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Squash League looking for casual players The Whistler Squash Club is getting ready to start its 2005-06 season and is looking for some Level 5 players to round out the league’s 14 teams.

Squash League looking for casual players

The Whistler Squash Club is getting ready to start its 2005-06 season and is looking for some Level 5 players to round out the league’s 14 teams. Level 5 players, according to league organizer Ben Thomas, are not beginners but new players and amateurs that can at minimum serve and return a serve.

"All we ask is they can hit the ball and have a general idea of the rules. We can show them more and help them along as the season goes on, but this is a good way to get more involved in squash in an easy, fun and low pressure way," said Thomas. Players can even borrow Meadow Park racquets if needed, although most players will end up owning a racquet after a few weeks.

The league is always looking for Level 5 players as many of the athletes move up to Level 4 or even Level 3 as their skills improve over the course of the season.

There will be no Level 6 category in the league this year for absolute beginners, but Meadow Park will start a coached Level 6 league in November for all newcomers to the sport. Check the bulletin boards at Meadow Park for more information.

The season starts on Oct. 10, and the Level 5 players will play matches on Sundays from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. weekly. The league wraps up in March.

All Level 5 players will be assigned to teams, which include Level 1 through 4 players. More experienced players are also invited to join the league, and if rosters are full they can be used as substitutes.

For more information, contact Ben Thomas at benwhistler@yahoo.com , or 604-935-1847.

Rochon makes the cut

Whistler’s Diana Rochon has coached countless athletes to new levels of performance over the years, from runners to skiers to triathletes, and is one of the most highly certified trainers in town.

Now Rochon has the opportunity to bring her own skills to a higher level after being selected as one of 100 finalists for the Fitness Apprentice Hunt.

Based on Donald Trump’s show, the Fitness Apprentice Hunt was created by renowned fitness trainers Juan Carlos Santana and Phil Kaplan of the Institute of Human Performance in Miami. Although they work with a lot of people from diverse backgrounds, Santana and Kaplan also coach professional athletes in a variety of sports and are two of the most highly certified trainers in the U.S.

From the short list of 100 finalists, Santana and Kaplan will bring 10 trainers to the institute for a two-day session testing knowledge and fitness. At the end of the two days, they will select the most promising candidates as apprentices, who will receive a year of paid employment and training through IHP and Fitness 21.

To make the top-100 of nearly 1,000 applicants, Rochon had to fill out an online questionnaire. "The questions really reflected them and what they are looking for in individuals that will be representing their companies," said Rochon, who directs Whistler-based Dynamic Core Fitness. "Some of the questions were very interesting and definitely made you go ‘hmm’."

To make the top-10, Rochon has to submit a five-minute video showcasing her work and commitment to fitness. The videos will be reviewed by Santana and Kaplan, who will announce their short list by the end of October.

Women’s soccer clinic Sunday

This Sunday a women’s soccer clinic is being held at Myrtle Philip fields coached by members of the Canadian National Team and Women’s Whitecaps Team. The cost is $40, which includes a spot in the 2006 spring league.

Women from Whistler, Pemberton and Mount Currie are invited to take part, and learn new skills for next season.

The clinic gets underway at 3 p.m.

Rec hockey team seeks players

The Scotia Novas, a new team playing in the Whistler Recreational League, is looking for a few more players for the 2005-06 season. Games start this weekend, and the League runs for about 30 weeks.

The team has a goalie, but is looking for forwards and defencemen. Games are on Monday and Friday in the evenings.

For more information contact Dave Brown at 604-905-8438.

Wax Days are upon us

For the third year, Alpine Canada Alpin and ski clubs across Canada will be hosting Pontiac GMC Ski Wax Days.

Clubs will be hosting a Wax Day in their area, and anyone is welcome to have their skis and snowboards waxed by club skiers in exchange for a donation. Last year clubs raised more than $30,000 by waxing over 1,000 skis and boards.

All proceeds will go towards purchasing new training equipment, hosting races and helping local athletes. Participants at each location are also eligible to win an Atomic race package worth $250, and a bib signed by members of the national team.

The Whistler Mountain Ski Club is a participating club. Dates will be announced once they are finalized.

Pemberton shows Spirit at Kelowna

Once again the Pemberton Spirit Women’s Dragon Boat Team took part in the Kelowna Dragon Boat Festival on Sept. 17-18. But while the team was no stranger to the event over half the paddlers were new to the sport, and the team age ranged from 15 to 56.

For all their inexperience, the Pemberton Spirit blew away the competition in two races on Saturday to move up to the top women’s division. On Sunday they placed fourth in one race and second in their last event, to place eighth overall out of 30 women’s teams.

New team members are always welcome, and are encouraged to attend the spring meeting of the Pemberton Canoe Association.