Coach Scott Devoy in NZ for squash world junior champs

Rotorua-born coach of the US national under-19 squash team, Scott Devoy.

Coaching squash at a cricket club in the United States has sparked an exciting trip home for Scott Devoy.

Devoy, 40, is coach of the United States national team, whose members are battling beyond the round of 32 in the world junior championships.

The son of Dame Susan's oldest brother Brendan, Devoy has been coaching in clubs in the US for about 14 years.

Growing up in Rotorua, Devoy "played squash and any other sport going" as a kid. He found that he liked squash better than others.

He was "always an all-rounder" at cricket, he said, and turned out for the occasional game among ex-pats at Merion Cricket Club, near Philadelphia, where he coaches squash.

The club was founded in 1865 and its sporting interests have expanded to include tennis, squash, and croquet, among other codes.

He spent several weekends a year working with members of the national team.

Devoy's squash coaching career was given a boost by his uncle Mark Devoy, who initially coached the sport in New York city. Mark Devoy has since moved to coach at Cornell University.

Three of Dame Susan's sons were studying in the US, two played squash, and Devoy caught up with them for holiday weekends such as Thanksgiving, he said.

One of Devoy's charges is the US under-19 No 1 player, 14-year-old Marina Stefanoni.

She will meet an English opponent, Jasmine Hutton, in the round of 32.

Stefanoni beat Hutton in this tournament last year, so hopes were high to advance into the quarter-finals.

Devoy was excited to be able to showcase New Zealand to some of his charges.

"They hear me talking about New Zealand a lot, so it's great to get the chance to show them around," he said.

He planned to show them Rotorua's sights after the tournament ended on July 29.

Some young players have family members joining them for trips around the country, he said.

"I've been to six of these world championships and, I can honestly say, the opening ceremony on Tuesday night was the best one I have been to," Devoy said.

His wife will join him on July 26 and he will be staying on for a few weeks, to catch up with family around New Zealand.

"It's four-and-a-half years since I've been home so I'm keen to spend time visiting friends and relations," he said.

It is summer break in the US now and Devoy finds, like rugby in New Zealand, the squash season was lengthening.

"We used to start in October and it'd be over by March but now it starts in August and runs until April."

Meanwhile, Stefanoni is quietly confident. She said she has been playing squash since she was 9.

"I used to play soccer and always scored lots of goals," she said.

"In the end, the [soccer] coach told me I wasn't to score any more. So I decided to play an individual sport rather than a team game."

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