2024 Player Information

2024 Player Information

Welcome to squash 2024.  The season runs from September and finishes with IPT’s in June.  Below are all the details of the upcoming season.

Tournaments 

JJS will host the following tournaments at a cost of R380 each. To add the tournament to your calendar, click on the link.

  • SOS Tournament 2023:  13th – 15th October at Randburg Squash Centre               SOS 2023
  • Open Tournament 2024:  2nd – 4th February at Parkview Squash Centre                Open
  • Graded Tournament 2024:  9th – 10th March at Western Rackets Squash Centre   Graded
  • Closed Tournament 2024:  10th – 12th May at Parkview Squash Centre                  Closed
  • SOS Tournament 2024:  11th – 13th October at Randburg Squash Centre               SOS 2024

These tournaments are open to all age groups.

  • Fun Day 2024:  14th September at St John’s College

This day is aimed at U11 and U13 players but any beginner player is welcome.

All players need to be paid up members of Squash SA to play in tournaments.  Membership to Squash SA is done through SportyHQ at a cost of R250 per year.  Please note that membership expires in March regardless of when you take out membership.  Please ensure that your details are correct, especially email address as this is where tournament information is sent, and that you are affiliated to Joburg Junior Squash.  We only have access to help with SportyHQ issues if you are affiliated to us.   

https://www.sportyhq.com/organization/view/Squash-South-Africa

Players are encouraged to refer to SportyHQ during the tournament for any updates on match times.  If a withdrawal takes place, it is updated immediately on SportyHQ.  Organisers do not always have their phones on them so there can be a lag in contacting players.  

In line with Squash SA rules, clothing needs to be modest and the organisers can ask players to remove jewellery if they feel that it could be distracting or dangerous. 

Tournament Format

The following formats will be used:

  • SOS, Open and Closed Tournaments 
    • All age groups will play throughout the weekend.  
    • There will be no Saturday morning matches, to accommodate school sport.
    • U16 and U19 will play their qualifier game on Friday night, no exception.  This is to ensure that the correct players move forward into the correct position.  Any player who is not able to play on a Friday night will forfeit his/her match in the qualifier round and automatically proceed to the lower ranking position.  Depending on the number of entries, a second round of matches will take place.  Thereafter matches will be on Saturday afternoon / evening and Sunday.
    • U11, U13 and U14 will play 2 games on Friday night and then on Sunday.  They will not have any matches on Saturday.  If, due to number of entries, we need to have games on a Saturday, we will discuss this with the affected parents.
    • Prize giving for all players will be held on Sunday afternoon, after all matches have been played.  Any prize winner who does not attend prize giving will forfeit their prize.
  • Graded Tournament:
    • All age groups play Saturday and Sunday, starting at 8am on both days.
    • This tournament is designed for beginners.  Therefore, any U14 / U16 / U19 player who has represented their province in the A team is not allowed to enter this tournament.  IPT ‘B’ team players are allowed to enter as well as all U11 / U13.

Marking and Refereeing Course

It is a requirement of SA Schools Squash that all players pass the relevant Marking and Refereeing course every 2 years.  

  • Level 1 – U11 and U13
  • Level 2 – U14, U16 and U19

The course will be presented on the following dates, at a cost of R150.  

  • 10th December 
  • 21st January

Joburg Junior Squash Ladder

The ladder will be updated and distributed after each tournament and will be used for seedings for tournaments.  

  • Players are encouraged to challenge, as per the rules, especially before the SOS Tournament if you have changed age group.  
  • Please ensure that you read the ladder rules.  However, we would like to draw your attention to the following:
    • Any player, in positions 1 – 8, who does not participate in a Joburg Junior Squash tournament will be dropped by 1 place.  This excludes the Graded tournament.
    • In a challenge match, if the lower seeded player wins, he/she will move to the higher number and the others move down one place.  For example, if 8 challenges 6 and wins, 8 moves to 6, 6 moves to 7 and 7 moves to 8. 
    • The results from any match not organised by Joburg Junior Squash needs to be sent to admin@cgjs.co.za.  

Inter-Provincial Tournament

To be eligible for IPT selection, a player must fulfil all of the following criteria: 

  • Participate in the Joburg Junior Closed Tournament.    
  • Participate in any other 3 SA Squash or SA Schools Squash sanctioned tournaments (please note that this has increased from last year).  
  • Attend at least 3 squad training sessions during the year.  
  • Successfully completed the relevant level Marking and Refereeing course.

Upfront deposits will not be required, however the full payment for IPT will be required by Wednesday 15th May 2024.  

The venues and expected costs are:

  • U11      George             R10 000
  • U13      Port Elizabeth   R12 000
  • U14      East London      R12 000
  • U16      Pretoria            R  5 000
  • U19      Cape Town       R12 000

The IPT squad will be announced at the Closed Tournament.  If the committee feels that a challenge match is necessary to determine the positions of the team, they will request it.  Players may not request a challenge match.  A player’s final position in the Closed Tournament is not necessarily the same position for the IPT team.  

