Chris Barker has played squash for many years in Pembrokeshire and was chosen to represent Wales in the Welsh Masters Squash team which played in the Home Internationals in Aberdeen recently.
 
It was fitting reward for Chris’s dedication to the game at local level, and after coming close to selection in other age categories on previous occasions when even the dreaded ‘Foot and Mouth’ disease conspired to stop him.
 
But now all that is in the past because Chris drove across to Bristol with his wife, Karen, and then flew up to the north of Scotland as one of the team of five which competed against their counterparts from Scotland, England and Ireland on a ‘round robin’ basis.
 He wasn’t the only Pembrokeshire representative in the Welsh team because Chris was delighted that Nick Dyer is in the over 40s team, with the well known former cricketer having competed for Scotland in that game in the World Cup some years ago!
 

Selection – at last!

 
The selection was decided by a trial held in Swansea at the beginning of February and then play-offs for final placements. Chris had tried to get into the Welsh Masters’ squad since the age of 35 but, more often than not, failed at the last post.  None was more frustrating than when he was 50, and managed to get into the semi-finals - but it was the year that the afore-mentioned farm animals’ disease enveloped our country, so it understandably stopped any unnecessary travelling which could help to pass on the disease, and the home internationals were cancelled!
 

Hard work – and thanks

 
Ask Chris about keeping fit enough to play squash at this level and his answer is immediate:
“Preventing injury is always a major factor with squash so most of my training is done off the squash court, trying to balance the on-court training with off-court work.
“I've used cycling for many years to try and maintain endurance for my game – and when not able to go out on the bike, I've used ‘spin’ classes at Bush Leisure Centre to try and keep my fitness at a reasonable level.
 
“With that in mind, I'd like to thank all the staff at ‘Bush Leisure’ for all the support they've given me, especially Jeff Davies for all the punishing ‘Body Pump’ and circuit training classes,  and Gareth Warlow for putting up with me in training.”
 

Relatively late starter

 
Chris took up the sport relative late at 40, ironically because of an injury sustained whilst playing rugby for Milford Haven. Prior to that he had played in a very good Mariners’ team alongside the likes of Steve Holmes, Barry Kingston, Keith Fletcher, Dai Griffiths, Peter Mitchell – and was in the squad which reached the Welsh Cup quarter final before losing to first-class club Ebbw vale at The Observatory Field.
He was watching the Mariners play alongside Martin Price and was bemoaning his lack of sporting action so Martin suggested they played squash. A court was booked, a racquet acquired – and as soon as he started Chris was well and truly hooked on his new sport!
 

Great support from Haydn and Peter

 
“Soon after I first started out,” said Chris, “I was very fortunate to have coaching from Haydn Davies, who coached the Scottish national team for a number of years and was also the wicket keeper for Glamorgan for ten years. He also represented Wales at Squash.
“He not only showed me basics like shot selection and tactics but the need to always be fully fit and motivated – he was a great tutor.
“Coming closer to home, lately, I've been having squash coaching from Peter Crook of Milford.  I would like to commend Peter on his professionalism and knowledge of the game. “He has a very long list of my faults and we're working our way through them very slowly,” laughed Chris.
 

Long-suffering Karen

 
Chris has played his squash at several venues over the years, often with Kim Davies as a very good team mate at Neyland and Bush Leisure Centre after previously playing at Woodridge Courts in Pentlepoir, near Kilgetty.
 
Karen, his long suffering wife, has had to endure an annual week at Club La Santa in Lanzarote, which Chris used for warm weather training, for the last 13 years prior to his masters' trials.  They even went there for their honeymoon as it was just prior to one of his many try-outs for the Welsh team!
“But she is my greatest supporter and I couldn’t do it without her commitment, no mean feat considering she isn’t a player.”
 

Thrills as a squash ‘battler’

 
In 2011, he entered the European Masters in Portugal, followed by the World Masters in Birmingham in 2012, where he had done well enough to be seeded 18th, and was knocked out in the semi-final of the Plate tournament.
“But it was a thrill just to take part alongside so many very good squash players,” Chris told us, “and let me know what I need to do to get to a higher level.
 
Ask Chris about his qualities in the game and he would admit to being a real battler on court, who never knows when he is beaten.
“I use my fitness levels to good effect in long games and I have aimed to improve my tactical awareness, even at my age!
“Over the last eighteen months my middle son Matthew has really been pushing me in training as he prepares to take on the Iron Man competition in Tenby in September.  Now I really know my place is in the Masters division as there is absolutely no way I can keep up with him anymore!
“But I do still manage one rugby match a season as I join my old pals from Elf Refinery days in playing an over 40s tournament in France – and it is still great fun.”
 

Family matters and coaching ambitions

 
On the family front, Chris also has two older brothers who were well known in football, with Bobby as a very good midfield player with Monkton Swifts and Pennar Robins before Emigrating to New Zealand many years ago. Dai played in goal for both teams and although he lives in Carmarthen now he served Pembrokeshire Football as a referee who took charge of a Senior Cup Final in his heyday.
 
“As well I also have ambitions to qualify as a coach in squash and to that end Bush Leisure Centre manager Kate has agreed to sponsor me to go on a squash coaching course, with a view to my coaching at Bush later this year.
“The first part of that course takes place at the Meads Leisure Centre in Milford Haven during June under Roy Gingell, who is coming down from Cardiff – and part two will be a month later, probably in Cardiff.
“If I pass those then I will become a Level One coach and achieve my ambition of coaching my grandchildren and help me keep fit in readiness to play Masters Squash at over 80s level!”
(Editor’s note to Karen – we think he’s serious!)
 
We are delighted Chris was selected for  the Masters’ competition and after waiting so long for selection to the Welsh team we feel no-one deserves it more than he did!