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Links to articles on Damon's camps here:
► Flyer for 2010 Camps
► Squash site - Willstrop
► Squash magazine - Will Carlin
Squash Performance Training Camps - 2012
"Add new dimensions to your game with creative training at altitude"
- 2010 TOC Champion, James Willstrop
COLORADO SQUASH CAMPS 2012 - A UNIQUE TRAINING EXPERIENCE
We have run these very successful training camps for the last 5 years, and they provide young players coming on the camps the unique opportunity to train alongside world class professional players surrounded by the beauty of the Colorado Rockies. For the first 4 years we have been fortunate to have James Willstrop (current World #2) and Vanessa Atkinson (former World #1) train with our groups each summer. They truly love training in Colorado, have found it of huge benefit to their own development as professional players over the last 4 years, and have no hesitations in recommending this amazing training opportunity to any aspiring young squash players. In 2011 we had Laurens Jan Anjema, LJ (current World #11) and training partner Sebastiaan Weenink for the boys session, and Milou Van Der Hijden (current World # 51) and Kristen Lodge for the girls session.
This summer we have 3 sessions available:
1) June 10th – June 17th (Adults only)
2) June 17th – June 27th (Boys only)
3) June 30 th – July 10th (Girls only)
Limit of 7-8 players per session
In 2010, we ran a Girls only session for the first time and had a fantastic group of 7 girls from all over the United States come out to Colorado with us. A number of these girls returned again in 2011 as they had such a good experience the year before.
We limit the numbers on each camp to a maximum of 7-8 to ensure that all players receive a high quality training experience and have plenty of contact time both on and off-court to train and be inspired by the professional players who are with us.
We stay close to 8000 feet but the majority of our training in the first week is done at lower altitude in the Boulder area (5-6000 feet) which although still challenging definitely makes it more comfortable to cope in the first few days!
In a typical training day we would have 2 sessions, normally starting with an outdoor session in the morning when the temperatures are slightly cooler and the weather is more settled. Our outdoor sessions involve some form of trail running, biking or other outdoor physical activity. Trail running is a great general conditioning activity for squash. The trail creates a mental and technical challenge to the player with the undulations in terrain and surface, and you have to stay focused at all times and remain light, balanced and coordinated on your feet. Trail running presents a stimulus for improvements in overall muscular strength, stability and endurance but tends to be much less harsh on a squash players body than pounding along on a flat tarmac surface.
The biking has been done over the past 4 years on relatively non-technical off road trails which again present a great overall local muscular and endurance conditioning work out for the players while at the same time bringing in elements of coordination, focus and balance.
Obviously the outdoor activities are done in wonderful mountain surroundings which we have gradually come to select over the last 4 years, and even for players who have never trail run or biked before they seem to truly respond to the challenge and enjoy the experience of training in the mountains.
Following our morning session we would typically drive into Boulder for lunch. Boulder is a town with a wonderful feel to it and in the summer is alive with athletes particularly cyclists and runners. After lunch we would go onto the athletic club we use in Boulder, allow the players some well needed recovery time before we lead them into the afternoon session on the squash courts.
The on-court session is typically a mix of training work without the ball which tends to focus on functional strength development, movement training, and movement skills development (agility, quickness, balance). Movement is a huge part of being a successful squash player and is an essential part of your technical skills on court combined with your ability with the racket.
In terms of work with the ball we will introduce the players to different types of technical and tactical drills with an overall focus on consistency and quality of practice (which is easy for the young players to see when they watch the two professional players in this environment). We also introduce players to different ideas for game based drills which help to simulate the mental, physical and technical pressures they encounter during competition.
After a shower and recovery time at the club we would then head back to our accommodation base just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park for some well needed food and rest. We stay in a beautiful Mountain Lodge (http://www.activeataltitude.
Some evenings we will use to have open discussions with the players around important training areas such as mental skills development, optimal nutrition for training and recovery. Other evenings it’s just time just time to sit back, watch a movie, enjoy the views, and relax after a good day of training.
Around this base of activities we will be focusing all the time on educating players on how to train safely and effectively for their sport, and we also include a climbing trip for variation which has been a favorite of our players in previous years.
During each session in Colorado we have well planned rest periods to allow the players to recover after a good 2-3 days of training and get themselves ready for the next 2-3 day block. During these rest phases we let the players have the opportunity to explore Boulder which is a really nice town to see on foot. We always take a drive up Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park which goes up to na elevation of close to 13000 feet with truly amazing views.
Essentially the goal of the camp is to help players understand how to train and develop as a squash player both on and off-court, and the opportunity to learn from each other along with the World Class players who will be doing all the training work with them.
Over the past 4 years we have had juniors on the camp who have then gone on to play squash at Colleges including Princeton, Yale, Penn, Navy, Middlebury and Wesleyan.
We have had a fabulous time runing these camps over the last 4 years, and each year seems to be more rewarding. Feedback from players who have been on the camp over the last four years has been extremely positive with most commenting that along with the most enjoyable camp they have been on it is also the camp where they feel they have learned the most about how to improve themselves as squash player. This is all surrounded by fantastic mountain scenery and under the guidance of World Class Experts and Professional Players.
To reserve a place on one of these inspirational camps, please contact
Damon Leedale-Brown, former Head Coach to Dutch National Team & Director of Squash at Penn Charter School - call 302-668-8586, or e-mail Damon here. We advise booking early to secure a place on these popular camps.
Testimonials"Your porridge is divine - Terry, you're not bad at running either. We look forward every year to our summers in Colorado to kick start our training year - 4th year and counting" "Thanks for the hospitality. You have a beautiful place to live and train. Keep running and good luck in the coming year!" |
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