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Partnership
will integrate junior tournament and private school team players
 New
York, NY, October 10, 2007 – US Squash
and the New England Interscholastic Squash Association (NEISA) have entered
into a broad partnership that focuses on closely integrating junior tournament
players with private school team players. The goal of the partnership is to
provide a richer junior squash experience for as many players as possible.
Previously
frustrated by the challenge of achieving an Official US Squash Final Season
ranking due to the four junior sanctioned tournament exposure requirement, the
partnership will allow for 2007-2008 regular season dual matches and league
tournament matches among the 38 boy’s and 36 girl’s NEISA teams to each count
as exposures for the players in their relevant age division. Combined with
competing in the U.S. High School Team Championships, expecting over 100 teams
in just its fifth year, players competing on NEISA teams will only need one
additional exposure to achieve a Final Season Ranking.
Additionally,
in a test environment, this season’s dual match NEISA results will be
calculated in anticipation of integrating all NEISA match results into the US
Squash Rating and Ranking System in the 2008-2009 season. The partnership will
also entitle juniors at member schools to receive discounted US Squash
memberships through their teams as well as access to US Squash Referee
Clinics.
US Squash CEO
Kevin Klipstein commented, “Working together and supporting NEISA on a long
term basis just makes sense. In order for squash to continue breaking through
as a sport, we need to band together and provide the best experience possible,
and access to every playing opportunity for juniors. Whether they are
competing in individual junior tournaments, for public schools, boarding
schools, or urban squash programs, we have the infrastructure in place to
easily integrate all of these groups and create these opportunities. It makes
the sport stronger in many ways”.
Ned
Gallagher, the Athletic Director at Choate Rosemary Hall and long-time leader
of the NEISA commented, “We are really looking forward to working closely with
US Squash. I think they are doing a great job at thinking about the sport long
term by creating partnerships that first and foremost benefit junior squash
players.“
US Squash
plans to make this type of partnership available to other school leagues as
part of their initiative to increase the popularity of squash among middle and
high schools across the country.
About the US Squash
US Squash is the national
governing body and membership organization for the sport of squash in the
United States and is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and a member of
the U.S. Olympic Committee. US Squash owns and licenses tournaments including
the U.S. Open, the North American Open, and owns and manages all U.S. Squash
Championships. US Squash also selects and supports the U.S. Teams that compete
internationally, maintains the official ratings and rankings system for the
U.S. and invests in junior and adult development programs to grow
participation in the sport at every level.
Contact: Bill Buckingham- US
Squash
212-268-4090
bill.buckingham@us-squash.org |
