US Squash has announced MetroSquash in Chicago as the fifth facility to be accredited as an official US Squash Community Affiliate. Metrosquash joins as the second Regional level Community Affiliate – the highest tier – as more facilities prioritize broader access to squash with the support and encouragement of US Squash.  
 
“We’ve always been about creating access to the game and using it as a vehicle to expand opportunity,” said David Kay, MetroSquash CEO. “Being a part of the Community Affiliate Network and working with US Squash allows us to amplify everything we do. A good deal of our programs naturally have a community engagement element, but we don’t maximize what we could do with our Woodlawn center and programming in Evanston. We want more programming, extended hours, and greater utilization of weekends and summer. We want to increase access to allow more people from the community to interact with us at the center. That’s going to support our core mission, which is to serve Chicago youth. The more the community knows about us, and the more the community feels welcome in our facilities, that’s going to make so many more youth want to come and have a life-changing experience through MetroSquash programming and the sport of squash.” 
Amanda Sobhy made history for Team USA by becoming the first U.S.-born player ever to reach the world’s top five rankings, ascending to world No. 5 this month following her Black Ball Open final run two weeks ago in Egypt. The April rankings also yielded positive movement for Olivia Fiechter, who jumped nine positions to a new career high of world No. 24, and Olivia Blatchford Clyne, who returned to her career high world No. 12.
Team USA’s Todd Harrity won the fourth and largest PSA title of his career, upsetting top seed Mahesh Mangaonkar in the $20,000 HCL SRFI Indian Tour Chennai Leg 1 final Friday, April 2. The American world No. 52 emphatically clinched the title 11-0 in the fifth game. Watch a replay of the final on the Indian Squash Youtube Channel.


The College Squash Association (CSA) announced the winners of the top senior honors, the Betty Richey and Skillman Awards, and paid tribute to a new Hall of Fame class as well as the Arthur Blasberg, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award honoree during the livestreamed College Squash Awards on Thursday, March 25. Watch a replay of the awards ceremony on the CSA Youtube Page.


The eighth annual J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions Women's Leadership Awards Program will honor the 1980 U.S. Junior Women's Squash Team. The award will be presented by US Squash's Ned Edwards. The program will take place Wednesday, April 7, from 12-1pm EDT via Zoom.
Later this month, squash great Jonah Barrington turns eighty years old. The six-time British Open Champion talks with OTG about growing up in Cornwall, his career as a nude model and how Mo Khan saving match points in the epic final of the December 1962 British Open helped him four years later in his own first British Open triumph.

US Squash will host the US Squash Junior Awards Night celebrating commitment, excellence and sportsmanship in the junior squash community on Wednesday, May 5 at 8pm EDT. The evening will also provide an opportunity to welcome back players as the sport marks its comeback from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Head Pro sets the standard and serves as a leader to the squash professional instructors and staff-at-large. The Head Pro is an ambassador in a highly visible position and engages with members and guests to ensure an exceptional squash experience at the Specter Center.

US Squash hosts monthly virtual information sessions on the Community Initiative and the momentum building around community squash nationally. All members of the squash community interested in learning more about these programs, including how facilities can become a part of the Community Affiliate Network, are welcome to join the virtual meeting Friday, April 16, at 12pm noon EDT.


Views From the Arlen Specter US Squash Center
Furniture is beginning to arrive (covered, for now) at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center! Seen above is the Champion's Deck on the mezzanine level, which will provide a commons area for community to connect, relax and recharge adjacent to the courts with stunning views of the Philadelphia skyline and nearby 30th Street Station.

The Specter Center is planned to open later this year and will feature eighteen singles courts and two hardball doubles courts. Developed in partnership with Drexel University, it will anchor the US Squash Community Affiliate Network and provide broad community access from its location in one of twenty-two federally-designated Promise Zone neighborhoods. The Specter Center will also house the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame, offer world-class high-performance training resources to Team USA athletes, serve as the US Squash national headquarters and operate a Learning & Innovation Center in partnership with SquashSmarts.