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.

My kids love the Sesame St. book called 鈥淧lease Do Not Open This Book鈥� which involves Grover and Elmo fighting over whether to turn pages to get to the end of the book. Grover warns there is a monster, at the end of the book, and does everything he can to prevent Elmo from turning the page. He tries to glue the pages, nail the book shut, and puts bricks in front of the next page, etc. Despite all of his efforts, Elmo is always one step ahead, and onto the next page. On the penultimate page, they agree to each approach the last page from different sides of the book, and when they do, each claims the other is the monster. They fall down, laughing hysterically, immediately wanting to do it all over again.

We have the same reaction at the end of the squash season too. However, unlike the book, for 黑料不打烊, the season never truly comes to an end. We spend five months in the 鈥渙ff season鈥� preparing for what is effectively a 鈥渕onster鈥� seven-month season, kicking off each October. This summer, to increase the quality of our programs and services, we will add to the array of integrated technology solutions in the Club Locker product, and will begin the process of bringing together our websites into one experience for membership, tournaments, leagues, rankings and reservations. Our infrastructure is already the envy of the other developed squash nations.

Additionally, during the spring and summer months we increase our focus on National Team efforts. In the last decade we have built the 黑料不打烊 National Team program considerably. Some may be aware that the U.S. is the only country that fields its National Team (and governing body) without direct government funding. Fielding a team to compete in the World Championships generally costs $30,000 – 50,000, or $5,000-$7,000 per player.

In 2008, 黑料不打烊 made the decision to fund the core team of four junior athletes. This funding was later expanded support those competing only in the individual championships, whose numbers then increased when World Squash decided to host the individual championships for each gender annually, increasing the size of the squad by two more athletes.

In 2013, 黑料不打烊 launched the Elite Athlete Program (EAP) which provides direct funding for full time American squash professionals training and competing on the world tour. As a consequence, we have increased our professional athlete support to unprecedented levels, from less than $20,000 annually , to more than $200,000 annually, in direct support for five athletes. This relatively new program allows the men and women to train and compete full time, realize their full potential, and represent the United States.

We have also continued to build the base of our pyramid in meaningful ways, introducing regular junior Regional Squads and an annual Regional Championships, as well as other Team USA opportunities for international competition such as the Pan American Junior Championships and traveling together for the British Junior Open. Our recently announced 黑料不打烊 Academy, starting this summer, will bring together U.S. juniors, college players and professionals into one training environment, creating an incredible spirit and unity.

Much of this framework was inspired by David Ganek, which led to his historic endowment gift for the Head National Coach. As a result, we continue to benefit from the leadership of the Ganek Family 黑料不打烊 Head National Coach Paul Assaiante. Our goal is to 鈥渁lways be on the podium,鈥� whether it鈥檚 our teams or the individual athletes, juniors or adults, and we are well on our way.

So for us, the book doesn鈥檛 end, and we鈥檙e writing new chapters every year as we break ground on programs and technology to drive the sport forward at every level over the next several decades.

In talking with people in the squash community, I often find it helpful to remind them where 黑料不打烊 was just a decade ago. We were a much smaller organization, with one-fifth the budget, and only four very dedicated employees. The U.S. Open was licensed to a third party promoter, and National Championships were locally run by volunteers. College, high school, urban and professional squash were, in effect, separate and distinct communities. Entire categories of events did not exist.

Eight years ago the staff shrank to two as we moved to New York. We hired Conor O鈥橫alley and Bill Buckingham in the span of a month, and their first task was to help with the move. Having founded MetroSquash, the remarkably successful urban squash program in Chicago, and a visionary retail and instructional video startup called Pure Squash, the expectations for Conor were high.

Passionate about squash, and the quality of events, Conor drove the growth and development of our three signature events鈥攖he two largest squash events in the world (the U.S. Junior Open and U.S. High Schools), and the U.S. Open. He also managed our National Team for years, an often thankless role with innumerable details to pull together to field a successful squad.

Knowing that it is not enough to preach squash to the converted, Conor pushed the U.S. Open and pro squash in the U.S. to the point where we now have the attention of the Tennis Channel, starting our climb up the media ladder. Beyond all of these accomplishments, however, is perhaps his most enduring legacy of community building. More than anyone, Conor fostered relationships across squash and has helped create a far more collaborative and cooperative foundation on which we will continue to build.

And, as he moves on to new challenges outside the squash world at the end of this summer, this spirit will endure, as will his most memorable line, stated early and often during his time at 黑料不打烊鈥斺�淛ust because balls were hit and scores were recorded doesn鈥檛 mean it was a good event.鈥� Indeed.

