Squash Player Aiming for World Ranking Climb
Over the summer I have started working with aspiring squash professional Luke Bishop. A former student of Richard Huish College, Taunton is aiming to move up the world rankings.
Strength and conditioning training was a new venture to Luke but he has embraced the training with professionalism and enthusiasm and is already feeling the benefits.
The main aims of the training are to add a new dimension of power to Luke’s game, along with balancing the body out from previous injuries. In addition the added benefit of the training is the psychological edge it gives with the increased confidence from the hard work that he has put in.
Below is a recent press release highlighting Richard Huish’ involvement:
Huish sponsors former squash player to go pro.
Taunton squash player Luke Bishop is being sponsored by his former college Richard Huish to pursue his professional dreams.
Luke is a three-time Somerset County Champion and is currently top of the Somerset League for Wyvern, top of the Avon League for Weston and top of the Devon League for Exeter Golf and Country Club.
He is ranked 350 in the world and has previously won the Exeter Open Championship and the Cornish Open Championship.
The College is supplying the 23-year-old with strength and conditioning training sessions for three months with local personal trainer James Quirk. James is Huish’s strength and conditioning trainer and coaches athletics at the college. He has created bespoke programs for Luke to increase his power, mobility, fitness and nutrition.
Luke, from Holway, aspires to be within the top 300 in the world by 2015, to be part of the British Championship main draw, and be the South West Champion. He currently competes in National Tournaments, Professional European Tournaments and County matches. Luke will now be wearing the Huish name on his kit when he competes.
He studied A Level PE, Maths and Biology at Huish between 2007 and 2010 and progressed onto an Apprenticeship at Huish in Business and Administration.
Luke said: “I’m so pleased to be working with Huish to achieve my goals and pleased that I will be able to mutually benefit Huish. The support really helps and has motivated me to continue to work hard at all aspects of my sport.
“When I was a student the Huish squash programme gave me the chance to train twice a week with different people and a good coach. I gained match experience and represented the South West at the college championships.”
In return for the training sessions, Luke will assist with coaching Huish students on the college’s squash programme once a week with college coach Lee O’Donnell.
James Quirk said: “We are setting a good foundation for Luke in his training which will help him develop in the long run and which is increasingly becoming more squash specific for upcoming tournaments, with the aim of pushing him up the world rankings.”
Richard Huish College Principal John Abbott said: “As a former student Luke represented the college across a number of sports whilst at Huish and has been a great ambassador for us. We are very proud that he has taken the difficult decision to become a professional athlete and pleased that we can support him in the process. It is also great that we can use James, a member of Huish sports staff who works with our current students, to help him improve his performance. We wish him every success and will be watching him with pride. We encourage participation in sport at Huish at all levels from a competitive level to those that love to play just for fun. “
