Position Title: Director, Development
Location: Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center, Philadelphia, PA
Type: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer

Organization Overview
黑料不打烊 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the only national governing body and membership organization for the sport of squash in the United States. Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Philadelphia, 黑料不打烊 is a member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Pan American Squash Federation, and the World Squash Federation. The mission of 黑料不打烊 is to lead, inspire, and unite squash in the United States by growing participation, positively impacting lives, driving competitive excellence, and supporting a strong and collaborative organizational culture. The organization is headquartered at the Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center in Philadelphia, the world鈥檚 largest public squash facility.

Job Overview
黑料不打烊 is on a bold journey to the LA28 Olympic Games, and we are seeking an entrepreneurial, versatile, and relationship-driven Director, Development to join our dynamic development team in Philadelphia. This is a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact on the growth of squash in the U.S. and help shape the sport鈥檚 legacy on the Olympic stage.

The Director, Development will play a leadership role in raising philanthropic support towards the Momentum Campaign, launching fall 2026, including managing a portfolio of major gift prospects and overseeing ambitious annual giving targets. The role will also quarterback development strategies, plan and manage high-impact events, oversee donor communications, support two volunteer boards, and manage one direct report. This is a hands-on leadership role ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, brings a strategic process-driven approach to donor engagement, and can balance frontline fundraising with programmatic management.

Job Responsibilities

• Major Gift Fundraising
  • Manage a portfolio of 75-100 major gift prospects and donors, consistently securing gifts in the $25,000 to $100,000 range while identifying and pursuing opportunities for larger six and seven-figure commitments
  • Travel regularly to meet with donors and prospects
• Advancement Initiatives
  • Manage the Manager, Development on a day-to-day basis
  • Serve as a driving force behind the Momentum Campaign, overseeing the campaign pipeline, communications and promotion, and donor recognition
  • Design and execute a comprehensive annual giving strategy that grows and diversifies the 黑料不打烊 donor base through direct mail, digital, and peer-to-peer channels
  • Grow and manage a year-round stewardship program for annual fund donors, focused on retention, upgrades, and meaningful engagement
  • Revitalize the 黑料不打烊 Planned Giving Society, identifying and cultivating prospects for legacy and deferred gifts
  • Lead regular department meetings and deliver clear, consistent reporting on goals, progress, and outcomes to leadership, the Board, and external partners
• Stewardship & Board Management
  • Steward and manage relationships with members of the U.S Squash Foundation Board and the 黑料不打烊 Board of Directors including the Young Professionals Committee
  • Oversee donor stewardship, including ticketing, weekly acknowledgement letters, honor roll, loyalty society, and gift/gear program
  • Support growing, managing, and stewarding patrons of 黑料不打烊 Championship events
• Development Special Events:
  • Support planning for LA28, including the ticketing and hospitality experience for donors, board members, and prospects
  • Lead planning and execution for high impact annual events for 黑料不打烊 Board of Directors and U.S. Squash Foundation Board members
  • Identify new opportunities for 黑料不打烊 leadership to continue the Drive to LA28 Road Show, high impact events around the country to grow supporter base
  • Play a key role in the planning and execution of the U.S. Open Squash Championships in the donor experience, hospitality experience, and more

Recommended Skills/Certifications
鈥� Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Sport Management, or a related field
鈥� Minimum of 7+ years of experience in fundraising, events, and donor relations
鈥� Strongly preferred track record of securing major gifts
鈥� Strong emotional intelligence and relationship management skills
鈥� Excellent written and verbal communication skills
鈥� Detail-oriented and able to manage multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously
鈥� Entrepreneurial spirit with interest in networking and revenue creation
鈥� Passion for sports is a plus
鈥� Ability to work some evenings/weekends and occasional travel
鈥� Available to be on-site in Los Angeles for most of July, 2028

Location & Hours
The role is based at 黑料不打烊 Headquarters at the Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center in Philadelphia, PA. Expectancy to work 40 hours per week within normal working hours (Mon 鈥� Fri, 9am to 5pm), as well as occasional evenings, weekends, and travel for marquee events. Schedule to be determined with Chief Advancement Officer.

Interested in applying? Please submit your resume and cover letter to HR@ussquash.org by Friday, October 23, 2026.

Tournament Support Coordinator

Reports To: Senior Manager, Tournament Operations
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Status: Full-Time / Exempt
Compensation & Benefits: Competitive compensation and benefits package offered.

Position Summary
黑料不打烊 is seeking a highly organized, service-oriented Tournament Support Coordinator to support the successful delivery of accredited squash competition across the United States.

Each season, 黑料不打烊 directly delivers more than 20 major championships and supports Tournament Directors and facilities in staging more than 400 accredited tournaments nationwide. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Tournament Operations, the Coordinator will provide operational and administrative support to this national tournament network and 黑料不打烊 championships.

