The young Prince of Kaikoura squash hopes one day to become king.

Eleven-year-old Charlie Prince is not one to boast, but he has some well-defined goals, particularly on the local scene.

Since joining his parents Vic and Andrea at the Kaikoura Squash Club, with its 100 members, he has steadily worked his way up the club’s rankings, generally testing his burgeoning skills against adults. Now he is eying the top of the ladder.

“I still have some adults to beat,” said Charlie. “My goal is to be the best in the club by the end of next year. Last year I came second to last in the club, now I have about 25 players in front of me so I have gained a lot.”

Allied to his local ambitions, Charlie is making rapid progress on the national scene. He is currently ranked nationally at No 3 in the under-13 boys grade, and is a member of the New Zealand junior development squad, a group committed to attending five camps in Auckland this year and playing in three national tournaments.

In January he took part in the Oceania Junior tournament in Brisbane, he finished ninth while his under-13 division was won by good mate and fellow top of the south competitor Tom Marshall from Blenheim. Charlie is a year younger than Tom, but the pair have enjoyed some tight tussles in previous years, while following a similar path to national recognition.

The year eight Kaikoura High School student has been working hard with personal coach/mentor Michael Allred from Christchurch on his game and began March in fine style with victory in division three at the Nelson Open.

Charlie says the input of his squash-loving parents, Vic, the Kaikoura club president, and junior convenor Andrea, has been and continues to be huge. “They are always there to help, they motivate me when they are on the sideline and in between games give me pointers on what to do.”

Travel to various tournaments has been an issue in the wake of the 2016 earthquake but, with the help of some Lotto funding, and the inevitable parental financing, Charlie has managed to get around the long-term road closures. In August last year the Kaikoura club chartered an aero club plane to fly Charlie and some fellow Kaikoura juniors to Blenheim to play in the Marlborough junior open.

He also made it to Mount Maunganui for the New Zealand AIMS Games, finishing seventh in the year 7-8 section and was runner-up at the Canterbury age group champs.

As well as aspiring to reach the top of the local ladder, Charlie is keen to improve his grading - the C2 player determined to be ranked B2 by the end of 2018.

To that end he trains 4-5 times a week and says is willing to make sacrifices, including concentrating his energies on just one sport.

He plays rugby, but has quickly realised that squash is his game, as it gives him an opportunity to express himself, and he will have to specialise soon.

“[Squash] is really fun for me. I like to learn new tricks and make people go the other way when I hit it, get the better of them.

“I am really competitive … I just don’t like losing,” he added.

Given the progress Charlie has made in such a short time, it’s his opponents who are more likely to have those concerns in 2018.

BY PETE JONES with SPORT TASMAN

Photo of Charlie Prince.