Liz Irving Part TWO
"Simply the best coach in the world" - Nicol David

HOW DOES IT WORK ...

It depends how long the girls are here for. It depends on how we set it up. If it’s full time, you don’t want to cram it all in, you’ve got time to go through your process, I’ve got a lot of other things to work on, they need their matches, they need their drill, their technical work, their physical work, their mental work, they need their recovery…

A lot of them are underestimating how much they need to work their week around, and how much rest and recovery they need, that’s the big one. It’s all about how you put the package together.

For the physical training, I have physical trainers at Squash City I can utilise, they are very capable of identifying weak areas in their bodies and how to address that. I can also develop programs for the physical side on the court, but I also encourage them to have a direct link to someone at home who can help and advise them as well, just working with their coach, I can work with their coach. If they come to me for three months, it doesn’t mean they drop everything at home!

We all work together, we communicate, I send a report. This is all about helping the player to keep moving forward, following up on some things that I find here that can help them, and as far as the physical side goes, if they’ve got a trainer back in their home, and if they want to come here with their own program, that’s absolutely fine. I can oversee the program, I can make sure that if they are missing something, or if they need to add something, I can get consultants to look at it.

THEIR CHOICE, THEIR DECISION...

A very important element, but they’ve got to learn to make their own decisions. That’s something very important. You don’t want them to be so reliant on you that they can’t function if you are not there. And sometimes they make the wrong decision, which you see is the wrong decision, but hey, they’ve got to learn from their mistakes, like we all do.

Still, when I mean business, I mean business. When I set a task, I want them to do it. So I’m not saying “oh, it’s up to you if you want to do it or not”. This is the task I set, and that’s it.

Now, how they want to work their life around that, if they’re going to go round things the wrong way, a way that’s going to affect their squash, then, I’ll talk to them, and help, and advise them. But they have basically to make their own choices, don’t they.

You take on a mental role as well, I’m a coach mentor… Having been there, done it for a long time, you know and understand things that they may not be aware of. You can always advise them on every level to hopefully make good decisions for themselves.

Working with Frank
by Nicol David

I’ve been working with Frank for three years plus.

I can play squash and do my own stuff, but I don’t really know how I function really, I can analyse my game of squash but I can’t analyse myself. Talking with Frank allows me to break down elements, he questions me, to help me understand.

This way, my mind is a bit clearer, and when I go on court I can be fully focused. It doesn’t mean that I can achieve that every time I get on court, but it allows me to understand myself better, both emotionally and professionally. It’s tough, it’s up to you to accept it or not. And that made such a big difference for me.

Also the way I’m approaching my training, using different techniques to get through my focus, my preparation for tournaments.. it’s a big learning experience. The interesting part is now I’m really on a self discovery path. Sometimes, we feel that we know things just by thinking about it, but it has to be said. It has to be questioned.

It’s like doing training, it’s like doing exercises, we have to express ourselves… You can actually put yourself in a place where, ok, I know this is happening to me, I am also getting older, what to expect as you are changing, you want to expect different things for yourself, and also different kind of pressure, and having Frank involved was for me a turning point.

Name: Liz Irving
Born: February 7, 1965
Place of Birth: Brisbane
Resides: Amsterdam
Highest world ranking: 2 (1998)

Liz Irving won four consecutive women’s world team titles in the 1990s as part of one of the greatest Australian teams in any sport in any period.

Irving, born in Brisbane on February 7, 1965, won nine titles on the women’s professional tour during a distinguished career, beginning with the Irish Open in 1991 and ending in Malaysia in 1997. That figure would have been far greater if she hadn’t had the “misfortune” of playing in the same era as the great Michelle Martin, who she always seemed to come up against in major finals.

Irving finished runner-up to Martin at the 1993 World Open, the 1994 and 1995 British Opens and the Australian Opens of 1991, 1993 and 1994. But when she and Martin played alongside each other in the Australian team they were almost unbeatable. In 1990, they finished runners-up to England, and unbeaten for the next four editions when they were joined by fellow Hall of Fame member Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Robyn Lambourne (1992) and Carol Owens (1994 and 1998).

Irving won the mixed doubles titles at the inaugural World Doubles Squash Championships in 1997 with Dan Jenson. Since retiring as a player, Irving has settled in Amsterdam, where she coaches a number of top international women players, including world number one Nicol David.

Career Highlights

1992, 94, 96, 98 Women’s World Team Champion
1991 Irish Open
1995 Malaysian Open
1993 Australian Junior Champion