My View On The State Of The Game In California
by Ashley Kayler, special to DailySquashReport.com
Ashley Kayler has been coaching squash at the University of California, Berkeley since 1995. He played on the Cal team from 1987-1991 under the tutelage of legendary coach Dick Crawford. Born in England, Ashley currently lives in Berkeley and is the creator of InsideSquash.com and the 'Inside Squash' iPhone app - both great resources for improving one's game.
July 13, 2011 - After endeavoring for 15 years to make squash a varsity sport at Cal, I have not been successful in that mission with either the men's or women's team. What I have seen is very slow growth...and only when a few dedicated individuals give everything they have to promote the sport. Squash is an amazing sport, but it is also a hard sell in California because the weather outside is so nice most of the year. Maybe with the shifting weather patterns caused by global warming, we'll see more rain in California, and a boom in squash participation.
I believe it is possible for squash to achieve the kind of popularity on the west coast that it has on the east coast, but it is going to take extraordinary generosity and concerted effort from many people in order to make that happen. If we are relying on public universities in a state with a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, we are simply never going to have the funding necessary to build new courts or even publicize the sport.
The Cal Women's Squash team is growing, but it's still very much a club team. We are a long way from achieving the kind of financial footing that would give us the stability of a Varsity program. The courts at Cal are in dire need of repair and maintenance, and I don't see the money forthcoming to do this.
The biggest untapped opportunity for growth that I see is actually in private high schools. There is only one private high school in California that has courts. That really limits the number of incoming freshmen at Cal who have any experience in the sport.
If squash is going to truly grow in California in the next decade, we are going to need those individuals with the means to make it happen to step up.
Back To Main