Squash Spotlight: How Fulwood Squash Club has become a hub for female beginners

Women’s squash is thriving in Sheffield, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Fulwood Squash Club.

Every Tuesday, Fulwood Squash Club in Sheffield comes alive as female students from University of Sheffield flood in for beginners coaching.

Launched in October 2021 using funding from Yorkshire Sport Foundation, the session has grown from attracting just three or four players to become the one of the most popular activities offered by University of Sheffield Squash.

The average weekly attendance is 25 while 54 different students have come through the doors during the 2024-25 academic year. Such is the demand, Fulwood coach John Mullins now runs two sessions – one for new players and one for improvers.

“The Covid-19 pandemic impacted our plans to use the funding for junior coaching, so I thought about what else we could do. Women and girls squash always need input,” John explains. “I’ve been coaching the university teams at Fulwood for 10 years, so when I got this grant, I asked them if they wanted to set up a women’s beginner session, and it’s expanded from there.”

As a result of offering the Tuesday night sessions, the focus of the university club has shifted from performance to attracting new players to the sport and with it, both the overall membership and number of female players has boomed. 40% of their 105 members are female while among social members (e.g. players not involved in the university’s teams), the gender split is 50:50.

These impressive numbers are helped by Fulwood providing courts at an accessible time and John’s enthusiasm.

John says:

“We rarely finish on time. We often stay another hour or longer if the courts are available – I just want them to be able to play squash!”

University of Sheffield Squash, meanwhile, have been setting aside membership money to fund the sessions since October 2023 and actively promote the sessions around campus, at freshers fairs, and through ‘give it a go’ taster events.

However, for club president Yolanda Joseph-Gully, what keeps players coming back is the environment they’ve created, which blends coaching with fun games and an emphasis on socialising.

She says:

“I was a beginner when I joined in 2021. I’d seen a YouTube video of squash and thought it looked fun, and when I came to university, I thought, let’s try it out. I stuck around because it’s a nice, inclusive club,”

“Sometimes there’s a slight embarrassment for girls when they’re not used to playing sport. Or if they go to mixed social sessions, even the guys are beginners but they can still whack it. Here, everyone’s in the same position and it’s a really friendly and social environment. First and foremost, it’s about fun and creating a safe environment for people to develop at their own pace.”

The beginners are spreading their wings. Volunteer Yolanda and three other students assist John with coaching on Tuesdays and they plan on completing their Level 1 qualifications later this year, while last November, eight players travelled to Manchester for a Girls in Motion tournament.

Future plans include launching a second women’s BUCS team at the university and entering a women’s development team at Fulwood to compete in the Sheffield & District League.

But for John, the biggest highlight has been seeing people fall in love with squash.

“I love watching them get better and seeing their confidence and personalities. They all help each other and there’s a great camaraderie. One of the new players told me Tuesday is their favourite day of the week. It’s something to look forward to after lectures.

“And the bottom line is that these girls will carry on playing. They ask me if I know any clubs near where they live. We’re spreading squash not just for Sheffield but the whole country!”

As for how other clubs can follow their lead and support women’s squash?

“Try some taster sessions or an open day and just give it a go. Make it fun, provide a nice, safe environment and be enthusiastic,” John says.

Yolanda adds: “Group sessions are the best way to start beginners off because the nature of the sport means it can be quite challenging to get into. Our girls have such a good time, a great community, and there’s no reason why it can’t happen everywhere.”

Head to our Squash Girls Can webpage to get all the information you need to run women's sessions at your club.