KERRI SHIELDS
PRESS
Women's Professional Squash: what is it really like?, January 2008
An extract from the Winter 2008 Squash Newsletter of The Royal Automobile Club.
I started a leave of absence from my civil engineering job in August 2007 and officially became a professional squash player and member of WISPA (Women's International Squash Professional Association). Very exciting but also scary, faced by uncertainties, particularly after recovering from a torn hamstring in the summer.
One injury now could prejudice my whole future. With a few small professional tournaments under my belt and a wild card slot in last year's World Championship in my home country's capital, Belfast, I had worked my way up to number 115 in the female world rankings. Respectable for a working girl but improvement was necessary to justify the career move.
The first tournament in glamorous Wolverhampton saw a first round victory in a tough five setter before defeat in the next game, but a satisfactory start. From the Midlands I travelled to Iceland, only to draw the top seed. I took advantage of an early exit to explore this most unusual place. From there I needed to fulfil a few Irish ranking requirements so straight to Cork where I won the Munster Open.
Then came the most interesting event to date, the London Open. After a comfortable qualifying first round win, I was set to play the up and coming sixteen year old Egyptian 'star'. All the hype, chat and reputation somehow resulted in my forgetting how to play and a bad defeat ensued. So I headed down the Finchley Road for a comforting burger and fries, of course to replace lost energy. The first satisfying mouthful was interrupted by a call to say I was playing tomorrow as a lucky loser. The luck of the Irish deserted me though as I squandered a 2-1 lead and wasted several match ball opportunities. All this is added to the experience folder.
Mid October saw a return to Ireland for the Leinster Open in which I was pleased to make the quarterfinals. Then to Madrid for the World Championships, a first round loss enabled a view of some amazing women's squash. Good to note that even Nicol David has her off days!
In November I competed in two more competitions in Rotterdam and in Santiago de Camposelio. Unfortunately I was frustrated by an injury to my hip flexure resulting in physiotherapy, painkillers and restricted mobility. So I have committed myself to no squash tournaments in January in the hope of being fighting fit for the British Nationals in February.
In case you wonder if I encounter Lauren Briggs at the various tournaments, these, as in the railway film title, are brief. Lauren played in both the Word Open in Madrid and the Monte Carlo Open but by the time she was playing I was busy packing my bags.
At this stage the career earnings, a desultory few hundred pounds, have restricted my wish for an 'Andy Murray' entourage, but I am benefiting from the generosity of a reduced rent in my brother's Fulham flat. The anticipated offers of sponsorship to relieve my poverty have not troubled my postman, but one lives in hope.
I would like to thank the Club for adding me to the coaching list at Pall Mall. I have a lovely, occasional, Friday afternoon slot where I meet escapists from real work. Hopefully this will enable me to afford the standard of fast food to which I am accustomed.
So with a further eight months left of my leave of absence I am still passionate about giving this opportunity my all and come August the big decision will have to be made between returning to office life as a civil engineer or the enticing squash world, playing and coaching. Watch this space!
Kerri Shields
