The first female captain in the 111-year history of Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club is determined to capitalise on the sport’s 2028 Olympics inclusion, as well as recent coverage of its health benefits.
Hazlehead’s Lindsay-Jane Ackers, 32, has had a two-decade association with the Mannofield squash club prior to stepping up to the captain’s role and becoming the first woman to take the post since ASRC was founded in 1913.
A marketing professional for Granite City energy firm Wood by day, she said: “It’s nice to be able to give something back to the squash club, as I’ve made close friends through squash.”
Lindsay thinks Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club “needed to make a change” as it was previously an “old boys’ club” at leadership level.
A big aim for her captaincy is to continue recent diversification of the ASRC committee and membership – with getting more women and juniors on to the squash court her priority.
“Now we have myself – I’m 32 – and my vice-captain is in his 30s, so we’re very much turning the tide on that side of things,” Lindsay said.
“We’ve got a 13% female membership and we’re hoping to increase that pretty drastically over the coming year with many more juniors coming in as well.
“Both our membership and our committee are becoming younger, and we’re increasing the diversity of them as well, which is good and nice to see.”
She added: “We are seeing more and more younger players come through.
“We had a period where we didn’t have any Grampian teams going to broader Scottish inter-regional tournaments, and now we’ve got teams across different age groups of young boys and girls.
“We’re also going to be taking on a new club coach, who will help everyone, but will provide increased coaching sessions for juniors.”
Olympics is ‘huge, huge boost’ for squash club
Lindsay thinks things are “coming together” to help squash grow, as well as dedicated clubs like Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club – which she aims to get “back up there with the Edinburgh and Glasgow clubs as one the of most elite clubs in Scotland”, adding: “We’re really not far off it!”
Squash’s introduction for the Los Angeles Olympics in four years’ time is a “huge, huge boost”, Lindsay says, as is recent publicity around how healthy playing the game can be.
She added: “There’s more and more research coming – squash has been voted the healthiest sport in the world to play by Forbes magazine, and there’s research come out last month which says people who play racquet sports live longer.”
In terms of the challenges facing Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club going forward, the new captain thinks they are at a disadvantage against bigger clubs who can also offer padel – the adapted form of tennis which is very much the racquet sport of the moment.
She is open, however, to the idea of ASRC diversifying to install padel facilities at Mannofield in the long-term, with Lindsay saying the two sports go “hand in hand”.
In the short-term, captain Lindsay’s mission is clear – to do her utmost to ensure Aberdeen Squash and Racketball Club can “thrive”.
“I really, really want to get across that we’re open for members, and we’re open for anyone of any level to come and try squash – or racketball – and have fun,” she said.
“Or just come in to the bar for a drink. It’s a really nice social environment as well.
“We’ve got so much happening for all ages and it’s a super-welcoming place.
“The new committee is fantastic, and we’ve got an amazing club manager, called Josh Monro – who has been around as long as I have, knows the place inside out and has the same passion as me.”
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