Fram reports
Several brains. Two locations in New York. One huge Heart. Shake it all about.
And you have a completely different brand of clubs: “non-profit”. [For Trump millionaire supporters, just look it up.]
It’s a great place. Full of intelligence, sport, passion, respect and good time for all. A place we want more of.
Merci, James, merci, Matt, for joining SquashSite. We are honoured to have you guys.
By James Green, Co-founder, OpenSquash.org
You guys want me to tell the story of Open Squash?
“Un mal pour un bien” –
from sadness to great idea…
Where to begin… Perhaps in 2010, with a bunch of mediocre but very enthusiastic squash players who were summarily booted from our squash residence in late 2010 when the legendary Printing House club in New York City ripped out our squash courts. I’d spent more time at the Printing House than at my actual house for years and I was so distraught I left the city and sailed the high seas for a year.
When I returned, a group of die-hards were hell bent on finding a new home for our community.
The aim was clear: Make a squash center that was accessible to all.
Non Profit Organisation
We recognized a need in New York City for a place where anyone, regardless of their background or financial situation, could experience the joy and benefits of squash.
My big contribution to the group?
The insight that we’d never make money at this, so we’d better make it a non-profit.
I also said “let’s not shoot for 1 location, let’s go for 100!” We are currently at two locations. Only 98 more to go…
A decade later, we manifested our imagination. We opened our first location in Jan 2020 and closed it in March due to a pesky pestilence. But we endured.
Because Open Squash is not just a squash club; we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
This non-profit status is fundamental to who we are, driving our commitment to community over profit. We have a drive that is closer to a faith than it is to a profit motive.
We pride ourselves on being a true community center, open to everyone. There were debates early on about what we could afford to put in our non-profit. But in the end, we all agreed that the amenities of a non-profit should not differ from a for-profit facility: We should be the best.
Our state-of-the-art facilities, across two locations now including 13 new courts with a glass exhibition court, modern locker rooms, and a fitness area, are designed to welcome players of all ages and levels. And as a result we have only ever received incredibly positive feedback from our community.
We hear things like: “highest tech squash courts ever witnessed,” “super clean” facilities, “great, clean,” and “wonderful courts and community” which further underscore the quality and welcoming environment we’ve always wanted to cultivate.
COVID – First courts available in NY!
And sure enough, wouldn’t you know: the person in New York State who was responsible for the schedule of what sort of business could reopen after Covid was… a squash player.
They were able to schedule a “squash only institution” to open earlier than a “gym” or a “country club”. So by July we were the only courts open in the city, turning what was a liability into an incredible positive. We also had super tight controls around who could play, when and how, involving masks and quarantine groups.
Maître-Mots: Inclusivity/Accessibility
What’s truly important to us at Open Squash is our unwavering dedication to inclusivity and accessibility.
We firmly believe that cost should never be a barrier to participation, which is why we offer financial aid and discounted memberships to those who need it.
Again, there was a debate around pricing, with many saying that we should keep the monthly pricing cheaper than similar products in the city. But in the end we decided that we are competing with mainstream offerings out there from aerobics to zumba and our pricing should be largely similar.
But using numbers from NYC mid-income housing, if you make less than about $140,000 a year as a family, then we’ll offer you a discount.
This means that we can generate as much money as we can from those who can afford it, while making squash accessible to those with fewer resources.
Our mission is to ensure that squash remains an inclusive and accessible sport for everyone. We understand that squash has a unique power to bring people together and forge lasting connections, fostering a vibrant community where growth, camaraderie, and fun thrive for players of all levels. Our community is happy to invest in that mission.
Squash for all levels
Our approach to achieving the mission is multifaceted. We offer a comprehensive range of programs designed to cater to every individual’s journey in squash, whether you’re new to the sport or looking to refine your skills.
This includes professional coaching from our diverse and skilled team, led by Directors of Squash like Peter Creed (at Bryant Park) and Amr Khalifa (at the Financial District), and assistant coaches from around the globe.
We also host leagues, clinics, and various ways to play, as well as specialized junior programming and group classes.
Our calendar is packed with events, including exciting tournaments, camps, and special community gatherings like our annual Club Championships and Junior Awards Night, and the upcoming Open Squash Classic tournament. We also host a community conversation series where members can talk about and share their passions beyond the game.
And some of us take that a step further and organize challenge tournaments around the globe. The last one we did was in Bermuda in June — and to my surprise Diego Elias showed up and competed in the tournament right after winning the British Open! He barely dropped a point let alone a game, so, yes, his team won and he is now the only person to have successfully won the British Open and Bermuda Challenge championships in the same year!! 🙂
Central to our success at Open Squash are the strategic partnerships we’ve forged with organizations that share our commitment to building stronger communities. We are incredibly proud to collaborate with a wide array of impactful groups, expanding our reach and reinforcing our shared values.
Our partners include the Squash and Education Alliance (SEA), Hudson Guild, Success Academy, College Squash Association (CSA), National Squash League (NSL), New York Squash, New York University, Squash Dreamers, and Kelshala Squash Academy.
These collaborations, alongside the generous support of our donors and community members, are what enable us to continue expanding our programs and reaching even more individuals.
Ambassadors/Coaches
We also have strong ties with world-class athletes like Nouran Gohar, the world number one and world champion squash player who teaches camps with us, and with our touring pros Gina Kennedy, current World #9 in the women’s game and Victor Crouin the French squash sensation.
Both Gina and Victor are ambassadors for us and not only wear the Open Squash logo but teach at our thriving summer camps, inspiring the next generation. In fact the stream of fascinating people that come through our centers inspired me to create a video series called “Boast About It’ which you can find on YouTube.
Ultimately, at Open Squash, we are driven by the belief that everyone needs sport.
We are dedicated to creating a positive impact through inclusivity and accessibility. Whether you’re looking to play, learn, coach, volunteer, or support our mission, Open Squash is the place to start your journey.
I hope you’ll join us in making squash a sport for everyone, for life.
