Welcome to part 3 of our 'Why We Love Squash' series!
This week I sat down with Control the 'T' Sports team member, Trevor Bechtel, and talked with him about his love for squash and his history playing the game.
It was a pretty interesting conversation since Trevor is also a keen tennis player and coach, so he definitely brings an intriguing insight with his perspective on the world of squash...
Check out the video below, or alternatively, give the transcript a read (below the video)...
Alex:
I'm here with Trevor and this is part three of our 'Why We Love Squash' Campaign. I'm just going to chat with Trevor a bit about his squash history and what he likes about the sport. He's in the Control the 'T' Sports store at the moment with all the racquets behind him, how's it going Trevor?
Trevor:
It's going good, very good!
Alex:
So, tell me a bit about your squash history. What got you started in the sport? What drew you to it?
Trevor:
I was a part-time Tennis Pro, I wasn't getting many hours and was looking for something extra to do. So, I started picking up squash, not even really knowing how to play. Our pro at the time, (shout out to Ralph Bentfield our old squash pro) said 'you should play squash, you would be good at it with your racquet skills'.
I was like ok! So, I picked it up with another assistant pro and we played together. We didn't know what we're doing, but, we just got addicted to it very quickly.
Alex:
Yeah, it's a pretty addictive sport! How long have you been playing it for now?
Trevor:
Over 20 years, at least. I played competitively in leagues and some tournaments but I never really got to a high level. Even when I was teaching tennis, I would go down and take a squash lesson once a week and that's when I actually learned to play with the ball machine. So, the machine would shoot the balls and I'd be at the front wall hitting them. I realized how exciting it was to put that ball as hard as I could down the wall.
Because, in tennis, you always had that fear that it was going to go out, right? With squash, you can hit as hard as you want, as long as you hit a nice deep length. I love that about it! And, I also had a beautiful touch from tennis.
Squash is very addictive and I love playing league. I'd teach tennis all day, and then I'd play squash league at night and be exhausted!
Alex:
What motivated you to carry on and progress from those early days?
Trevor:
Just competing! I brought my mental toughness from tennis and I found squash a lot easier. Tennis is still the hardest sport, mentally wise, and I still struggle to this day, but squash I can be down 7 or 8 to nothing and still come back and win. I just had that fight, you know?
I was never going to give up in squash.
Alex:
There's a lot of grit in squash in those hard games where you're tired. What are your favorite aspects of the sport, is it the competitive play or the fitness, or maybe the social side of it?
Trevor:
I love the competitiveness part for sure. The cardio is just amazing too. I love the fact that I can just run around right? I'm a pretty slim guy so I love that for the cardio. It has helped me with my lessons too, I was so fit from squash that, in tennis lessons, I could sometimes do 6-7 hours in a row, so squash helped my cardio for sure.
Alex:
It's definitely good if you're looking to burn some calories! So, what about professional squash, are you a big fan?
Trevor:
I would love to see the professionals play. I would watch them on YouTube but I definitely would have loved to watch it back, around my time, when Jonathon Power and those guys played professionally. But, I never got a chance. We had some exhibitions here at Greystone (Northfield back in the day)
You'd maybe get a 30 in the world against, say, a number 79 or something, the 30 would still win quite easily, but I never saw any top top level squash.
Alex:
Well, hopefully one day!
Trevor:
But, the exhibitions were still amazing, you know, they just get everything back, it's unbelievable, and hit lots of nicks.
Alex:
So, without naming any names, do you have a particular rival at your local club, someone you always have a close game with?
Trevor:
Yeah I did! Back in the day, but he moved away to Georgia. I actually started getting hip trouble around that time and then I kind of stopped for a bit. I'm not naming any names!
Alex:
Have you got any squash goals for the future? Especially now we're back on court and everything, have you got anything you want to work on?
Trevor:
Since I'm playing a lot more tennis, the hip seems to feel a lot better. Obviously, squash is very stop and start, but although I was very quick to the ball, my hip would take a pounding.
But I would like to play like that again. I'd like to join a house league or something similar, just because there are a lot of guys that'll still play and I still love the thrill of a good game of singles, especially if someone's at a different level. Even when someone is not at your level, for example, I could play a D level player and he's still not going to give the game to me, he's going to make me work for everything.
I'm just going to be in control a little more, as in control of the T... like Control the 'T'!
Alex:
Haha! I find that the pressure is on a lot more when you're playing someone who's just a slightly lower standard than you, but, when you play someone who's better than you, the pressures almost off and you can kind of relax and play with confidence.
Trevor:
I totally agree! I could be playing some weaker guys and would be playing some sloppy squash, but, when I play the better players, they make you play better. Absolutely. I would hit cleaner.
Sometimes, when I play lower level players it can be a dogfight... but I'd still win on mental toughness and whatnot.
Alex:
Well, thanks for the chat Trevor!
Trevor:
No worries, it was great, enjoy the rest of your day!
Alex:
You too.
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