Captain's Tip: Nadia Luttmer

Nadia Luttmer (above left) has been playing in the T&D squash leagues since she was a junior at Executive Squash & Fitness. She has played in both the women's and men's T&D leagues. Currently, she plays out of Mayfair Lakeshore where she is the captain of the Women's A Team.As a T&D captain, I am passionate about the sport of Squash and Women’s Squash in particular! I love the competition and camaraderie that T&D creates. No matter what the day leading up to a night of T&D brings, I'm pumped up and ready to step on court every Tuesday night.Here is some general advice for Captains:

1. The captain is responsible for team leadership!
   • You set the tone and your passion and enthusiasm have a direct impact on your team. The time and energy you invest in building positive team spirit will pay back dividends both on and off court. Seeing your team commit and improve over the course of the season, while having a great time playing and practicing together, is one of the greatest rewards for a captain.
2. Keep every player engaged with regular feedback and open communication.
   • At the beginning of the season I ask every player to keep League Night open throughout the year and commit to squash 100%. I also ask them to notify me of any dates they are not available to play.
   • I send out the team playing schedule ahead of time so they know when they are playing and so that I can make any needed adjustments early.
   • I share weekly results with my extended team (including subs) in a short email recapping the night of play and setting the lineup for next week. I keep these emails brief and light.
   • I encourage players to share their winning strategies with the team and get involved in coaching one another as, often, the view from behind the glass adds perspective and you can learn a lot by observing others' games.
3. Promote training and internal competition for team positioning to encourage player development and motivate success
   • Team morale is super important and I think Captains should address this by having the team train and work hard together to feel good and to move up the rankings.
   • I encourage players to practice together, take private/group lessons, and share what they learn with the team.
   • If players are at a similar skill level, I encourage them to stay competitive by playing each other and keeping track of their wins/losses.
   • Tracking team successes and losses is equally important. This creates a visual for the players. Even if it's as simple as looking at their games and the scores at the end of the night so they understand how they are winning or losing.