SQUASH FOR ALL!

Our Open Squash community came together on October 17 for our annual pre-U.S. Open “Squash for All” fundraiser, in support of Open Squash’s Junior Scholarship Fund.

Our fundraiser included our Open Squash Ambassador players Victor Crouin, Gina Kennedy, Matias Knudsen, Farida Mohamed, and Senior Advisor Ali Farag. The players spent time hitting with our junior participants and with members of our active league teams who had raised money to “play the pro”, before moving into coeducational exhibition matches. Ali played Gina (she won). Victor played Farida (she won). And Matias wowed the crowd with a trick shot from his extensive repertoire. Then Ali played Victor (Ali won). And Gina played Farida (Gina won).

Afterwards we had a convivial Q&A session with the players. They talked about whether it ever gets easier to lose big matches (“I wish it did,” said Ali, “but then in a way, if it did, you wouldn’t be giving your best each time”) and about balancing the demands of academics with squash at Harvard, where Ali, Gina and Victor all played and graduated with college degrees. Victor suggested that the most important thing for aspiring juniors is to enjoy the game, and insisted that they should prioritize that as much as they can before anything else. Farida emphasized the importance of drawing on support from your family as you go through the ups and downs of squash, and Gina said her college career prepared her well for life as a professional because she played on a team, which meant that she was always surrounded by a group of supportive colleagues. “The reality once you’re a professional is you’re often traveling alone to big tournaments and that requires a lot more resilience,” she said. “It’s such a great grounding for a squash career to play on a team and have that atmosphere of support.”

The fundraiser followed hot on the heels of our inaugural Open Squash Classic bronze level PSA tournament, won by Farida Mohamed and with Victor Crouin claiming second place. Afterwards many of our players made their way to Philadelphia for the U.S. Open tournament, where Ali Farag is the number one seed.

Open Squash is a 501c(3) nonprofit with the mission of making squash more accessible to everyone regardless of income and background. We have a thriving community including members of all socio-economic levels, an inclusive women’s squash program and an active junior scholarship program. Around 20% of our members are on income-based discounts, and these discounts are significant, up to one-third the regular monthly fee depending on income level and type of membership. More than 100 low-income after-school students are now participating in our junior scholarship programs including students from the Hudson Guild settlement house, Success Academy, and now, Grand Street Settlement. These students play and learn the game without any fees at all.

We’re also starting a junior squash league with participation from Open Squash and the two urban squash programs based in NYC: Street Squash in Harlem and City Squash in the Bronx. 

If you’d like to find out more about Open Squash’s junior scholarship program, or potentially partner with us either to deliver programming to more young people, or to support that mission, financially, then get in touch. Together we’ll continue to make squash truly a sport for everyone.

Open Squash is a registered 501(c){3} organization, so donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.