Building on the success of the inaugural US Squash Leadership Development Internships last summer, the program returns expanded this month with a new crop of college students developing their skill sets as future squash professionals.
Last summer’s program involved three college squash players, who were immersed in all facets of managing Portland Community Squash (PCS) in Maine and learning vital US Squash best practices. The program added two new facilities this summer along with PCS, Merion Cricket Club and MSquash Accelerator, and will expose five new college squash players to a squash professional pathway after graduating.
Over the course of the program, the interns will become US Squash Level 1 Coach certified, learn about US Squash event management and Club Locker tournament software, work directly with coaches, program directors and administrators to learn every aspect of running a squash club, and work with the partner facility and US Squash staff to deliver an accredited event.
Learn more about the interns and programs below:
Portland Community Squash interns: Ishaan Geroge (Bowdoin), Dominica Romo (Dickinson), Satya Butler (Bowdoin), Maddie Kaufman (Denison), Zihao Chen (Bowdoin), Tatreaux Sokol
PCS is a leader in the community squash movement by operating one of the country’s first mixed-use squash and education facilities in Portland, ME. Its programs combine the best aspects of membership-based models, local school programs, and the squash + education alliance framework. All programs are intentionally diverse and accessible to all members of the Portland community. In the first year of operations, PCS brought on 215 members, 200 students, and generated $1M of revenue.
“Portland Community Squash has sparked interest in many new squash markets,” said Barrett Takesian, PCS President. “We need passionate squash professionals that can build and sustain these emerging squash communities. The internship combines squash coaching, professional development and project work. In 2018, the PCS interns studied squash facilities built in the United States after 2000. In 2019, the interns and volunteers will package Portland Community Squash into an executive summary, business plan, and all the supporting documents to save emerging squash communities hundreds of hours of work.”
MSquash Accelerator Intern: Sean Choi (Wesleyan)
MSquash Accelerator, located in Port Chester NY, is a brand new High-Tech, High Performance Squash Academy with 6 courts featuring the newest training technologies available. MSquash is a privately-owned facility open to the public, with an intense focus on Junior Squash Development of the highest caliber.
“It means a lot to us to show students and graduates that both being a coach and running a squash business are possible and there doesn’t need to be a choice,” said Katline Cauwels, MSquash Co-Founder and CEO. “We look forward to guiding our intern to top level coaching and top level business thinking. Both require agility, passion and dedication. We are super excited as we believe our candidate has this mix and we look forward to seeing many more of these people come out of the program.”
Merion Cricket Club Intern: Eloise Nimoityn (Dickinson)
Merion Cricket Club (MCC) is one of the oldest full service, private racquet clubs in the country. With a rich history in the U.S. squash community, MCC continues to excel on the national and international stage. MCC provides facilities and programming that keep its professional staff busy year-round with a dynamic membership that includes singles and doubles players across all age groups.
“Being a part of Dickinson’s team has been a highlight of my college experience,” Nimoityn said. “I have great interest in exploring other aspects of the sport, including coaching, fundraising, and all that goes on behind the scenes at US Squash. I can think of no greater way to spend my summer than working under the tutelage of US Squash and Merion.”
