Sayings of Sport : Stoic Athleticism.

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Dedicated to an old and stoic friend, Tim Rowbottom.

The essence of a stoic athlete is that they will move well irregardless of external influences.

Athletes are not disturbed by competition, but by their viewpoint about the competition.

A gym, sports ground, or recreation centre is not adorned by trophies or pennants, but by the virtue of those whom move humanely within it.

They who exercise wisely, exercise optimally.

To be uneducated is to experience misfortune. To begin ones education is to make the attempt. To be accepting of oneself and others shows that ones education is Complete.

To fail at the skill is to be untrained. To train in hardship is the beginning of…

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by David Jarvis 2023.

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Lost Country, by David Jarvis 2022.

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Lost Country, by David Jarvis 2022.

The love of roads and mines,

of greyed highwayed lanes,

of manicured plantations and barren plains.

Booze running in their veins

Bigots fighting black and white

streams filled with urine and shit.

We know it but do not share it,

our shame kept so private.

green tractor plowing the fields on focus photography
Plantation : Photo by Jannis Knorr on Pexels.com

I detest urbanised country

its blocks of monstrosities,

of square concrete jungles

asphalt and wanton cruelties.

I hate her cramped horizons,

I hate her chlorinated pools,

Her ugliness and leaders’ apathies

This grey hard city is not for me!

cityscape of modern skyscrapers
City : Photo by David Iglesias on Pexels.com

Old forests cut for quick dollars

A tradegy of the fool,

Open pit mines and their scars,

Coal and gas gushing to the moon.

Rubbish infesting our sacred bush,

Where now camels and cats rule,

with cattle and sheep spoiling

once fertile soft red soil.

bird s eye view of woodpile
Deforestation : Photo by Pok Rie on Pexels.com

Core profits and corporations

Stealing your childrens’ wealth

New toys substituted for family health.

We feel ourselves dying

Amid the smoggy air rising

pollutants entering our young ones

twisting their precious minds and genome

whilst the war drums beat accelerando

and the seas coral fade morendo.

grayscale photography of locomotive train beside factory
Smog : Photo by Frans van Heerden on Pexels.com

Core profits and corporations,

lands of the cursed opals,

For climate change, covid and bushfires

insurers will not fully pay our locals.

Behind closed skyscraper doors

Across million dollar tables;

Can we hear them rubbing their paws

With thoughts of rising profits enabled?

happy senior businessman holding money in hand while working on laptop at table
Rising Profits : Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

A convict culture country

prosperity bought by thieves.

Stolen generations and lost dignities

with working people on their knees.

In the thirsty front bars

be wary of your drunken gazes

avoid the smoking tars

reject pokies taking your wages.

Though our planet has much beauty

she is deteriorating rapidly.

I know some only pretend to care,

and that is why I share

this story of Australia not so fair.

A widening gap, image by david jarvis 2022.

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Squash Fundamentals, by david jarvis 2022.

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The racket sport of squash uses every muscle in the whole body, thus squash players should train every muscle in their whole body. ESPECIALLY the stability muscles. How many stability muscles are there?

Squash is a thinking persons game, thus train your mind as you train your body. Sports psychological training is highly useful, visit a psychologist regularly even if you’re not a nut case. Do you think psychological wellbeing doesn’t need a psychologist?

Read the rules of squash, at least once a year. What is rule 3.1?

Squash is typically played using only one hand, thus utilise offset weights training to redress that body imbalance that comes from playing squash. Which side of your body is your non preferred side?

Squash players run, walk, sprint, jog, lunge, dive, stretch, chasse, side step, cross step and leap. Thus train for those. Try dancing, aerobics, calisthenics and/or martial arts for your footwork cross training. Where is your closest martial artist instructor? Who will you dance with?

Squash players movement to the ball is acceleration and deceleration, thus train for those, and facilitate having a high power to weight ratio. What is the science of physics? Biomechanics?

stopwatch on smartphone
Stopwatch & Timing Actions : Photo by Castorly Stock on Pexels.com

Many squash matches last between 15 minutes and 50 minutes, rarely a match will go out to 120 minutes. Thus train for those normal durations and intensities using the principle of specificity. Which smartphone app will serve your timing needs competently?

Squash has a wide variation of hardness of hitting, from super soft delicate drop shots, to medium weight boasts and lobs, to extreme hard over hit drives. Apply a scale, perhaps 1 through 10 to fine tune your correct weight hitting. Is 1 through 10 finely graduated enough for your skill level?

Understand the tournament or pennant rules, they won’t be in the squash rulebook, but will still need to be abided by. Do the tournament rules change with each tournament?

Injuries are going to happen, but they are preventable. Get a good physiotherapist and regularly do their advised exercises. What is a niggle you can play through in competition? What is a niggle in training that says “STOP”?

Physical rest and recovery IS TRAINING. Psychological rest and recovery is necessary. Total rest is sleep, get plenty of quality sleep, much healing and adaption is done unconsciously. If your “rest” is active, be wary of over training; Is a light sweat total rest?

toddler lying on pink fleece pad
Sleep like a baby : Photo by SHAHBAZ AKRAM on Pexels.com

On court squash athletes are responsible for all our actions and inactions, off court the same – and yes build a team and commit to quality team culture within the team. How will your top sponsor respond to your on court emotional outburst whilst wearing their logo?

Some members of the team are… general practicioner, dietician, chef, physiotherapist, skills coach, psychologist, psychiatrist, lead coach, administrator, training partners, legal counsel, promoter, athletic team mates, fitness instructor and/or personal trainer, massager, … what other roles do you want on your team? Do you want a motivational mascot? A singer? A seamstress? A sponsor? A comedian?

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