Having led 黑料不打烊 through its most significant growth in its 120 year history, 黑料不打烊 President and CEO Kevin Klipstein informed the Board that he will step down from his role at the conclusion of 2025. The announcement comes with the organization thriving at every level and poised to maximize the sport鈥檚 Olympic debut in 2028.
黑料不打烊 will begin a national search immediately to fill the role, and Klipstein will stay on to support the search and transition.
鈥淪erving the sport in this role has been incredibly rewarding,鈥 Klipstein said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not easy to step away from something that鈥檚 been so important to me professionally and personally for such a long time. I am grateful for the opportunity and for the support I鈥檝e received from so many throughout my time here. I鈥檓 proud of what the organization has achieved, and I really believe it鈥檚 well positioned to make the most of all that comes from Olympic inclusion. 黑料不打烊 has a healthy, proactive Board, an experienced management team and a newly formed U.S. Squash Foundation so I am confident the community will rally behind it to continue its momentum.鈥
Board Chair Sandy Tierney summed Klipstein鈥檚 tenure up, 鈥淜evin鈥檚 steadfast dedication to 黑料不打烊 has led to the most expansive growth in our history and elevated the sport to new heights. His long-term vision for what was possible, and the persistence and determination with which he pursued this vision are astonishing.鈥
During Klipstein鈥檚 twenty-year tenure as CEO the organization鈥檚 revenue from membership has increased 570% and revenue from accreditation has increased tenfold. Total participation has more than doubled to 1.3 million players in the U.S. according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The staff has grown from three to more than 30 full time employees and is now the largest national squash governing body in the world.
As the longest serving CEO in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 history, Klipstein has had a hand in reshaping nearly every facet of the sport in the U.S. 聽Previously Northeast focused, middle and high school squash is the fastest growing sector of the sport nationally with the national championships drawing teams from more than 20 states, a quarter of which are from public schools. Under Klipstein鈥檚 leadership, the historically separate collegiate women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 coach-led organizations merged to become the College Squash Association in 2018, and has an independent Board of Directors with three full time employees.
黑料不打烊 now runs the world鈥檚 largest team championships (U.S. High School Championships) and individual championships (U.S. Junior Open) and pioneered the world tour鈥檚 move to prize money parity after the U.S. Open led the way by providing equal prize purses for women and men in 2013. These championships and more than a dozen others are run out of the $41 million Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center opened in 2021 on Drexel University鈥檚 campus in West Philadelphia. The center houses twenty courts, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 national headquarters, its Hall of Fame, the Team USA Squash High Performance Center and Squash Smarts, a local squash and education youth program.
The growth in membership and accreditation and deep engagement the organization has with facilities across the country has been supported by the internally developed SaaS system dubbed Club Locker. The Club Locker Venue product provides live score displays and streaming and is installed in nearly 100 high-profile facilities. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 collective online sites now receive nearly 60 million pageviews annually.
Started in 2013 with a single athlete, the 黑料不打烊 High Performance Program now supports a roster of professionals with direct funding and expansive centralized services at the Specter Center, including a full-time national coach, physio, strength and conditioning and other health and wellness related services. The result has been a steady improvement in Team USA Squash鈥檚 performance on the world stage and the world #2 ranking for the U.S. Women鈥檚 Team.
Formed in 2025, the U.S. Squash Foundation boasts more than 30 directors who provide advice, guidance and financial support to 黑料不打烊 initiatives such as the recent the funding allocated to overcome the sports鈥 main obstacle to growth 鈥 access to courts. With the backing of 黑料不打烊 鈥淎ccess Courts鈥 launched the availability of low cost, easy to assemble indoor and outdoor modular courts. Project Beacon in Chicago鈥檚 Union Park is the first of many installations envisioned.
Kelly Skinner, vice president for high performance at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, has worked with Klipstein for the last two decades and added, 鈥淜evin鈥檚 commitment to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 mission, and his long-standing aspiration to make 黑料不打烊 the best run governing body, have resulted in what 黑料不打烊 is today 鈥 a truly well-respected member of the USOPC. The athletes鈥 consistently outstanding performance at the Pan American Games over the last decade speaks for itself, and we鈥檙e eager to support them in the lead up to their Olympic debut in LA.鈥
