Growing the game

Squash has a great product to sell, but who is doing the advertising? By EDUARDO ALVAREZ – Squash Mad Correspondent Who is advertising squash these days? We all know the conversations in the pub related to growing the sport: “We need to get into the Olympics and then the sport will explode” “We need to [...]

On this day … how World Squash Day was born By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor The world changed on this day in 2001 when two passenger planes were hijacked by terrorists and flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Many New York-based squash players were killed in the [...]

Rod Bannister interview: “We must change the stodgy way this game has been run and make it cool, funky, and easy to access” Interview by ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Rod Bannister had just 24 hours to sell his property, pack his bags and move his family from Gold Coast back home to New [...]

Scottish Open: Plans for 2021 “sign of growing confidence and collaboration” in Scotland’s squash community By MICHAEL GREGSON – Squash Mad Correspondent Unmistakably confirming that squash is back from Lockdown, Scottish Squash and partner Springfield Homes have laid down an early marker for August 2021, trumpeting Inverness as the venue for the £20,000 Springfield Scottish [...]

Myyr Squash: Finns foil falling figures by breaking down barriers to welcome new players By LUUKAS RAATIKAINEN – Squash Mad Correspondent Squash needs to be affordable, visible and welcoming, break down any perceived or real barriers to entry, and reach out into local communities to attract new players, according a Squash Club Development Day held [...]

The NYC Squash Renaissance: Reasons for optimism By CLEVE MILLER – Squash Mad Correspondent I have read with interest the ​article by Eduardo Alvarez​ in Squash Mad and ​the response by Guy Cipriano​ published yesterday in the Daily Squash Report. I’d like to comment on Mr. Cipriano’s post. (Shame he didn’t post here. Ed). Mr [...]

World Squash Day: 50 days to go until squash takes to the streets! By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Today marks a major milestone in the countdown to World Squash Day 2020 – with just 50 days to go to the big event. Squash takes to the streets on Saturday October 10th as part [...]

Due to Covid, the survival of squash in Rome is increasingly uncertain By MONICA DRUSIAN – Squash Mad Correspondent Squash in Rome is experiencing a period of deep crisis. With a population of around four million people, the capital of Italy has got a total number of 10 courts (three of which are not open [...]

Brad Hindle’s magical makeover transforms squash at Daisy Hill By CRAIG STEWART – Squash Mad Correspondent Brad Hindle made a brave decision to head back home to Australia from the sun-kissed Mediterranean island of Malta. The brave part was buying a squash club. To be polite, the Daisy Hill Squash and Racquet Centre, situated in [...]

Help our health heroes and win i-Mask prizes in World Squash Day selfie competition By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Squash players can win selfie prizes and support their local health heroes thanks to a partnership agreement between World Squash Day and i-Mask. Richard Millman and Simon Stanbridge, owners and distributors of the i-Mask, [...]

To grow squash, we need to be public, visible and affordable says Toronto club owner Eduardo Alvarez By EDUARDO ALVAREZ – Squash Mad Correspondent COVID-19 has given many of us an opportunity to pause and reflect on many things in our lives including squash. For those of us involved directly in the sport as volunteers, [...]

Squash has lessons to learn as pickleball picks up some big numbers By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Pickleball is a new racket sport. Many squash players dismiss it, because the name sounds silly. However, boasting more than three million players in the USA, it is a rapidly growing activity that deserves closer attention. [...]

World Squash Day to relaunch the sport: “We are all in this together” says founder By JAMES ROBERTS – Squash Mad Correspondent World Squash Day will help to “relaunch the game” when events take place across the globe on Saturday October 10th. That’s the prediction of World Squash Day founder Alan Thatcher, who is determined [...]

Heavy metal comes to squash: ‘Building a steel court is just the start of the dream – now we want to create an Iron Workers League to take squash beyond the Ivy League’ By ROBERT PACEY – Squash Mad Correspondent The world of squash is waking up to an alternative lifestyle for the game. With the [...]

Smack and whack, it’s good to be back! By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Squash players in the UK returned to the courts at the weekend as the lockdown restrictions were lifted. After months of home-made courts in the back garden, online fitness routines, trick shots with toilet rolls, and coronavirus fatigue giving way [...]