For nearly five decades, the Deloraine Squash Club has been a hub of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and community in the small Tasmanian town of Deloraine. At the helm of the club is Cory Youd, who has served as president for the past seven years—echoing his father, a former A-grade champion. “I started playing when I was 10,” Youd recalls. “My father played, so I followed in his footsteps, and now, 27 years later, I’m still here.”
The club, though small, boasts an impressive history, with its origins dating back to the early 1970s. While Deloraine itself has always been more of a socially-oriented squash hub, the town has still produced exceptional talent. “We’ve got two young players, Jarrod and Caleb Atkins, who were ranked number one and two in Australia last year for under-17s,” Youd says proudly. Jarrod has been accepted into the Olympic pathway program for the 2032 Olympics—a rare achievement for a sport that’s only recently been added to the Olympic roster for 2028 in Los Angeles.
Running a squash club in a regional town isn’t without its challenges, however. One of the major hurdles the club faces is its hidden location, tucked away behind Deloraine’s theatre complex. “It’s not really that well known,” Youd admits. “A lot of people don’t even know squash is played here.” This, coupled with the club’s limited facilities (there are only two courts available) has made it difficult to expand and meet growing demand. “Time becomes restrictive. Players don’t want to hang around for five or six hours to get a game in.”
The club has also weathered two significant floods over the past decade alone. The most recent was in 2022, when nearly a metre of water flooded the courts—damaging the floors and shutting down the club for almost a year. “That was tough,” Youd reflects. “We had to move to a facility in Westbury and, on the back of COVID, it really knocked our numbers around.”
Despite these setbacks, the club is moving forward with optimism, thanks in part to a new development project that promises to transform its fortunes. Four new courts are being built on Alveston Drive, next to the town’s basketball complex—a development that Youd believes will revitalise the local squash scene. “It’s really exciting,” he says. “Once those courts are up and running, we’ll be able to engage more with schools and Squash Tasmania. It’s a great move forward for us.”
In addition to these new facilities, the club has been fortunate to receive grant funding to modernise its operations, including the introduction of electronic scoring. Youd acknowledges, though, that the backbone of the club’s success is the members themselves. “We’ve had grants, but most of our players sort themselves out with their own gear,” he explains. “It’s the community that keeps it going.”
That sense of community is something Youd values deeply, not only within the squash club but throughout the Meander Valley region. “I was born and bred here, so I’m biased,” he laughs. “But it’s a great community. There’s a big focus on sports, but there’s also a strong arts movement, especially with the craft fair. And people here are really passionate about volunteering, whether it’s emergency services or local clubs.”
There’s lots of really engaged [people playing] sports in the Deloraine and the Meander Valley area.
As Deloraine Squash Club looks to the future with its new courts and growing membership, Youd remains confident in the club’s ability to thrive. “It’s been tough at times,” he admits, “but we’re getting back on track.” And now, with players like Jarrod and Caleb Atkins leading the charge, the future of squash in Deloraine looks brighter than ever.
