Micah Franklin is excited about the prospect of stamping his identity on the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association after being appointed as the club’s new Director of Squash.

With Patrick Foster relinquishing from the role after 15 years on island, having accepted a similar position as Head of Squash at the prestigious Royal Automobile Club in Central London, Franklin has taken up the reins.

While he concedes the opportunity arose far sooner than ever expected, he is proud to be entrusted with the position.

“It’s a complete fresh start and it’s the beginning of life without Patrick at the club,” the 28-year-old said. “It’s all happened faster than I ever thought, but I’m really proud to be in this position.

“I thought the time might eventually come but never this soon. It’s all in my hands now and although that’s a little scary, I’m really proud that the committee and people within the club trusted me to be able to step into the role.

“It’s all really new to me, but knowing I have the belief of people within the club gives me confidence and greater belief in myself.”

Despite his initial tentativeness, Franklin is believed to be an ideal candidate to fill the void left by Foster, having been with the club since a junior, progressing to a professional and then latterly a coach — all while serving his apprenticeship under the former director for the past five years.

“I guess you could say I’m a direct product of the club itself,” added Franklin, who was Bermuda’s flag bearer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. “To go from being a junior player here to now the Director of Squash feels pretty surreal. When I think about it, it’s a real testament to the programme itself.

“One advantage I have over others is that over the past five years or so, Patrick has taught me how the role works all along.

“I think he knew this day would come and he was preparing me for it as we went along. It’s like I’ve served my apprenticeship under him and in a way no one else knows this stuff about the club apart from me.”

A new year often ushers in the chance for a fresh start, and that’s certainly the case for Franklin, who sees the club as a blank canvas moving into 2021.

“It’s a definitely a fresh start and a clean slate in terms of the club,” he said. “The club has stayed the same for a long time and perhaps it’s the time look at some of the policies with a fresh pair of eyes.

“It’s almost a case of out with the old and in with the new, and a chance to look at everything and see if we can do things differently and perhaps even better than before.

“I’m excited to get into that side of things and I’m looking at making quite a lot of changes with things like our systems, our membership format, the feel and look of the club itself, and maybe even a new name.

“Obviously, these won’t be changes to happen overnight, but we’re looking at fresh changes from Day 1.”

Franklin added: “I’m excited to be able to stamp my identity on the club and squash on the island. I’m in a position now to make decisions more than ever before.

“That’s the exciting part; imagining what the club could become; I’m certainly up for the challenge.”

One area of the club that the new director is determined to maintain and build on is the longstanding success of the youth programme; albeit when the Covid-19 restrictions allow for it.

“The junior programme is definitely a main passion of mine,” he said. “Youth development has always been key for the club and that won’t change.

“It is clear to see we have a really strong programme in place and we’re all just waiting to be able to get the children back into the club when we are permitted to do so. Hopefully, we can get everyone back as soon as possible and kick off the new year properly.”