Squash Is More Than Just a Game for Open Squash member Bob Osborne

In a recent interview with Open Squash community member Bob Osborne, we delved into Bob's lifelong love of squash, his career in the non-profit sector, and his passion for supporting the squash community. Bob's squash journey began over 20 years ago, when his wife suggested they try it out at the Printing House club in the West Village. He instantly fell in love with the game, and despite his wife's lack of enthusiasm, Bob's passion for squash only grew stronger.

"I immediately, immediately fell in love with it," Bob recalls. "She immediately did not fall in love with it."

As Bob's passion for squash grew, so did his involvement in the squash community. He served on the City Squash board for ten years and has been on the US Squash board for five years. Bob is always happy to lend his expertise to squash-related projects, whether as a consultant or a volunteer.

"I'm always happy to help out and help organizations with fundraising, or help them think about how they're run and help them think about their management," Bob says.

Bob's professional life has also intertwined with his love for squash. As the head of his own company, the Osmond Group, Bob specializes in fundraising and strategic planning for non-profit organizations. He has worked with several high-profile organizations, including the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the League of Conservation Voters.

Bob's work with non-profits has given him a unique perspective on the importance of community engagement. He believes that people are more likely to support organizations that they have a personal connection to.

"People believe their own experience," Bob explains. "They believe their own eyes. They believe their own ears."

This philosophy has guided Bob's involvement with organizations like City Squash and US Squash. He believes that by engaging with the community and sharing his own experiences, he can inspire others to support the sport he loves. Bob's passion for squash has also taken him to unexpected places. He has traveled extensively to Serbia, where he has worked with the US Embassy, the Swiss government, and USAID to promote entrepreneurship and support the startup community.

"It's been a lot of fun," Bob says. "I've done a lot of mentoring, not just of startups in the Balkans, but some here in the U.S. as well."

Bob's work in Serbia has also led him to become involved in angel investing and venture capital. He is part of a venture studio called Studio X Ventures, which focuses on social impact startups, particularly those led by women.

Despite his many accomplishments, Bob remains humble and dedicated to his community. He is always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need, and he is a strong advocate for the power of squash to bring people together.

"Squash has been great," Bob says. "It's been a lot of weekends and tournaments and hiking around local areas and going to the movies between games and finding diners."

“I also love it because I've just made so many friends. As you get older it's a little harder sometimes to arrange things. You know, your friends have their kids and you have your kids and it's just harder to get together,” he said. “But I always know, I could walk into Open Squash. I'm going to know people, right? I'm going to be happy to see them. They're going to be happy to see me. And that's nice. And that's a great, great thing.”

Bob's story is a testament to the power of squash to enrich lives and build communities. He is an inspiration to us all, and we are grateful for his continued support of Open Squash as a member.

“I look at is, this is going to be the thing that keeps me young and keeps me healthy,” he said.

If you're inspired by Bob's story and want to get more involved in the Open Squash community, there are many ways to do so. Probably the most straightforward is for you to simply spread the word about the benefits of playing squash. Squash, for us, like for Bob, is more than just a game. It's about community, it’s about fun, fitness, and it's a way of life. Thanks to members like Bob, we can continue to grow the sport and share its benefits with the world.