Juniors & Schools
Free State Schools Squash
Without schools squash there is no senior squash. Free State Schools Squash, working with the Association, looks after the broad base of learners and the small group who go on to represent the province and the country.
August 2026 · Pietermaritzburg
St Andrew's School, SA Top Schools champions
The St Andrew's boys went through the national Top Schools tournament unbeaten, beating Rondebosch 14–10 in section play, Midstream College 17–4 in the play-offs and defending champions Selborne College 16–8 in the final. It is the school's second Top Schools title. Eunice Girls' High finished third in the girls' section.
Squad: Dean Katzin (captain), Joshua van Zyl, Bryce Deutschmann, Diego Carreira, Dietrich Basnard and Liron Berelowitz. Coach Calvin Deutschmann, manager Margo Morgan.
Squash SA Junior Top 10 · Final, 15 September 2026
| Age group | Player | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| U17 boys | Cobus Schimper | 2 |
| U13 boys | Duvan du Toit | 3 |
| U17 girls | Keira Huang | 4 |
| U19 girls | Vivienne van der Schyff | 5 |
| U13 girls | Micke Prinsloo | 6 |
| U17 girls | Jasmaine Rust | 7 |
| U19 boys | Dean Katzin | 8 |
| U19 girls | Benedette van Tonder | 9 |
Eight Free State players in the national top ten across six age groups. Full Squash SA rankings (PDF). In 2025 Dean Katzin (U16 boys) and Jasmaine Rust (U14 girls) were ranked first in the SA Schools Top Ten.
Milestones from the last two seasons
- 2026World Juniors — Vivienne van der Schyff selected for the Squash SA World Juniors squad.
- Dec 2025SA Schools tour to Malaysia and Singapore — Dean Katzin and Cobus Schimper toured with SA Schools; Calvin Deutschmann appointed senior coach and manager of the tour.
- Aug 2025SA Junior Nationals, Cape Town — Dean Katzin SA U17 champion; Jasmaine Rust second in the U15 girls; Vivienne van der Schyff fifth in the U17 girls.
- Aug 2025SA Top Schools — St Andrew's (boys) and Eunice (girls) both fourth.
- Jun 2025SA Schools IPTs — eleven Free State teams entered; the U13 boys A team finished second in the A section.
- Mar 2025Hosting — Free State hosted the SACF event (55 teams), the U16 IPT (34 teams) and the Tecnifibre Bloem Junior Open (484 players), giving around 850 learners a tournament to play in.
Programmes
- Pitch n Play
- Saturday mornings, 09h00–11h30, in the first half of the year: an hour of coaching followed by 90 minutes of free play and match practice. Parents are welcome to join in.
- Squad training
- Provincial squad sessions under the regional coach from early May, ahead of the June interprovincials, with fitness, skills, team cohesion and marking and refereeing on the programme.
- Bloem Junior Open
- Held in early March across the Bloemfontein courts. Doubles as the Free State ranking ladder and selection event; players must be registered on SportyHQ to earn rankings.
- Schools programmes
- Grey College, St Michael's, Eunice and St Andrew's carry the bulk of schools squash in Bloemfontein, with growing U13 numbers. The next focus is the U11 age group.
- FS Sport Science Institute
- Provincial players can register online for free strength and conditioning support at the Institute.
Coaches
Regional coach Calvin Deutschmann (WSF Level 2) runs provincial squads and has managed several SA Schools tours. Michael Deutschmann qualified as a WSF Level 2 coach in 2025.
Coaching at schools and clubs is also carried by Tremayne McDonald, Monique de Gouveia, Michael van der Merwe, Kiran van Eeden, Greg Bell, Kobus van der Vyfer and Semano Mohapi, with Paul and Caroline Prinsloo in Parys.
Parents and players: junior communication goes out through the schools and the FS Squash WhatsApp community. Alcohol rules at school-hosted events are set by the Free State Department of Education and apply to everyone attending.