IF THE SHOE FITS, BLITZ!

Enough of letting those outside players come into the DAC and consistently whip us into submission! The one sure way of stopping that is making the events member only… just like the Blitz Tournament! Scheduled for Friday, March 18, this handicap tournament (there will be a keg available, which some of you will consider to be the handicap itself, but don’t be fooled!) will mix in all the levels and try to make it very difficult for the higher ranked players to win. Hopefully, this encourages the lower ranked players to join and the higher ranked players can try to prove me wrong. (Plus, there is no better way to work off your St. Patrick’s Day hangover than playing squash and drinking more beer.)

This is how it will work: Players will be placed into groups of 4 or 5 players. They will play a round robin. Each player will be handicapped according to their playing level. Each match is one game to 15 points (no tie-break). Once the round robin is completed, the 2 players of each group with the most wins move into a knock-out round where the top 3 place getters will receive a nice prize. (In case of a tie, players will draw straws to see who advances. Simple enough?

Each match will have a point handicap. For example, Player ‘A’ may start with 10 points on Player ‘B’, and the first to 15 points wins the match. If both players agree that the handicap is unfair and wish to change it, they are more than welcome to do so.

We will need a minimum 16 players to run the event, maximum of 40. It will be a great social evening and the perfect opportunity to step on court and test yourself against somebody you wouldn’t normally play with.

There is no cost to playing the event, but you do need to be a Blackballer to participate. Registration deadline is Wednesday, March 16. Matches start at 5pm on Friday March 18 - as does the keg.

McQUEENIE CUP: TAKE 2

***UPDATE #2***

The second running of the McQueenie Cup has been decided. It will take place in Chicago at the University Club of Chicago from April 15-17. We are looking to take an 8-man team to travel with me to the Windy City.

Two players will be placed in each category - 5.0+; 4.5-4.9; 4.0-4.4; 3.5-3.9 - and play a knock-out draw with consolation. Points will be awarded to each club depending on how far in each draw each player gets. Doubles will be pick-up and for fun only and not count towards club totals.

Player entry fee is $75 - that includes a shirt, beer and sandwiches on Friday, bagels, coffe, and sandwiches on Saturday and a Saturday night function. Guests are allowed ($65 guest fee for the Saturday night function). If you are interested in playing and representing the DAC for the McQueenie Cup, please let me know and I can pass on special hotel rates at the University Club and the Union League Club which is four blocks away.




**UPDATE**

The 2010 McQueenie Cup has been cancelled due to some of the clubs struggling to field 8-man teams under such short notice. A new date / venue is yet to be decided. It maybe that we simply push it back to next November which will give all the clubs plenty of time to recruit players and may also be a chance for new NACAD clubs to get involved.

Does this mean we win by default...?


Remember about 12 months ago, the DAC swept the competition in a 4-club event but ended up in reality coming only second? (See: http://thesquashjoint.blogspot.com/2009/11/dac-win-matches-but-lose-cup.html.) Toledo pilfered the spoils back then leaving most of us bewildered at how that could possibly happen. It’s water under the bridge, but now we have another chance to avenge the injustice that wronged us! (Nothing like poking fun at the Toledo Club!)

The McQueenie Cup has for some reason landed for a second straight year at the DAC. That’s good news and bad news – the bad being personal: I was hoping it would in Chicago since it’s such a great city and it would have been a wickedly fun weekend. The good news is that we again have home court advantage and can field a strong team to claim what is (ahem…obviously) ours.

Competition is scheduled for Friday, November 12 and Saturday, November 13. The format will take on a different look to the direct club versus club match-ups of last year. It will be a singles event only with only 4 knock-out draws. An A draw, a B draw, a C and a D. Two players from each club will be allowed to enter each draw (maximum 8 players). Points will be awarded to each player as they advance in the draws. (‘X’ amount of points for losing round 1; ‘Y’ amount of points for losing round 2; etc). There will be a consolation draw as well which will also count for points towards each club.

Now, as far as deciding what the tie-break will be if two clubs end up with the same amount of points? Good question, and I as far as I know it hasn’t been decided yet – maybe they’ll spin a racquet? Maybe Toledo will bring their 2-headed coin... tee-hee… snicker… Either way, it will be a clear cut rule… before we start!

