New to the forum and noticed there isn’t much discussion about squash recruiting. Are there any other online sources available for this?
Paging @superdomestique
There isn’t much on CC (or anywhere else) regarding college squash recruiting. This is probably because the community is so small it would be hard for anyone (players or parents) to maintain anonymity.
That being said, there are some resources. US Squash now has some annual presentations that can be helpful, and there is a new podcast (Squash University) that is hosted by an Ivy coach and D3 level player that promises to discuss college recruitment.
Broadly speaking, college squash recruiting is complicated by the arms race for foreign players. Recruiting spots at the top programs are limited, and in any given year many (if not all) roster spots can be taken up by top-ranked foreign players.
As a consequence, competition at the US junior level has become very competitive.
The best thing a US-based junior player can do it to go to as many tournaments as they can to garner as many points as possible to achieve the best national ranking by junior year. By going to a lot of JCTs, most players should get a sense of where they stand for the top programs. Many of the college coaches attend these junior events, so if someone is playing well, it will be noticed.
One thing I have learned is that a players behavior, whether in victory or defeat is noticed, and can factor into a college coaches decision. Four years can be a long time and team chemistry is very important, especially on teams with players from different cultures.
Parent behavior can also be very important. Squash parents are used to getting what they want. Coaches may feel this personality quality is more of a bug rather than a feature.
Lastly, the summer camps can be very important to get to know the schools, coaches and other players. Summer between Junior/Senior year is probably too late for the top players
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My understanding is that due to this, particularly strong test scores can occasionally make a difference as coaches are sometimes forced to find a high academic recruit to balance the AI average. @superdomestique is this only an Ivy thing?
This is very helpful. Thank you.
At what age do you think college coaches are observing players closely and maybe even planning for future recruitment? Speaking to one parent of a senior who committed to a competitive school it sounded like the coach had already identified him long beforehand and the process happened very quickly as soon as communications were allowed beginning of junior year.
I think you have to balance playing seriously early vs potential burnout.
Good early results can get you noticed and followed, but anyone who has been thru the process will tell you that many of the great U11/U13 players never make it to U17/U19 just due to burnout/injury.
I think coaches look out for this too. The US junior circuit can be really intense. No one wants to recruit a player who doesn’t want to play all four years in college.
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That makes sense. It seems that with few exceptions top U19 players were also highly ranked at earlier age groups, so maybe it is just survival of the fittest.
How important do you think individual (private) coaches advocating for their students is in the recruiting process? Some coaches seem to have a pipeline to certain schools. Is that a coincidence or do you believe private squashes coaches might have some sway with colleges? And what would you say are some of the most important objective criteria college coaches look at - player rating, highest ranking achieved for each age group, performance in big tournaments?
The squash community is small so yes, IMO private/club coaches can help in recruiting especially with the college coaches they have a relationship with.
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Generally, individual/private coaches are part of junior squash, so they can help.
It is important to remember these coaches have new students to push thru every year, so they will probably prioritize their long term relationship with the college coaches, rather an try to force a square peg into a round hole.
I think summer camps can also give college coaches recruiting insight as they can observe kids on and off court and can get a better sense of team fit/chemistry. In some ways the summer camp exposure can be as important as having an expensive coach.
As the camps are important money makers for the coaches, I don’t believe you can go too early or too often. That being said, it is important to choose the camps carefully and strategically.
As far as criteria goes, it is all of it and also depends on the year and what the coaches specific needs are.
At the Ivy League teams, the AI is often calculated for the team as a whole, so a program stretches to get a lower academic recruit, that coach may need to get a higher academic recruit (who may not be as highly ranked) to maintain an acceptable AI average.
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This is so helpful - thank you! 
Re Summer Camps: Can you elaborate on choosing them “carefuly and strategically”?
Specifically, is there a min age that would really matter in terms of recruiting, as well as max age by which it is too late? While sending a child who is 10 might not hurt, I have to think it probably doesn’t really help either in the long run. Likewise, as you mentioned earlier, summer between junior/senior year sounds like it is too late. Is there an age range (assuming a child might go multiple years) that optimizes for making a meaningful impression on a coach that moves the needle while also considering cost/convenience?
