Squash & Racketball

Squash was introduced to the Connaught Club in the early 1970’s with the construction of purpose build courts and quickly proved to be a popular addition to the sporting facilities offered by the Club.

The Connaught Club reached a pinnacle when it managed to attract and secure the former English professional player Neil Harvey as head coach, and in turn then World Number 1, Peter Nicol who trained at the facilities throughout his reigning years, along with numerous other professional players. This led to an improvement of the squash facilities and the Club can now boast 2 glass-back courts (1 with seated capacity for up to 100 spectators) alongside 2 solid backed courts.  Following a full refurbishment project in 2020, both solid backed courts have been fitted with widened glass doors, which allow easy access for wheel-chair users. 

 

  

The squash section continues to attract a full range of players from beginners to professional PSA players. The introduction of racketball (Squash 57), which is an excellent alternative to squash, played with a larger headed, shorter stemmed racket and a larger bouncer ball, has added another dimension to the court usage and provides a great opportunity for players of all ages and abilities to play an enjoyable racket sport and increase their fitness levels at the same time.  

The Club runs a comprehensive schedule of squash & racketball sessions throughout the week for all ages and abilities. Please refer to the Sessions Schedule & Costs section for details of the session days, times and costs. 

Squash & Racketball Club Night, Ladders and Box Leagues 

Squash Club night takes place on Thursday evenings from 19.00 to 21.00 and is a great way to meet fellow members.  Sessions are open to members of all ages and abilities and their guests. 

The Club administers seasonal Ladders and Box Leagues for Squash & Racketball section members. Should you wish to be included within these, then please register your interest with the main office. 

Squash & Racketball Rules

Download Squash & Racketball Rules
Membership, Court Times & Booking 

Squash and Racketball membership runs from 1st October to 30th September, annually.

Membership 2023/24Cost
Full Senior Member£286
Off Peak (Monday to Friday up to 17.00 and Sat/Sun)£198
Age 20 to 25£181.50
Age 19/U£88.00
Age 12/U£44.00
Family (16/U, 18/U – in full time education or 21/U living away)£407
Rackets Full Senior Member£559

Members can renew their membership through the Globus system or alternatively by bank transfer.  Members are provided with a unique ID and PIN number, which enable them to book courts from any online computer.  On accessing your account you need to ‘top up’ your account. This is done again online and in multiples of £30, which gets drawn down as you book courts. There is a £2 fee if you use a credit card, but free when using a debit card. 

The Club opens at 08:00 Monday through to Sunday and closes at 22:00, with the courts available daily until 22.00, 20.00 on Sundays.

Court bookings are available in 30 minute slots and cost £2.50 off peak (daytime to 17.00 and all weekend) and £4 peak (from 17.00 Monday – Friday).  

Coaching 

We have three professional coaches on our coaching team, covering all ages and abilities for both Squash and Racketball (Squash 57).  The Club also arranges periodic guest coach days, exhibition matches and events in association with England Squash, such as Women’s Squash Week and World Squash Day. 

Our in-house coaches are:-  

ROB THIRST | Squash & Racketball Coach | England Level 3 Talent Development Coach, England Squash Young Coach of the Year 2016/17, Current PSA and Norfolk County Player

LEE DREW | Squash Coach | Masters Degree in High Performance Coaching (Level 4+), Former England Junior Squash National Coach, Presented with the Prestigious Award of England Squash Elite Coach of the Year

LEE JEMMETT | Squash Coach | Former PSA World Tour player & World Junior Teams Championships Winner 

Should you require further information in relation to the various coaching options available, or would like to book a lesson, then please contact the main office for details. 

Wednesday Night Elite Squash Training with Lee Jemmett 

Squash Training | Match Practice | Court Specific Fitness & Movement | Strength & Conditioning (Gym) | Mental Resilience

Every Wednesday 18.30 to 20.00

Spaces are limited and participation is by invitation only.

Please contact the main office to register your interest  

Friday Evening Squash Coaching with Lee Drew 

Join us at The Connaught Club every Friday evening from 18.30 to 20.00, where former PSA World Tour player Lee Drew will be taking a group training session, which is open to members and non-members of varying abilities who wish to take their technique, court movement, and mental approach to the next level. 

The cost for each 1 hour 30 minute session is £15 per player. 

Spaces are limited, so please register your interest with the main office. 

Coaching

ROB THIRST | Squash Coach 

Rob is the Connaught Club’s Squash Pro, you will see him at the club undertaking his own training on the court and in the gym, coaching juniors, adults, beginners and pros in 1:1 and group sessions and re-stringing rackets amongst other things.

Rob has coached world ranked pros, multiple regional and county champions. He has coached for England Squash on Aspire level camps, is the youngest person to qualify as a level 3 coach and was England Squash Young Coach of the Year in 2016/17. Rob is world ranked himself sitting in the top 500 players in the world and has racked up 10 years of coaching experience already at the age of 25. 

When not at the club, Rob follows Norwich City football club closely as he is originally from Norfolk. Rob likes to visit new places while playing PSA tournaments and enjoys beach trips and will be swimming in the sea no matter the weather and temperature. 

Coach Comment: I am proud to be playing a part in growing The Connaught Club and being able to be a part of its illustrious squash history. I hope to help everyone that wants to play squash at any level become a better version of themselves. 

Download PDF

LEE DREW | Squash Coach 

Download PDF
Junior Coaching led by Rob Thirst

The Connaught Club run a comprehensive schedule of Club sessions’ and Junior Academy sessions, which are led by England Level 3 Talent Development Coach and England Squash Young Coach of the Year 2016/17, Rob Thirst.  

At the age of just 23 Rob already has over 7 years of coaching experience. In this time he has coached multiple junior players to a top 10 ranking in England.

Junior Squash Club sessions for beginners and improvers run for 40 weeks per year, and take place on a Tuesday and Wednesday (16.30 to 17.30) and Saturday morning (10.00 to 11.00 and 11.00 to 12.00). The cost per session is £5 for members and £10 for non-members. 

In addition to the Junior Club sessions, Rob also runs a comprehensive Junior Squash Academy programme catering for a range of abilities from improvers through to advanced players, with sessions taking place on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 17.30, and Saturday from 12.00. The cost per academy session is £10 for members and £15 for non-members.

Juniors under the age of 19 must wear protective goggles whilst playing. This is a requirement of England Squash and Racketball.  

Rob is also available for private 1:1 and group lessons, costing £30 per 45 minutes.

Please contact Rob or the main office for further information in regards to the various coaching options available. 

Essex League Team Squash

The Club currently has three teams participating in Essex League Squash, with our 1st team in the Premier Division and our 2nd and 3rd teams both in Division One West.  Should you wish to be considered for Team squash, then please register your interest with the main office.