Because the announcement of the event is so close to the playing date, the DAC team will need to be hand-picked by Rob Barr and myself. While all members are worthy to represent us, clearly all of you cannot play, so please do not take offense if you are not asked. There should be some great squash though and everybody is welcome to come on down and support! The keg will be at hand waiting for you!

7 DAYS AND COUNTING…

Boasters League round 8~~

I cannot wait for the end of winter. Oh, it has nothing to do with the end of the squash season – that I would be happy with if it continued for 12 months a year – but every time I see the weather report and see how much more snow is coming, I want to cry. I am so sick of shoveling it. But alas, the squash season is also coming to an end – or at least the Boasters League is. There is 1 round to play, 7 days to get your matches in, 6 spots in the finals, 3 teams to be eliminated, and 1 squash pro that needs a holiday…

Once ‘crunch time’ arrives, all the attention is focused on the bubble teams. There are really 4 teams that are trying to keep their heads above water and are fighting over the last 2 play-offs positions. One of those teams, however – “Court and Pints” – although in right now, may find themselves out by next week as they have the rotten pleasure of having the ‘bye’ in the final round. They can of course make up many matches until then but will have to sit on the sidelines and watch as the other 3 teams will most likely overtake them.

“Delta Force” I would have to say will be playing for pride only next week. They are 36 points out of a finals berth and would require an act of God to make that up. In fact, they are threatening to score the least amount of points in one half of a Boasters League season ever. The mark for them to avoid that unenviable title is 76 which was achieved in the 06-07 season. They are only 8 points off right now, but when you average less than 10 points a week, they may be struggling.

In case of a tie for that final play-offs spot, the amount of team bonus points will be the tie-breaker. “Winky-Dinks” hold a commanding lead in that category over the other bubble teams, while “Mr. Daniels Walking” lags far, far behind. If bonus points are also tied (looks unlikely), then who ever won the head-to-head match-up during the season will advance.

The finals schedule will be sent out the morning of Friday, March 4. Scores must be sent to me before then if you want them counted.

2011 DOUBLES CLUB CHAMPS

Yes, yes, yes. It’s that time of year. Not just the when we start thinking how much longer this abomination of a winter will linger, but when we also start thinking to the doubles squash court and wonder which other club member will compliment your game just enough to win the club championships? Who will know exactly how you play and will not make any mistakes…? Ahhh the agony of choice!

Scheduled to start on March 14, there will be the traditional A, B, and C categories, and if we get enough registrations for it – a D category as well. (Minimum 6 teams.) Just to clarify a couple of things and to make it easier, please take note of the following:

1. You MUST register with a partner.
Please do not e-mail me a registration with the words “I’m in” and expect me to know where to place you and with whom you will be playing.

2. Each match in the tournament will have a completion deadline.
It is your responsibility to communicate with the other players in your scheduled match to make sure the match is played before that deadline. If you know you will be away for a significant period of time during the time if the tournament, it may be a good idea not to enter. While I am a little flexible and encourage matches to be completed, going over the assigned deadline may result in a forfeit.

3. All matches will be best of 5 games. There will be no consolation draw.

4. You are responsible for reserving your own court – however, if you organize a time beyond the 7 day reservation limit allowed on the on-line system, please e-mail me to book the court for you.

5. Refereeing: Since you will not have a referee looking after your match, all players MUST adhere to the sportsmanship and fair play levels expected of them from the DAC. No arguing is permitted, if there is any debate on let calls, then a ‘let’ shall be played and the rally replayed. No ifs, ands or buts.

The registration deadline is Wednesday. March 9. If possible, I would like all doubles finals to be played on April 20. Winners of the A draw will qualify for selection to represent the DAC at the 2012 Farris Cup in January held at the BAC.

Get your partner in check now – before someone else does!

MEET A MEMBER - 4

Always smiling, always happy to see you. If you need someone to brighten up your day, then this fine young fellow can do just that. He is relatively new to the game of squash but don’t underestimate his competitiveness… even if it comes with few jokes and laughs.

MEET… BRIAN ROSMAN

The Squash Joint (TSJ): “It’s obvious that you enjoy playing squash. Did you think that this sport would be so addicting for you?”

Not really. I originally got into squash because I hated the treadmill, and I wanted something more interactive, but never thought I would get so into it that I would join a league. I have since come to really enjoy squash, and just about every that I know from the club I met through squash. I credit a lot of my enjoyment and improvement in my physical abilities to learning how to play squash.

TSJ: “Do you have any goals you would like to reach with your squash?”