Squad Training 

Due to the success of the squad training last year, we will be running squad training again. 

To be eligible for IPT selection, players need to attend a minimum of 3 sessions.  There will be 6 squad training sessions for the year and the cost is R100 per session or R300 for all 6 sessions.  A form will be sent out closer to each date that needs to be completed if you are attending the session.  We need to know how many people will be at each session so that we can have the correct number of coaches.  Please note that we will not allow walk-ins on the night.  

Training will take place on the following days at Parkview Squash Centre:

  • 27th October 2023
  • 1st December 2023
  • 19th January 2024
  • 1st March 2024
  • 29th March 2024
  • 3rd May 2024

Training will be split into 2 sessions:

  • U11 / U13 / U14            17h00 – 18h30
  • U16 / U19                     18h00 – 20h00

Burgers or prego rolls will be available on the night.  

There will also be squad training on the day of the capping ceremony only for IPT players, which does not form part of the 3 sessions.

Aspiring SA Top 10 Players

To qualify as a SA Top 10 player, participation in the following tournaments is compulsory:

  • Bloem Open (open to everyone).  
  • SA Schools Closed (by invitation only, top 4 per age group, on condition they ended in the A Section at Bloem Open).
  • Inter-provincial tournament
  • Joburg Open Tournament
  • Joburg Closed Tournament

Social Media

All this information, plus more is loaded onto our website and various social media platforms.  Help us grow squash by following us.

https://jhbjuniorsquash.online/

https://www.facebook.com/JhbJnrSquash

During the year we had an increasing number of people saying that our emails are going through to junk mail.  This is especially true, if it goes to a company email.  We have changed all the possible settings on our side, but a way around this is to save the admin address (admin@cgjs.co.za) as a contact.  

Finally, we would like to encourage our players to participate in as many tournaments as possible.  A great way to improve is to play different players.  Participate in tournaments of other provinces / regions or the Joburg Squash tournaments.  Alternatively join a league at your local club. 

We welcome any constructive criticism and input from parents and players.  

Looking forward to another successful year of junior squash.

Joburg Junior Squash Committee

Dates to Diarise – Summary 

For convenience the dates of junior tournaments in other provinces have been included below in grey.  

October 2023

  • 13th – 15th      SOS Tournament                                              Randburg
  • 27th               Squad Training                                                  Parkview

December 2023

  • 1st                  Squad Training                                                  Parkview
  • 10th                Marking and Refereeing Course                        Parkview

January 2024

  • 19th                Squad Training                                                  Parkview
  • 21st                Marking and Refereeing Course                        Parkview
  • 26th – 28th      North West Open (TBC)                                   Potchefstroom
  •  26th – 28th      Easterns Wilson Open                                     Boksburg

February 2024

  • 2nd – 4th          Open Tournament                                           Parkview
  •  12th               Closing date for Bloem Open
  • 16th – 18th      Northerns Open Round Robin                        Pretoria
  • 16th – 18th      Boland Open                                                    TBC
  • 29th – 3rd       Bloem Open                                                     Bloemfontein

March 2024

  • 1st                  Squad Training                                                  Parkview
  • 9th – 10th        Graded Tournament                                         Western Racket
  • 14th                Closing date for SA Schools Closed
  • 15th – 17th      Eastern Province Open                                     Port Elizabeth
  • 15th – 17th      Eastern Gauteng Open                                     Boksburg
  • 29th               Squad Training                                                  Parkview
  • 31st                Last day to renew Squash SA membership

April 2024

  • 12th – 14th      SA Schools Closed                                            St John’s College
  • 5th – 7th          Western Province Open                                   Cape Town
  • 19th – 21st       Northerns Open Graded                                  Pretoria

May 2024

  • 3rd                 Squad Training                                                  Parkview
  • 10th – 12th      Closed Tournament                                           Parkview
  • 15th                       IPT payment due                                              
  • 24th – 26th      Regional Top Schools                                       St John’s 

June 2024

  • 2nd                 Squad Training and Capping Ceremony          Parkview
  • 15th – 19th      IPT                                                                   Various Provinces

August 2024

  • 8th – 11th        National Top Schools  (TBC)                              Pietermaritzburg 

  Date to be confirmed in February once WSF confirms World Juniors date

September 2024

  • 6th – 8th          Easterns Open                                                 Boksburg
  • 13th – 15th      Northerns Open                                               Pretoria
  • 14th                Fun Tournament                                               St John’s College
  • 18th                AGM and Prize Giving                                       TBC

October 2024            

  • 11th – 13th      SOS Tournament                                              Randburg

                                                                                                                                                                  

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