Preston Schreiber wasn't born when the lions of squash ruled the world.
Jahangir Khan didn't lose a game for five years – or 555 games straight – while Heather McKay won 16 British Open titles and was undefeated for 20 years.
Preston took to squash after breaking his left wrist playing in the Sharks under-13s development squad and his father Adam, who was an Australian champion and world ranked in the 90’s, told him squash would be good for his fitness.
The Newington College student is now the NSW under-13s champion and is coached by his dad in the NSW team along with fellow Shire players Zac Zammit (under-17s) and Sienna Butcher (under-11s) as they prepare for the Australian Junior Championship titles in Sydney in September.
“Squash is a challenging sport, it's fun to pick up new skills and to see your progress. Competing as an individual is also different, not to be part of a team. You can only let yourself down,” Preston said. “You can also play all year which is a bonus.”
Squash courts used to be found in every town and suburb but now are a rare sight, with Preston playing out of Dgen Squash at Taren Point.
Greg Middleton, who owned Caringbah and President squash courts, developed his own Australian first squash concept at Dgen. He built a membership-based court at Taren Point where he sells memberships – not court hours – just like a 24-hour gym. Players pay monthly fees and book their own times online, playing when they want.
Squash as a sport is slowly making a comeback. In the US it's an Ivy league sport, where universities offer scholarships and residential unit complexes are being built not with tennis courts but more compact squash courts.
Squash supporters are lobbying for its incorporation in a future Olympic program. But once again it has been overlooked for more youth orientated games, though it has been a Commonwealth Games sport for decades and is also a regular sport at the Pan American Games with a Professional Squash Tour based in the United States.