Well, aside from losing less, I would really like to be able to master getting the ball out of tight spots. I really admire the people that I see on the court that just seem to ‘mosey’ on over to wherever the ball is, without seeming to hurry at all, and then hit a rocket of a shot from the corner. I want to be able to have longer rallies.

TSJ: “You are studying to be a doctor. Tell us about which field you are specializing in and why did you choose that particular one?”

I would like to end up as a Urologist, for a variety of reasons. It’s a fantastic surgical specialty, with really cool toys (robots and lasers, just to name a few), that makes a measurably positive impact on patient’s quality of life, not just how long they live. Plus you have to have a sense of humor to do the job!

TSJ: “The time commitment to be a doctor must be extraordinary. Have you found it difficult to juggle it with your personal life?”

Good lord, yes.


TSJ: “I also happen to know you a Trekkie. Tell me, Captain Kirk, Captain Picard, or Captain Janeway? And why?”

Picard, because Kirk doesn’t have the awesome accent, and Janeway just annoys me.


TSJ: “What is your all time favorite comedy movie and who is your all time favorite comedian?”

That’s a tough one. Probably “Spaceballs” or “Robin Hood, Men in Tights”. My all time favorite comedian is far and away George Carlin. Lewis Black has some game, but Mr. Carlin wins by a landslide.

TSJ: “Apart from squash and your Star Trek dolls, what else do you like to do in your spare time?”

Well, I don’t have a lot of spare time, but I like to drive around with the top down when the weather is nice, I like to cook and barbeque (and eat), and biking and golfing. That pretty much relegates me to squash, eating, and television during the winter, unfortunately.

TSJ: “What is your favorite shot in squash to hit?”

Rails. They are always unexpected.

TSJ: “What is your motto in life?”

“It doesn’t matter how bad it is, it can always get worse.” That motto helps me keep perspective!

TSJ: “I give you $2000 cash. I drop you off at the Mall. Which store do you go to first and what do you buy?”

Probably a jewelry store to buy a fine watch. I like functional art, and watches have always appealed to me.

TSJ: “What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?”

Chocolate covered crickets. That or Fois Gras and poprocks on a crostini (it was the craziest appetizer I have ever eaten!)

TSJ: “As usual, this last question is the one that is of great consequence and could change the way people look at you from now on: If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?”

I would change it to a symbol, like an octothorp (#).


Thank you very much, Brian. Here he is pictured with his lovely wife, Leise. As part of the Boasters League and Box Ladders, he has improved considerably since he first picked up a racquet about 1 year ago. Be sure to say “hi!” when you see him and be ready to smile. I’m sure he’ll even talk about Klingons and Vulcans if you let him… live long and prosper!

Performance Enhancers in Squash?

Professional sports will always have cheats. Stardom and wealth is a powerful narcotic and to many the path taken to get there is irrelevant, it’s simply where you end up. Naturally I disagree with that sentiment, as I believe overcoming all the adversities, hardships, misfortunes, and whatever hurdles that come your way on your journey towards the achievement are just as important as the achievement itself. To me, a true professional athlete that is to be respected and admired doesn’t only have to have all the titles to his name, but the right character along with it.

In the polls of general opinion, that’s not an earth shattering statement. Take a look at Barry Bonds [pictured], or Marion Jones, or Floyd Landis for example; sportspeople that have achieved the highest accolades in their respected fields, but are now demonized in public because of their drug use. I can’t imagine the fallout if Lance Armstrong is ever proven to be a cheat.

So what about squash players? A sport so physically demanding would surely be the perfect candidate for that chemical edge. On top of that, the tournament schedule for the players is unmercifully brutal. While the PSA have done a better job in spreading out major events, there are still a lot of frequent flyer miles being earned as players supplement their incomes by playing leagues, exhibitions, and other events between tournaments. Traveling constantly back and forth from Europe to the US to the Middle East to Asia, etc, puts an enormous strain on the body. Mental rest is compromised, physical recovery is compromised which in turn compromises maximum performance. And then, injuries occur. Just about every single top player has suffered an injury sometime in the past 12 months. Four top-15 players retired hurt during the World Open last December alone and then 1 week later another 3 retired hurt during the PSA Masters. Wouldn’t drugs help?

