US Squash announces the launch of the US Squash Foundation

US Squash, the national governing body for squash in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), today announced the launch of the US Squash Foundation. The Foundation is rooted in its mission to lead the most important initiatives for squash growth in the United States.

Long considered, the launch of the Foundation signifies a strategic expansion for American squash toward its mission, while providing the sport with a much-needed, U.S.-based philanthropic organization focused solely on squash culture. The Foundation also allows US Squash to properly engage and recognize the sport’s most generous benefactors while collaboratively ensuring a strong and sustainable financial foundation for the governing body.

The Foundation’s first four main initiatives are:

1. Develop courts that can be installed easily and inexpensively in schools, public parks, and indoor and outdoor public spaces.
2. Expand school, college and community squash programs nationally.
3. Providing national training and training programs to help America’s best squash players become world champions and Olympic champions.
4. Promote the “Squash United Fund,” a unified funding resource to facilitate collaboration and mutual support of all U.S.-based organizations dedicated to the growth and vitality of squash.

Marshall Pagon, inaugural chairman of the US Squash Foundation and former US Squash President, commented: “The recent successful conclusion of the campaign to secure the inclusion of squash in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles culminates a period of fifteen years of significant achievements for American Squash. Today’s launch of the US Squash Foundation is the next logical step representing the opening of a new chapter in the development of our sport and its national governing body – the creation of a foundation whose purpose is to serve as Inclusive “big tent” to support squash organizations and initiatives to tackle our sport’s most important strategic priorities.

“US Squash has driven squash’s growth trajectory with increased player participation, a national hub at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center and Olympic inclusion in the LA28 Games,” said Squash Hall of Famer Ned Edwards American, who will be the first executive director. of the Foundation. “Now the US Squash Foundation is the crucial next step in ensuring that squash has a strong position alongside other growing sports for many years to come.”

“I am thrilled to see such a proactive step taken in establishing the US Squash Foundation,” said Amanda Sobhy, US Squash Team Ambassador to the Foundation and seven-time Pan American Games gold medalist and recent world number 3. Squash’s support of professional athletes has been an important part of our recent successes on the circuit and at major regional and world team events. This support and focus on the pipeline of young players is now more vital than ever. The Foundation will raise awareness of the most significant initiatives to support.

Over the past decade, US Squash has more than tripled the number of junior squash players competing nationally and increased participation in schools, colleges and among adults, pioneering the equal prize money for women at the US Open, opened the Arlen Specter US Squash Center, trained the nation’s top athletes, resulting in four women ranked in the top fifteen and the n #2 in the world, funded the development of the standalone SaaS system Club Locker and, more recently, led the successful international campaign for Olympic inclusion.

Olympic inclusion provides important validation for squash on the global sporting stage. It sends a clear message to all aspiring athletes who dream of competing at the highest level: their dedication can take them to the pinnacle: the Olympic Games. Inclusion creates the opportunity and need for faster investment in sport over the next four years and beyond.

For more information about the US Squash Foundation and how to support, please visit www.ussquashfoundation.org.