piled into a yellow school bus, fourth grade public school style, and headed for the tourist trap that is downtown Niagra. After playing all afternoon, both squads were hungry and Mark had the perfect solution: a Brazilian Barbeque restaurant dubbed the “Copacabana.” If you have not been to one of these restaurants, stop what you’re doing and GO. Each diner is given a coaster, green on one side, red on the other. As you might imagine, if your coaster shows green one of the servers will promptly appear with enormous slabs of freshly roasted meat to carve onto your plate. Picture, if you will, Mr. Deeds’ butler and his patented “sneakiness.’ Then add carving knives and gargantuan portions of filet mignon, wrapped in bacon just for good measure. Pure genius. The Americans wasted no time in confirming every ‘fat’ stereotype we’ve ever been accused of, and then some.
            It’s not everyday that one spends the afternoon sampling delicious meat and taking in one of the world’s wonders. To say that the Falls are breathtaking is to state the obvious, but the power of the water is astonishing and the proximity to the big drop unnerving. With photos taken and RPS games played to determine who was going over in a barrel, we did the next thing to do in Niagra … play arcade games. Oh yes, two players (they shall go unnamed) spent forty dollars in a quest to earn the most tickets on the squad. They purchased an obnoxiously large, colored witch hat with their winnings and will doubtless cherish it forever.
            With all of the fun and distractions out of the way, the team turned its attention to the next morning’s match. While we were certainly there to see the sights, the fact remained that our top priority was winning the inaugural U23 “Battle of the Border.” “The Body” started the U.S. off in the fifth position against the wily Canadian Mark Porter. While the U.S. team always appreciates Jake’s fun-loving nature, the Canadians were puzzled by his mysterious trickle boasts and reverse corners. Despite dropping the first game, Jake’s off speed trickery proved deadly as he started the U.S. team off with a 3-1 win.
            Then it came time for “The Quiet Professional” to enter the stage. Weighed down by the complications of his recent graduation and future career plans, Garnet was still shaking the rust off a highly successful Harvard squash career. Unfortunately for him, he played Fred Reid, the most unorthodox player on the Canadian team. While Garnett is a bread-and-butter player with good length and tight drops, Fred would not be satisfied with anything but a trickle or cross drop. The two styles clashed and Fred came out 3-0 on top.
            Next up was Tucker who, with his entire right hand taped, looked like he had come out of a Jason movie. Tucker couldn’t quite manage the touch shots, so he decided to push the backhand length and rely far more on diving tactics than anything else. Despite winning the first game, Tucker dropped the next two. He pulled back with an 11-5 error free fourth game and managed to push the competition to the fifth game. Unfortunately, Tyler’s fresh, error-free playing allowed him to take the fifth game, Team Canada holding a 2-1 lead over the Americans.
            John Fulham was next up to bat in a must win situation. Unfortunately, he was playing Chris Sachvie, Cornell’s number one from the previous season and son of Head Pro Mark. Chris is notorious for a quick paced, deep and methodical game that results in few errors. Having home court advantage probably helped as well. Regardless, John did not go down silently. Pushing in each game and forcing tie-breaks, John seized the fourth game with excellent discipline on the walls and managed not to get into a shooting or bashing match with his Canadian opponent. Chris’ rails were a fraction tighter, his play a bit more consistent, but this was certainly a good showing for John but resulted in a 3-1 loss to Team USA.
            By the time “The Artist” was on court, the match had been decided. He did not let this dampen his spirits. Playing like it was the deciding match in the World Open, Gilly opened with his patented fast and furious pace. Despite playing a sharp and very in-form Colin West, Gilly had evidently learned volumes in his training on the circuit and seemed to be thinking one step ahead of his opponent. Colin pushed every game to the brink and even took the third, but Gilly’s toolbox seems too vast to be predicted and everything he played was exact, leading to a 3-1 win that culminated in a leaping forehand volley into the front nick. The moment reminded many of the infamous Michael Jordan foul-line dunk and it was quickly decided that we had just witnessed “Air Gilly.” It was an extremely high caliber match marked by ungettable gets, smash cross-court nicks, and no-look flicks. Both players were well ahead of their peers this weekend.
            While the US U23 Men’s Team lost 3-2 to Canadians, the trip was certainly a success. After putting together an unforgettable weekend, both Vijay and Mark are devoted to growing their respective young programs into true transition programs between the Juniors and the Senior national teams and professional ranks. With Gilly as the first success story, we expect more to follow in his foot-steps. 
            The players would like to thank all of those people who brought this U23 program to life and continue to support it. We are lucky to be coached by Natalie Grainger and Martin Heath, the two most excellent squash pros to be found Stateside. Their experience and knowledge base will undoubtedly be the springboard for delivering top American talent to the world stage. We also thank Mrs. Diana Betteridge for providing hands down the most impressive collection of top-notch squash gear around.

            If you are under 23 and this trip sounded like fun, US squash hopes to see you in NYC from Sept 28-30th for the second U23 National Championships. Whether you play 1st or 9th on your college team or are aspiring to continue your play at an elite level, this is the program you need to join. If interested contact Vijay Chitnis [vijay.chitnis@us-squash.org] or the respective Men’s and Women’s Coaches: Natalie Grainger [natgno1@hotmail.com] and Martin Heath [mheath@sports.rochester.edu]. We all look forward to seeing you in the city!