Ten years ago, MetroSquash joined the effort, and this spring achieved a remarkable milestone. Their new facility will, in time, transform a community that desperately needs a boost. Their first permanent ground-level front glass wall looking outward creates the perfect metaphor for what urban squash has given back to the squash community. No longer are we an inward looking, isolated community, but rather one focused on expanding access to squash and opportunity for all.

Looking ahead, 黑料不打烊 seeks to increase the number of courts in the U.S. from the current 2,500 to 10,000 in less than thirty years. We will invest $75-80 million to convert 5,000 racquetball courts to squash all across the country. This will boost participation from 1.4 million to more than four million players, making squash a quarter the size of tennis or golf, and light-years ahead of where we are now in accessibility.

Beyond this and the social aspects of the event which are unique to squash, my in-creased interest in the annual gathering is more likely rooted in the fact that I now have young children, and my wife and I had them later in life. I think more about my own health, and what it will be when my kids are twenty, and thirty and forty years old. Will I be alive? Will I be active? How much will I be able to participate in their lives and my own?

In an age when parents tend to maintain a frenetic pace trying their hardest to balance work, family, and community obligations, and engage in their kids鈥� activities and lives more than ever before, squash seems like a great opportunity to step back and focus on one鈥檚 own goals, and to challenge oneself. Wheth-er you succeed or fail is beside the point; you will be richer for the effort and, each year, you will have an opportunity to measure progress鈥攁nd a natural opportunity to set new goals for the following season.

This year at Nationals, I saw, for the first time in twenty years, an old friend whom I had 鈥渢aught鈥� some lessons to when in Seattle in the 1990s. Tom Zilly, a federal judge still working on the bench, competed in the 80+. He travels to Nationals every few years with his son who is about my age. It鈥檚 their special father-son weekend. I can鈥檛 think of a better goal than this.

The U.S. Junior Open is held the last weekend before the holidays each year and, therefore, offers a great opportunity for reflection. I started as CEO the week before the 2004 event, so noting differences each year is even more natural for me. I will never forget the first year, having to jump behind the tournament desk to run the event at Yale. There was literally no one to do it, and we were not too sure who was managing Choate! We had around 600 players from a dozen countries, used twenty-four courts, and the event was managed by two 黑料不打烊 staffers (including me) and a handful of volunteers. It resembled a whirling dervish.

This year, the event had more than 1,000 entrants from nearly three dozen countries, used forty-two courts at venues spread out across more than fifty miles, and was managed by eight 黑料不打烊 staffers, along with more than thirty other paid members of the team. Aside from the obvious advances in management, and the size and scope of the event, I noticed two remarkable differences from ten years ago: the first being the incredibly high caliber of play by all juniors, especially those from the U.S.; and the second being the rapidly advancing level of play at a younger and younger age each year. In one anecdotal measure, assuming my game is a constant, being in my mid-forties and having played for thirty years, I have dropped in the span of just a few years from being able to hold my own with the Under-19鈥檚 to now competing with the Under-13鈥檚.

Looking forward to the next ten years, with the momentum we have in junior and elite development, it鈥檚 easy to predict U.S. players will achieve world-class results during the Junior Open, which will likely be hosted at grand venues that you could not imagine existing today. And finally, all of this will be accomplished with me or likely my successor staying well away from the tournament desk which, I am sure, will suit the staff just fine!

The 2005 Annual Meeting of the Member蝉听took place during Nationals at Harvar诲鈥�I was three months into the job, and there were five of us total (an official quorum is twenty-five). The average age of the members in attendance was approximately sixty-seven. Undeterred, the four members proceeded to passionately express genuine concerns regarding the development of the sport and management of the organization, and we engaged in a lively hour-long discussion. I had few answers, and could very honestly share many of their concerns. We agreed that so much potential existed for squash in the U.S. and that the association could and should do better.

At this year鈥�s meeting, now held annually during the finals weekend at the internationally acclaimed Delaware Investments U.S. Open, forty members attended, a full quarter were district leaders representing states from Massachusetts to California, and many in between. Chairman of the Board John Fry opened the meeting with Board elections for terms beginning next July, and moved on to hi蝉听reflections regarding progress versu蝉听ambitious goals to increase 辫补谤迟颈肠颈辫补迟颈辞苍,听promote sportsmanship, build awareness, improve competitive performance and, finally, increase capacity of the organization鈥攂oth financial and human.

