US Squash hopes that families in the junior squash community have enjoyed their summer and are looking forward to the start of the school year and the 2019-2020 junior squash season.

In May, US Squash announced a number of policy enhancements to the junior squash system, which will take effect on September 4, 2019 and will apply to all accredited junior tournaments beginning after this date. These enhancements are based on extensive feedback from players and stakeholders as well as in-depth analysis of participation data, and are designed to continue the provision of a safe, fair, inclusive and balanced environment for the junior squash community.

The goals of these improvements include:

  • Ensuring a well-supervised, respectful atmosphere which also seeks to prevent injuries;
  • Establishing a fair, inclusive and accessible structure that grows development opportunities at both the grassroots and high-performance levels and ensures squash fits within players’ lives in the face of competing demands;
  • Capitalizing on growing participation and geographical diversity in competitive squash;
  • Leveraging the sport’s existing values and making the most of the connection between squash and education.

The changes affect three primary categories:

  • Tournament structure changes, involving adjustments to the size of tournaments and the numbers/method of allocation for each tournament type nationally;
  • Rankings enhancements to maintain mobility across ranking levels;
  • Process/Qualification Criteria improvements that, along with the rankings changes, are designed to ensure that players are competing at a level appropriate for their skill and age while lowering the barriers for families to access meaningful competitive opportunities.

Please click here to read the full details and rationale behind the planned changes.

Tournament Registration Timeline and Waitlist Policies

Two key areas to highlight are the changes to tournament entry timelines and the likely increase in the number of tournaments with oversubscribed divisions resulting in more waitlists being created. Players should note these shifts carefully to ensure their registration is on time and they understand their entry status in tournaments.

Tournament Registration Timelines

For the 2019-2020 season, the timelines for entering junior squash tournaments have changed, moving one week earlier, for all events starting after September 4, 2019. The timelines for each level of tournament are as follows:

National, JCT, and Gold

  • Regular Registration Deadline: 12:00pm on Wednesday 3.5 weeks before start of tournament.
    • Cut list and waitlist order will be created for any over-subscribed divisions and will be released at the regular registration deadline.
  • Online Registration Taken Down: 12:00pm on Wednesday 1.5 weeks before start of tournament.

Silver and Bronze

  • Regular Registration Deadline: 12:00pm on Wednesday 2.5 weeks before start of tournament.
    • Cut list and waitlist order will be created for any over-subscribed divisions and will be released at the regular registration deadline.
  • Online Registration Taken Down: 12:00pm on Wednesday 1.5 weeks before start of tournament.

Note: all times noted reference the time zone of the tournament.

Waitlist
At the regular registration deadline, US Squash will create a cut list based on the players who signed up prior to the regular registration deadline. In over-subscribed divisions, US Squash will release a waitlist order. Therefore, no player is guaranteed a place in the main draw of a tournament until the regular registration deadline has passed. At that time players are encouraged to review the entrants list of a tournament to determine if they have secured a place in the main draw or if they have been placed on the waitlist.

The cut list and waitlist order are based on the cut list points calculation as is detailed in the Junior Guidelines.

Players may continue to sign up for any tournament as late entrants until the online sign up is taken down on the Wednesday 1.5 weeks before the start of the tournament. If playing positions are available at the time of registration, late entries will be accepted. However, if a division is over-subscribed, late entries will be placed at the bottom of the division waitlist behind all players who registered before the regular registration deadline.

Sportsmanship and Conduct

As a new season approaches, US Squash reiterates its commitment to maintaining a positive and sportsmanlike environment for all competition.

US Squash expects all players to be respectful of their opponent and the officials, courteous on and off the court, and responsible for their own behavior. We all have a shared responsibility to encourage the practice of fair play and sportsmanship.

As a reminder, all players, parents, coaches, and attendees are responsible for adhering to the US Squash Code of Conduct. Please take a moment to review and familiarize yourself with the Code of Conduct.

While it is never appropriate to interfere with refereeing, any issues should be reported to the tournament staff by parents, coaches, or players. Issues could include, though are not limited to, interference with refereeing by a parent or coach, coaching during play, dissent expressed by players to referees, absent or distracted referees, or other Code of Conduct violations.

The values of courtesy, respect and accountability are regularly reinforced through participation in squash. Parents and coaches should emphasize to players the importance of good sportsmanship and set an example through their own actions.