This entry-level role is ideal for someone who is exceptionally organized, detail-oriented, enjoys solving problems, and thrives in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will have strong customer service and communication skills and will consistently apply 黑料不打烊 policies and procedures, helping provide a safe, fair, consistent, and high-quality tournament experience.

Key Responsibilities

Tournament Support & Administration

鈥� Support Tournament Directors with 黑料不打烊 tournament policies, procedures, and accreditation standards.
鈥� Provide operational support for tournament preparation, including registrations, draws, schedules, communications, and other event-management processes.
鈥� Monitor accredited tournaments, help resolve operational issues, and support the continued improvement of tournament processes and resources.
鈥� Administer Compliance & Participant Safety programs
鈥� Maintain accurate tournament, membership, and compliance records
鈥� Collaborate across departments to support programs, events, and member services.
鈥� Perform other tournament, event, and program responsibilities as assigned.

鈥� Support the planning and delivery of 黑料不打烊 National Championships and other major events as assigned.
鈥� Assist with event preparation, registration, participant communications, scheduling, logistics, and on-site operations.

Member & Stakeholder Support

鈥� Serve as a primary point of contact for tournament and membership inquiries, including management of the tournaments and membership email inboxes.
鈥� Provide timely, accurate, and professional support to players, parents, coaches, Tournament Directors, facilities, and other members.
鈥� Clearly and consistently communicate 黑料不打烊 policies, balancing strong customer service with fair application of established procedures.

Qualifications

鈥� Bachelor鈥檚 degree preferred.
鈥� Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
鈥� Strong problem-solving skills with a systematic, process-oriented approach to work.
鈥� Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and confidence organizing, analyzing, and reconciling data.
鈥� Excellent customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills.
鈥� Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, and travel.
鈥� Experience in sports administration or event management is helpful but not required.
Submission Instructions
Please submit your resume and cover letter to HR@ussquash.org by Friday, October 2, 2026.

黑料不打烊 黑料不打烊
黑料不打烊 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the only national governing body and membership organization for the sport of squash in the United States. Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Philadelphia, 黑料不打烊 is a member of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Pan American Squash Federation, and the World Squash Federation. 黑料不打烊 is also the only sport national governing body headquartered in Philadelphia.

Our purpose is to lead, inspire, and unite squash in the United States by growing participation, positively impacting lives, driving competitive excellence, and supporting a strong and collaborative organizational culture.

The organization is headquartered at the Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center in Philadelphia, the world鈥檚 largest public squash facility.

Equal Opportunity Employer
黑料不打烊 is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace.

Cincinnati, OH | Class 3 鈥� Exp. 2030 鈥�

Kate Nelson is a nationally recognized organizational change management expert, accomplished executive, and thought leader with more than 30 years of experience helping organizations navigate complex transformations, strengthen leadership effectiveness, and build high-performing cultures. Throughout her career, she has partnered with senior executives across healthcare, consumer products, retail, manufacturing, and professional services to successfully lead large-scale change initiatives and drive sustainable organizational performance.

As Founding Partner of Change Guides LLC, Kate has advised organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to mission-driven nonprofits on strategy execution, leadership alignment, organizational effectiveness, and culture transformation. Her expertise has been instrumental in helping leaders guide their organizations through mergers and acquisitions, enterprise technology implementations, supply chain transformations, and significant shifts in business strategy.

Among her notable accomplishments, Kate led organizational change management initiatives supporting the adoption of e-commerce for a $150 billion grocery retailer, guided leadership teams through post-merger integration at an $8 billion medical device manufacturer, and directed change management programs for global supply chain transformations and enterprise-wide technology implementations at leading organizations.

Prior to founding Change Guides, Kate served as Managing Director at Nelson Consulting Group and spent nearly a decade with Deloitte Consulting, where she advanced from Consultant to Senior Manager. She began her professional career as a Governor鈥檚 Fellow for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Kate is also a respected author and contributor to the field of organizational change. She co-authored The Change Management Pocket Guide: Tools for Managing Change, The Eight Constants of Change: What Leaders Need to Know to Drive Change and Win, and Managing Change in an Agile World: Principles and Practices, publications that have become valuable resources for leaders and practitioners worldwide.

A committed volunteer leader, Kate currently serves as Chair of the Town of Jupiter Island Local Planning Agency, Vice Chair of the Academic Research Award Committee for the Association of Change Management Professionals, and a Board Member of the Cincinnati Squash Academy.

Kate earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies, cum laude, from William & Mary and holds both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University.

