SUCCESS! DOUBLES LEAGUE COMPLETE!

 Doubles League February – March 2021

Can you believe it? We have actually completed a half-season of a squash league. Who would have thunk that not even 4 months ago? We could rant and rave until the cows come home about what consequences the pandemic has had on all our lives, but being able to get back to the DAC and participate in an organized event does bring some level of sanity back into the psyche. And it gives me a chance to dust off the keyboard, fire up the blog, and splatter some words on a page.

Understandably, not everybody was comfortable returning. Because of that, numbers for the doubles league were less than normal but all things considered, I thought the quantity of players was somewhat decent. Hopefully, we will see everyone back on the court at the start of next season in September. As is customary, we dissect a little of the league stats and celebrate our top performers. Keep in mind this was just an 8-week season as opposed to the normal 10…

Monday A league.

•       15 players signed up. We usually get 24.
•        From the total of 16 matches, only 6 of them ended up 3-0. 4 of them were 3-2
•       Only 4 of the matches did not require any subs.
•       A sub was required 31% of the time. Not too bad really.
•       Patrick Petz played 9 of the 16 matches. He stepped up to sub 5 times, which is very helpful.
•       Newcomer to the league Tom Howe ended up with the most points and the best average.

 Tuesday B league.

•       23 players in this one. We normally get 24, so I was delighted with this!
•       24 total matches were scheduled. One was not played because we couldn’t secure a sub.
•       Subs were required 33% of the time.
•       Only 4 matches did not require any subs.
•      14 matches ended up 3-0. That’s rather high. Only 3 matches went to 5 games.
•       Jim Fair ended up with the most points, Tom MacFarlane played the most matches with 9.
•       Kyle Keppen had the best average. (Minimum 4 matches to qualify)

 Wednesday Open league.

•        Only 10 players made themselves available. Normal count is between 20-24.
•        This was the level that the players seemed most eager to sub. The answer to the sub email   would come back to me almost immediately every time.
•        Only 1 match of the 16 organized matches didn’t require any subs.
•        33% of the time, a sub was needed. Still not bad.
•        Robin Basil made a statement by scoring the most points and having the best average. It’s a little easier to score the most points when you play 11 of the 16 matches.
•        The return of Zac MacVoy shocked everyone. He made a guest appearance for the last match of the season and won 3-2 with Robin as his partner. He’s still hurting.
•         5 matches ended up 3-2. 7 of them were 3-0.

Thursday C league.

•                   Only 5 players for this one. Normal is around 12-14.
•                   8 matches were scheduled (one a week). One wasn’t played because we couldn’t secure the sub. I’m quite happy with that stat- with just 5 players, this was my biggest concern.
•                   4 of the 8 matches didn’t need any subs.
•                   In fact, we had only 4 subs all season… remarkable. (Not counting the week we couldn’t get any.)
•                   3 matches ended up 3-0. 1 went to 5.
•                  Jim Fair dominated the level winning the most points and having the best average. He played 6 of the 8 matches.

All in all, I was thrilled with the participation of the league. When we started this in February, I think many of us were skeptical at how this was going to turn out. With everything we do, Covid adds that unwanted weight of anxiety but we got through unscathed. The excitement around the club is slowly building again and I really look forward to next season.

Don’t forget: we will be running a summer doubles league starting in May. So make sure you let me know if you wish to keep active and be a part of the action!