US Squash is betting that the future of the sport may arrive not with a bang, but with a slightly larger ball and a gentler first bounce.
Last week, US Squash unveiled its first national growth campaign for Squash57 (aka Rackeball).
The pitch is simple. Squash57 is played on a standard squash court, but with a bigger ball and a shorter racquet. The rallies last longer. The learning curve is softer.
The intensity — physical and psychological — is dialled down just enough to make the sport feel approachable without stripping it of its essence. Tactics still matter. Movement still matters. You still sweat.
US Squash has wrapped the campaign in the slogan “Squash57 – Play squash. Your way.” Squash57 is being framed as a gateway: a way in, and perhaps back, to a game that can otherwise feel forbidding.
We wrote about the growth of Squash57 via the British Open Racketball Championships last year here - which came on the heels of the launch of Squash57Levels, an adapted version of the hugely popular SquashLevels ecosystem. While just last week European Squash announced the inaugural European Squash57 Racketball Cup to take place in October 2026
“Squash57 gives us a powerful gateway to bring more people into the squash community,” said Linda Elriani, Senior Director of Professional Development and Programming at US Squash.
“It is fun, accessible, social, and ideal for lifelong play.”
That phrase — lifelong play — sits at the heart of the US Squash strategy. Squash57 is being positioned as something that can accommodate first-timers, older players returning after time away, mixed-ability groups and doubles formats where communication and camaraderie matter as much as competition. It is squash with its elbows lowered.
The timing is not accidental. With squash now confirmed for the LA28 Olympic programme, US Squash sees a narrow window to broaden the sport’s base before the Olympic spotlight arrives.
That momentum will also feed into the Squash57 Pan American Championships, scheduled for 2026 in Philadelphia at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center.
From that event will grow the inaugural Squash57 Festival Series: four nationwide tournaments designed to welcome players of all abilities and ratings.
From January 2026, the campaign will be supported by monthly national themes — from introductory explainers to targeted pushes for racket-sport converts and masters players — backed by coordinated storytelling, social media and expanded coach education.
Clubs will receive access to affordable starter equipment, alongside posters and flyers to help spread the word locally. Coaches with a Coach Pass will be offered a free online Squash57 certification.
“This campaign is a key growth initiative as squash builds toward its Olympic debut,” said Kim Clearkin, Chief Programs Officer at US Squash.
“With squash heading to the LA28 Olympic Games, there has never been a better time for people across the country to try our thrilling sport.”
Whether Squash57 becomes a permanent fixture or a transitional phase remains to be seen. But for a sport long wrestling with questions of accessibility and relevance, the willingness to meet players where they are — rather than where squash thinks they should be — feels like a meaningful shift.
More information and resources can be found at ussquash.org/squash57
