Holding Court

The sky’s the limit for squash talent and Member Ren Makino.

There was a time when the Sky Pool was Ren Makino’s second home.

It’s where he first competed with the Club’s junior swim team. But then his father introduced an 8-year-old Ren to the Club’s squash courts. Everything changed.

“What makes squash a great sport is that it is really fun and anyone can play,” says Ren, now 14. “I quickly realized that if you run really hard, you can keep up, even if you are a beginner.”

Since Ren first picked up a racket, he has steadily climbed Japan’s junior rankings, winning the under-17 division of the All-Japan Junior Squash Championships in March.

In a country where squash is far from a mainstream sport, the Club’s top-class facilities, competitive leagues and supportive community proved galvanizing factors in Ren’s early years on the court.

“When I was a beginner and would be practicing by myself, many of the Members would come play with me and give me tips,” Ren says. “I especially want to thank Richard [Kenny], George [Antonides], Trevor [Brewster] and Yohay [Wakabayashi], as they really helped me become the player I am today.”

The Club’s cadre of pros, including Peter Amaglio, Rico Cheung and Ayumi Watanabe, has also guided the young player in his development. It was Hitoshi Ushiogi, a former Japan squash champion, who gave Ren his first lesson.

“[Ushiogi] taught me the fundamentals of squash and encouraged me to play competitively,” says Ren. “Since I knew Ushiogi-san won the All-Japan Squash Championships over 10 times, it gave me a lot of confidence.”

The veteran coach sees plenty of potential in the American School in Japan eighth grader.

“What I also like about Ren is his fitness, the calmness in his play and his openness to advice,” Ushiogi says. “If he continues to improve at this level, he can definitely become a professional player.”

It’s Ren’s dedication to practice and fitness training that enabled him to finish 11th from a field of 128 players in his under-15 category at last year’s US Junior Open Squash Championships, the largest junior competition in the world.

That “favorite squash moment” was followed by his all-Japan win and a final-16 finish at the All-Japan Squash Championships.

Though Ren has undoubtedly proven himself on the court, he admits to still feeling the pressure on match days.

“I think everybody feels pressure and it’s a completely normal thing,” he says. “But usually, after the first game, I start to relax more and am able to play my game…and the losses inspire me to work and train harder.”

While Ren dreams of one day playing for Japan’s national team, he doesn’t let his ambitions obscure the work ahead of him.

“But as of now,” he says, “I am mainly just focusing on improving my squash game and remembering to appreciate everyone who has supported me along the way.”