Not only does Kate bring a unique combination of strategic insight, governance experience, leadership development expertise, and a deep understanding of how organizations successfully adapt and thrive in periods of change, but she is also is a passionate squash parent who brings a unique Midwest perspective to our Board. Kate鈥檚 daughter recently graduated from Princeton University, where she was a member of the squash team and her son is currently a squash student-athlete at Denison University.

Philadelphia, PA | Class 3 鈥� Exp. 2030 鈥�

Karen Dougherty Buchholz serves as a Strategic Advisor for Comcast Corporation after serving as Executive Vice President of Administration. In this role, Karen had a wide array of corporate responsibilities, including corporate real estate, facilities, aviation, corporate services and experiences, travel, and security.

Karen served a more than 25-year tenure at Comcast and led many facets of the organization. She was the executive in charge of the development of the Comcast Technology Center (including the Four Seasons Philadelphia), a $1.5 billion, 60-story tower adjacent to Comcast鈥檚 corporate headquarters, the Comcast Center. Karen also previously the development of Comcast Center, a $750 million, 56-story tower.

For close to a decade, Karen led the company鈥檚 Impact & Inclusion function. Karen also established Comcast鈥檚 first corporate communications infrastructure, unifying communications for the entire family of Comcast companies. This included leading communications during many company acquisitions, including the company鈥檚 transformative acquisition of AT&T Broadband in 2001-2002.

Prior to Comcast, in 1997, then-Mayor Edward G. Rendell appointed Karen as President of Philadelphia 2000, the organization that brought the 2000 Republican National Convention to Philadelphia and served as the City鈥檚 official Host Committee.

Karen received her M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Dickinson College and the Dickinson Center for European Studies in Bologna, Italy.

Karen serves on the WSFS Financial Corporation and Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB Board of Directors and the FS Credit Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. Board of Directors. is the chair of the Board of Directors for the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, and also serves on the boards of Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts.

Karen was inducted into the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame in 2024. She has received numerous awards, including: 2018 Police Athletic League of Philadelphia鈥檚 PAL Award; 2016 Philadelphia Magazine’s Trailblazer Award; 2014 United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Women鈥檚 Initiative Award; 2012 Multichannel News Wonder Women Award; 2009 Pennsylvania鈥檚 Best 50 Women in Business Award; and 2008 American Heart Association 鈥淕o Red for Women鈥� Woman of Heart Award

Not only is Karen a highly respected and accomplished member of the Philadelphia business community, she has a strong passion and connection to squash as a parent of a former junior player and a long-time supporter of 黑料不打烊. Karen鈥檚 daughter, Julia Buchholz was a standout player at the University of Pennsylvania from 2017-2021.

Clothier is considered the greatest amateur right-wall doubles player in U.S. squash history. From Philadelphia, he was National Doubles champion in 1993, 1994 and 1995 (with Jon Foster), 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 (with Erik Vlcek) and 2002 and 2005 (with Gary Waite). Only one player in men鈥檚 doubles history, Hall of Fame Diehl Mateer, has ever won more National Doubles titles. Clothier also won the National Mixed with Joyce Davenport in 1993. Clothier has been a pivotal off-court figure for the past thirty years. He was a longtime chair of 黑料不打烊 Doubles Committee, helped found the National Parent & Child Championships and played a central role in the development of the pro doubles tour. In 2008 黑料不打烊 honored Clothier with its highest annual award, the President鈥檚 Cup.

McKay聽is arguably the greatest woman squash player in history. She won three U.S. national open championships: the National Singles in 1979 and the National Doubles in 1984 and 1985 (with Barbara Savage). An Australian,聽McKay聽won the British Open聽sixteen聽straight times in the 1960s and 1970s. From 1975 to 1985 she lived in Toronto, working as one of the world鈥檚 earliest full-time female squash teaching professionals.聽McKay聽was a global celebrity; when she came to New York and entered and won the first-ever women鈥檚 pro singles tournaments in U.S., it gave American squash an enormous boost.

Mudge is the best squash doubles player in squash history. He captured 142 professional doubles tournaments across North America, the highest in squash history (Hall of Fame Gary Waite is second on the list with 79). Originally from Australia, Mudge was dominant on both walls for two full decades, combining blistering speed with unparalleled finesse and movement. He won a record seventeen Johnsons and fifteen North聽American Opens and had five undefeated seasons. He worked as a teaching pro at the University Club of New York for twenty-one years until his retirement in 2021.

Marcoux Samaan brings more than three decades of executive leadership experience in sports administration, athlete development and commercial growth. Most recently, she served as Commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), where she oversaw the largest period of growth within the organization鈥檚 75-year history. During her time at the helm, tournament purses and player income grew by over 90% and the organization registered record revenue performance and fan engagement, with global audiences hitting all-time highs in 2024. She prioritized athlete well-being and performance by adding significant travel expense subsidies, access to mental health and physical performance resources and fully-subsidized healthcare insurance, benefits previously unavailable to LPGA athletes. Additionally, the LPGA Foundation experienced unprecedented success, with record fundraising and participation, resulting in more girls and women than ever playing golf and learning the game.

