When 44 year old Leckie Dow was told he was going to be made redundant he made a career decision that would change his life. Leckie was working in outdoor advertising, spending most week days driving up and down busy main arterial routes in and around London looking for locations to site commercial billboards/advertising signs.
After a couple of very difficult years, the outdoor advertising industry hit rock bottom in late 2008, just prior to the global recession that we are now experiencing. Unfortunately for Leckie his services were no longer required and he lost his job.
This misfortune actually provided an opportunity for Leckie to follow a dream and he remained very positive and upbeat. “I called England Squash & Racketball and asked how I could get involved in coaching. I took my Level 1 and Level 2 squash coaching qualifications and my goal was to become a full time coach” Leckie explained.
But why squash?
“At school I was very sporting minded and I loved virtually every sport I tried. I even had trials for Leicestershire at Badminton. I didn’t get the chance to try squash at school and it was my older brother that introduced me to the great game during my late teens. I instantly fell in love with squash and thought the sport has everything.”
Leckie has been playing for 25 years now, mostly un-coached. He now feels the time is right to give something back to the sport. “I never set out thinking one day I’ll be a coach but my goal now is to deliver squash & racketball to the wider society and get as many new participants onto our courts as possible.”
Leckie currently coaches at Melton Mowbray Leisure Centre in Leicestershire, assists Gordon Hill at The Park, Nottingham Squash Rackets Club and also delivers Racketball sessions for England Squash & Racketball in the East Midlands at 3 separate locations. He is a member of Grantham Squash Club in Lincolnshire and will shortly be promoting Racketball to both new and existing members.
“I’ve managed to secure funding from my Local Authority and I’m currently running 3 beginner Racketball courses with 3 more due to start in February. I’ve also got funding for coaching in Schools and currently coach Mini Squash to around 70-80 school children a week. Most of these children would never get introduced to squash, so it’s very rewarding to be able to give them that opportunity to try the sport."
One of Leckie’s highlights to date is helping out (when he can) with the junior coaching at The Park, Nottingham. “Assisting Gordon (Hill) is such a privilege. I’ve learnt a lot from working with Gordon and his assistants in a relatively short time. We usually coach around 40-50 children on a Saturday morning. It’s a fantastic environment to work in and great to see so many children at such a young age want to be involved in the sport. Who knows, there might just be a future World Champion in the making!”
Head of Coach Education, Gayle Kerrison, said: “Leckie is a fine example of the aim of the UK coaching certificate which is to professionalise coaching. Hopefully other coaches will follow Leckie’s example.”
So what’s next in line for Leckie Dow?
“I’ve just joined Rushcliffe Squash Club and I’m driving the Mini Squash forward there. We’re running a 10 week course for the juniors and already have 10 newcomers to the sport which is very pleasing. My diary is getting busier which is very good news.
“My goal is to one day take my Level 3 qualification but I need to keep coaching and gain lots more experience before I’m ready for that. I want to continue with Mini Squash in the schools as we need to introduce our wonderful sport to as many young children as possible. I will carry on with my one on one coaching at Club Level and I also want to help promote Racketball to a much wider audience. This sport is so much fun to play and I think there is massive potential for it to become very popular. I will give it my best shot!
“I’d recommend my job to anyone that loves the sport. At present my income isn’t particularly high but as I spread my wings I will hopefully get more and more work. The job satisfaction is right up there though – its sky high. I get to go onto a squash court everyday to do something I really love – I don’t perceive my coaching as a job. It’s more like a hobby.”
If you have access to Facebook then check out Leckie’s Group page “Squash & Racketball Coaching with Leckie Dow.”