The aim was to gain some much-needed experience.

Maybe pick up a win or two.

The Squash Yukon contingent that competed in the Evergreen Junior Squash Tournament in north Vancouver over the weekend exceeded coach Khoon Chua's expectations.

But there's always work to be done.

The Yukon's Zain Syed was the boys under-17 B winner, while Mustafa Syed won the boys U15 B category and Logan Harris won in the U13 B.

The tournament was also attended by the top players in British Columbia and Seattle in the open category.

Squash Yukon competitors in the top tier, however, failed to reach the top three in the open events.

"The players that played in the open, I think they played reasonably well,” Chua said. "Based on (the competition) I think they did quite good. But we have to put in more effort to catch up with those players.

"Our players that played in the B divisions did very well,” he added.

For the open players, reaching the highest level will take extra-hours training.

Twice each week won't cut it, Chua said.

"Those two days a week are not enough for them to improve,” he said. "Twice a week in a club setting, there's a limit to how much they can improve. So we tell them you have to practice yourselves. Like in any other game, you have to train at least four or five times a week…in order to improve.”

But those players that put in the extra time leading up to the B.C. tourney set them apart from the lot, he noted.

"The results show the effort they put in. Other coaches in B.C. are impressed with their performances.”

Particularly Mustafa Syed, who caught the eye of other coaches at the tournament, Chua pointed out.

"He impressed some of the coaches with his ability, his agility and his speed, he's got good potential,” Chua said.

These attributes are what top players in the open categories exhibit.

"I think it's quite evident at the open level, the good players in Whitehorse, they don't hit as hard and the pace of the game is different from those top players in B.C.”

The club will train twice each week to prepare for the upcoming Squash tournament in Calgary next month.

At the end of the day, Chua added, "Nothing can replace experience.”