The Army Squash Academy is a funded programme to provide players with the professional support they need to maximize their squash potential. It is open to players of all standards, not just those in the Army teams; the key criteria for selection is commitment and determination to improve through dedicated practice.
Players in the Academy receive one-to-one coaching every month from the Army Squash Head Coach, Paul Carter, who will also assist them in designing a personal training programme based on their playing standard, time available and short and long term aspirations. Performance will be monitored regularly using a variety of methods, including skills assessments, fitness tests and video analysis. Academy players are also invited to attend all Army training camps (held four times a year) if they are not already a member of one of the four Army teams.
It is expected that players applying to join the Academy will commit to 3-4 hours per week of squash specific training and play competitive civilian squash in order to ensure they make the most of the opportunity. However, it is understood that work and family commitments will sometimes preclude this, and the priority will always be to ensure players enjoy and benefit from the experience.
Applications to join the Academy can be submitted via email to the Army Squash Head Coach and Academy Director at any time. Players may also be nominated by their Corps Secretary or Team Captain, or invited to join by the Head Coach.
On your application, you will be required to outline your short and long term goals, and how long you would like to be on the Academy programme for. This could be as little as three months or as long as 2-3 years – provided you have articulated your goals and how you will commit to achieving them, your application will be considered.
Although applications from players of all standards are welcome, it should be noted that due to the complexity of the training this programme is not aimed at beginners; those applying should be at Corps B team standard or above. The exception to this is U25 players, who may be accepted as intermediate players following assessment by the Army Squash Head Coach.
Download the Army Squash Academy application form here
If you are not yet at that standard or don’t have enough time to commit to the Academy, then Army Squash can still help you improve! We would encourage all players to attend one of our Corps or regional development days (see the coaching page and calendar for more details), organise a unit team and take part in our inter-unit championships, and get in touch with your Corps Secretary to find out about other development activities are on offer.