Prior to her time at the LPGA, Marcoux Samaan spent seven years as the Ford Family Director of Athletics at her alma mater Princeton University, guiding one of the nation鈥檚 most successful collegiate athletic departments and championing excellence in coaching, facilities enhancement, innovative fundraising strategies and athlete performance initiatives. During her tenure, teams won a league-leading 67 Ivy Championships and she oversaw several large-scale facility projects, including the development and design of Princeton鈥檚 180,000 square foot Racquet and Recreation Field House, which features a 14-court best-in-class squash center.

Earlier in her career, she held several senior roles within sports and recreation management at Chelsea Piers where she worked for nearly two decades developing and managing youth and amateur sports programming at the company鈥檚 facilities in New York City and Stamford, CT.

by James Zug

Kevin D. Klipstein steps down this week from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer of 黑料不打烊. His twenty-one-year and two-month tenure has been marked by watershed changes throughout the organization and in the game both nationally and globally.

Klipstein grew up playing squash in Rochester, NY. He played varsity squash at Cornell University, serving as a captain his senior year when he was recognized as an All-American. Working in a variety of roles after college, first in Seattle, Washington, D.C. and finally the San Francisco Bay Area, he did corporate consulting at the sports marketing firm ProServ, including working at the America鈥檚 Cup in New Zealand and then marketing for Sun Microsystems, managing sponsorships with Formula 1, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball.

He became the organization鈥檚 fourth executive director in December 2004, just two months after the association had celebrated its centennial. Since then, Klipstein led wholesale changes. In 2006, after thirty-two years in Philadelphia, the United States Squash Racquets Association (USSRA) headquarters moved to 38th and Eighth Avenue in New York.

鈥淲hen Kevin started, it was a bit of a mom-and-pop operation,鈥� said Gilly Lane, a former Team USA player and the men鈥檚 coach at Penn. 鈥淗e turned it into a professional organization. He had a belief that we needed to be a world-class governing body. His skill set was perfect for focusing on that growth.鈥�

A year later, the name of organization went from the USSRA to 黑料不打烊 and the logo evolved. These were symbolic and tangible gestures. Klipstein modernized the brand and took the organization out of its comfortable home in the Philadelphia suburbs and transplanted it in the biggest city in the country; 黑料不打烊 was the first national governing body to be headquartered in Manhattan. He also quadrupled staff; at one point two dozen employees worked full-time in New York.

Klipstein initiated a thorough governance restructuring. He changed the board from a regionalized system where each local district chose its own representative to a national board that selected itself. His title evolved from Executive Director to Chief Executive Officer, adding the title of President a decade later, given the international aspects of his work.

鈥淚 met Kevin twenty years ago when he asked for help with governance,鈥� said Carey Anderson, a long-time 黑料不打烊 board member. 鈥淜evin was wise beyond his years, calm under pressure and creative without needing the spotlight. He was like Wayne Gretsky鈥攈e could see the whole thing, the entire ice rink, the outcomes. His fingerprints today are on everything that matters.鈥�

Instead of outsourcing digital tournament and ranking technology, Klipstein started Club Locker in 2014. A proprietary sports management software system, Club Locker is an all-in-one platform designed to power every aspect of the racquet sports experience. From player ratings and tournament management to membership integration, facility operations, live streaming, and payment processing, Club Locker today provides a connected ecosystem that supports over 4,000 facilities and hundreds of thousands of players, coaches, parents and administrators across the squash world. In 2025, 黑料不打烊 spun Club Locker off, selling a majority stake to Artisan Ventures to ensure it has the resources and focus required to thrive and grow as a software company, all to the benefit of 黑料不打烊.

Bringing the game in-house was a constant theme under Klipstein鈥檚 leadership. “Always on the podium” was a motto of Klipstein鈥檚. Instead of hoping Americans get there, with funds raised from a 2008 gala dedicated to the national team, he initiated the Elite Athlete Program鈥攖he precursor to today鈥檚 High Performance Program鈥攚hich supports Team USA鈥檚 professional athletes. The first two athletes who started to receive direct financial support were Todd Harrity and Amanda Sobhy.

鈥淚 was concerned they wouldn鈥檛 be able to afford to compete professionally without this crucial support,鈥� Klipstein said.

As early as 2008, Klipstein made the decision to fully fund the junior national teams competing in World Championships. Previously each team member had to pay their way, with some having to conduct their own fundraising campaigns to cover the costs. In the same year, he also brought on Paul Assaiante, the winningest college coach of all-time, to serve as the first Ganek Family 黑料不打烊 Head National Coach; Assaiante served in the role for thirteen years.