Well, yes – sure they would. But, no, I have never heard of any squash player using performance enhancing drugs. Ever. I think the reason for this lies mainly in one thing: money. Squash does not offer large enough purses for players to invest into the drug business. They simply cannot afford it, nor are the financial benefits worth the risk. So on one side of the coin, people complain that squash players do not earn the money that we all think they deserve, but on the other hand, let’s be careful what we wish for. If squash players started to earn millions of dollars, the entire dynamic of the sport would change.

Firstly, the competition and standard would rise significantly. More money will attract more players. No longer would world class players be seen sitting in the crowd during a tournament mixing it in with the general public, making themselves accessible to anyone. Would we suddenly have groupies? Paparazzi? Stalkers? Would players have bodyguards when they move around the clubs? Betting? Match fixing? Referees getting bribed? Would the temptation of performance enhancing drugs be too great to pass up in order to get that extra special edge? One extra win in an event could mean tens of thousands of dollars difference. The list goes on. Fame and fortune has a price. If you think that sounds absurd, there have been drug cheats found in the world circuit of sports such as tennis, table-tennis, cricket, archery, billiards, and shooting, just to name a few. Is it naïve to think that squash would be immune?

Squash is a beautiful sport for many reasons. The fact that it is low-key and that Harry Hacker and Joe Citizen can sit and have a conversation and a beer with Nick Matthew while watching another couple of world class players is a unique attribute very few other sports can boast about. (Pardon the pun!) However, we all want the players to earn their worth and receive the publicity and rewards they deserve.

Can we have the best of both worlds? Is that even possible? Let’s hope squash can reach that financial stratosphere but not spoil the integrity it currently enjoys. Let’s also hope that the only performance enhancers in squash are the purity of the players themselves.

“SPEED BALLERS” TWELVE FOR TWELVE

Boasters League round 7~~

For the first time on record (or what I can remember) a team picked up 100% of their bonus points. That’s 12. Including the three matches that were ‘self-scheduling’, every member of the “Speed Ballers” turned up. Only 5 of them played mind you, but now they find themselves 9 points on top of the ladder and virtually guaranteeing a finals berth. Another reason that the “Speed Ballers” have leapfrogged ahead of the pack is because of the week which was cancelled (round 5) due to the snow storm. They have made up half of those matches and have picked up more points than any other team for that round.

Not to be outdone (by much) were “Threepeat”. A captain’s fiery e-mail to his players inspired them to get bums on court. They didn’t manage all 12 bonus points, but picking up 10 is a decent effort and adding it to the 9 results handed in, they jumped from 7th to 4th and only 2 points off second placed “Mongoose”.

Now, one good week a season does not make. It will be interesting to see if these teams continue this momentum all the way through – including the play-offs. It will be difficult to beat any team if most of them are turning up on Wednesday and start the night with 10 or so points before a ball has even been struck.

Still lagging in last spot is “Delta Force” who appeared to have missed the memo. They picked up only 4 points last night – all of them bonus points – and are almost 30 points off 8th placed “The Underdogs” and 38 points of a play-off spot. Is their season done?

“Mr. Daniels Walking” have the bye next week which could definitely hurt their chances for the finals as they are currently on the bubble. It is important they get many make-up matches completed over the next week. As you all know, March 3 is the deadline for all the scores. The finals schedule will be sent out on the morning of March 4. Take heed, any scores I receive after that cannot be counted.

“HOLY TOLEDO, BATMAN!”

Toledo Tournament March 4-6~~

Drinking shoes… check! Drinking shirt… check! Drinking pants… check! Beer goggles… check! Aspirin… check! Missing anything… oh bugger, my racquets!!

Sixty quick minutes down the I-75 is the Toledo Squash Club. Their annual squash tournament is set for March 5 - 7, an event in which the party side is just as much of an attraction (if not more) than the squash side. The first night of the event is highlighted by the hired help that bring you the beer. I know much has been mentioned about this, so I won’t harp on it except to say that the beer never tasted so good. The Saturday night is the traditional summer party at the club with a live band which always attracts a large crowd dancing and guzzling the evening away.

The squash is played on the old North American hardball courts. Or, better known as, shoe boxes. Two and a half feet narrower (doesn’t sound much, but that’s a lot), they are quirky little containers which throws your squash way off as you try to overcome claustrophobia and figure out new angles, tactics, and movement. Honestly though, as ugly as that sounds, it adds another factor to this event that makes it unique and appealing. It’s that one weekend a year of who can adapt the best and quickest.

