A NEW SQUASH CENTER FOR COMPETITION AND COMMUNITY BUILDING THE FUTURE OF SPS SQUASH In the past decade, squash has enjoyed a surge in popularity, with national participation in the sport increasing 47% between 2013 and 2018, and youth participation in junior tournaments growing by 100%, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The number of high school teams competing in accredited leagues has more than doubled in that timeframe. Internationally, the sport’s sustained popularity has led to its long-anticipated debut as an Olympic sport in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. SPS squash has experienced similar growth and success in recent years, with increasing student interest in the sport and top-seeded junior talent competing for spots on the girls and boys varsity team rosters. Both teams have been ranked in the top 10 nationally in the past five years, have routinely had players recruited to play at the college level, and have won New England Team Sportsmanship Awards and New England titles and developed All-New England and All-American award winners. To meet the needs of today’s student-athletes, expand opportunities for next-level play and increase the visibility of the sport for spectators and players alike, we seek to build a world-class squash training and competition center adjacent to the Athletic & Fitness Center (AFC). The new squash center will honor our athletic heritage by positioning SPS squash as an international destination for the development of top-ranked junior athletes and provide access for squash players of all abilities to the sport they love.
Birthplace of U.S. Squash: St. Paul’s School built the country’s first two indoor courts in 1882, with outside courts constructed later that year. SPS students took to the sport immediately and with great passion; by 1914, more courts were needed. The McLane Squash Courts opened in 1915 and have been in perpetual use for more than a century. We are excited to write the next chapter in U.S. squash history with a new, state-of-the-art facility that will introduce and elevate the sport for new generations of players.
PROJECT GOALS • 17,000-square-foot facility with eight international courts. • Two all-glass exhibition courts with spectator seating. • The latest technology in athlete measurable performance data on and off court, video match analysis, livestreaming, live scoring and venue displays. • Ample, unobstructed spectator viewing of multiple courts. • Improved court and spectator space for hosting tournaments and clinics. • A trophy room and meeting space. • With AFC adjacency, enhanced opportunities for cross-training and increased access to athletic trainers.
ANTICIPATED COST $20-$25 million
ANTICIPATED TIMELINE Fundraising has begun, and the School will move forward as quickly as possible.
For additional information, please contact Scott Bohan at sbohan@sps.edu or 603-229-4798.