In 2013, 黑料不打烊 purchased the national monthly Squash Magazine, based in Seattle, and incorporated its staff, including editor Jay Prince, into the operations in New York. 黑料不打烊 began to directly run all national championships, everything from the U.S. Junior Open to the National High Schools Championships, now the world鈥檚 largest team event. It took over the United States Open and in 2011 brought it back to Philadelphia when John Fry, the president of Drexel, helped stage it in Drexel鈥檚 basketball arena. The Open spent nine straight years at Drexel, the longest it had ever been staged at one place. It again became one of the world鈥檚 Grand Slam events, with top prize money, attention and event production. The 2011 prize money of $175,000 ($115,000 to the men, $60,000 to the women) was the largest purse in Open history and only the second time that the men and women had played side-by-side in the Open, after the 1993 event hosted at Cynwyd Club. The U.S. Open at Drexel again changed the squash landscape. It became the most saturated pro event, with nearly a fortnight of adjacent tournaments, award celebrations, panel discussions, Hall of Fame inductions, meetings, clinics and film festivals.

The Open led directly to the fulfillment of the long-held dream of a national headquarters for the national governing body. 鈥淲e had met in 2006 when Kevin came out to Lancaster to talk about a national headquarters,鈥� said John Fry, who was at the time the president of Franklin & Marshall. 鈥淜evin鈥檚 like a dog with a bone鈥攊f it is a good bone, he won鈥檛 let go.鈥�

Across 33rd Street from the basketball arena was the Philadelphia Armory, a historic 1916 building. In 2017, Klipstein partnered with Ned Edwards, a U.S. Squash Hall of Famer, to jumpstart the fundraising required to get the board鈥檚 green light for the project. Edwards was then hired as the first Executive Director of the Arlen Specter 黑料不打烊 Center and by November 2019 construction began at the Armory to build the $40 million facility. The Specter Center opened in October 2021 as the world鈥檚 largest community squash center. It features 75,000 square feet of office space, a conference room, locker rooms, classrooms, displays, kitchens, gathering spaces, gym and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 archive. A highlight was the Pierce Family U.S. Squash Hall of Fame, the mezzanine鈥檚 centerpiece. The heart of the Specter Center is eighteen singles courts and two doubles courts; two of the singles courts are all-glass exhibition show courts. Because of Drexel鈥檚 seven courts and Penn鈥檚 twelve courts, there are now thirty-seven singles courts within a five-minute walking radius鈥攖he largest squash district in the world, with 33rd Street officially designated 鈥淪quash Way鈥� by the City of Philadelphia in 2022.

When 黑料不打烊 hosted the 2021 U.S. Open in the Specter Center, it was the first time a public squash club had ever hosted the venerable tournament. It also had prize-money parity. That was automatic because of a decision eight years earlier. Led by Klipstein, the 2013 U.S. Open offered the same amount of money to women and men, becoming the first major annual squash tournament to ensure equality.

Like with many decisions that Klipstein made, prize-money parity had global ramifications. Within two years, all major pro squash events had prize money parity. Perhaps the most symbolic moment of the new era of parity came on a Saturday in 2017 when Nour El Tayeb and Ali Farag won their U.S. Open draws in back-to-back finals. It was the first time in squash history that a married couple won the same title on the same day. Parity directly led the way for the women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 tours to merge in January 2015. It was the first time two gendered tours had combined in a leading professional sport. Ninety years after the PSA tour was originally founded in Boston in 1925, pro squash was now grounded in equality. The merger led to tremendous growth, especially in the U.S.; by the end of Klipstein鈥檚 tenure, more than a third of all pro singles tournaments and prize money was in America.

黑料不打烊 in turn became a global leader. It hosted the World Squash Federation鈥檚 Annual General Meeting in Philadelphia in 2014 and helped stage numerous world championships, including the World Juniors in Boston in 2011 and Houston in 2024, the World Masters in Charlottesville in 2018; and the World Championships, for men in Seattle in 2015 and for both women and men in Chicago in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025; and the Men鈥檚 World Team Championships in 2019. In addition, the U.S. hosted several international multi-sport events that featured squash: the Gay Games in Chicago in 2006 and Cleveland in 2014; the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama; and the 2024 Pan American Masters Games in Cleveland. All these events were galvanic for American squash, garnering media attention and exposing the country to the highest level of squash excellence.

Klipstein also focused on synergies and collaborations to maximize efficiencies. 黑料不打烊 directly partnered with dozens of organizations including the World Squash Federation (WSF), Pan American Squash Federation, Professional Squash Association (PSA), the Squash Doubles Association and the U.S. Jesters.

