The Weekend Sun
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Squash Secret club recruits new members centre rebounds and competition shooting, and leadership, where they develop the skills to lead others. Another opportunity offered is NZQA credits for some of the training programme. Sea cadets can also gain qualifications through the coastguard courses.
Cadets on guard at ANZAC Day.
Tauranga is set to become a centre of excellence for squash, building on the city’s new state of the art squash facilities. The Dame Susan Devoy Squash and Fitness Centre, officially opened on Thursday by Prime Minister John Key, has already proven a hit among locals with 100 new members joining the Tauranga Squash Club since the courts opened for play in November. The new four-court centre cost $1.8m to build alongside Tauranga Boys’ College at the corner of Devonport Road and 13th Avenue. The cost has been covered by $1m from trust grants and an interest-free loan from Bay Trust for the remainder to be repaid upon the sale of the Tauranga Squash Club’s 44-year-old rooms in Seventh Avenue. Centre manager Karl Brown says the new centre is a great asset for the whole community and could be used by anyone interested, including schools. The centre is staffed six days a week to offer non-members a chance to book casual court use.
Tauranga is home to three units which are Smashing success: part of New Zealand’s best kept secret club. Former squash New Zealand Cadet Forces are an organisaworld champion tion for boys and girls aged 13 to 16 years old. Dame Susan It comprises of No.16 Squadron Air Training Devoy and Prime Corps, TS Chatham Sea Cadets and Western Minister John Key Bay of Plenty Cadet Corps. open the The organisation is not part of the New new courts. Zealand Defence Force, but is directed by the Photo by Tracy Hardy. Chief of Defence Force on behalf of the Minister of Defence. The organisation is a voluntary, “Our target is to make it a high performdisciplined, uniformed youth leadership trainance centre,” says Karl. ing organisation. “We want to leverage off having the counThe cadets meet each week night, either on try’s best squash facilities by holding training Tuesday for those with an interest in flying camps and high profile competitions and (Air Training Corp), Wednesday if you have an tournaments.” interest in sailing (T S Chatham sea cadets), or The first competition being hosted is the Thursday if you have an interest in the Army Bay Of Plenty Squash Open in May, before (WBOPCC). holding the country’s largest event – the Cadets learn drill, dress and bearing, survival New Zealand Secondary Schools Squash skills and bush craft, First Aid, general service Championships – in August, which will knowledge (which is gaining knowledge about the Royal New Zealand Navy, Army or Air attract 400 competitors. Force, Navigation), firearms training, where “With modern design and state of the art facilities, our new location will soon become they become skilled in safe firearms handling the hub of squash in the region and well beyond,” says Karl. The next phases of the centre’s development include another two more courts within the centre and building a new stand-alone cardiovascular suite and gym adjoining the complex. Karl says the centre has been named after Dame Susan Devoy – the world’s greatest woman player ever – in recognition for her major contribution to the sport, on and off the court. By Hamish Carter