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The Journey Lines Subcommittee hosted their first focus group on January 30th as a deeper dive into the results of the Women’s Squash Community Survey. The goal was to bring together women who were not currently playing but would like to return to the game with those who were participating in growing communities.
Molly Brennan (Columbus, OH) led the effort. Committee members Sally Russell (Buffalo, NY), Leslie Cameron (Chicago, IL), Karen Arango (Seattle, WA), and Maureen Wylie (Silver Spring, MD) also participated.
Many thanks to our focus groups participants: Emily Black (Washington, DC), Catherine Gadient (Minneapolis, MN) Elizabeth Emery (Cleveland, OH), Laura Coscarelli (Cleveland, OH), and Rhiannon McAfee (San Diego, CA).
Throughout the conversation, it was clear that having regular scheduled events that bring together women of roughly the same level of play is critical to building a community of women who are comfortable and engaged in the sport. To reach this level of community, it takes committed people, regular contact via technology and personal outreach, consistent women’s programming focused on matching skill levels, and a social component to keep it fun and low risk.
Committed People: One committed club Pro made a difference in San Diego and Minneapolis – one who reached out to women to invite them to try the game. When those Pros left, women’s squash activities dried up and left interested players with few women to play and no organized activities. Women Pros are especially important to maintain a focus on women’s squash.
Cleveland currently has a focus on growing the women’s game with clinics and beginners’ classes. Columbus benefited from both a committed Pro focused on women’s participation and developed a volunteer committee structure to manage regular weekly skill matched league play for 85 women. Buffalo created a mentorship program, matching beginners with higher level players to work with them and keep them engaged in community league play. Local or regional associations are also a source of committed leaders for major events such as the Howe Cup Team Championships.
Regular Contact and Outreach: Washington, DC has increased beginner participation by improving communication using WhatsApp group chats to push out information about women’s one day tournaments, clinics, or self-organized group events. Self-scheduled matches have also increased through this mechanism. The support of the group has also reduced the fear of embarrassment often cited as a reason not to play in leagues or tournaments.
Columbus’ committee structure helps spread their consistent programming across many people and reduces the administrative burden on coordinators. Buffalo’s mentorship program creates one on one, personal relationships. As the San Diego experience shows, clubs with junior squash programs have an opportunity for outreach to the mothers of these players to grow the women’s community. The Women’s Committee has been recruiting City Ambassadors to help connect players who are moving or need help finding matches. A personal touch with adult women beginners was a consistent theme, they want to know they are wanted.
Consistent, Skill Based Programming: Both beginners and higher-level players need access to consistent, skill level activities to keep them playing squash and to grow a women’s squash community. Those activities should be scheduled and maintained even as attendance waxes and wanes over the long season. Community Squash programs in Cleveland, Minneapolis, Baltimore provide courts, a pool of girls who help grow women’s squash over the long term and inject fun, and programming to bring women together. There does need to be specific focus on intermediate level of play to ensure players have a peer group with which to progress over time. Buffalo and Columbus have women-only leagues, managed by committee. Washington, DC has committed clubs that offer women’s tournaments of varying sizes, group play, and have supported community organized events like Ratings Palooza to help beginners get rated by US Squash before Howe Cup. Availability of child care also promoted consistent participation.
Based on the results of this focus group, there is clearly a need for us to find ways to improve availability of adult squash programming for women in cities where courts exist like Minneapolis and San Diego. We heard of the need for more play opportunities for all female adult players, including those who graduate from our junior Community Squash programs.
The Journey Lines subcommittee will work toward another focus group drawing upon our larger communities in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia to learn what’s working for them.
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