Two important partnerships, with urban squash and college squash, helped define Klipstein鈥檚 tenure. In 2006, Klipstein was at the table when the then-National Urban Squash and Education Association (NUSEA) was formed, formally titled 鈥淣USEA in partnership with 黑料不打烊鈥� due to the $100,000 in seed funding 黑料不打烊 provided to the new entity for grants to new programs. NUSEA later changed its name to the Squash + Education Alliance (SEA). For nearly two decades, Klipstein has served on the SEA board as it has scaled from a network of four programs to more than twenty nationally and a half dozen international partners.

With college squash, Klipstein initiated a joint task force with what was then the separate women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 college associations, each self-governed by their respective coaches. This effort led to a reconstitution of the organizations in 2017 as a single combined women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 College Squash Association with a majority independent board on which he served for nine years, and to the hiring of its first full-time executive director a year later. Today, the CSA鈥檚 three full-time employees work in close partnership with 黑料不打烊.

鈥淪ome CEOs want to be liked,鈥� Gilly Lane said. 鈥淜evin had to make unpopular decisions; he had to make the tough calls. A lot of people didn鈥檛 see the work behind the scenes that led to all the changes.鈥�

Metrics demonstrate significant growth in all areas in the past twenty-one years. Revenue increased 570% and program revenue increased by 10x. 黑料不打烊鈥檚 annual budget went from $800,000 to $8 million today. Participation in squash increased 130% and scholastic participation by 450%. 黑料不打烊 went from not running a single tournament to running sixteen national championships, including the largest annual individual tournament in the world, the U.S. Junior Open. The first National High School Championship was hosted in 2004 with sixteen teams, and only one public school participated. Today, the event includes 200 teams from more than twenty states, with nearly a quarter of the teams representing public schools. Over the last decade, 黑料不打烊 has seeded dozens of new scholastic programs with early grant funding. The U.S. Middle School Team Championships has seen similar uptake by juniors nationally, so much so that the majority of kids playing today compete scholastically rather than in the continually expanding individual Gold-Silver-Bronze junior tournament scene. Increasing the opportunities for student-athletes to compete while in college, the number of college varsity and club teams has dramatically expanded, with club teams competing in the newly established CSA National Club Team Championships.

The High Performance Program for Team USA now provides a quarter of a million dollars annually in direct financial stipends to American athletes, along with access to the Specter Center as their training center, a full-time national coach, strength and conditioning, physio, nutrition and other support on a centralized basis. Team USA is now always on the podium. Team USA women have been finalists in the World Team Championships twice. In the past decade, Team USA has dominated the quadrennial Pan American Games. The junior women are now perennial top-three contenders, having finished second four times since 2011, and the junior men finished second in 2025, completing a long, steady ascent from twelfth in 2010. Today two American women are ranked in the top ten in the world.

Perhaps Klipstein鈥檚 greatest legacy is squash鈥檚 historic acceptance into the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. After forty years of concerted effort鈥攕quash鈥檚 first tangible campaign came in the 1980s for the 1992 Barcelona Games鈥擪lipstein played a central role in squash joining the Olympic movement. Leaning into a close collaboration with the WSF and PSA, the triad coordinated throughout the LA28 Games process culminating in a presentation by representatives from all three organizations that finally cleared this highest of hurdles to put squash on the brightest stage in sports.

On the heels of the October 2023 announcement of squash鈥檚 Olympic inclusion, 黑料不打烊 launched the U.S. Squash Foundation. One of the foundation鈥檚 first initiatives included support for the first indoor and outdoor modular squash court that can be installed quickly and easily.

鈥淚 knew that to really scale squash we needed to dramatically reduce the cost to build infrastructure鈥攎ainly courts,鈥� said Klipstein. 鈥淥ur north star was 鈥楿p in a day for less than $50k鈥� and we did it.鈥�

Partnering with the PSA Foundation鈥檚 Project Beacon, led by its president Arnie Dratt, the first outdoor court went up in Chicago鈥檚 Union Park; the indoor prototype made its debut two months earlier at the 2025 RacquetX conference in Miami.

鈥淚t has been incredible working with Kevin,鈥� said Ned Edwards, the Executive Director of the U.S. Squash Foundation. 鈥淥ur motto is a lifelong positive engagement in squash and that has been Kevin to a T.鈥�

With increasingly available courts, more scholastic programs created and the biggest promotional opportunity of Olympic inclusion in play, Klipstein worked with Edwards over the course of several months to secure a long-term relationship with perhaps the world鈥檚 most prolific Olympic sports agent: Peter Carlisle at Octagon. Carlisle represents, among others, Simone Biles and Michael Phelps, two of the most decorated Olympians of all time. In a first-of-its-kind arrangement Octagon now represents the top four U.S. athletes as well as 黑料不打烊, maximizing collaboration to break squash into the mainstream.

