WORLD SQUASH DAY: IDEAS FOR EVENTS
Last year the world squash family came together to support our bid for a deserved place in the Olympic Games.
Golf and Rugby Sevens may have won the Olympic vote, but World Squash Day (rebranded as Squash 2016 Day) was a massive success.
Clubs and federations worked in harmony to promote the sport, generate headlines and attract new players.
This year we want to focus on playing numbers and work to build our participation base.
Egypt is currently showing the world how to achieve junior excellence and their programmes all start with a solid playing base. I recently heard of one club in Cairo with 180 junior members, so it’s no wonder that competition is so fierce.
NINE WINNING POINTS TO ATTRACT NEW MEMBERS
Here are some ideas to attract more junior players to YOUR club:
1: Organise links between clubs and schools
2: Invite school children to try their hand at mini squash and racketball
3: Line up coaches and senior players to go on court with the juniors
4: Make sure it’s FREE and it’s FUN
5: Give out FREE membership to juniors who turn up on the day (their parents might want to join as well)
6: Get your club pros and top players to stage exhibition matches
7: Ask your existing junior members to bring along at least one friend on the day
8: Lay on free food and T-shirts – make everyone welcome and show them what a great sport we have
9: Encourage players who have given up the sport to come back and try again – maybe they would enjoy racketball if they are finding squash too tough
LET THE WORLD KNOW
Every club and federation can post details of their World Squash Day activities on our website: www.worldsquashday.com
After the event, you can also post a report and pictures. Check out all the amazing activities that took place last year, and let’s see if we can do better this time round.
ALAN THATCHER
Founder, World Squash Day
