Joe Shaw
I was contacted some years ago by Squash Coach Peter Chard of Bathurst, New South Wales.An old friend from Papua New Guinea, who said that he had a young lad of 16 years who wanted to be a Squash Professional, that Peter had run out of Coaching expertise, and could I go and see this lad who was coming to Brisbane for a Junior Tournament. I agreed and David and I met for the first time. I wrote a most unflaterring report relative to the ability of David, his movement, power and skills. I gave the report to David to read and he was shocked.
David then said to me “Look all that I have ever wanted to be was a Professional Squash Player” so I said that I would send the report to Peter Chard.
A most unimpressed Peter Chard then contacted me and asked for a program for David, which I sent to him. I vividly recall the conversation with Chard that “this is the greatest load of crap that I have ever read. No one can do this.” My response was that if you ask me for a program then do it and if not, don’t ask again. Two months later Peter Chard rang to say that unbelievable that it may seem, David had completed one of the routines for 10 minutes, a feat Chard believed to be impossible. I then informed Chard that David had to do the routine for 60 minuets no stop eliminating errors and Chard had Apoplexy. “That is impossible, no one can do that. David is stuffed after 10 minutes” Chart was not impressed when again I informed him that if he wanted a program from me, do it or go away. I told him to raise the time level at only 2 minutes per week. From 10 to 12 minuets, then 12 to 14 minutes etc.
The important thing to note here is the absolute faith that David showed in this program and while Chard ranted and raved, David did not once object. He won my admiration for that, and I became very involved in his program, supervised by Peter Chard, who is now that most under rated Squash coach in Australia. He also produced Kate and Emma Major.
David could never get a game from Michael Fiteni nor Damien Mudge who were clearly the 1 and 2 in Australian Juniors, but eventually David improved and was chosen in the Australian Junior Squad to represent Australia in the World Junior Titles in Christchurch, New Zealand. He rang to thank me for my efforts as it achieved one of his goals in representing Australia. He then asked me to assist him to win the Australian Junior Title the following year. Again I shattered him with the direct response that he had absolutely no chance of winning this prestigious Title. He still could not get a game from Fetini nor Mudge and was struggling to beat others including Paul Price.
He then asked me just what he had to do to achieve that Goal as it was the most important Goal at that time of his life. I said to withdraw from the Australian Junior Team, and to concentrate on winning the Australian Junior Title. I recall being totally stunned when he immeditatley agreed to withdraw, stating that I had never ever misled him and that he had total belief in me. No way was I going to take the blame for this one!! Withdrawing a player from a National Team to represent his country!!! And no complaints from his Parents who totally believed in me, the only query from David was could I get him to play for Australia a Senior Level? I made him that promise.
I informed Geoff Hunt of my decision, which had actually been made in consultation with David, Peter Chard, and David’s parents. We believe that his may have been the root cause of all the dramas that eventually occurred at the Australian Institute of Sport, and the associated problems that occurred with Geoff Hunt and the AIS. I made the decision because there was no way that any of the Australian boys were going to be successful at the World Juniors as Ahmed Barada was an absolute certainty to win it, and the boys would not reach the last 16 in the Tournament. Only one made the last 32, so I was proven to be correct. The team was easily beaten. Another strong point in the decision was to investigate all of the players who had played for their country at Junior Level, and failed to carry on with their careers for numerous reasons. This was an eye opener for David and of his squad only Paul Price remains in the Professional Sport.
I was once coach of Brazil, and send David to Lawrence Magrath, my understudy in Rio De Janerio, with a set program for Lollo to follow. The results were amazing. Lollo Magrath got David into Tournaments as a pre qualifier. He got into qualifiers and then proceeded into the Tournaments and returned after four months with a World Ranking of 91, the fastest rising Squash Player at that time, thanks to Lollo Magrath, and the boys from Brazil, in particular Paul Conolly and Eduardo Borges. No one can imagine what it was like to tell a teenager that he had to leave home, go to a dangerous foreign country, live with foreigners that he had never met, continue with his schooling by fax to Australia, as arranged with his High School in Lithgow, his home town, all in the name of “Paying the Price”. I was at Sydney Airport when he left, his mother could not come, his father and uncle were in tears, David was upset, and Chard and I hid behind the pillars out of sight. It was awful. What had I done? All because David had so much Faith and Trust in me.
The following year, in 1995, David won the Australian Junior Title without dropping a set, but never forget the price that he paid to achieve that Goal. It was awesome. Who else would do that???
Immediately that David won the Australian Junior Title the problems began with Geoff Hunt and the AIS, and they are still ongoing at this present time.
David was discriminated against and all Coaching and assistance was denied to him because he refused to part with me as his coach and mentor. The discrimination became so abusive that David gave up his career and returned home to Lithgow devasteted by the actions of the AIS coaches. I discussed alternatives with David, and her returned to the sport , went to South America and won five successive Tournaments. I then took him to Antwerp and to Shaun Moxham, and arranged for Shaun to coach David as I believed that my time was up, and I could not assist him any more. Shaun was successful and David reached 15 in the World and plateaued out, unable to get any further. Shaun approached me again and I became involved by using my Book and my Psychological Charts. I completed a S.W.O.T Analysis on David which was apparently spot on, adopted by Shaun and David, David immnediatley responded with incredible results and climbed to the top four virtually overnight. A S.W.O.T is a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity and Threats program that details all of these attitudes and allows you to review your preformances using Measurement and evaluation Technighques. David then rose to World no.l 1 and the winner of the British Open.
It was very noticeable World wide that David publicly thanked me for my contribution to his career. But the one point that stands out in this story, is the Loyalty that David espouses, the ability to overcome the bitter attacks that threatened his career, his total lack of vindictiveness towards those responsible, and the fact that he achieved his fill potential in spite of sometimes insurmountable problems.
He is the Captain of the Australian Team and an absolute credit to his Country. I am a very proud person to have assisted him as many others have assisted him, not the least being his own family, in overcoming such substantial obstacles with such dignity and grace. His commitment is total and his loyalty unsurpassed. This loyalty nearly destroyed his career, but I like to think that it also was essential in him achieving so much in his Sport.