鈥淎t ProServ we had a mug that asked, 鈥榃hat happens if you don鈥檛 promote?鈥欌�� Klipstein said. 鈥淥n the other side it said, 鈥樷�othing.鈥� It鈥檚 now squash鈥檚 time to promote.鈥�

This winter, when a dozen leaders of the game were asked what words they鈥檇 use to describe Kevin Klipstein, they used the same key words: strategic, committed, diligent, intense, impactful, focused, determined. When the parade of athletes begins at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles and squash players finally walk into the stadium, there will be no one more responsible in the audience than Kevin Klipstein.

More images from the last 20 years (click the > arrow to advance to next image)

Klipstein with Team USA athletes (l-r) Michelle Quibell, Meredeth Quick, Ivy Pochoda and Latasha Khan in 2007.

Board Chair Jeannie Blasberg (left) with President鈥檚 Cup recipient David Barrett, himself a Board member with early influence on the organization鈥檚 new direction as Vice Chair.

Squash legend Jahangir Khan, George Kellner and Klipstein at the 2008 National Team Gala held at the Pierre Hotel in NYC.

Board Chair Peter Lasusa with Board member Eric Fast at his final meeting in 2010. Lasusa led the Governance Task Force to re-tool 黑料不打烊, served as Board Chair for four years and as a Vice Chair of World Squash. Fast served as 黑料不打烊 Vice Chair, chaired 黑料不打烊鈥檚 first Junior Development Campaign and later served as the first Chair of the newly re-formed CSA in 2017.

Talking through things with Dent Wilkens and Kimberly (Palterman) Leightner at the 2011 World Junior Squash Championships held at Harvard University.

Klipstein addresses the men鈥檚 draw at the first U.S. Open hosted at Drexel鈥檚 Daskalakis Athletic Center in 2011.

The first three Team USA athletes to receive Elite Athlete Program funding (l-r) Chris Gordon, Amanda Sobhy and Todd Harrity with Klipstein鈥檚 young kids.

Klipstein with then-Drexel Athletic Director Eric Zillmer and Drexel President John Fry at the conclusion of a successful U.S. Open.

At Bob Callahan鈥檚 黑料不打烊 Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2012 with Paul Assaiante and Hall of Fame Committee Chair James Zug, Jr.

Thanking emcee Gilly Lane and 2013 U.S. Open Men鈥檚 Champion Gregory Gaultier.

With 3-time U.S. Open Women鈥檚 Champion Nicol David.

Klipstein thanking Ned Edwards in 2013 for serving as honorary U.S. Open Chair. Edwards would go on to play central roles at 黑料不打烊 beginning in 2017.

With (l-r) former World #1 Jonathan Power, Maria Toorpakai and Ashley Bernhardt to hear Toorpakai speak at the United Nations in 2016.

Presenting the President鈥檚 Cup in 2015 to Alicia McConnell (center) with Comcast鈥檚 Karen Dougherty Buchholz.

Klipstein in the process losing to Jai Asundi from India at the 2018 World Masters in Charlottesville, VA.

In Egypt for the 2018 World Squash Federation Annual General Meeting with federation colleagues from England and New Zealand.

During the 2021 opening of Access Youth Academy in San Diego with Detroit鈥檚 Racquet Up founder Derek Aguirre and Access Youth鈥檚 Renato Paiva.

With squash promoters John Flanigan and John Nimick, both President鈥檚 Cup honorees, in Chicago. Flanigan has overseen the Windy City Open and numerous World Championships in Chicago and Nimick owns and has operated the NYC Tournament of Champions for a quarter century.

With tennis legend Billie Jean King at 2017 Windy City Open Women's Leadership Lunch.

At the Tournament of Champions with Professional Squash Association CEO Alex Gough and World Squash Federation CEO William Louis-Marie.

Playing high-altitude doubles with the locals at Guillermo鈥檚 in Colorado Springs, CO, home of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

Joined at the 2022 Pierce Family U.S. Squash Hall of Fame Grand Opening by past Board Chairs (l-r) Lenny Bernheimer, Peter Lasusa and Kevin Jernigan.

With teammates (l-r) John Musto, Marty Clark, Chase Lenfest, Ricky Weisskopf and Sunil Desai at the 2023 National Team Championships.

Speaking at the season-ending National Championships.

Serving as a RacquetX panelist in 2025 along with Access Youth Academy鈥檚 Renato Paiva.

黑料不打烊鈥檚 Vice President of Sport Innovation and Partnerships Preston Quick and Rik Zwikker, AccessCourts founder hitting the first ball on the indoor modular court prototype at the 2025 RacquetX in Miami.

