As the charitable arm of the PSA, our objectives range from engaging with community based initiatives, lobbying for equality in all areas of squash to protecting the wellbeing of those competing on the World Tour. However, since the lockdown due to COVID-19, we have been working hard to protect the physical, mental and personal wellbeing of players and squash communities alike.
As the lifeblood of the wider squash community, we thought we should share with you exactly what we have been up to.
Player Well-being
Motivation Monday
Every Monday, we reach out to all players on the PSA Tour to offer an opportunity for players to voice difficulties they are facing and also to push opportunities to support their current circumstances.
This led to further developing our partnership with SquashSkills, who have now launched a free and fully tailored webpage for PSA Tour players to access appropriate home workouts.
Other content has included online courses, mental health support and ideas from other players facing similar challenges.
Let’s Talk Series
The Let’s Talk series are webinar sessions with the players of the PSA Tour and various industry professionals. They are in place to up-skill the players in matters that both make their squash careers more sustainable and also prepare them for life after squash.
Such classes have so far included; former World No.1 Nick Matthew on motivation, training and anxiety during lockdown; Chris Nadherny (former 30 year recruiter and Senior Partner from Spencer Stuart, the leading global recruiting firm) on career planning in the midst of chaos; and Rory Gillen (author of 3 Steps to Investment Success) on investing and saving.
Sporting Chance
Previously mentioned in our last newsletter, we have developed a new partnership with mental health support providers Sporting Chance.
We have since started working with Sporting Chance and the players of the PSA Tour to make sure the necessary opportunities for support are available. You can read more on our partnership with Sporting Chance here.
Player Hardship Fund – PSAF We Are One Fund
We are very close to launching the We Are One Fund, a new grant fund available to PSA Tour players in severe need of support. This has been created now in response to the challenges the players of the PSA Tour are facing internationally due to COVID-19.
The hardship fund will be in place to help those who are facing urgent need of support when their basic well-being is at risk.
The tournament promoter of the Canary Wharf Classic has kindly donated the tournament merchandise of the recent 2020 edition, all profits to be donated to the We Are One Fund. You can see these here.
Community Engagement
Community Programmes We Support
We’ve united all our partner community squash programmes from across the globe into a support network and ideas hub. This has allowed each programme to share ideas and initiatives with each other to support the survival of their programmes and support the families in need locally through vital food drives.
We used this platform to distribute activities and resources to the juniors of the programmes while stuck indoors. We’ve also launched a new weekly spotlight campaign that will shine a light on the fantastic work these programmes do, starting with Squash Urbano Colombia, which you can check out here.
Players have been getting involved too, we hosted a live webinar with World No. 9 Miguel Rodriguez and the juniors of Squash Urbano and Squash Para Todos. Check this out here.
We also partnered up with World No.239 and Pakistan’s Noorena Shams who has gone above and beyond with inspired efforts to support families in need in her local communities. Read more here.
We are very grateful to all our supporters and partners who have come together to support each other during these challenging times. It is great to reflect on what we can achieve when we combine our efforts.
