Written evidence submitted by South East Regional Forum (Squash & Squash57), Squash Rackets Association, Surrey Squash, Sussex Squash, Kent Squash and Middlesex Squash

The Role of Squash & Squash57 (Racketball) in Grass Roots Sports

The sports of Squash and Squash57 have proved extremely successful in attracting all ages, genders and ethnicities in to active sports participation. The Governing Bodies of the South Counties of the UK (Middlesex, Sussex, Surrey, Kent & Essex) banded together to create a forum sharing ideas and best practices to grow participation in line with the National Governing Body initiatives ( Squash).

Commercial decisions leading to the loss of courts at facilities (including private and local authority clubs), are made without any consideration to the opportunities of utilise off peak court space for grass roots participation. When we get the chance we can demonstrate that Squash and Squash57 offer the opportunity to not only get the courts utilised with juniors but also for them to attract the children’s parents either as members or to engage in other sporting activities.

The schools programs we have set up in conjunction with the SGO’s attract a huge number of children from all backgrounds who develop simple racket skills and a desire to participate and compete. The follow on programs introduce juniors into social games and interaction with other areas and communities. The programs also offer the opportunities to progress and aspire to greater things, representing clubs, counties and even the UK. In fact these pathways have spawned some of the greatest players in the world, and still does.

Squash and Squash57 offer amazing opportunities to all regardless of background. Once engaged the desire to play can be obsessive, but the rewards in terms of physical fitness and comradeship are immense, and provide a great foundation for any other sport and future health.

What is needed:  Coaches with relevant skills and a mentored business approach  Receptive SGO’s  Supportive ‘Active’ county bodies  Facilities with a proactive outlook and supportive of the Sport England objectives  Financial incentives to coaches, venues and underprivileged families

The South East Regional Forum can provide countless examples of the success of these junior/grass roots programs that demonstrate the effectiveness of enthusiastic coaches, receptive facilities and numbers that can be engaged. Also the importance of continued support and promotion of the sport through the likes of social media, below are two such examples

Kind Regards

David Neller Chairman Essex SRA & SE Regional Forum Example 1 – from Middlesex Squash: Online Engagement Zoom Coaching Sessions during lockdown

Middlesex County junior Squash used the previous lockdown to re-engage with their club and county juniors using a series of weekly online zoom sessions run by the county coaches Steve Thompson, Paul Carter and Adam Fuller – these were aimed at all the county juniors who were part of the program prior to the lockdown in March.

The sessions mainly focused on the following:  Fitness (themed sessions)- Physical circuits  Video Analysis – games and tactics  Mental resilience  Squash Movement patterns  Technical racket skills  Open discussion of theme with open questions

The sessions often had a physical theme and a technical theme i.e. Physical theme – the lunge & Squash Development theme – Volleys

In order to set these sessions up the following were needed:  A Zoom account – not just the free one if sessions were longer than 45 mins  Audience – marketed via a punchy poster (email) and parents WhatsApp groups  Poster email – displayed session content, who the session was for (target audience), focus on how the session was to run and timespan etc  Ideally two coaches facilitate the session  Needs co-ordination/co-operation of key clubs/coaches and individuals  Sessions were also open to others attending

These sessions were promoted and co-ordinated by the Middlesex County Junior Chair Sharon Virdi and were paid for out of county funds – as they were free to existing county juniors a small charge was levied to those who attended who were not yet part of the program (not many of these) – numbers attending varied but the whole squad (90 juniors) were invited.

These sessions enabled the continued engagement with junior players/parents and clubs. The key message being that despite the lockdown Middlesex Squash was alive and kicking cared about the welfare of their squad members and were definitely still “Open”

As a footnote Paul C and Steve T are looking at putting together an “idiots guide” as to how to run these sessions for other coaches in the Region who may be interested in doing something similar.

Chris Vine – SE Region Development Consultant – November 2020 Example 2 - Primary Schools Outreach – Essex Jan to March 2020

In Nov 2019 contact was made with the Essex “Head” School Games Organiser Kirk Edwards based in Southend at Shoeburyness High School. At a meeting It was agreed that Kirk would instruct all of the Essex SGO’s in the 15 districts to identify 4 primary schools at which a total of 8 concurrent taster mini squash sessions would take place in curriculum time – working with years 3-6, over the next six months Jan to July 2020 culminating in a team competition (two boys and two girls from each school) at the nearest club/facility courts. This would be followed by suitable open/invite sessions at the club, and parents participation opportunities, offered & coached by the local Club Junior Coach.

As a direct result between Jan and March 2020 the program commenced with 10 of the SGO’s in 10 districts in the county agreeing to provide suitable schools. This covered 40 primary schools (two classes each engaging approx. 2,400 children) exposed to FUNdamental Movement skills and multi racket skills using mini squash (rackets, balls, walls and benches etc) as the delivery method.

Due to the Covid situation however the program was cut short and only 15 out of the 40 actually had the sessions (a total of 900 children) – these were delivered in the months Jan to March. Even in those uncertain times however, 3 team competitions, at , Club Kingswood and DW Fitness Squash Clubs Shoeburyness, were subsequently held during curriculum time involving 14 teams (56 players new to squash). Follow on sessions were offered and indeed a brand-new junior club was set up as a result at DW Fitness Club Shoeburyness.

Although the Covid situation has caused a significant loss of momentum, contact has been continued with Kirk Edwards Head Essex School Games Organiser and the intention is to resume the program as soon as is practically possible.

The background to this initiative was to build on the already highly successful Schools Outreach program run by the Off the Wall Squash Academy out of the Garrison in the North Essex ( area). Over 100 primary schools (an estimated 3000 children) have been involved in this program over the last 4-5 years and it is no doubt the main reason why Essex have a thriving and growing Junior Squash Development Program. The intention remains to replicate the successful elements of this program in the other three Regions of the County (South East, West and Central areas)

Chris Vine – SE Region Development Consultant – Nov 2020