At only 13 years of age Lloyd Edmonds is already playing squash at senior level for the Meads Leisure Centre and is ranked in the top ten for Wales in his age group, as Bill Carne discovered when he met up with Lloyd and his father Paul for a chat . . .

At 13 years of age Lloyd Edmonds is certainly beginning to make a name for himself in the world of squash as he is a regular member of the junior squash team at the Meads Leisure Centre in Milford Haven which competes in the senior league and is doing very well.

He is joined by big brother Tomos. Kieron John, Joseph Davies and Alfie Wheeler in that team and in the three years since he first started out has made such progress is quietly confident that he can beat his father Paul by 15-0 almost every time they play!

He started out in a family knockabout on court at the Meads and both were invited to join a new junior squash club to be started by the highly enthusiastic Peter Crook, and hasn't looked back since as he has been ranked highly in Wales in a younger category and is still doing very nicely, thank you very much, despite having to move up an age group and is now the youngest in his current category.

A measure of his ability can be gauged from the fact that after starting with a second-hand racquet but now he is sponsored by the Harrow Company which is highly regarded for racquets and other kit, so that he doesn't have to worry about squash equipment anymore!

Since the time he joined Peter's new group he has been fully committed to the cause as one of only two players who are still left after starting out and is entering competitions up the line now to gain ranking points.

"I'm in the South Wales Academy," Lloyd told us, "and I’ve just moved up an age group in the Welsh squad so I have to gain ranking points. The Welsh Junior Open is held at Cardiff Squash Racquets Club in mid-October and almost straight after that there is the Newport Open, the Welsh Junior Closed in Cardiff and the Powys Junior Open so I'm hoping to be taking part in them so that I can climb the rankings list."

It is nice to report that Lloyd also has other sporting interests, not least in life saving, where he is training towards his Bronze Medal - and has been involved in gymnastics at Milford Haven with Andy Grey.

"It's been great helping me with flexibility for my squash," admitted Lloyd, "and I can do back flips on the trampoline at home - and I'm not far off completing a double somersault, although I still have to work on my landing!"

He also shares a love of high-diving with big brother Tomos and would love to go on a course so he could build on the skills he has honed off The Point at Little Haven and at The Blue Lagoon near Abereiddy - and to round things off nicely he enjoys kayaking around the coast and has played rugby as a try-scoring winger under the guidance of Mr Gethin Vobe and Mr Marc Lloyd at Ysgol y Preseli!

Ask Lloyd about his squash strong points and even at his young age he would say that his speed around the court is a major asset, which can catch people off guard.

But he can also assess the areas in which he needs to improve, like making sure he focusses throughout a match and doesn't lose concentration.

He told us,

"I reached the final of the Swansea Open for my age group and after playing well all day I reached the final against a top-seeded player and did well to go two sets in front - but perhaps I thought I had the game won and relaxed because he clawed my way back and I lost 3-2!"

Lloyd is the youngest of the five young players who make up the Meads Leisure Centre Junior Squash team, which last year entered the Pembrokeshire Squash League second division and took on senior players from as far afield as Newcastle Emlyn, Cardigan, Narberth, Fishguard and Pembroke.

At the start of the campaign the quintet comprising Alfie Wheeler, Kieran John, Tomos Edmonds, Joseph Davies and Lloyd as the youngest competitor and regularly playing at No 5, found it very hard going early on and some of the opposition queried whether such a junior team should be involved against experienced adult players.

In their first match, against the Teifi Squash Club, the team trailed 4-0 when Lloyd went on court and surprised everyone, except himself, by winning 3-2.

But the youngsters really perked up as they gained in experience and in the second half of the season produced results which might indicate they can aim for even more success in this new year - and what was interesting was the way that the opposition's attitudes changed as they were treated as useful squash players, rather than just a few kids!

It is fitting reward for lots of hard work with Peter Crook, who was quick to praise Lloyd's willingness to work.

"Lloyd is always ready to listen to advice and practice new techniques on court - and as he grows in strength so his results will improve even further.

"He is a pleasure to have in our squad and is an example to other youngsters beginning to break through."

High praise indeed from someone who knows his squash players!

It is fitting reward for Lloyd's commitment, which, along with brother Tomos, is shown wherever they are, like when parents Paul and Anwen recently took them on holiday to Canada and a Google search revealed that the nearest squash courts were two hours away - but Mum and Dad were 'persuaded' to drive them there so that they could have a game!

It was a similar story when they were previously on holiday in North Wales and the boys insisted that they stopped en route home to play squash at Machynlleth Sports Centre after walking up Cader Idris the same day and Snowdon the day before!

So what of the future for Lloyd in his chosen sport? At the moment it is a matter of building up his stamina and maintaining his love for a game in which he started out in so young and done so well.

One only has to chat to Lloyd Edmonds for a short while to see how enthusiastic he is but that happens in whatever he does and we wish him every success in the future because he really does deserve to do well in squash - and in life too!