In October membership at the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association (BSRA) was fizzling and the junior programme almost non-existent.

While the sport was gaining in recognition world wide, in Bermuda its spread had stagnated and was in definite need of a life saving injection.

Enter Jane Parker, a petite Englishwoman, short in stature, but high on ideas and energy, possessing great dedication.

It did not take long for BSRA president John Stout to spot this sparkling effervescence during an interview with Parker and he readily handed her the task of rebuilding a flagging programme as the club's first director of squash.

His faith has not gone unrewarded. General membership has increased more than 20 percent, while the number of children taking part in the junior programme has more than tripled.

In addition there is a much bigger pool of women playing, to the point where provisional dates have been set for a women's event to rival that of the all male Heinz Bermuda Open.

Says Christine Barnes, chief organiser of the Heinz Bermuda Open: "Jane is doing a wonderful job in really getting the club moving.

"She's just brilliant and has lots of great ideas.'' A modest Parker merely shrugs with the noting of such success, though she admits her initial period has been quite frenzied.

"Very hectic. Very enjoyable as well,'' is how she describes it. "I haven't really had a chance to sit down and plan for next season yet, because we've been going from one event to another.

"I'm really pleased with the way things are going and I think we've achieved in four months what took me a year back home in England.

"We've got a lot of newcomers into the sport, a lot of people that just started playing and they've gotten `caught' in the squash club, so to speak, so to me everything's wonderful.'' "The support for the game is heartwarming. To see so many people interested in squash and to have the place buzzing again is just great.'' "An example is the junior programme, which has expanded from about 16 regular juniors on a Saturday afternoon to a good 50 regulars. We've gone from having one or two girls to where we have a squad of about 15 now and they're all bringing friends in and the standard of play is improving.

"The number of schools using the club and coaches have also expanded to the point where last weekend we had the interschools tournament and we had 27 teams of three players and a lot of those players have only started playing.'' Understandably the main focus recently has been the junior programme, particularly getting more schools involved.

Parker's next plan is to start on the coach education programme and set up an assistant coach award: (a) for interested parents and teachers; (b) for older juniors -- 16-18 age group -- who are keen to help some of the younger juniors along.

Yet, this week she looks forward to the Heinz Bermuda Open and catching up on the goings on among the pro circuit.

She is most familiar with Paul Gregory, the defending champions, who she last came across during a tour of Jamaica back in 1989.

However, she is hesitant to pick a favourite, instead taking the diplomatic route: "May the best man win''.

"Obviously I haven't seen that level of play for a while, so it's going to be interesting to see how the guys are making out.

"I think it's really good for the club to have that level of play, because we don't have it on the Island. It's great for the kids because they can look at what they hope to aspire to hopefully at some stage.

"It's a bit like Wimbledon back home. What will happen is that the general level of play at the club will be raised by the end of it, because you learn more from watching than people telling you and hopefully it will inspire everyone to get on the court as well.

"I think it's great and it's wonderful to get the sponsorship from Heinz as well.'' Deep down Parker would like to have a shot at playing against the top men, but admitted that certain handicaps would have to be placed on the stronger, faster males to "level the playing surface'' All will not cease with the onset of the Open, as Parker has organised an Over-35 tournament, as well as having two junior teams from New York and New Jersey on the Island to do battle with local youngsters.

JANE PARKER -- BSRA's first director of squash.