With games like padel on the rise, racket sports are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and East Glos Club is leading the way in Gloucestershire, not only offering tennis, padel and racketball but the opportunity to give squash a go, too.
SoGlos speaks to the leader of East Glos's junior squash coaching programme, Mark Toseland, about how he's building a community of Mavericks, making the game accessible, inclusive and lots of fun for young players.
Who are the East Glos Junior Mavericks and how did the term come about?
The East Glos Junior Mavericks is a name that incorporates our junior players that train and compete within our junior squash coaching programme. It provides them a sense of belonging and pride about who, what, how and the values they share amongst them all.
I wanted a name that represented the way they played and learned the game. After watching Top Gun: Maverick, the name stared me straight in the face, especially after checking its meaning in the dictionary. It all fitted with how we work as a group.
How you would you describe the group and the way they learn together?
I would say we are a fun group that is very inclusive to those who are interested in joining us. We make sure that human interaction is at the forefront of the learning process and environment. Taking time to understand the other person we’re working with and making them feel comfortable to make errors and go again.
Everyone has something to share that someone can gain from; and everyone has something to learn about from somebody else’s experience.
What sort of events do they compete in?
The East Glos Junior Mavericks compete in all sorts of level of competitions: from the 40-year running Cadbury Tournament for kids' first-time competitions, all the way up to the European and world events like the British Junior Open and World Junior Championships. We have players across the whole spectrum and support all of those within it.
What is the range of ages and genders who play and what are your biggest successes to date?
We have a mix of girls and boys coming in from five-years-old and upwards who start out, and we now have Mavericks coming in and out from university, too. We don’t really cut off the age group from juniors, as they are still a strong part of the Mavericks' values and environment.
Our biggest success to date, is that we have over 10 girls coming regularly to our sessions throughout the week, something I have been working towards since I started here. Furthermore, we have nearly full courses of juniors, playing regularly and always learning to be a better version of themselves.
In terms of tournament performances, we have the 2025 Bu15 English Junior Champion and many high standard national event winners and competitors in our training squads. With such increased demand, we’ll be offering tots squash for kids aged two and upwards within the next six months.
What has your approach been to nurture the group to achieve success?
I follow the academic research. I’m an alumnus of the University of Gloucestershire and keep connected with them. Understanding how people learn, what motivates people into action and what makes someone behave the way they do enables us to set up the right environment for everyone to learn in.
Each individual interaction plays its part in how people feel about what they’re learning, as well as performing. Building those relationships and committing to the players we work with, promotes players to receiving high challenge from coaches, with high support to enable successful problem solving and performance.
What are your top tips for youngsters looking to get into squash?
Be curious! We’ll let you explore your own ideas and support your understanding of what squash is as a game.
From there, we’ll support you in asking the relevant questions to develop further and be able to help you shape your own answers for the needs of the game to be met.
In theory, squash is hitting a ball against a wall using a racket and playing a good enough shot that your opponent can’t hit back. I remember a football game I used to play at school on the side of the school sports hall which was similar. I just wish I knew about squash when I was younger.
What’s the best way to get involved at East Glos?
The best way to get involved is to contact me at squashmanager@eastglos.co.uk or contact East Glos reception for more information. We also have plenty of information on our website, eastglos.co.uk, to help you guide you on your way.