This will be my 7th trip to the tournament and it would be fantastic if a handful of DAC members could join me. It isn’t far away, a good time is guaranteed, and you would be supporting squash in the area which is what keeps the sport growing. On top of that, you would also gather some much needed tournament experience – something all of us could use. Click on the poster (although the poster claims to be the “best value for tournament squash in the country”, it doesn’t come close to beating the DAC Classic!) and the entry form above, it has all the registration details plus the contact for the tournament hotel which is only a few minutes from the club. Registration deadline is February 25.

“MONGOOSE” SITTING PRETTY

Boasters League Round 6~~

Team “Mongoose” have the ‘bye’ next week, but the way things are going, they could remain atop of the standings anyway. They hold a 22 point lead over the “Speed Ballers” who in turn – although in second place – are only 5 points ahead of 6th placed “The Beamers”. “The Underdogs” are slowly drifting away from the rest of the pack in 8th spot, and cellar dwellers “Delta Force” are averaging less than 10 points per round and need to start pounding the courts quickly and often if they want any chance of reaching the play-offs due to start in 4 weeks.

There were 2 matches yesterday that went to the third game sudden-death point. Mark Hayduk (“The Beamers”) survived to win 15-14 in the 3rd over Greg Davis (“Winky-Dinks”) and I was witness to seeing David Pontes (“Mongoose”) and Brandon Dobbins (“Speed Ballers”) come off the court with heaving chests and grabbing for the closest chair as David took that match 15-14 in the 3rd as well. The picture is of Bob Garvey (“Courts and Pints”) and Chuck Doyle (“Threepeat”). Chuck won that encounter 3-0, but it was tougher than what the score suggests.

There are 3 weeks left. I cannot make it any clearer than this:

DEADLINE TO PLAY ALL YOUR MATCHES IS THURSDAY, MARCH 3 (INCLUSIVE)

Last three teams on the standings will be eliminated; top two teams will receive a first round bye. Get cracking.

THE QUIET AFTER THE STORM

DAC Squash Classic 2011

With a deep breath, the magnificent feeling of weightlessness is almost euphoric as the DAC Classic comes to a close once again. I absolutely love running this event. The countless hours of preparation and the seemingly endless work through the four days of the event itself pays off in spades knowing another successful tournament is in the record books.

The most satisfying time after the DAC Classic for me is sinking into my lounge chair at home and looking forward to watching the Super Bowl. My wife understands my exhaustion and lets me be in command of the remote control. She knows I’ll be taking the next day off to relax, but the sly smile is also because she knows that “relax’ means I’ll be shoveling our long driveway for 3 hours. Hmmm, nice way to wind down. At least the Packers won the game. I couldn’t bear having the Steelers win another title…

With 146 players this year, the DAC Squash Classic has reached its capacity. We can’t expand the playing hours anymore, and we don’t have any more courts. Maximum registration is achieved before the deadline, and the reserve list is plentiful. We had over 60 players from Canada (Windsor and London), over 50 DAC members, and the other 35 or so from around metropolitan Detroit. Here is what happened…

Doubles
Customarily, DAC members barely make a blip on the radar in the doubles. The copious amount of teams that come from Canada are full of experience and – let’s face it – are overall simply better than us. But we did create some rumblings in the C draw. We had 2 teams reach the semi-finals. Anthony Fracchia and Andy Housey played tough to get there beating 2 Windsor teams on the way, but met their match with the Lindsay and Anne Smith pair from London. The 3-0 result was painless enough in the fact it was also very quick! Sean Moran and Jim Stroh played the other semi against Ron Henry and Heather Betts (London) but were quickly behind the eight-ball when Jim injured himself early on in the match. Still, they did well to pick up a game and the 3-1 loss could have been very different if Jim would have been able to run! The Smiths won the final 3-2. [Pictured above: Jim Stroh, Sean Moran, Heather Betts, Ron Henry]

London teams also dominated the B draw. Once again, it was Lindsay Smith – this time with Murray Shaw – taking on the much younger team of Andrew Mount and Marcus Plowright in the final. And once again, experience shone through. Smith and Shaw took it 3-0. All quarter finalists in the B draw (16 players) were Canadian.

