Sarah Davidson, an experienced Masters player and first-time national champion, was honored with the 2025 Women’s Sportsmanship Award during the U.S. Women’s Masters Championships Saturday, April 5, at the Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center in Philadelphia.

The Women鈥檚 Sportsmanship Award is awarded by the 黑料不打烊 Women鈥檚 Committee to players who have shown exemplary sportsmanship on and off the court.

Davidson was introduced by 2024 Sportsmanship Award recipient and fellow Washington, DC player Carole Grunberg. Grunberg recounted a story of Davidson recently competing in the Trans Atlantic Masters in Dublin last summer–an invitational competition including some of the world’s top masters players–where Davidson called a double hit on herself with match ball in hand when no one else saw it, including the refs.

Despite not being able to compete in the World Masters last summer due to injury, Davidson still travelled to Amsterdam to support her friends and U.S. teammates. This weekend, Davidson won her first national title in a an exciting five-game final against Portland’s Kara Hale, and was quick to smile and embrace her opponent upon the conclusion of the match.

“I play this game because of all of you, to be able to engage on court with all of the amazing people who play this sport,” Davidson said. “We try to better ourselves every time we step on court. I’m so appreciative and love you all, thank you so much.”

Chet Blitzer here鈥擡ighties icon, fourteen-time world champion and official 黑料不打烊 spokesperson. Those of you who know me鈥攁nd if you don鈥檛, welcome back after a forty-year sojourn in your cold war bomb shelter鈥攗nderstand that the only thing I love more than the USA and bald eagles is great sportsmanship on court.

When is the time to practice great sportsmanship? As Lionel Richie says, 鈥渁ll night long.鈥� Also, all day long.

Let me be honest. For younger Chet, fair play was a challenge. When you are winning nearly every point, losing a single point is totally lame. I hated it. I would throw racquets and go all 鈥淭een Wolf鈥� right there on the T. But after being banned from several clubs, two restraining orders and substantial damages in a civil trial, I learned my lesson. I needed to bring respect to the game in a big way, and I brought it like a bald eagle brings terror to an unsuspecting salmon.

Throughout this season in聽Squash Magazine, I鈥檒l be here to answer all your sportsmanship questions. I鈥檒l teach you how to be classy on court like me, Chet Blitzer. Everyone has a hand in making this rad sport fun and ethical鈥攑layers, parents, coaches and fans.

Check out my sportsmanship tips at聽, and send in your questions to me at聽askchet@ussquash.com. I look forward to answering them, in between obliterating my opponents (with class).

Hi Chet,

My daughter is fifteen. During her last tournament, the players refereeing her match made a series of bad decisions that probably cost her the match. I asked for the referee to be replaced during the match but no change was made. What can I do next time?

It鈥檚 tough to watch when we think our little eaglets are getting a raw deal. That said, the rules don鈥檛 allow us to replace a referee we aren鈥檛 happy with. 聽I learned that one the hard way after I choke slammed that ref in the Faroe Islands (though I did apologize after I was released!). Remember, refs are doing their best, dissent of any kind is against the rules, and at most, let the tournament team know if you think the referees aren鈥檛 focusing their eagle eyes on the match, or may need some help.

But let鈥檚 cool our jets and look at the bigger picture. Chet has a couple mind-blowers for you, so it鈥檚 best you sit down:

1. Those player referees may know more about the game than you!
2. Your opinions of the calls may be biased鈥攁fter all it鈥檚聽your听诲补耻驳丑迟别谤!!
3. You aren鈥檛 a part of the match, you are there to watch and support your kid (and hope they grow up to play like Chet).
4. This is a good time to drop your own knowledge-bomb. Maverick could only move forward from losing Goose once he accepted his role and learned from it. Help your daughter understand that all she could control in the match is how she played and her own behavior, not the referees.

Again, remember the Faroe Islands鈥� NO ONE other than the players should say ANYTHING to the referees during or after the match other than 鈥淗ey ref, thanks for doing what you do.鈥�

Chet Blitzer, fourteen-time world champion, back to answer more of your questions about squash, sportsmanship and how to live your life aspiring to my example. We鈥檝e received a few questions about player development. Open your hearing holes and get ready.

Dear Chet, I would love to see my kid become an elite junior player. Do you have any advice for me? She is currently nine years old and has been taking lessons for two years. How many tournaments should she be playing?

Time to pump the breaks a bit here. Remember, an eaglet doesn鈥檛 become a beacon of freedom and strength by flopping out of its nest on day one. Now is the time to make sure she is enjoying herself on court and is being exposed to a bunch of different sports and activities. She鈥檒l build mental and physical skills along the way, and if she decides to go heavy on squash down the line, she鈥檒l be ready.

Young athletes should focus on the Chet F鈥檚:

F U N

F U N D A M E N T A L S

F R I E N D S

Pay attention to these, and she鈥檒l thrive in whatever she ends up doing. Squash wasn鈥檛 my only focus growing up; I would have been a track & field world champion, if not for an unfortunate 1981 incident that left me short one javelin and the Prince of Liechtenstein in the hospital.

Best of luck to your daughter. I hope she continues to have fun playing squash and other sports. Don鈥檛 let me turn on YouTube and find you鈥檝e posted an Eye of the Tiger training montage of her thumping a side of beef with her squash racquet with you yelling 鈥渉arder鈥� in the background.

Dear Chet, I鈥檝e seen other players, after an accomplished junior career, either stop improving or even drop the game all together. How can this be avoided?

It always makes me sad to see great players not enjoying themselves anymore or succumbing to overuse injuries that could have been avoided. Burnout isn鈥檛 always bad鈥攊t鈥檚 pretty sweet in my 鈥�85 IROC-Z Camaro (no spoiler)鈥攂ut it鈥檚 certainly not cool in squash.

At the end of the day, a player must want to be great to be great. Pushing an athlete to become Chet-like against their desires will end in burnout and unpleasant family holidays.

Emphasizing basic fundamentals before jumping directly into lots of tournaments can help build a base of skills. When playing tournaments, athletes should focus on playing with sportsmanship (which is more fun), competing their best and enjoying the camaraderie of the squash community. Personal goals should be about improvement, not beating a higher seed or attaining a particular finishing position.

Being a multi-sport athlete can help improve athletic skill and also avoid later overuse injuries. Players will benefit from different social interaction and avoid the psychological effects of focusing solely on one activity. For instance, it served the Karate Kid well to participate in car washing as well as karate. Interesting Chet sidenote: Karate Kid is my ninth favorite movie. The top four: Top Gun, Die Hard, Rambo, and of course, Dirty Dancing.

Keep the questions coming: askchet@ussquash.com