We are enough – Personal development in squash.

As a squash coach, the biggest challenge I face every day is helping aspirational players build the healthiest relationship with the sport and, more importantly, with themselves in order to get what they want. It is possible to be ‘successful’ while being driven by a constant feeling of not being enough, many famous athletes do this but this is not a healthy driver, either in the short or long term.

We are enough. Everyone is brimming with potential and has their own completely unique attributes, which, when unleashed, can produce the most inspiring moments and personal breakthroughs for them to be proud of and for others to celebrate and learn from.

Squash is the most fantastic sport for personal growth as it challenges us on multiple levels to become our best self under intense pressure. The rankings and silverware are nice at the time, but when we imagine our legacy in squash, it’s not the line of trophies on the cabinet; it’s who we have become and how that impacts and inspires future generations for the better. I can talk from personal experience on this having been through the journey of junior and professional tournaments and now looking back, the value is what I learned and how I have had to evolve and continue to evolve. And now in a coaching capacity it’s possible to charge these experiences to help others which is honestly the best part so far. I am very close friends with some of the greatest players in squash history and they never talk about their achievements but instead what happened, what they went through, who they shared that with in order to get results that we see in the history books.

It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner adult player wanting to make it into a team, a junior who is excited to win your first silver tournament, or playing at university, or a pro player striving for the top 10 in the world – it’s your personal journey and carries its own unique magic. Every struggle overcome, every emotion understood more deeply, every win and every loss all stack up over time when we see them as necessary steps in the journey.

Be honest with yourself and push hard through the tough times, but always acknowledge you are human, vulnerable, fragile, strong, powerful, and brittle all at the same time. All of these emotions are essential for reaching potential as they are the tools for navigating stress and pressure when you listen to yourself at the deepest level. Be on your own team, not to be better than others but to be better than you were yesterday.

You are enough. You are full of potential.