Andy Whipp introduces the new PSA membership – PSA Club – with a look at Dulwich Squash Club
Dulwich Squash Club is situated near Herne Hill in southeast London, just a few miles outside the vibrant district of Brixton.
At first glance, it may seem like many other squash clubs in the UK, apart from its slightly kooky layout – it has two squash “pavilions” each with two courts. The lower pavilion holds two courts built in the 1930’s, and then two more courts were added in the 1970’s which form the main pavilion. It is this newer site which is used for the majority of league matches and exhibitions due to the close proximity to the bar!
The club has a thriving membership with all the programmes in place which you would expect from an in-demand squash club – internal box leagues, team squash, club nights, after school junior and weekend adult coaching sessions, racketball socials, closed and open regional squash tournaments and regular doubles play. All over-seen by club committee members and the popular and engaged James Brownsdon, the club’s outstanding head coach.
However, there are a few things which separates Dulwich from your average squash club.
Over 200 members participate across 35 internal box leagues – yes, I did say THIRTY FIVE! Any further demand and it will be necessary to introduce a waiting list. If only there was a fifth
court…
Box leagues are the heartbeat of a successful squash club. They add competition and camaraderie day in, day out. They give club players flexibility and purpose to play squash and are accessible to every member.
Running and co-ordinating this number of competitive leagues on a 6-week rotation, is a massive undertaking – but for a club to flourish, Dulwich will promise you, it’s completely worth the effort.
It was 12 months ago when I first had a conversation with enthusiastic club president Nikhil Roy, and he was excited to share that they were about to run monthly women-only squash sessions. The aim was to build enough demand to run fortnightly sessions. Within a few months however Nikhil realised there was demand for way more, so this was increased to a weekly 90-minute session using all 4 courts every Saturday morning with an average of 10-12 women turning up every week.
The ladies WhatsApp chat group now has 40 registrations including non-members, which is really helping to drive ladies’ squash in the area. I have not come across many clubs this lenient and welcoming when it comes to allowing non-members to use their facilities on a regular basis with no pressure to join. Nikhil and his team recognise the bigger picture – to grow squash as a sport; promoting squash is bigger and more sustainable than immediate financial gain.
Dulwich operate a full coaching programme, with sessions to satisfy every family member.
Co-ordinating these sessions is vital to attract full family use of the club, in particular offering a progression from session to session – whether that is advancing to a higher-level session, or most importantly, offering juniors a clear pathway to transition into adult squash. This is demonstrated beautifully when you discover the 3-player Dulwich Ladies team participating in the London and surrounding counties Queen’s Cup, has a strong contingent of some highly talented juniors!
Often playing as the number one player is 14-year-old Esther Chak. I’m sure we can all agree this is beyond impressive. Certainly, a name to look out for in the not-too-distant future. Providing strong support to Esther are the two Goel sisters: 15-year-old Nikita and 13-year-old Maya. What makes this even more intriguing – Esther’s brother, 16-year-old Gabriel, is also the number one player in the men’s first team!
Both Chak siblings are obviously keen squash players and the pride of Dulwich Squash Club. Esther is England U15 No.2, and Gabriel is European U17 No.2 and England U19 No.6, and together they won British Junior Championship titles last October (Esther U15, Gabriel U17).
Is there another club in the world where a junior brother and sister both play as club number ones ? I doubt it.
This is a club which is truly serving their local community. This in-turn creates a prosperous and booming club environment – a place where people want to spend their time, as an individual and as a family. A haven where everybody can compete and connect with others who all share a deep love of squash.
If you live in the London area, or are simply visiting southeast London, check-out Dulwich Squash Club and get a feel for yourself.
If your Club would like to partner with PSA as a PSA Club,
get in touch with Andy Whipp for more details
