mr perfect

i could not agree more. too much pressure comes externally (parents, coaches) at too early an age. the concentration should be on developing skills, and having fun. the kids themselves want to win enough with parents getting in on the act.

for those interested (and most kids who play, are) there should be plenty of opportunities to improve skills with clinics and the like - not national championships or national rankings at a local level it is ok because the kids usually have a natural competitiveness which is perfectly healthy.

it keeps coming back to parents and coaches who often want to live out their dreams in their kids when they could never achieve it for themselves.

when they get to 15 or 16 yo then they can start to get more serious

and viper, in answer to your original question, i think rachael grinham was the last aussie  to win a junior world title. we really have not done too well at that level in some time. the last great male aussie era was chris robertson(coached by rippa rit) who with about another 6 others were all very similar in standard at the junior level - unusually, all but one went on to good pro careers.

not withstanding comments  from joe shaw who makes some good points, the level of coaching/knowledge in australia is extremely high and we know what it takes to make it big in the world of squash.

junior champions seldom transfer into adult champions for all sorts of reasons. Aussies usually start playing their best Squash after 25 years old.  when you look at the injury toll on younger players  who made it big early, i think this is the best way to do it.

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Yep Mr Perfect I can relate to that. 
This did happen in Aust in the 1980's too where kids as young as six were playing interclub, and going to courts each afternoon after school.  For example, Rachael Grinham, Joseph Kneipp, Craig Rowland, John White were top State and National ranked players at Under 13 (even though they were only 10/11 years old) so that is terrific dedication.
Presently, the new generation here, in the main,  do not enjoy the hard work, tough fitness required, practice, and do not want to give up their holiday time to attend coaching clinics.  Parents are also not so free with their money for coaching since the sport does not offer the $$$ (if their kid should just be lucky enough to make it) that, say, tennis does. 
We are now sounding like the poor relations!

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In Egypt joniors begin to play competitions under 11  (by competions i mean a real competitions every player wants to win  and every coach is coaching) i mean the players,coaches and parents don't look at it as it's for fun and they are still kids but they do their best and expect their kids to do their best too!! so we all can find that under 13 years is the best age for the egyptians in the british open and then the other players from another countries begin to compete them and on the long run we can't find lots of good egyptians playing psa (compared to the juniors) that's because of the player are put under pressure since very young age and because of the exhausting educational system too!

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Viper - see in the Squash News the rankings which gives an idea of the strength of the countries which will obviously transfer to the senior ranks.

•  It takes a country about six years of planning to lift their elite numbers.
•  Obviously Egypt is one country that has put a lot of muscle into their top rankings, and I do not know what policy they adopted, and how they recruited the talent, all of which will reflect  the depth within their ranks.
• There is always a cost factor too.

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