An urgent change of approach is required to cure the malaise that pervades many of Britain's members-only squash clubs. In Manchester, Squash+ is making what seems to be a very promising intervention.
Led by coach Peter Billson and Alasdair Blundell, Squash+ works in four clubs across the area, providing outreach into local schools and community organisations, and bespoke junior and adult coaching programmes to fill existing gaps in each club's provision.
Not only does this drum up new players, fill empty off-peak courts and make venues more vibrant, it is offered to the clubs free of charge.
"We need to change the way we approach coaching," Blundell tells Squash Player. "Squash needs to adapt to survive."
Billson — a former PSA-ranked player who is head coach at Bowdon Squash Club in Altrincham and Cheshire county coach — identified that there was a dearth of young squash coaches in Manchester, with very few viable career opportunities at clubs for in-house pros to run programmes.
Billson explains: “During lockdown, I started thinking about whether I could centralise that role across a few venues and create something closer to full-time, sustainable work for coaches. I wanted a model that worked for everyone.
"Most clubs are run by volunteers and operate very leanly, so part of what we do is help bring a more business-like approach back into those clubs — because that’s really the only way many of them will survive long term."
This business-like approach involves gathering a group of coaches from diverse backgrounds, setting up local school-to-club pathways and delivering sessions tailored to each club's needs.
He explains: "Our model is built so that we support the club to get things started, and once things become profitable, everyone benefits: the club earns revenue from our sessions, and our coaches are properly paid and supported. It’s a triangle that only works if everyone pulls together."
So far, Squash+ has established multiple programmes at Grove Park, Brooklands, Lymm and Knutsford — and each has already brought success stories that have benefited each club, their local communities and the game of squash.
'Getting a foot in the door'
Squash+'s club partnerships generally start with the tough part — outreach. This involves banging on the doors of local schools (often targeting a teacher who might be a local squash player) and taking rebound nets, rackets, balls and other equipment into assembly halls and playgrounds to introduce pupils to the game.
"Getting a foot in the door is the hardest part," admits Blundell. "It's a hard sell and you don't necessarily see results straight away.
"The most important thing is making it fun and breaking down some of the barriers or misconceptions young people might have about squash. Those initial sessions usually get really good feedback."
School to club
Pupils who enjoy it and want to pursue it further are invited to free taster sessions at their local club. Again, fun is the key word, with activities often going beyond squash: relay races, dodgeball, reaction lights, squicket, team games; anything that keeps the kids smiling and engaged.
Thereafter, Squash+ set up weekly squash sessions (costing £7.30 per pupil) which include a club branded 305Squash t-shirt. Payments can be deferred if parents are struggling to afford it.
At Lymm, two squash-playing twins were brilliant advocates. Their enthusiasm helped bring 11 classmates to the club for the first taster session. "Finding kids like that is priceless as they can sell to their peers much better than I can!" said Blundell.
Squash+ asks clubs to provide the courts for free in the first year, which is not often a problem as they are usually unoccupied anyway. After a year, Squash+ pay court fees at an arranged rate.
These sessions can be part of the school's PE provision or extra-curricular activities, and lead on quite naturally to kids joining the club's own junior sessions, which Squash+ coaches often deliver as well, depending on what the club requires.
Other programmes
As well as schools programmes, Squash+ coaches also deliver Squash from the Mosque, Mixed Ability, HAF school holiday programmes for children from lower-income families and girls' sessions across the four clubs they work with.
As well as bringing a more diverse demographic through the clubs' doors, they fill empty courts and maximise revenue for clubs.
Squash+ have also reinvigorated adult play at its partners clubs. Using a mix of word of mouth, local networks, marketing and social media, they have set up adult beginner classes.
At Grove Park, for example, Wednesday night beginners' sessions now have a regular group of 12 men and women, with lessons and matches taking place across four courts, all of whom attended an initial free taster session.
"It's not just drills, it's a bit of a laugh," says Blundell. "I get involved on the Whatsapp group, posting a few coaching videos and memes. It builds organically and soon enough, people are inviting their friends along.
"The beginner groups are a real focus for us because it's such a growth area. So many people have never been on a squash court! Getting them to try it out is the key thing for squash. If the sessions are well-run, they will sell themselves."
Several women who started the Squash+ programme as beginners or lapsed players have now joined as club members, play in the club box leagues and the North West Counties women's league. "They are really enjoying it and thriving," says Blundell. "It's a great success story you don't often see."
Building relationships with clubs
Squash+ coaches complement what clubs' in-house coaches (if they have one) are already offering, without stepping on their toes.
"It's a hard sell sometimes," admits Blundell. "You have to demonstrate the longer-term benefits.
"We're asking for free courts initially, but they're gaining no revenue during the day anyway as the courts are empty. We go in and generate activity and money for the club that wasn't there before — and they're getting members off the back of it."
There are administrative benefits for clubs too. Billson adds: "I wanted to take away a lot of the organisational headaches that clubs face. I've built a website that handles all of our bookings and deals with the admin side of things, which has been a huge improvement on the business side and means clubs don’t have to worry about any of that.
"With the systems we’ve now got in place, we’re in a great position to bring more clubs on board and keep building those relationships going forward."
At Lymm, Squash+'s outreach work in schools built a group of children which has developed, from scratch, into a 12-strong junior programme which has cost the club nothing but created potential lifelong members.
"It's building that relationship with the clubs and working together," explains Blundell, who has a varied background in finance, mental health nursing and the charity sector.
"Most clubs are run by volunteers who don't have time to set up outreach, coaching programmes, or do all the admin. We tailor their programme based on what they need.
"We work like a business. We're professionalising squash coaching. In the past, coaching has focused on high performance, but that's not where the numbers are. You've got to open the squash courts and let people in."
A more outward-facing approach
In addition to Blundell and Billson, Squash+ has dynamic young coaches Dan Ince and Claire Wright who are developing programmes in partnership with their clubs, driving up participation and bringing in new demographics.
"Not many younger people want to be squash coaches, so we're making it more attractive as a career," Blundell states. "We're getting in the right people, getting them into clubs and building trust.
"When you're a coach working in one club, you can get isolated, lose sight of the bigger picture and revert to what you've always done. Our coaches can give support and advice, show different approaches and be a sounding board.
"I'm really passionate about squash and I hope that naturally comes through in the sessions we deliver.
"With the Olympics coming up, we've got to believe in a bright future, but we've got to adapt the way we deliver our sport."
