Brother and sister Greg and Kirsty Lobban originally joined a club in Inverness to play tennis. A few years on and he is now the Scottish No.1 junior and she is the best in the land at under-15 level. The sport? Squash.

Kirsty celebrated this New Year by winning the Scottish Junior Open title in her age-group. It was a rare home success in a tournament that attracts gifted youngsters from all around the globe.   

Greg has just stepped up from under-17 level and is ready to embark on a heavy schedule on the European Junior circuit.  For both, the future in squash is exceedingly bright – and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 must be a terrific carrot of motivation.

“As far as my squash ambitions are concerned, it’s one step at a time,” said Greg, who is a sports coaching student at Inverness College. “I’m hoping to win the Scottish Junior title at under-19 level this season and then I want to play well in Europe.

“I reached No.13 as an under-17 player and I’ve now got a couple of seasons as an under-19. I’ve got a professional squash career in my mind, but you really have to get to the very top of the game to make money. And you can’t do it as a part-timer. You have to give it 100%.

“Kirsty and I both originally joined Inverness to play tennis. But there were far more squash players so we decided to make the switch.”

Greg and Kirsty, who is 13 and a second year pupil at Fortrose Academy, are coached by Robin Hamill at an Inverness Tennis and Squash Club that also produced the current Scottish No.1, Alan Clyne.

“Robert is great and it’s inspiring to see Alan (the current world No. 70) doing so well. I only vaguely remember Alan at the club because he was about 18 when I was starting out at 12. But it is a strong club and there are another good batch of juniors coming through.”

Greg and Kirsty are both members of the Heriot-Watt Squash Academy under the tutorship of National coach Roger Flynn and they travel regularly to Edinburgh to benefit from the intense training sessions. 

“We attend the Academy about once a month,” added Greg. “Mum (Carol) and Dad (Alan) are very good at driving us around to all the squash events. They both play, but they only took up the game after we started. “

Kirsty is also grateful that her teachers at Fortrose are sympathetic to her sporting commitments. “Everyone has been very supportive,” she said. “It was great to win the Scottish Junior Open at Christmas and now I’m looking forward to a good 2010. It’s nice to think I’m still young enough to defend the title at the end of the year.”

Greg is supported by the Highland Institute of Sport – Kirsty seems certain to join him when she reaches the required minimum age of 15 – and they train almost every day of the week.

“We have four to five sessions on court and then there is strength and conditioning and other off-court work,” explained Greg. “It is a big commitment, but it is worth it. “

As he says, it is very much one step at a time for the two talented teenagers. But the Lobban name seems set to be stamped on the Scottish squash scene for many years to come.

EB
© Copyright In The Winning Zone, MMX, All Rights Reserved