“Partnerships are crucial,” World Squash Federation (WSF) President Zena Wooldridge told attendees on day one of the first Squash Summit, a two-day conference providing a platform for the squash community to share insights and collaborate on initiatives.

Day one of the Squash Summit, organised by the PSA Foundation in collaboration with WSF, covered a range of topics including squash’s successful bid for the LA28 Olympics, how different club models around the world are succeeding in driving participation figures, and the growth of the professional game.

Speaking as part of a panel on squash’s Olympic journey and what it would mean for the sport, President Wooldridge highlighted the importance of the global squash community coming together to collaborate for the game’s benefit.

“Relationships between International Federations, National Federations, professional leagues and clubs are vital,” President Wooldridge explained, sharing insights into how the close-knit collaboration between WSF, US Squash and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) had been essential for squash’s successful LA28 Olympic Games inclusion campaign, comments echoed by US Squash President Kevin Klipstein and PSA CEO Alex Gough.

In a series of presentations and breakout room workshops, attendees were able to share knowledge and best practice examples, as well as seek advice, on a range of topics.

In one room, Nicol David and Mariana De Reyes of the Nicol David Organisation were joined by David Kay of the Squash and Education Alliance and Michael Hill from Rackets Cubed to discuss the positive impact squash can have in the community.

In another, Squash on Fire’s Nadine Lanier Arsenyev, Open Squash’s Georgina Kennedy and Doncaster Squash Club’s Dave Cooke shared examples of how their clubs had been able to achieve significant growth in attendance through a variety of models including pay-as-you-play and subscriptions.

Day one of the summit also saw workshops and presentations delivered by England Squash and US Squash, discussing how major events can drive community-led legacy programmes, the success of Squash United, and the growth of squash in the United States, as well as words of advice from Skateboarding GB CEO James Hope-Gill on what to expect as a new Olympic sport.

Day two of Squash Summit 2024 continues today (4th June) in Birmingham.

Find out more about the Squash Summit at psafoundation.com

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