Mount Pleasant Junior Squash Programme: Building Irish Squash, One Generation at a Time
In junior sport, success is often measured by trophies, rankings and results. But the very best programmes are defined by something deeper — culture, care, consistency, and the ability to develop not only elite players, but confident, resilient young people.
For nearly two decades, the Mount Pleasant Junior Squash Programme has quietly embodied exactly that.
Founded in 2007 at Mount Pleasant Lawn Tennis Club, the programme has grown into one of Ireland’s most respected junior squash environments — not through scale or spectacle, but through integrity, expertise and unwavering commitment to development.
With just three courts, a volunteer-led coaching structure, and a player-centred philosophy, Mount Pleasant has proven that excellence is not built by facilities alone — but by people.
A Community of 63 Futures
Today, the programme supports 63 active junior players, aged 4 to 19, delivering over 15 hours of structured group coaching every week — all driven by volunteers who give their time, knowledge and energy purely for the benefit of the next generation.
The programme operates across five carefully designed stages:
Mini → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Elite
Each level represents far more than ability. It reflects physical readiness, emotional maturity, learning style and long-term potential. No child is rushed. No player is boxed in. Every journey is individual.
This is not a conveyor belt — it is a pathway.
A Philosophy Built on Evidence, Not Ego
At the heart of Mount Pleasant lies a modern, progressive coaching philosophy rooted in evidence-based practice, using principles from the Constraints Led Approach (CLA) alongside decades of practical coaching experience.
Learning is:
- Player-centred
- Problem-solving driven
- Game-based
- Adaptable
- Designed for real competitive environments
Rather than instructing players what to do, coaches guide players to discover, adapt, and own their development. The result? Juniors who think, feel and compete with intelligence and confidence.
This philosophy does not chase short-term wins. It builds long-term performers.
A Coaching Team of Rare Depth
Mount Pleasant’s greatest strength may well be its coaching team — a group that blends elite playing experience, academic insight, and modern coaching excellence.
- Henry Gillanders – WSF Level 3, MSc Sports Psychology
- Angus Kirkland – England Level 3, Former World No.19
- Scott Gillanders – WSF Level 3
- Andrew Gillespie – WSF Level 2
- Riley Slade – WSF Level 1
- Sara Sabry – WSF Level 1
Together, they create a multi-layered learning environment that supports technical, tactical, physical and psychological development — something rarely achieved so seamlessly in junior sport.
Just as importantly, they coach with humility, care, patience and belief.
Proven on the International Stage
Mount Pleasant juniors have repeatedly shown that the programme’s philosophy works — not only in Ireland, but on the world stage.
Among their achievements:
-
European Team Silver Medals:
Scott Gillanders, Denis Gilevskiy, Jack O’Flynn - British Junior Open Champion (U13)
-
British Junior Open Runner-Up (U15)
Denis Gilevskiy -
US University Scholarships:
Denis Gilevskiy – Harvard
Jack O’Flynn – Yale
Sean Murphy – Drexel
Alongside these, many Mount Pleasant players have represented Ireland at junior level, won national titles, and progressed into elite international competition.
Yet what stands out most is not the medals — but the consistency.
Mount Pleasant doesn’t produce one success story. It produces generations.
A Model of Inclusion and Balance
With an approximate 45/55 male-female ratio, Mount Pleasant stands proudly as a model of equality, accessibility and opportunity in junior squash.
Every child matters. Every pathway is valid. Every dream is supported.
Whether a player’s goal is international representation, university scholarships, national titles or simply a lifelong love for the game — Mount Pleasant provides the environment to pursue it.
More Than a Programme — An Ecosystem
Mount Pleasant Junior Squash is built on reciprocity.
Players benefit from countless volunteer hours, professional-level facilities, and dedicated mentorship. In return, they are taught to give back — to inspire, support, lead and contribute to the community that raised them.
This culture of loyalty, humility and responsibility ensures that the programme does not just survive — it evolves.
It is an ecosystem.
The True Measure of Success
From three courts in Dublin to podiums across Europe, from beginner Minis to Ivy League scholars, from nervous first rallies to confident international performances — Mount Pleasant has quietly built something extraordinary.
Not by chasing attention.
Not by copying trends.
But by believing in people.
The Mount Pleasant Junior Squash Programme is not just shaping players.
It is shaping futures.
And Irish squash is stronger because of it.