A Travelling Jesters Testimonial written by Tasha Doucas:
On Saturday, April 5th, 2025, BC Jesters Chair, Karen Levine and Tasha Doucas took a leisurely drive to Squamish for three hours of play and camaraderie at the Squamish Squash Club.
Dara Sklar, the Women’s Ambassador of the Club, who has been instrumental in growing squash at the facility and creating an engaging community, was a fantastic host. Dara scheduled two 1-hour sessions with a beginner and intermediate group for each time slot, followed by a session discussing tips to prepare for matches, key warm-up strategies to get into the zone ahead of your match, and maintaining focus throughout a match.
Karen provided a brief intro about the Jesters and explained the purpose of the Traveling Jesters Program (TJP). Then on court, Tasha worked on technique for players who have been playing for a shorter time, while Karen ran drills with the intermediate groups on the second court. There were on average four (4) players per court with about 15 players participating in the event. There were a small handful of men and the rest were women. All players found the sessions helpful and were very appreciative of the visit.
Our host, Dara, was very well organized for the event, and we had a lovely lunch afterwards to further discuss the players’ interest in league and tournaments.
The Travelling Jesters Program
- Who are the BC Jesters? The BC Jesters is a provincial chapter of The Jesters Club, an international organization whose membership is dedicated to the development and promotion of squash and a few other lesser known racquet sports, building skills and sportsmanship with clubs, schools, and universities.
- What is the Travelling Jesters Program? The Travelling Jesters Program provides an opportunity for Jesters to visit a squash facility in BC to play fun, social squash with their members for a few hours. The event can include: a singles game, a round robin with members and Jesters, or even an exhibition match followed by fun play. Events and activities are subject to the Jester’s and member’s skill levels.
- Why Host the Travelling Jesters? It’s a cost-free opportunity for your members to participate in organized squash play with players that play squash at a high level and can share their knowledge of the game in a fun and friendly way.
I have always loved squash but from the moment Karen and Tasha began talking to our group I was immediately drawn into their passion with fresh eyes. From the dynamic warm up, to on-court drills, to story sharing with some friendly ribbing, to some post-hit beverages, it was an experience that will stay with me for some time. I walked away with a lot of fresh ideas for my game, including drills I can share with other club members, breathing techniques and some (much needed) positive self talk. I admired how quickly they were able to watch us briefly rally then come up with specific drills that would challenge us in areas we needed extra focus. We all really enjoyed this challenging and fun day.
Thank you Karen and Tasha!!!
-Trina Zanni
I had an amazing experience with the Jesters. Tasha and Karen did an amazing job at offering emotional tips and tricks to the game mindset I hadn’t thought about before. They did a great job at also teaching drills that directly led to better game play, helped to break down the game, and also spent time giving individual tips to everyone. 5 stars!
– Jen M, Squamish