In the A draw semi final, Rob Graves (Franklin) and John Seidel (Toledo) took advantage (as they should have) of an injury to Rob Doherty (London) who was paired with Caleb Quinlan (London). Doherty / Quinlan were the top seeds, but there was no way they were going to beat Graves / Seidel if they were not healthy. They didn’t. In the final, Graves / Seidel then played Mark Eugeni (Windsor) and Jon Uffelman (BAC) who were in no mood to play any more than the 3 required games to win a match. And when Eugeni shoots well with his impressive power, they did just that. Win 3-0.

Singles
Although the DAC did not win any of the 7 categories, we in fact did rather well. Four of our members made it to the final. Of course, going 0 for 4 isn’t exactly something to brag about, but adding it to the 3 players that won their consolation event, we took home a third of the singles hardware which isn’t too shabby.

2.5 finalist Chuck Doyle – Respect experience. Not Chuck’s, but his final’s opponent Anne Smith (London). Chuck only dropped 1 game on his way to the final, Anne didn’t drop any. In fact, Anne was beating up on our younger members quite convincingly which left them shaking their heads in bewilderment. Chuck knew he was in for a tough match as the word had already spread. But Anne was also ready – as she had been all weekend. Clever and tactful, she knows where her opponent’s next shot is going and then where to hit it. She won 3-0.

3.0 finalist James Van Dyke – Respect youth. Not James’, but his final’s opponent Charlie Beauregard (BAC). At 12 years old, Charlie battled his way through the draw winning his quarter final 9-7 in the 5th (he was 6-1 down), and then beating James 9-6 in the 5th for the final. That’s a good head on a pair of young shoulders. James has improved tremendously over the past 8 months and reaching the final here is a testament to his hard work. He should be very proud of his achievement. [Pictured: Charlie Beauregard and James Van Dyke]

3.5 finalist Mike Petix – Mike hit form just at the right time. The biggest draw in the tournament with 32 players, Mike had tough matches all the way through to the final. He won his first two round 3-1, before tackling Ken MacDonald in the quarter finals which Mike ended up winning 9-7 in the 5th. He carried the excellent form into the semi knocking off Rich Stimson 3-0 but then it appeared he lost his mojo. Maybe it was tiredness, that one match too many, but he struggled to keep up against his final’s opponent Peter McDonald (London) and went down in 3 games.

5.0 finalist John Rakolta – I knew John could win this category. I also knew John could lose the first round. His biggest enemy at times is himself. His inconsistency can let him down. But not this weekend. Even though John may tell you otherwise, I believe he performed admirably and should be more than satisfied with the second place result. He lost to Brian Porter (Windsor) in the final 3-1 who is a tough customer with long reach and plenty of squash know-how. But John did beat 3 other Windsor players on the way to the final, all of them respectable opponents. [Pictured: John Rakolta and Brian Porter]

The Consolation Winners – Matt Hayduk took the honors in the 2.5 level with a solid 3-0 win over Tom Bergh. After Matt lost to a women in round 1 (sorry – couldn’t not mention that!) he went through the consolation without dropping another game. George Kordas took home the 4.5 consolation title beating Bobby Macedo (Life Time Fitness Rochester) 3-0. George won his semi 3-2 as did Bobby. (Bobby actually beat Scott Adlhoch 10-9 in the 5th!) Eric Green won the 5.0 cons with a solid 3-0 win over Mike Eugenio. Not taking anything away from Eric, but Mike may have been a little weary after winning his semi final 10-8 in the 5th earlier that morning.

The Social Life
No matter how well organized a tournament is, unless the social aspect is outstanding, the weekend falls flat. With the amount of non-members attracted to the club for the weekend, the DAC Classic doesn’t seem to have this problem. This event has found a working formula that I hope to keep concocting together year after year. I felt the addition of the players’ lounge where all the meals were served was a great success, and if you were in the court area on the Friday night at 11.30pm – as matches were still being played – you would have seen about 60 people lingering, drinking, and laughing, with no intention of going home. (Of course when the keg emptied, they had no choice!) The Saturday night dinner / dance saw 160 people dance to the beat of the live band “Bump”, and even though I crashed into bed shortly after 11pm that night, I know people must have had a great time as there were 2 casualties where players failed to reach the courts for their early morning matches. [Pictured above: The Dinner Party!]

So a HUGE thank you to all the sponsors and the players – you make the weekend what it is. Another HUGE thank you to my fellow DAC staff – I know the weekend can be a stressful for you as what it is for me. And now I look forward to next year and wonder how to tweak the formula a little to make the weekend even better… and then it hits me… I’ll buy a snow-blower!