Tia Oster hits the ball off the back wall, practising.

The 13-year-old was cramming in shots her coach, Squash Yukon pro Eng Khoon Chua, had taught her before she and 12 other members of the junior development squad head to Vancouver for the Evergreen Squash Tournament from Oct. 22-24.

Chua's main focus in training this week at the Better Bodies courts was to improve the players' length game.

"It's important for any game – badminton, squash – you have to hit the ball all the way to the back, that's one of the most basic things in squash,” he said.

Oster and many of her teammates will be heading to their first tournament outside of the Yukon.

"I'm kind of nervous,” Oster said. "Here, I know so many people, so that I can predict how they're going to play. But in Vancouver, it's going to be totally different, so it's going to be kind of scary.”

She's been playing squash for more than two years, and because game time can be scarce, she will come to the courts herself at times to hit the ball around.

Last weekend, however, Oster and members of Squash Yukon got a chance to get in some game time in the Get the Rust Out tournament in the lead up to Vancouver.

"I feel so prepared, and then when I see (my opponent)…I just try to read how they play, and if I see them play before me, I'll just concentrate on how they play and try to find their weak points, and use those,” Oster said, adding, "I try to make people run.”

Having Chua's expertise doesn't hurt either.

Earlier this season Squash Yukon enlisted Chua to help revitalize the sport at all levels.

Oster is noticing improvements in her game already.

"He's taught me a lot, he's a good coach,” she said, adding that she's starting to focus on her length game.

Brian Marcyniuk is in the same boat as Oster, having never traveled Outside to face unknown competition.

The 17-year-old has been playing squash for more than a year.

The expectations he's putting on himself for Vancouver are simple.

"To have fun, to play my best and represent the Yukon,” he said.

"I feel that I'm prepared; I feel that I could be a little more prepared, but I'm as ready as I'll ever be.”

Chua agreed that it's best to keep expectations simple.

"We're not expecting a lot, but the main thing is that the students get experience, and I think maybe some of them are going to do well,” Chua said.

"Being away from home and in an environment where there is competition outside

of the territory, people from different places, I think that's going to be good.”

Squash Yukon encouraged all junior players to go to Vancouver for the tournament, and all but one will be competing.

The Yukon contingent may be far behind players from British Columbia, but that's understandable with the population gap, Chua said.

"It's going to be fun as well for the kids,” he added.

The team heading to Vancouver is as follows:

1. Shermaine Chua

2. Stephen Grundmanis

3. Graydon McDonnell

4. Logan Harris

5. Coleman Newell

6. Sophia Flather

7. Kelly Panchyshyn

8. Anna Jacobsen

9. Tia Oster

10. Zain Syed

11. Mustafa Syed

12. Brian Marcyniuk

13. Kai Knorr