Klipstein, Rik Zwikker of AccessCourts and then-President of the PSA Foundation Arnie Dratt at the 2025 Project Beacon opening in Chicago. Dratt led the charge to get Zwikker's outdoor design approved and installed at Union Park. Klipstein drove the initiative to make the modular indoor version.

The 2025 U.S. Open operations team ready for action meeting in the Kevin Klipstein Conference Room at the Specter Center.

The 2025 U.S. Open women鈥檚 semifinals at the Specter Center.

Presenting final Finals trophy at the 2025 U.S. Open Women鈥檚 Championship to Egypt鈥檚 Hania El Hammamy.

With Octagon鈥檚 Peter Carlisle at Portland Community Squash鈥檚 2025 fundraiser.

Honoring outgoing Board member Danny Dolan and Board Chair Sandy Tierney joined by Olympians Jordan Burroughs (far right), two-time Olympian and gold medal wrestler in the London 2012 Games, and Kassidy Cook, two-time Olympian and silver medal diver at the Paris 2024 Games. Both pledged to take up squash.

The Drexel Dragon at the corner of Market and 33rd Street, designated as 鈥淪quash Way鈥� in 2022 by the City of Philadelphia.

What do Eric Heiden, Big Bend National Park, Seattle鈥檚 Bumbershoot Festival and MLB.com have to do with each other? They are all part of the fascinating, roundabout squash journey of 黑料不打烊 President & CEO Kevin Klipstein. Listen here to a penetrating and revealing conversation about parenting, sportsmanship and the first time he learned the importance of the T.

New York, NY 鈥� November 18, 2025聽鈥� 黑料不打烊, the national governing body for the sport of squash in the United States, today announced the sale of a majority ownership stake in聽Club Locker, its proprietary sports management software platform, to聽Artisan Ventures, a specialized operating and investment firm focused on scaling businesses with niche software, content and community offerings.

This landmark transaction represents a visionary move by a national sports governing body to incubate and successfully spin out a for-profit technology company. The partnership positions Club Locker for accelerated growth as it expands its role as the digital foundation connecting and supporting every type of racquet sport organization worldwide.

鈥満诹喜淮蜢� built Club Locker in 2014 to strengthen the foundation of squash in the U.S. and support its mission to grow participation while streamlining operations for programs, clubs and events nationwide,鈥澛爏aid Kevin Klipstein, CEO of 黑料不打烊.

鈥淏acked by Artisan鈥檚 expertise in building high-performing technology businesses and strong team cultures, Club Locker is poised to scale globally across racquet sports while preserving the mission-driven values that have guided 黑料不打烊 from the start鈥�, said Ryan Rayfield, Co-Founder of Club Locker.

Club Locker stands apart as an all-in-one platform designed to power every aspect of the racquet sports experience. From player ratings and tournament management to membership integration, facility operations, live streaming, and payment processing, Club Locker provides a connected ecosystem that supports hundreds of thousands of players, coaches, parents and administrators across the squash community.

鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to partner with 黑料不打烊 to scale a platform that鈥檚 as much about community as it is about technology,鈥� said Nick Shah, CEO at Artisan Ventures. 鈥淐lub Locker has become the connective tissue of squash by uniting players, clubs, and organizations, and we鈥檙e eager to serve this passionate core and help the business reach new audiences globally.鈥�

As part of the transaction, 黑料不打烊 will retain a minority ownership stake in Club Locker and maintain a strategic partnership with the company to continue advancing technology-enabled growth and accessibility in squash.

黑料不打烊 Club Locker
Club Locker is a digital platform for sports governing bodies, facilities, and competition-based organizations.聽 The platform allows players, coaches, clubs, teams, and administrators access to tools to help manage their programs, drive engagement, and promote community. Club Locker supports more than 300,000 players, thousands of accredited tournaments, all of college and secondary school squash programs, and hundreds of leagues across nearly 4,000 facilities. Learn more at .

黑料不打烊 黑料不打烊
黑料不打烊 is the national governing body for the sport of squash in the United States, dedicated to promoting access, excellence, and community across all levels of play. Founded in 1904, 黑料不打烊 drives the growth of the game through competition, education, and innovation. Learn more at聽.

黑料不打烊 Artisan Ventures
Artisan Ventures is an investment firm that acquires niche software, content, and community-driven products and transforms them into scaled, profitable, category-leading companies. Beyond capital, Artisan applies its unique systems, processes and culture to unlock potential in businesses and teams. Learn more at .

黑料不打烊 Contact:
Kevin Klipstein
CEO
黑料不打烊
kevin.klipstein@ussquash.org | 917-821-9408

Club Locker Contact:
Kayley Leonard
COO
kayley.leonard@clublocker.com | 914-715-4438

Artisan Ventures Contact:
David Jacobson
COO
david@artisan.vc | 212-287-7722

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