Our Squash Pros

At Open Squash, we’ve brought together an experienced, world-class team with a dedication to teaching and a passion for our mission of access to all.

Amr Khalifa

Director of Squash: FiDi

For those deep in the squash world, Amr needs no introduction. He won the World Junior Championship in 2010, both Individual and Teams. As a college player in the US, Amr won the US college national individual championship in 2014 (beating a young sophomore named Ali Farag) and won the prestigious Skillman Award for sportsmanship. He then went on to be top 50 PSA player with nine titles to his name – legendary Trinity coach Paul Assaiante has said Amr “has magical hands, moves like a cat and reads the game really well.”

But more important than Amr’s playing pedigree is the outstanding coaching career he has developed since. As an Egyptian National Junior Coach, he’s played an integral role in developing the current crop of top Egyptian juniors. He currently is squash director for the Maadi Club in Cairo, and is the founder of S Unit where he coaches elite juniors and PSA players such as Omar Mosaad (former PSA #3), Youssef Soliman (PSA #11) and Melissa Alves (PSA # 19).

Amr’s years of living, playing and studying in the US give him the ability to translate the best of the Egyptian game to squash in the US, and we’re incredibly excited to have him bring his talents and expertise to our junior programs, primarily at FiDi but also at our other locations.

Mike Way

Senior Advisor

Mike is entering his 12th year as the head coach of Harvard’s men’s and women’s squash teams, was named U.S. Squash Coach of the Year in 2017, and led the squash program to a pair of Ivy League, two team national and two individual national championships in 2018-19. Mike has been coaching the world’s top players for over 20 years, including world champions Jonathan Power, Sarah Fitzgerald and Ali Farag, and recent top-ranked college players Gina Kennedy and Victor Crouin. Earlier in his career, his junior program amassed over 100 Canadian national titles and he guided Canada’s top level players to a total of nineteen national adult titles.

Mike’s attention to detail and understanding of the finer points of the game are legendary, as are his generosity and dedication not just to squash but to his players’ well-being and personal development.

Peter Creed

Director of Squash: Bryant Park

Welshman Peter Creed has forged a reputation as one of the most energetic and exciting players to watch on the PSA World Tour. Training under the tutelage of six-time British Open Champion Jonah Barrington, he achieved a career high of #50 on the PSA World Tour, and captured 8 PSA titles and 9 national titles. Peter was a key member of the Welsh team that finished 3rd at the 2019 WSF Men’s World Team Championship. He has competed in three Commonwealth Games, won a World Double Bronze medal, and represented Wales more than 150 times. His goal here at Open Squash is to build the Red Team into a thriving, committed and hard-working group. He is also available for private lessons and will advise on adult programming. Catch Peter in the Open League this year, where he’s hoping to score some wins for the club!

David Hughes

Director of Squash Operations

A level 3 certified coach with over 20 years of experience, David did his early coaching in Toronto, Vancouver, Guyana, and around the Caribbean. He was ranked in the top 10 in Canada during his junior and adult competitive career, and is a former 40+ champion in Ontario. As an active coach on the New York squash scene for the last ten years, he has worked with juniors and adults at all levels, guiding them on the technical and strategic aspects of the game.

Josh Easdon

Head of Junior Development: Bryant Park

Josh Easdon is a certified squash coach with over 25 years of teaching experience. He has taught squash to juniors and adults at all of the major squash clubs in NYC including the Heights Casino and CityView Racquet Club.

Josh has been playing squash since he was 7, and at age 14, was ranked #2 in the country, playing for the US Junior Men’s Team. While earning his B.A. from Vassar College, Josh was the college’s number one squash player and an All-American and Senior Athlete. As a person living with dyslexia, he knows the challenges one faces in school and life. Josh carries this with him onto the squash court in each class he teaches, and conducts himself in a manner that makes his students feel comfortable, whether they are gifted athletes or find sports intimidating. His goal is to make squash accessible to as many people as possible.

Asghar Abbas

Squash Pro: Bryant Park

Asghar Abbas has over 15 years of teaching experience, bringing his international prowess and enthusiasm for the squash to our members. Born in Pakistan, Ashgar worked with the national Pakistan coach and was taught by former world #2, Gogi Alla-ud-Din, becoming a top ranked junior in Pakistan, reaching the quarterfinals of the British Junior Squash Championship twice, competing in the World Junior Squash Championship and PIA National Junior Open where he reached the semifinals. After his junior career he competed and qualified in numerous professional tournaments.

Asghar has taught juniors and adults squash at the BFC Bronxville Field Country Club, SquashRX and the New York Health & Racquet Club. As the founder and Head Squash Coach for the Grace Church School Squash Team he introduced squash to new players. For the past 6 years, Asghar worked with Squash Director Josh Easdon in the JoshSQUASH program based in Brooklyn, where he was on court with over a hundred juniors per week.

Thaisa Serafini

Squash Pro & Director of Fitness: Bryant Park

Thaisa has been playing squash for 23 years with over 15 of those years competing professionally. Originally from Brazil, she has been a Brazilian national champion 9 times and has represented Brazil at numerous South American, Pan Am Championships, and three Pan American Games. In 2011 she was recognized by the Brazilian Olympic Committee as the country’s top squash player. She has also competed on the PSA World Tour where she won two titles and achieved a career high ranking of #56 in the world.

In addition, Thaisa has coached squash for over 10 years privately in Brazil, England, and the US. She has worked as an assistant squash professional at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia and more recently at CityView Racquet Club in Long Island City, New York.

Habiba Mohamed

Squash Pro: Bryant Park

Habiba Mohamed is the youngest player to have reached the top 20 on the PSA world tour, (world no. 18) and is also a 5 time British Junior Open champion. She recently graduate from Columbia University where she was Team Captain; playing as the 1, 2,& 3 position. She also earned the title of first team All-American and first team All-Ivy twice. She is so excited to join the team and also lead her Egyptian Squash Camp here at Open Squash this summer!

Jana Shiha

Current World #37 & Squash Pro: Bryant Park

Up-and-coming youngster Jana Shiha is one of several Egyptians to have breached the top 50 in the World Rankings as a teenager. She made her debut on the PSA Tour at just 13 years old, and has already gone on to win four titles in her short career so far, with those four coming in consecutive events in 2019 and 2020! She has a stunning record on the PSA Challenger Tour, having reached at least the quarter-finals of every main draw she has entered.

Jana is excited to make Open Squash her NYC home when she is on tour and participate in our programming, from coaching to mentorship and beyond!

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