Rally for Change: Jen McKenna empowers the next generation of women in squash

From England junior squads to senior internationals with Wales, Jen has lived squash at every level. Now head coach at Kenilworth Squash Club – and the first female coach there in years – she’s bringing her journey full circle, combining sports development, professional playing and physiotherapy to grow the game from grassroots to elite. Passionate about creating pathways for women and girls, Jen is determined to keep teenage girls engaged in the sport and make squash more inclusive. A member of the Women’s Squash Collective, she’s championing female role models, breaking taboos, and showing that squash is a place where women and girls can thrive.

Tell us about your new job as head coach at Kenilworth?

It’s a full circle moment. My original degree was in sports development and that was my passion when I was younger. I was going to go into teaching, but I didn’t take the leap because I played on the professional circuit. Then, after getting injured, I decided to be a physio because I wanted to help people. Now I’d like to bring all of that into a squash development role. I’m excited to bring it all back together.

What do you hope to bring to the club, both on and off the court?

Passion and enjoyment. I want people to see squash like I see it – as an amazing sport, whatever the level. My aim is to increase participation levels from grassroots to elite. We’ve applied for grassroots funding and one of our main initiatives is to get women and girls back involved, particularly teenage girls, by designing sessions specially for them.

Are there opportunities for women and girls in squash? What difference will having a female head coach make?

The role model aspect is key. We’re lucky to have Sarah-Jane Perry at our club. She’s recently set up some elite camps that she runs three days a week. She’s not earmarked them for women only, but she realises the gap in the market for women to come to female only squads as opposed to always mixing it with the boys. She’s bringing quality female players to the club who are really going to inspire the younger generation, boys and girls.

Having the right people guide them at the club is important. We have a thriving junior section and on Tuesday evenings, the class is seven girls and one boy. The girls were national school champions this year as well. We are quite lucky at our club that the girls have come through and sustained that love of squash. Having myself and Sarah-Jane present is going to continue to inspire that.

Where do you think the sport needs to change to make sure women feel like they belong and can thrive?

Our bodies are different to men. People expect us to compete at the same level. They think these men are super fit and powerful, and they forget how different women’s bodies are. There’s the whole taboo with girls and periods, which is why so many girls stop when they get to a certain age. It impacts how they feel in themselves, how they feel on court. And even going through later life, our hormones change. That’s still a challenge for any woman in sport. Over the last five or 10 years, squash has started to improve on a professional basis but we’re still not there.

Why did you get involved with the Women’s Squash Collective?

As the first female squash coach at Kenilworth for a long time, I was asked if I’d be keen to join, and I just thought, what a great initiative. I’m passionate about squash, and it shouldn’t be a male-dominated sport. The Collective is inspirational, a great platform to come together, discuss ideas and support each other. Going forward, I’d love to get more involved and be at events; it’s brilliant.

Having women involved in sport helps to drive innovation and inclusivity. For 50% of the population, it offers vital role models, and by empowering women, it helps with the health and social development of families as well.

What are your ambitions for Kenilworth?

One of our main initiatives is around grassroots inclusivity, starting with women and girls and supporting low-income families that can’t access the sport. Funding will help guide us in that direction. I also want to bring the school's programme back. At a young age, we can attract both boys and girls and if we can sustain the girls into their teenage years and beyond, then we’re doing our job as a women’s collective.

We’ve got reasonable numbers in our junior section, but the next step is encouraging them to take the step into competitive squash. We always want it to be fun but if we want to create future champions, we need to push our juniors in the right way. We’re lucky to have a good male player, Guy Pearson, who the kids adore and now Sarah-Jane too. The other day, she had 15 minutes free and took a junior on court – you don’t get that very often.

We’re lucky to have two female coaches driving us forward – I think we’re winning at Kenilworth!

Be part of the movement that’s putting women front and centre in squash. Find out more and join the Women’s Squash Collective today.

Discover more about England Squash’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.