Chris Walker (squash player)

Chris Walker (born 11 June 1967 in Chelmsford) is a squash coach and former professional squash player from England.

Nationality: English

Resides: Long Island City, NY (since Aug 2014)

He started playing squash when he was 8 years old. At 18 years old took a job as a computer programmer. After less than 6 months he decided that he had more to give to Squash and so sold his car and bought a plane ticket to the be able to compete on the World Squash tour. At that time it was called the ISPA (International Squash Players Association) since renamed, and currently, the PSA (Professional Squash Association) tour.

Summary of Major Career Achievements:

Softball :

4-time World Champion, incl. 1997 World Doubles Champion Highest World ranking: 4 Highest English National ranking: 1 England Captain with over 70 caps.

As England Captain, he opened the 2002 Commonwealth Games Squash competition playing his first match, against Jamaica, watched by Queen Elizabeth II.

Hardball :

Singles: Winner 2013 US National Championship, Winner 2011 ISDA Players Championship. Doubles: World No.1 2007-08.

Details.

(Today) Currently runs a company called Squash Solutions that mainly focuses on teaching juniors out of several different locations in the New York and CT area.

(2009-ongoing) Providing coaching for the Spence School Varsity and JV team in Manhattan.

(2012-2014) Manager of the Squash Club program (outside of the school squash team schedule) at Poly Prep Country Day school in Brooklyn, NY, also assisting with the Poly Prep School Squash team coaching.

(2012-13) Head Coach Girl’s Varsity Squash Team at Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY. Position required coaching the Girls Varsity team & assisting with the Boys, as well as the boys and girls JV and Middle School programs, during the school Squash season.

(2010 - 2013) CEO and Founder of Motion Sport Gear, which produced a line of 2 Squash rackets. Specifically, one for the hardball (US version) of Squash called the 'Invictus Warrior II' and one for the softball game of Squash called the 'Invictus Samurai'. The company was shelved at the end of 2013.

(2004 - 2013) Men’s US National Team Coach. Position required taking the Men’s and Women’s US National teams to numerous international events including World Team Championships and Pan American games. Earning them a 7th-place finish in September 2011 at the Men’s World Team Championships, tying the USA’s highest finish to date.

(Oct 2011) Team Leader/Manager and Coach Men’s and Women’s US National Squash team to the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

(2007) Coach US Men’s and Women’s US National Squash Team to the Pan Am Games in Rio - US achieved a Gold and 2 Silver medals, the biggest medal success of any American Squash team at that time.

(2005-8) Founding partner in San Diego Squash (www.SanDiegoSquash.com)

(2005- ) Co-Founder/Director of San Diego’s Urban Squash Program now called Access Youth Academy www.AccessYouthAcademy.org and serving 48 less advantaged kids a year. A recent prize won by the program in 2012 for $1,000,000 will allow the urban squash development program to add a focus on the health and well being and allow it to develop a $6M facility with 9 courts to service a further 120+ more kids in the San Diego area.

(2000-2) Board Member Manchester Commonwealth Games - involved at National level of the UK Competitors Association, which represented competitors across the whole spectrum of sports under the Lottery Program, and the board of the UK Sports Institute, chaired by Sir Rodney Walker (no relation) and including Sir Steven Redgrave, Steve Cram MBE, Frank Dick OBE and Sir Robert May.

(2001-5) Author of 50 Squash Coaching articles for a monthly page in Squash Magazine (USA).

(1998-2004) Partner with Peter Nicol (former World No.1) presenting extensive squash exhibition matches and clinics around the USA to club players and juniors.

(1993-95) Board Member and Vice President of the Professional Squash Association (PSA).

(1993) Tournament Promoter of a World Ranking PSA event in my hometown of Colchester, Essex. The 'Lancaster Rover Colchester Open".

(1992-99) Co-Founder and eventual Manager of the British Squash Professionals Association – giving voice for the first time to the Professional Players in the UK and forming a conduit between them and the National Governing body. The BSPA has been a great success and continues to flourish now – providing a circuit of professional tournaments around the UK. It has also raised over £50,000 for Leukemia research.

Private Coaching Career

(2001- ) Initially moved to Greenwich, CT, from London to begin his coaching career while still competing at the top level on the PSA pro tour. His first charges were 2 sisters. When he started working with them they had been playing for just a year. The older sister, Amanda Siebert, under his tutelage won the Girls U.19 National title before going on to lead Princeton to 3 Ivy League titles. She was Team Captain in her final year. Her younger sister, Coco, is currently at Yale on the girls Squash team.

Chris is still working with many juniors who have gone on to play in the Ivy League and other emerging college squash programs around the country, notably Dylan Murray, Megan Murray, Scott Chapin and others currently working their way through the rankings including Willow Woodward, Harbor Woodward, Ryan Murray, Ben Gard, John and Robert Rohrbach, Matthew and Michael Miller.

(Summer Camps 2008-current)

Head Coach or Co-Coach

-Surf and Squash Camps in San Diego, CA

-Peter Nicol Champions Academy at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT.

-Robert Graham Camps in Santa Barbara, CA

-Junior squash trips to German and Dutch Junior Open

Softball career details.

Member of English team that won the 1995 Men's World Team Squash Championships;

Member of English team that won the 1997 Men's World Team Squash Championships;

1997 World (softball) Doubles champion (with Mark Cairns);

1997 World (softball) Mixed Doubles champion (with Fiona Geaves);

1995-1997 3x European Individual champion; Member of English team that won the European Team Championship 1990-2001.

Represented England in the 1991 Men's World Team Squash Championships (Runner-Up)

Represented England in the 1993 Men's World Team Squash Championships (third Place)

He finished runner-up at the British Open in 2001 and is currently the only person to have ever made it to the final of the event having played through the qualifying draw.

Hardball Squash career details.

2007 St. Louis and Maryland Club Open champion (with Clive Leach);

2006 Tavern Club Invitational and 2007 Hashim Khan Invitational champion (with Viktor Berg);

Ranked world No. 1 on the pro doubles tour in autumn 2007 (with Clive Leach);

2006 North American Open and Kellner Cup finalist with Viktor Berg;

2009 Jim Bentley Cup finalist (with Clive Leach),

2009 U. S. Pro Challenger champion with Mark Chaloner;

2011 National hardball singles champion.