Assuming you’ve found a squash court, how do you find a partner? Here are the best approaches. If you live near any city in the US, these steps will work. If you try all the steps, you will always be able to find squash enthusiasts wanting to hit with you because they need their daily dose of squash!
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: One hour or less
Here's How:
- Hang around the courts practicing at a time that is convenient for you, and whenever anyone approaches, be very outgoing and ask them if they want to hit for a while. You will meet other players quickly this way!
- Speak with the local professional, if there is one, and see whether she/he can arrange for you to meet other players of your standard.
- Join the local squash association (in the US, the place to start is US Squash). US Squash has local chapters in all areas throughout the country that have squash courts.)
- Look at the court-side bulletin boards for notices and squash ladders. Many clubs have a listing of players who are looking for matches. Add your name to the list!
- If you still can’t find a partner, try going to the court at a different time. You will find that different players use the court at different hours. Lunchtime, late afternoon and early evening are good times to meet other players during the week. Weekends also bring out players who may not play as frequently during the week.
- Find out whether there is an established time when the local players gather for a ‘round-robin’ or ‘mix and match’. These are times when players expect to play just a few games each against a variety of opponents, and they are ideal for quickly meeting a lot of potential squash partners. At many clubs, Friday and weekend round robins add a social, festive aspect to the gathering of squash enthusiasts.
- If face-to-face opportunities aren’t working at your court, try other courts or clubs nearby. You may need to switch clubs or courts to find a vibrant squash community that has many players at your standard or better. That is the ideal setting you want.
- As a last resort, you may be able to find a partner online as there are beginning to be some useful Web-based tools to help squash players find partners. You may find this approach of most use if you live outside a metropolitan area.
