Squash-ing the competition

The Thiessen bloodline is no stranger to racquet sport, and 19-year-old Ivo Thiessen is no different as an up and coming Manitoban squash player.

Thiessen started the sport at a young age, first introduced to the enclosed court and rubber ball by his father, John — an avid squash player himself.

“When I was younger, he was just taking me down (to the Racquet Club), throwing me on the court and making me hit a ball,” Thiessen explained. “Then it just progressed. He kept putting me in lessons, kept pushing me and then I started to actually begin enjoying it once I figured it out a bit.”

Thiessen not only had the support from his father, but from other family members who had a personal love of the game.

“There was no pressure on me to impress him as a squash player but as a human. I think I put pressure on myself to just give it my all because that’s what I see him do almost every day,” Thiessen said. “I wanted to be a better squash player and I didn’t want to lose — I didn’t want to let him down.”

“At the start I was just hitting the ball against the wall and it was pretty frustrating because it’s not an easy sport to start. (But) I kept getting better, kept playing.”

The Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club became a second home to Thiessen, a place where he grew not only as a player. He has since become assistant pro, a position where he was able to teach the younger players once a week.

“I think when everybody starts out you see some of the kids and their passion for the sport begin to grow. They start going outside of Sunday’s and you can actually see them starting to get better,” Thiessen said.

“It’s nice to see the seeds you plant start to grow.”

As for a potential shot at a pro career, it wasn’t until he was 13 that the prospect of the Canada Games came into view.

At the time, squash was more of a leisurely activity but once Thiessen saw the opportunity to compete at a national level, he dialled in and committed to his craft. By 14, he was ranked Top 20 in the country and was eligible for the 2023 Winter Canada Games in Charlottetown. After finishing fifth in the male team competition, Thiessen’s eyes were opened.

“I saw the levels of squash and saw how good I could really get,” he said. “I realized there are levels to this.”

After the Canada Games, he started to feel the pressure of university as early as Grade 10. He knew that he could be a great player but none of that would matter if his grades were not up to par — a requirement needed if he had any dream of making a college team. But not only that, he needed to take his training to a new level.

“I started playing lots of squash, started taking more lessons, started going to the gym for it — try to get in shape for squash rather than using squash to get in shape,” Thiessen said.

Although he was talking to multiple coaches across Canada, his sights were set on Western University and joining the Mustangs squash team. After graduating from Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, Thiessen’s goals were suddenly halted in their tracks as he was not accepted at Western.

For most, this would deter and discourage them from pursing what they love most, but he decided to take his first year at University of Manitoba at the Asper School of Business. From there he learned two things: first was that he hated economics and would not be making that his major, two was that he would be a Mustang the next year.

Thiessen put his foot on the gas, deciding that he needed to keep training, competing, and studying.

But the one thing Thiessen often struggled with was keeping a level head during games, often angry with himself after a mistake or losing a game. He would often look outside the glass at his father and make a face when the match was not going his way.

Enter his current coach Thomas King — poached from Regina — to come mentor the next generation of athletes.

“I was emotionally and mentally a trainwreck, I was not composed at all on court,” Thiessen said. “That was the biggest thing (King) probably did for me, was (focusing) on the mentality and composure aspect because it is so huge in squash.”

“Being a solo sport, you can’t really afford to lose yourself emotionally. You can’t let the game slip like that,” he added.

King helped Thiessen shift his mindset while on the court, having there be a balance between emotion and passion. This change help immensely in Thiessen’s competitive atmosphere, transforming him into a more level-headed player.

This past April, Thiessen competed in the 2026 Canadian Junior Championships in Vancouver, placing fifth in the boys under-19 singles category.

“It was the first time (King) had come to a tournament with me and that was great. I played really well. Did the best I’ve ever done in nationals,” Thiessen said.

Although he didn’t podium like he wanted, he used the tournament as an opportunity to grow while also acknowledging this was a huge accomplishment nonetheless.

“It’s a huge confidence booster too because there was times where I was questioning, ‘Am I good enough to compete at this level?’” he asked.

He answered his own question instantaneously by adding, “I’ve put in the time and effort and I can compete.”

As Thiessen aged out of juniors, his best rating was seventh in Canada — more than a good enough ranking to be crowned a Mustang for the upcoming school year. He’ll continue to pursue business, with a sharper focus on accounting, and a strong set of goals for his future.

“I’d love to make captain at Western and then hopefully be the number one player there by the time that I’m out,” he said.

And his ambitions don’t stop there. With squash making its Olympic debut in 2028, Thiessen is excited for the opportunities that are to come.

“Now that it’s in the Olympics, it’s more authentic. It’s nice that the sport people put so much time into gets more recognition,” Thiessen commented. “It gives a reason for countries to put more funding into it and raise the bar, which makes every body better.”

The 2028 Olympics are too soon for Thiessen to qualify, but he is looking forward to the 2032 Olympics. Until then, Thiessen’s love of winning will keep him committed to digging in.

“The feeling of anticipating your improvement is just such a great feeling,” he said.

grace.penner@winnipegfreepress.com