“Come Out and Play” — LGBTQ+ Round Robin at Open Squash

Matt Pisanelli was making a habit of asking people at parties “Do you play squash?” to try and find more people to play. At a holiday party in December, he ran into a friend who just moved back from London who told him about OutPlay Squash, a fully inclusive round robin league. The lightbulb went off and he realized the solution to finding other plays was to start an LGBTQ+ focused league.

As a member of Open Squash at the FiDi location, he started small by booking a few courts on a Sunday afternoon with fellow members Jeffrey Schneider and Alejando Espina. The three of them invited everyone he could think of and the NYC Squash Club came to life. Over the last several months, he and his friends have turned the informal gathering into a proper league.

"We’re starting small but we're trying to replicate what they have in London" Matt said. The initiative has gained support from Open Squash, enabling the group to offer coaching sessions for those new to the sport. Each month the group hosts a beginners clinic with coaches for small group lessons.

The round robins have evolved since their inception. Attendance has been consistently between 12 to 14 people, and due to high demand, Matt is planning to increase the frequency to twice a month. You can follow Matt and the NYC Squash club on Instagram if you’d like to get involved. 

Beyond the sport itself, the initiative focuses on creating a welcoming and inclusive community. Matt and the NYC Squash Club are working to "make it friendly, demystify it," providing rackets, glasses, and loaner shoes to participants. “It’s been a blast to see friends pick up a racquet for the first time and an hour later they’re hooked.” Matt and his friends have been relying on word of mouth, but he jokingly mentions, "If you’ve got abs and you want to post about the squash club, we welcome that."

The group welcomes players of all skill levels, from total beginners to more experienced players. According to Matt, the skill levels of players range from "total beginners to people like five-oh level."

Matt hopes that this initiative will serve as "a beacon of joy and hope for folks, and that they can find their way to this." By creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, NYC Squash Club and Open Squash are helping to grow the game and provide a space for LGBTQ+ squash players to connect and compete.