PLAYING CAREER - BARBARA COOPER

Barbara started playing squash at 19 years old, and became an English International in 1974 at the age of 24. She played squash for England and Great Britain from this time until 1987 when Barbara left to take up the squash coaching position at Mayfair Lakeshore Racquet and Fitness Club in Toronto. As Captain and Manager and Coach to the English Squash Team, she had a chance to experience top-level squash throughout the world.

Barbara holds 8 World Championships both in singles squash and doubles squash and is one of only 2 players to win World Doubles Squash Titles on different walls in the same Championships. One in the Mixed Doubles with Victor Harding and the other in the Women’s Doubles with Lolly Gillen.

She has won 12 Canadian Squash Championships, and has had the honour not only to be selected to play in the Pan-American Games, but has played for her adopted country Canada in the Squash World Championships in Guernsey in 1994.

She qualified as the only level V squash coach 1999. This book was instigated by that course and she has gone on to co-ordinate the level V squash coaching program through Squash Canada.

Her latest challenge has been to take on the role of National Coach to the Canadian Women’s Squash Team to compete in the Squash World Championships in Edmonton September 2006.