Australian Junior Championships 2025 – Team WA Report

Australian Junior Championships 2025 – Team WA Report

Thanks Leigh-Anne Kaye

4:45am on Friday 26 September marked the beginning of an adventure the WA State Team will remember for years to come.

We left Winter behind in WA only to find it again in Ballarat. It was colder, wetter, and windier, but through the grey clouds our team’s spirit shone brightly — positive, energetic, and infectiously happy.

After arriving in Melbourne around midday on Grand Final weekend, we hopped on a bus for the 90-minute journey to Ballarat. A huge thank you to the Ballarat Squash Club volunteers for their help with transport. Seven hours of travel is a challenge for anyone, and while our team was patient and upbeat, they were thoroughly exhausted by the end. Once we collected our three 12-seater vans and packed the mountain of luggage, we made the short drive to our accommodation. Waiting for us were three dormitories, each with individual rooms and communal kitchens — perfect for our group.

Chef Jason worked his magic, preparing a gourmet dinner across three kitchens to feed all 31 of us. Our first team meeting took place in the ‘games room’, followed by an early night in very welcoming beds.

Day one began with a relaxed morning, followed by a trip to the courts for practice and team photos. Players met others from across Australia, got a feel for the courts, and started to soak in the atmosphere. Dinner was kindly cooked by Chef Jason — a big THANK YOU from our crew!

Day two marked the start of the Individual’s event. The team supported each other exceptionally well, and the coaches rotated from court to court, offering guidance and encouragement. We had some wins, some losses, a few tears, and plenty of outstanding teamwork — and before we knew it, day two was done.

The following two days were much the same. By this stage, Dave had mastered WhatsApp and was pinning updates — so we were officially cooking with gas! We had five WA players reach the semi-finals. Unfortunately, only one, Hannah Slyth, made it through to the finals. Domenic Christou, Isla Harris, Miranda Clarke, and Vera Bruce all battled hard in tough five-set matches but fell just short.

Wednesday night was the Individual’s Awards Night, and what a night it was. The team scrubbed up beautifully for what was arguably the best Awards Night yet. The event featured an alternate drop menu, a great venue, and an impressive hall setup — and with such a big crowd, it was easily the best we’ve seen in years. A highlight of the evening was Josie Jones winning the MC Hazel Award by a huge margin. Even better, this was the first time a female WA player has ever received this honour.

Thursday marked the start of the Teams Event, and with it came painted faces, mascots, and a sea of colour, noise, and enthusiasm. By days six and seven, tiredness and sore bodies began to show, and the mascot costume had seen better days — but somehow, this incredible group kept the energy alive right to the end.

Our travelling group of 31 included:

• One awesome Referee, Luke Jamieson, who took time off work to be part of this special junior event; 
• two incredible carers, Tammy MacKenzie and Jason Mennell (parents of our U13 players), who kept everyone fed, organised, and mostly on time; and 
• three dedicated coaches, Lisa Christou, David Fear, and Leigh Kaye, who juggled draws, spreadsheets, transport runs, and endless hours of coaching — all on minimal sleep. 

The 25 amazing players gave their all against tough national competition. Every player experienced fantastic squash and, we hope, came home inspired to train harder, get fitter, and continue improving. As coaches, we couldn’t be prouder — every player learned more about themselves and their game.

To keep the mood light, we introduced a daily “Fun Faults of the Day” award, sparking laughter, debates, and of course the honour of wearing the sparkly red hat.

While our final results weren’t quite what we’d hoped for — 6th place in Division 2 (out of six) and 4th place in Division 1 (out of five) — the experience was invaluable. 

Each year, we welcome new players and farewell our senior team members. In true WA State Team style, we finished by forming a guard of honour, cheering our departing players as they ran through the tunnel — a fitting farewell to some outstanding young athletes.

After another long travel day, we arrived back in Perth around 9pm on Saturday 4 October. Excited parents were waiting with open arms — thrilled to hug their tired but happy kids and take them home. 

A huge thank you to all the parents, grandparents, clubs, and the Squash WA community for your continued support — not only for those who made the State Team, but for every junior chasing their squash dreams.