Manchester’s Squash Scene: Meet Tom

Last week I went along to the National Squash Centre to talk to Tom, the head coach. Here is a video about his journey in the sport.

Transcript

00:00With so many people keen to try a new sport in 2025, last week I went along to the National

00:05Squash Centre to talk to Head Coach Tom about the game, what it offers and why it's one

00:10of the healthiest sports out there.

00:13This video is all about Tom's personal journey within the sport.

00:16He started it a long, long time ago and is still going now and absolutely loves it.

00:20So here's what Tom had to say.

00:23So I started squash when I was nine years old in primary school as part of the build-up

00:28to the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002.

00:32We're now still in the building that was built for that Commonwealth Games.

00:34So I was in, I'd been year five and a coach, squash coach came into school, delivered some

00:42taster sessions and it started, yeah, from nine years old and I started to play competitions,

00:48I got invited to the Manchester Squash Academy and I've now got the job of the person that

00:54got me into playing squash 20 years ago.

00:57So I work with quite a number of schools throughout the week as part of my job.

01:02The youngest I work with will be year two, up to high schools and colleges and I work

01:09with all sorts of levels within that, trying to show children what our great game is and

01:14how they can get involved in squash across Manchester.

01:17The sessions aren't particularly expensive, they're quite very affordable, the equipment's

01:21all provided.

01:23The challenge is getting children to try the sport first and once they do, they usually

01:27do enjoy playing and then it's then where they go from there to keep them playing.

01:32And a number of the children do regularly compete for their county, their region and

01:36who knows, one day they push higher on from that, but yeah, we are doing well.

01:41So if that person hadn't come into my primary school because of the Commonwealth Games,

01:46I don't know if I'd be stood here today and who knows what I'd be doing now.

01:52So I'm very fortunate, I get my job is something that is also my hobby and I'm very passionate

01:58about it and I love doing it.