Squash celebrates Strong growth in Auckland
Auckland region’s 28 squash clubs are turning around a decade of decline in player numbers by focusing on the needs of grass-roots players, says Squash Auckland.
TrustLine, June 2010
The regional body has in the past two years rolled out an array of programmes that meet the needs of young players and women, as well as targeting ethnic groups who are new to the sport.
Squash Auckland General Manager Adrian Dale says the Women in Squash promotion gave new players six weeks of coaching for $60. More than 400 women have taken part and those who went on to join a club were given a free racquet, drink bottle and a squash ball to kick-start their new sport.
“Fifty one women have joined a club as a full paying member after participating in the Women in Squash program,” he says. “That represents 31% of the women participants who were not already members of a club.”
The pay-offs continue, with women’s team entries in inter-club competitions increasing by 17.5% last autumn.
At the school level, over 20 schools are participating in squash programmes already this year, with more than 1,000 students taking part.
“The schools programme has been an enormous success,” says Adrian, “and encouragingly, most of the schools are offering squash for the first time.”
The Discovery Squash Beginners programme has recently been rebranded Discovery Squash for Men, Squash Fit opens clubrooms for early morning fitness programmes and the Jets junior inter-club competition has spread across the region. Meanwhile, in Papatoetoe, a Discovery Squash programmes this year targeted members of the South East Asian community, where squash has never been a traditional sport.
Player numbers across the age-groups are rising and masters level player numbers are the highest in 12 years.
“For the first time in 10 years Auckland has experienced positive growth in the number of senior inter-club entries,” says Adrian. “This year entries rose by three teams – that might not look particularly significant, but given that this competition has experienced 10 consecutive years of decline, the increase is worth celebrating.”
In March 2010 the Trust granted Squash Auckland $24,800 toward its junior development initiatives and coaching education.