Four youngsters from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro got the opportunity of a lifetime to compete and train with England’s best squash players and coaches — and even watch Novak Djokovic on Centre Court at Wimbledon!
Beatrice Morais (12), Lucas Reis (13), Lucas Kersting (14) and Renan D’Oliveira (17) are part of the Squashinhos urban squash and education project run by Anna-Rose Lee, who is part of Britain’s well-known Lee squash family (she is Danny’s daughter and Charlie and Joe’s sister).
Since Anna-Rose founded Squashinhos in 2016 with her partner, Brazilian ex-pro Roni Duarte (who she met while volunteering at the Rio Olympics), the project has supported thousands of kids from Rio’s impoverished and dangerous favelas.
Squashinhos offers disadvantaged kids access to squash training and education support at Rio Squash Club, giving them the skills, discipline and opportunities that help divert them from crime, violence, drugs and prostitution that are prevalent in their local community.
“It really does change their lives,” co-founder Anna-Rose tells Squash Player. “Many girls in these communities get pregnant in their teens and a lot of the boys go into drug trafficking or very low-income jobs. There are simply no other options for people without a proper education.
“The schools don’t have sports facilities and many of the girls have never even run in their lives. They just don’t have opportunities — but squash shows them that there is more to life and leads them down a much better path.”
Squashinhos works with around 100 children at any one time. Some ascend to national and South American rankings, some go on to get coaching roles (several have gone full circle and become coaches on the Squashinhos programme) and others use its academic programmes, social connections and nurturing environment as a springboard to success in other areas such as internships, scholarships or further education.
Earlier this summer, four of Squashinhos most promising players were chosen to fly across the Atlantic for a packed week of training and competition with some of England’s most renowned players and coaches, organised by Anna-Rose’s father Danny Lee.
Former world top 30 player Danny is a renowned coach at Reigate Squash Club and St George’s Hill in London and long-time promoter of the Optasia Championships. He used his extensive squash connections to organise events all over the country for the Brazilian touring party.
During their tour, the kids had coaching sessions with luminaries of British squash including:
– Gina Kennedy’s coach Ben Ford at Bexley Squash Club
– England’s rising star Jonah Bryant under the watchful eye of Rob Owen in Devon
– The Selby family (including ex world no.10 Daryl) at Off the Wall Squash’s base in Colchester
– Current pro Miles Jenkins at the exclusive St George’s Hill Club in Surrey
– Stacey Ross, Director of Squash at the Wimbledon Club
– Joe Lee at The Oakwood, an exclusive club in Surrey
Away from intense days on the squash court, they also had a more leisurely day on the most famous tennis court in the world. Through Danny’s contacts at Wimbledon Squash Club, he secured tickets for the Wimbledon Championships, where the Squashinhos kids watched Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner on Centre Court.
The Squashinhos foursome also competed in an England Squash Bronze junior event at Charing Cross Sports Club, in which Lucas Kersting won the BU15 title. A fundraising golf day at Pyrford Lakes Golf Club also raised over £5,000 for the Squashinhos project.
“Seeing them at Wimbledon was quite emotional,” said Danny. “The kids had never been outside of South America before, so to get a succession of experiences like this was quite incredible for them.”
Anna-Rose added: “Since we’ve got back, I’ve already noticed big changes in their attitude. They were fascinated by everything they saw in England and really had their horizons widened. They want to become fluent in English, they’re even more committed in training and curious about new opportunities.”
The four juniors on the London trip, and the rest of the Squashinhos participants back home, have every incentive to strive for greatness on the squash court: the Brazilian government offers grants for players who win junior national championships in many different sports, including squash. It isn’t a huge amount, but for the handful of Squashinhos players who have achieved it, it’s already more than their parents’ salary.
Squashinhos gives its young participants a platform to achieve in all areas of their lives; in squash, in academia, employment, as well as fostering positive mental and physical health.
“It really does work!” says Anna-Rose. “We’re able to bring them to Rio Squash Club and show them a different world to the favelas. They meet different kids and come out of that living environment.
“It gives them things to aspire to, which doesn’t happen often in the communities they come from, and puts them on a completely different path.”
