Case study: internal team squash league

Club

Leamington Tennis & Squash Club

Summary

The annual internal team league was introduced primarily to get more players involved in team squash regardless of their standard, but also to get members socialising. The league has five team members graded dependant on their ability, with a minimum of one female player and one junior player on each team. This initiative has:

• connected more people and increased their playing network
• encouraged them to play more squash
• encouraged them to sign up for more coaching
• created a positive environment which has helped membership growth at Leamington.

People join a squash club to enjoy the game, keep fit and socialise – the internal team event ticks all these boxes.

How is it delivered?

• The competition is run annually over the summer. Members at the club are asked to declare their interest by using the sign-up sheet on the club noticeboard as well as email and via the website.
• Players are put into one of 5 different standard groups and then one player from each group is selected for the teams. At Leamington we use 8 teams of 5 players with 4 players selected to play each match (allowing for injuries/illnesses/etc.).
• Once the teams are organised, they are asked to choose a captain, a team name and select their t-shirt sizes. All players will receive a fixture list/contact list and t-shirt before the start of the season.
• Matches take place on one evening each week. At Leamington, we have chosen a night where there was least activity, which happened to be a Thursday evening. 4 teams will have fixtures each week and the matches take place over 2 courts. This encourages all the players not playing to support their teammates. Once all the matches have finished, players are encouraged to reconvene in the bar area for a drink and a bite to eat.
• At the end of each season, we host a social presentation night and the winners are awarded with their trophy.

Cost

We charge £20 per player to be paid to the organiser at the start of the season. This covers all match fees, t-shirts and admin costs. The club offer the courts FOC to support the competition. Food and drink costs are split between the players in attendance on the individual evenings.

Workforce

The event organiser runs the competition, which at Leamington this happens to be the Head Squash Coach. The team captains coordinate which four members play each week and agree even match-ups for games with the captains of the opposing team.

Additional information

The club decided to let the members do the talking on how they feel the event contributes to the club!

Ladies 1st Team Player “As a newcomer to the club, a friendly team was a great way to meet people, make friends and participate in club life. It's a great way to introduce juniors and those who haven't played in a team environment to competitive squash. It keeps the club busy with players and spectators.”

Mens 3rd Team Player “Throughout one internal league season I’ve met more people at different playing abilities than in the last 20+ years at the club. It’s a great way to socialise with people you wouldn’t normally meet in the regular leagues.”