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Jayne Robinson, who has coached at Pontefract Squash Club for over fifteen years, has been named as Coach of the Year at the 2024 England Squash Awards.
A respected coach across the squash community, Jayne has developed a strong reputation thanks to her tireless work with a thriving female group for over a decade, with some original members still regularly attending sessions to this day.
Since then, she’s coached all ages and genders, and has been one of the trailblazers to deliver the Mixed Ability Squash model, thanks to her hugely popular sessions with local charity Pontefract Family Centre.
Jayne's inclusive and welcoming approach to coaching has been integral to the club’s continued growth and success. Commenting on this, she said:
“I just say [to people], come along and enjoy,” she explained. “It doesn't matter about your level of fitness, or your ability, we will work around you so give squash a go. Because for many people, they have not seen or played squash.
“Come and meet some new people, enjoy the squash side, the fitness side and the social side of the sport.”
Jayne’s journey within the game started in the junior section at Pontefract and led to her playing at high-level tournaments across the country, but it’s as a coach where she has really made an impact. Her early experiences at the club helped shape her passion for making squash more accessible, which is now one of her main philosophies.
“For me, as a junior, there wasn't always a lot of opportunities for female players,” she said. “I found it quite difficult at times to get in with some of the teams. So, [when I became a coach] it was really important for me to get some women's squash sessions going, and also to get junior girls going.
“So, I started running these and particularly focused on young children. Just yesterday I was leading groups with children as young as three-years-old.”
Alongside her work to make the club more inclusive, Jayne is also proud to coach some of the country’s top young players, including this year’s female Rising Star, Sienna Hampshaw, and relishes the variety of challenges that come with her breadth of coaching. She said:
“I will work with children as young as three, then people in their fifties, then do one to one coaching with Sienna who was in the finals of the Under 13 British Junior Championships. I’m just proud of introducing people to squash and I am proud to work at Pontefract Squash Club.”
Looking to the future, Jayne is hopeful of growing the club’s outreach work with people with disabilities. She concluded:
“I’d like to continue to further the work we do with adults with learning disabilities. One of my goals is to develop our coaching offering at the club and improve our support for children who are hearing impaired.”
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