This month we caught up with the legends at Mirrabooka Squash Club!
Mirrabooka Squash Club is based out of the biggest centre in Australia – Squashworld Mirrabooka, so get to host a wide variety of events and tournaments. Some of the annual events that take place are their Club Champs, the junior Squash-a-thon, Country Week, the WA Open and HEAD Junior Classic, Red Hot Summer Teams Challenge, and more. Recently, the Australian Junior Championships and World Transplant Games were also held at Mirrabooka!
What does an average week look like at Mirrabooka? “The metro pennant and league competitions visit us on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. The centre runs King of the Court on Tuesday and Friday nights and a Saturday Social session. The Club runs the junior program which has the most junior members out of any other Club in Western Australia. The in-house league (Wednesday nights) boasts 12+ divisions of 8 people – it is hands down the busiest night of the week.”
We then asked the crew who some of their MVPs are. “Rich Grain recently stepped down after 8 years of presidential leadership. Grainy was instrumental in the backyard and club room renovations, hosting of Country Week and other major events, and a massive driver of country and metro participation. Leigh Kaye has been a passionate contributor over many years, in particular in areas of coaching, governance and finance, and continues to be a valuable knowledge source in these areas. Kane Fasolo (affectionately known as the Godfather of Squash) works in collaboration with the Club to ensure its guests and members have the best experience possible. Junior Coordinator Serena Richardson has worked tirelessly alongside super coach Tim Cowell to build the junior program. Weekly attendance now averages 30-40 juniors. The Club has hosted numerous Open Days to boost numbers and has even piloted a 4-7 year old program which other Clubs have adopted. Our junior program coaching team are a huge part of why we see so many kids coming back for more each Thursday afternoon. Everything we do is backed by a solid committee, enthusiastic members, and an army of volunteers for whom we are extremely grateful.” 😍
..and what makes Mirrabooka the BEST club in WA? “The Club provides a welcoming, family friendly environment for all members and guests. The Committee works tirelessly to provide the best facilities and events possible. Over the last few years they have dedicated countless hours to renovating the Club room and outdoor area. We now have a beautiful outdoor beer garden and large grassed area. Through successful grant applications we have also provided additional perks for members such as a squash cannon for juniors and high level athletes to use as a training aid, and spin bikes for players to use for warm up and cool down practices. We were awarded the Healthway Healthy Club Award in 2022 for our efforts in providing a healthier environment. We have developed a 4-7 year old ‘pre-squash’ program which has been very successful.”
The Club is committed to continuous improvement and developing new and dynamic ways of giving back to their members. They welcome any and all feedback and/or suggestions, be it from club members, tournament competitors, social players, casual hirers, juniors and more. They also welcome volunteers with any kind of skills to offer, for their weekly junior program, events and more. They’re always looking for canteen helpers for Country Week (which is coming up in late September)!!
The crew wanted to give a big shout out to all the fantastic individuals and businesses that support everything they do. “To name a few though: Shark Lake Piggery, The Racquet Shop, Little Brown Rabbit, Balmain Glass, Brickstruct, Memolub, Act Belong Commit, Fuel to Go & Play, Black Rock, Health Freak Café, and more. ..but most importantly, everything we do could not be possible without the support of superstar and Squashworld co-owner Kane Fasolo.”
Thanks for chatting with us guys, and keep up the fabulous work!! 😎👌
