The Anatomy of a Squash Player: - Squash BC

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What Steps Does a Club Have to Do to Keep Members?As you can see from the survey at the back of this book, squash is played mainly by men,around 40 years of age, and probably a professional. This is sort of the “good news/badnews” thing. The good news is that most squash players are very good, loyal customers ifthey get what they want out of the club at a fair price. Of course they can make your lifevery uncomfortable if they feel they are not getting value for their money.Squash is an individual sport. Individual sports are different in that the individual has tousually organize their own matches. The only time their matches are organized for them iswhen they play in a league or a tournament. Keeping this in mind, how do your membersmeet new people to play? How do they get comfortable enough with these people to phonethem up for a game?Squash BC and Quick Draws:Squash BC has worked in conjunction with Quick Draws to develop an online softwareprogram that will take a lot of man hours out of running programs in your club. QuickDraws has the ability to be your booking system for all aspects of your club. Members canbook online or by telephone, a function that is unique to Quick Draws. The program willalso help organize box leagues and ladders. Members playing in these will have theirmatches added to the club ranking list as well as Squash BC’s provincial rankings if theyare Squash BC members. As Squash BC members they will also be covered under our oncourt accident policy while playing a box or ladder match. Quick Draws also has a very easyto use tournament software program. Contact Owen Smith at owen@quick-draws.com forprices.Squash Promoter/Professional:All successful clubs have someone promoting, teaching, organizing and selling squash tothe members. This person we will call your “Pro.” The Pro may be a volunteer or paid staff.Most paid Pro’s should be, at a minimum certified Level 2 coach and working on theirLevel 3. A Pro will give lessons, organize box and inter-city leagues, run tournaments andmost important, keep your players active. Volunteer Pro’s will do these same things, butwill do them on their own time frame and own agenda. Ask yourself, if you had a furniturestore, would you have volunteer salesmen selling your products?Your average member may spend 80% of their time in your club without the need of a pro.The other 20% of the time is what will keep your club interesting, dynamic, and a goodplace to be for your members.Club Night/ Challenge Court:These two things are very important for any club. They give new members a chance to meetother members in your club. Club nights are usually one night a week events that isfrequently an all comers type night. The club will book off a number of courts and peoplewill show up and play each other 0ne game or maybe best two out of three, then they mayplay somebody else. After their matches, they will probably have a few healthy beverages inyour members lounge.A Challenge court is a little different in that 0ne court is usually not able to be booked bymembers so people can just arrive and get a challenge match with whoever is around.
Box League:Box leagues are for members who sign up for a little more competition. These are usually around robin format of 5 players. They will have a month in which to play their matches.They will phone up their opponents and set up their own time to play these matches. Ifthey win their box they will go up a box and if they lose, they will go down. This is a verygood way for members to meet other members of their own caliber.Inter-Club League Teams:Many areas in the province have inter-club league. This is an excellent way to get acompetitive match in once a week for your busy members. After teams play their matches,they will head to the members lounge for food and beverages and to discuss the state ofaffairs in squash and the world. Many of these players previously played tournaments butnow can’t afford the time to spend all weekend at an event. League gives them acompetitive match and a time to socialize with other squash players.Club Tournament:Once a year most clubs will have a club tournament. This determines the club champion.These events will culminate in a social function that will bring your members of all caliberstogether.Provincial Tournament:These events will be a larger undertaking for a club to host. Squash players from aroundthe province are invited to play in a tournament in your club. The squash pro, or a veryexperienced volunteer will usually form a tournament committee to run this event.Squash players need to have the opportunities to achieve their maximum level of success.Most squash players will improve to and play at a level where they are most comfortable,and find success at. The Squash BC sport model allows players these opportunities fromthe beginning player to a professional playing internationally. All the clubs in the province,Squash BC, and Squash Canada play a vital role in ensuring that squash players have theability to achieve their maximum potential.Some squash clubs may say, “I don’t care if my members become professional.” We all haveto ask ourselves where a sport would be in this day and age if we didn’t have professionalsin it. Where would it be if players didn’thave something to achieve. If we don’thave these types of players, then squashwill die a slow death. It is everybody’sresponsibility to ensure squash playersare given the maximum opportunity tobecome the best they can.Further on in this book is an article byHowie Snyder. Howie was the managerof the Bonsor Recreation complex inBurnaby for many years. He ran one ofthe most successful squash programs in arecreation center in the province. Manyof his ideas will work at any squash club.
Page 4 and 5: Different ways people will come to
Page 8 and 9: Junior Program:Junior programs play
Page 10 and 11: SQUASH DEMOGRAPHICS: These demograp
Page 13: SQUASH BC MEMBERSHIPThere are two t

The Anatomy of a Squash Player: - Squash BC

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