I followed up by leading a ninety-minute presentation and discussion covering what we have, are, and will be doing to reach our goals. This presentation and excerpts from the discussion can be found on our website under the About US Squash section. Having grown during this ten-year period from three employees to twenty-five, and increased revenues from less than $1 million to $5 million, I expect we鈥檒l take less than another ten years to increase the Assembly audience by ten-fold again. Next year, treat yourself to a weekend of the best squash in the world, attend the Assembly, followed by the US Squash Hall of Fame induction lunch, the U.S. Open finals and the Champions Dinner. Y辞耻鈥檒l be glad you did.

It鈥檚 been quite a year already in sports so far starting with the Sochi Winter Olympics serving up rigged Russian figure skating results, World Cup soccer offering a Suarez biting, accusations of cheating all around, and the recent fumbles by the NFL have tarnished their $10 billion shield. Perhaps power and money corrupt. A lack of principled leadership seems self-evident. Also seemingly missing at these organizations is taking seriously the positive role sports play in most people鈥檚 lives every day, and the opportunity these organizations have to shape our global society.

In this issue, we have profiled people we believe are the reason why squash is growing faster in this country than in any other in the world. These are individuals who make the most of their talents and opportunities to benefit the squash community. We are pleased to honor and thank them for their passion, their commitment and their sustained efforts. While fifty is the number we decided on for the magazine, we recognize there are hundreds of others in the U.S. who are making daily contributions to enrich the community.

Evidence of how far the U.S. has come on an international level will be on display this month as Drexel University once again plays host to the Delaware Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships. In addition to our second year of full parity in prize money, and a commitment to increase the purse for the next three years, we will also host the World Squash Federation Conference and Annual General Meeting in conjunction with the Open. With more than thirty countries sending delegates, the conference should provide an excellent opportunity to lead the world squash community in discussions to extend the reach of squash and ensure the sport remains a positive influence on people鈥檚 lives.

At the fifty-ninth hosting of the Junior Nationals this spring, we honored Olivia Fiechter and Derek Hsue with the 2014 DeRoy Sportsmanship Award. Each year we present this award to a male and female senior who demonstrate exemplary behavior on and off the court and compete at a high level.

Olivia, a multi-time national champion and two-time U.S. Junior team and 2013 U.S. Women鈥檚 team member, will attend Princeton in the fall. Derek, the Pingry School team captain and U17 Champion last year, will head to Penn. Each young adult, only as old as the honor itself, personify qualities which have been closely associated with squash for more than a century. These include accountability, excellence, fairness, honesty, and courtesy.

We all know that squash requires players to be responsible for their own actions, and is one of those rare sports where winning and losing fairly is completely in the hands of the competitors. Aristotle said, 鈥淲e are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.鈥� Each time we step on the court, we have the opportunity to practice and develop these virtues of good performance and moral character by how we answer questions such as, Did I carry the ball, and did I call it on myself? Did I continue playing, even though I鈥檓 not certain I got that shot? Am I positive my serve was in? Did I offer a stroke to my opponent? Am I clearing as quickly and thoroughly as the rules require?

Embracing the fundamentals of good character makes playing squash more rewarding and a more enjoyable community. Why else is this important? If relationships are part of a foundation for success, and relationships are built on trust, trust comes from demonstrating character and integrity. Lessons learned and practiced in squash every day, ultimately help people succeed in life.

By Kevin D. Klipstein, President & Chief Executive Officer

It鈥檚 easy to get lost in all the titles. U.S. Championships are all around us now. It wasn鈥檛 always the case, as many in their 40s, 50s and 60s still often lament in refrains such as, 鈥淚 remember when there were 500 players at Nationals, with draws of 64 or more, everyone was there!鈥�

As with most things, we often look back with nostalgia on the hardball days in the 70s and 80s, when times were simpler, weekends longer (and uninterrupted by cell phones, email and text), and 鈥渆veryone鈥� in the squash community gathered for a few major national championships鈥擭ational Singles, National Doubles, National Juniors. Since 1984, the number of National Championships has increased from nine to twenty, and the number of participants in National Championships has soared 130% from just over 2,000 in 1984 to more than 5,000 this season, including the largest squash tournament in the world (U.S. High Schools), and the largest junior squash tournament in the world (U.S. Junior Open).

None of this should take away from how significant, and special, earning a National Championship title is, and how meaningful an experience it is for those who participate, their families, friends, schools and clubs. In the end, few of us ultimately win, however it鈥檚 the pursuit of excellence, the desire to compete, and the satisfaction we feel in having done our best and played fairly, that makes us appreciate our involvement in the sport.

Squash is now more accessible to more people in the U.S. than ever before, and we鈥檙e just getting started. Was 鈥渆veryone鈥� at Nationals? No, because there are so many nationals now. And thank goodness.