Kay Among Coaches Honored by USOC in Chicago

Each year the US Olympic Committee (USOC) allows US Squash to recognize several coaches for outstanding contributions to the sport at all levels. The goal of the USOC Coaching Recognition Program is to acknowledge all coaches for their contributions and to elevate the status of the coaching profession. The coaches selected by each national sports governing body for an Olympic or Pan American sport are then accepted as candidates for the USOC Coach of the Year (in his/her category) and for recognition among all of their peers in every other sport.

US Squash CEO Kevin Klipstein (L) awards the 2006 USOC Developmental Coach honor to David Kay, Executive Director of METROsquash
US Squash CEO Kevin Klipstein (L) awards the 2006 USOC Developmental Coach honor to David Kay, Executive Director of METROsquash

The coaching categories the USOC recognizes are:

NATIONAL COACHAn Elite level club, Collegiate, Pan-Am, World Championship or Olympic Games coach or the coach of an elite athlete who competes at the highest level of your sport.

VOLUNTEER COACHA coach who does not receive payment in any form for his/her involvement in coaching at any level. The nominee should actively be coaching youth athletes.

DEVELOPMENTAL COACHA coach of a Youth Club, High School or Junior level athlete or a coach directly responsible for coaching athletes to the National or Junior national level. They can receive payment for services.

US Squash’s 2006 selections included: Bill McNally, Ted Clarke and David Kay. Bill McNally received the National Coach award for coaching the Men’s and Women’s Squash teams at Connecticut College for six years, his efforts in driving the US Squash Coaching Certification program and in 2006, coaching the U.S. Under 23 Team to a 4th place finish in the World University Games.

Ted Clarke received recognition as the Volunteer Coach for his efforts at CitySquash, the Bronx-based urban squash and education program that provides motivated and talented young people from economically disadvantaged households with a nurturing and structured team environment. In 2006, CitySquash won one Urban Team National Squash title, and three Urban Individual National Squash titles.

David Kay received the Developmental Coach honor for his work as the founder and the first and only Executive Director of Chicago’s urban squash program, METROsquash. Kay has guided METROsquash from inception to a full-fledged program with over 40 students from grades 5 through 7 from three Chicago Public Schools. The program is now recognized as a full member of the National Urban Squash and Education Association in partnership with US Squash and won a team title in the National Urban Team Championships this past season.