Holiday Message from Narelle Krizek | |
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What a year we have had building on the momentum from last season to elevate the women’s game, while striving for equity in our sport. Thanks to the dedication of teaching pros and facilities throughout the U.S., we’ve doubled the number of events for both “Bring a Buddy” on International Women’s Day and Women’s Squash Week in September.
This season, US Squash partnered with Girls Inc. PA/NJ, introducing innovative programs at the Specter Center. From an open house that introduced over 100 girls and their families to squash, to hosting their Health & Wellness Marathon, offering a day of squash, fitness and fun, and four weeks of summer squash camps for 50 girls.
With only 18% of female coaches in the US, US Squash is focused on the growth of female coaches. We hosted the first Women’s Only Start Squash and Level 1 coaching courses at the Specter Center this summer, offering numerous compensated courses in partnership with the PSA Foundation. Feedback highlighted the importance of these women-only courses providing a supportive environment for learning and growth.
This year marked significant milestones for squash – the Howe Cup saw 300 amateur women competing in singles and doubles, and squash earned a spot in the 2028 LA Olympic Games. Exciting times lie ahead for squash in the United States.
I am so grateful to the US Squash team and the reformed women’s committee, led by our new chair Karen Arango. With a focus on engaging new females to the game, understanding post-collegiate players’ needs, and catering to players of all levels in our communities, we’re poised to achieve parity in squash.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our women’s national campaigns, events and coaching courses and for supporting the Women and Girls Initiative. I look forward to collaborating next year and can’t wait to see you on the courts in 2024!
Narelle Krizek
US Squash Director Women & Girls
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Women’s Squash Around the US - Community Spotlight
We are starting a new section of the Rally Roundup that will feature women’s squash events throughout the United States. We hope that it spreads ideas, shows the activity and gives you an insight into what is happening in the different communities in the United States. First up this month is the Women’s Round Robin and Workshop at the new Open Squash FiDi location in NYC.
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Open Squash in FiDI (NYC)
Women’s Round Robin & Workshop
This week we held our first women’s round robin at FiDi, and it was a huge success! We had a full house with 16 women over 5 courts all learning and competing against each other in a fun and friendly environment!
The event started with a rooftop social at our FiDi rooftop with views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty!! We then headed into the conference room for a workshop based on fitness and recovery, led by our in-house fitness coach and assistant pro, Thaisa Serafini and assistant pros Ciara Richards and Hannah Craig.
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Women learned about the importance of warming up and cooling down, proper hydration, and the best exercises for squash players. Thaisa’s extensive knowledge made for an interesting and educational workshop, with everyone leaving having learned something new.
Read the Full Blog Post by Open Squash Here.
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The Women’s Survey - Next Steps
Last month, we reported on overall results with a teaser that this month we would start talking about next steps.
You can see from the graph that there are dips in playing after college and then again when women are in their mid-thirties. The dip continues until women reach their mid-fifties.
We started this year addressing the after-college dip by contacting all graduating seniors that played on a varsity or club team to find out where they are moving and connect them with their squash community in their new city. We will continue to do that each year.
To address the dip in the 35-49 year old cohort, we are putting together focus groups with women across the country who are both playing and not playing to have a conversation about why women play, why women do not play, and provide some insight into programs that will get women back on the court and keep them on the court. Our first focus group will happen in mid-late January via Zoom. If you are interested in being part of a focus group conversation, please reach out to Molly Brennan.
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And the results are in!
Thank you to everyone who answered our survey about the Howe Cup. We are going through each of the comments and take your feedback seriously. From your responses, you had a great experience at the Howe Cup, would recommend it to a friend, but would appreciate better warmup facilities at the Specter Center.
This is what you said about your experience at the 2023 Howe Cup:
- 95% of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their Howe Cup Experience.
- 97% of respondents would recommend playing Howe Cup to a friend.
- 48% of respondents would have liked better warmup facilities.
- 84% of respondents liked the online apparel offerings.
We asked you a number of questions to help us plan for future Howe Cups, which you said would like to be held in other places throughout the country intermixed with the Specter Center, would like to play at most 2 matches a day with at least 2 hours in between matches and change the rules regarding juniors. You do not have a strong preference on trophy type, but would like to receive a commemorative tournament t-shirt.
This is what we should do going forward with the Howe Cup:
About Playing Matches
- 65% of respondents feel 2 matches a day should be the max, and 33% think 3 matches a day should be the max.
- 53% of respondents would like 2 hours between matches, and 37% would like 3 hours.
About Gifts and Trophies
- 55% of respondents would like a tournament t-shirt as a gift and part of their entry fee, but 45% would rather receive a different gift.
- 58% of respondents do not have a preference of trophy type, but 26% would like a traditional trophy and 16% prefer a non-traditional trophy.
Location and Juniors
- 62% of respondents would like to rotate Howe Cup to different locations, with 38% of respondents wanting to play at the Specter Center each year.
- 60% of respondents would like to make a change to rules regarding juniors, either by raising the age, requiring a minimum rating, or turning it into an adult only event.
We can hear you asking, “Where is the Howe Cup going to be next year?” We are working on it. We have 4 cities who have expressed interest: Atlanta, Buffalo, NYC, and Portland. If you are interested, but did not know how to get on the list, let us know by emailing Narelle Krizek. We have asked each city to fill out an interest questionnaire and will be evaluating the viability of each city in the coming weeks with a decision in January so the committee can start planning. Stay tuned!
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2024 U.S. Women’s Masters & Women’s Skill Level Squash Championships
Introducing the City Cup!
This year, the Women’s Singles Championships will be held as a women’s only adult event, with both the Masters and the Skill Level draws being run in the same event. Players are encouraged to play in both an age level division and a skill level division all for the same entry fee.
This is the first time the women’s draws were pulled from the tournament with the men’s draws to create a similar feel to the Howe Cup. To bring a team element to the tournament, we are introducing the City Cup. The City Cup will be awarded to the city or region with the most number of points. The point system will award participation as well as wins. We are still working on the point system and will reveal it next month. So, gather all your women squash buddies, enter the event together, represent your city or region and enjoy the camaraderie, competition and social aspect of this tournament.
2024 U.S. Women’s Masters &
Women’s Skill Level Squash Championships
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 12 - 14, 2024
More Information and Registration
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Century Doubles
If you have not signed up for the Century Doubles, and want to play, it is not too late.
You can Sign Up as an individual and ask to be paired up with another player, or sign up with your partner.
Remember, your ages must add up to at least 100 years old!
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Upcoming Regional Tournaments with Women’s Draws
Now that you have a target event to train for, in the US Women’s Masters and Skill Level, you might want to play in some regional tournaments to test out your conditioning and preparation. We have a couple of tournaments listed below with support for women’s divisions, either skill levels or Masters.
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Access | Engagement | Retention | Leadership
Women and girls are integral to US Squash's mission to increase access and grow the sport across the country. The Women & Girls Initiative focuses on four main pathways: access, engagement, retention and leadership. Together these pathways create the structure we need to achieve healthy, sustained engagement of women and girls in squash.
Your generous donation to the Women & Girls Initiative provides direct support for our mission by allowing us to invest in education, programming and camps specifically for women and girls. Our goal is to introduce and engage more women in this lifelong game. Support the initiative.
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National Tournament Schedule | | | | |
