By Kevin Klipstein
After I took this job, one of the first people I talked with was a former boss and mentor of mine. He is also a squash player. He offered his formula for success in taking squash to new heights. It only took him 6 words, ”Make the U.S. Open HUGE.”
CART BEFORE THE HORSE
Not a “detail guy” (that was my role when I worked for him), he had glossed over some of the things that needed to be in place first, all “huge” tasks in and of themselves: membership benefits needed to be bolstered; tools to support teaching pros needed to be developed; the sanctioning process needed to adapt to the new role technology played in running events and managing tournaments; the junior tournament and ranking structure needed to change to drive and accommodate national growth; the National Championship structure needed to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the sport’s shifting demands; relationships had to be built with high school squash, college squash and urban squash; the coaching certification program needed an overhaul; the website needed modernization and technology needed to keep pace with the organization’s expanding footprint.
ON TASK AND ON TV
With the last 5 years in our rear view mirror, the needs above largely met, a strong organizational foundation established, and a motivated professional staff on board, we are NOW focused on making the U.S. Open Championships HUGE. The U.S. Open should be the richest, most prestigious squash tournament in the world, and I believe in time it will be. Companies understand events, and they get why sponsoring them makes marketing sense. Without major events to sell, we won’t get major sponsorship dollars, forcing us to continue to rely on membership dues, sanctioning and entry fees, and contributions to slowly fund our growth.
Squash also needs a broader audience to lure major sponsors. By offering $175,000 in prize money, the 2011 U.S. Open will attract the best male and female squash players in the world to Drexel University in Philadelphia . Both championships will be part of the PSA and WISPA’s WORLD SERIES and as a result, all of the main round matches will be streamed on PSASQUASHTV.com. Through distribution deals with the PSA, the live broadcast of the semifinals and finals will at least have the potential to reach 250 million households worldwide. In the United States, ESPN3 will broadcast the semifinals and finals of the Men’s Championships online, with a potential to reach 60 million households.
WORKING TOGETHER
U.S. SQUASH and Drexel University will partner closely to host the September 30th – October 6th event, with Drexel adding extensive experience with major events to the effort, having hosted the 2008 USA Table Tennis Olympic Trials, and playing host to the 2013 Division I, II and III Men’s Lacrosse Championships, as well as sponsoring 16 Division I varsity athletic programs.
With the idea of creating a more connected squash community and fostering collaboration, the U.S. SQUASH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY will be held in conjunction with the U.S. Open on October 1st and 2nd. This gathering is an opportunity for all squash constituencies to provide input to the Board of Directors and management on important issues involving the organization. The formal portion of the Assembly will include a Board report on the “State of the Association,” and while there is certainly a solid foundation already built, we are intent on making the entire structure, including the U.S. Open, “Huge”!
