Squash Canada is pleased to announce the National Junior Circuit (NJC) schedule for 2023-2024.
The Circuit is designed for High Performance juniors in the U15, U17 and U19 age categories in the “Train to Train” and “Train to Compete” stages of the Long-Term Development model that have graduated through provincial/territorial and/or regional pathways and are now competing at the national level. The NJC rankings will be used to select athletes for events such as World Junior, Pan Am Junior, and Battle of Border teams, as well as for International Event endorsements (USJO, BJO, etc.).
The NJC ranking system runs in tandem with the existing Canadian junior rankings based upon Club Locker ratings, which recognize all eligible Canadian juniors including U13 and U11 categories. Juniors therefore have two opportunities to be ranked: amongst all Canadian juniors, and then how they rank against other top juniors who are vying for international selection.
Athletes must play a minimum of three NJC events to obtain a ranking over a 12-month period and will be awarded points based on their finishing position. An average of the best three results during that period will be calculated for each athlete, which will include carrying points up and down age categories at a specified ratio. A full policy, point allocations, and educational pieces will be published in August 2023 for athletes, coaches, parents, and other stakeholders to get familiarized with the system. When launched, the program will include results from the 2022-23 National Junior Circuit as a baseline. Additionally, the Squash Canada Junior Athlete Pathway Committee and High-Performance Committee will continue to evaluate the system throughout the 2023-2024 season.
2023-2024 National Junior Circuit events:
- September 29th – October 1st, 2023: Ontario Gold 1 @ Venue TBA; Greater Toronto Area, ON
- November 3rd – 5th, 2023: Alberta Jesters @ Calgary Winter Club; Calgary, AB
- December 9th – 12th, 2023: Canadian Junior Open @ The Club at White Oaks; Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
- February 16th – 18th, 2024: Pacific NorthWest Jesters @ Cedar Hill Recreation Center; Victoria, BC
- April 5th – 7th, 2024: Ontario Junior Open @ The Club at White Oaks; Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
- May 2nd – 5th, 2024: Canadian Junior Closed @ Venue TBA, AB