Lastly, while I believe there are no athletic scholarships or NIL for squash (UVA?), my understanding is coaches might have a certain number of “slots” available which varies depending on school. Can you comment on how many of the players on the roster received official coach support vs preferred walk-ons (soft support) vs practice squad walk-ons (no support, but on the team in some capacity if they can get in on their own)?
As with other sports, that likely varies greatly school to school.
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And from year to year at a given school.
Any college athlete can secure their own NIL deals. The coach can tell them if they would have access to any NIL opportunities thru the school.
This can vary by athlete, but certainly attending once the athlete is in HS can make sense. Potential recruits generally should start contacting coaches summer after soph year. Some high end potential recruits will be on coaches’ radars long before that.
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All I meant with the careful/strategic comment is that there are many camps and it would be hard/wasteful to do all of them. Not all college squash programs have camps and some of the bigger camps have head coaches and assistants from schools that don’t run camps.
Once you have identified schools/programs you might be interested in, you need to research what camps the coaches of those schools might be working. As for the optimal age, it depends on what age your child feels comfortable/confident being away from home on a multi-night trip. While the summer between junior/senior year might be too late for top recruits, I do think spending at least 1 summer, if not 2 going to camps is helpful so starting btwn 12-14 seems to be a sweetspot. Summer squash camps can be especially important if you don’t live near any of the major squash cities.
While my experience is dated, it is important to remember that coaches (and especially assistants) can move programs so making good impressions can go a long way. In our experience, a number of assistants whom we met over the years were head coaches by the time we were considering programs.
It is worth noting different schools can have different priorities for their camps. For some, they are just money makers with little recruiting value. Others can have a prospect camp where if you don’t go, you have a low probability of being considered.
I think most of the top programs (varsity level) get between one to three recruiting spots per year. In the current environment, some if not all of these spots can go to foreign players (also the scholarship dollars). This is the world we live in.
While this may not be universal, at the top programs, I don’t think walk ons/practice squads are relevant for candidates who expect to play at the varsity level (MIT may be the exception). Without recruitment, there is no admissions advantage.
Hope this helps.
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Thank you for your comments and insight
Again re camps, there does seem to be a wide range, with some targeting players of different skill levels and ages. For example, would you say something like this is a camp where there is recruiting value (sorry won’t let me post the url):
Elite Squash Camps at Williams and Amherst Colleges
Elite Squash Camp
July 9 - July 21
Ages: 8 - 14
Cost:
Overnight $3950 and Commuter $3200
Locations:
Alumni Gymnasium and Athletic Complex
266 S Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01002
Lasell Gymnasium
22 Spring Street
Williamstown, MA 01267
The unique two-week program at Amherst College and Williams College is designed to help beginner, intermediate, and elite players develop a lifelong passion for the game of squash.
Our campers receive elite level instruction from head squash coaches from Amherst College and Williams College as well as other top squash professionals. The goal of the camp is to create a fun and nurturing environment where all players can improve with individualized attention.
Campers will spend the first week at Amherst College and the second week at Williams college. On the evening of Friday, July 14th campers will be transported by a coach bus from Amherst college to Williams College where they will finish out the program. Campers should be picked up at Williams College on July 21st.
Campers at both locations will enjoy the same training schedule, night activities and dorm accommodations - experiencing world class squash coaching for two weeks…
and here is another camp (at UVA):
[Summer 2025 Camp 1]
6/22/25 - 6/26/25
Charlottesville, VA
Camp Criteria
The camp is open to any and all entrants. All levels of player are welcome, though based on the typical drills and practices of our camp week we are of the opinion that all participants should have a US squash rating of at least 3.5 (even though this is not a mandatory requirement). We do not recommend beginners attend this camp. To stay overnight on dorms, campers must be at least 13 years old. Campers aged 12 and over are welcome to sign up as day campers.
I’m leaning towards “no”, but just wondering whether camps which are “open to any and all entrants” or described as “designed to help…players develop a lifelong passion for the game of squash” have any recruiting value
These two camps are for different ages, and the second one does state a minimum 3.5 rating is recommended. Anytime a potential recruit gets direct instruction and facetime with the actual college coaches can be worthwhile for building relationships and recruiting. So, make sure the coaches will be there…whether the camp is a money maker and/or allows those with less experience to attend doesn’t mean the camp isn’t valuable. If you want your kid to make improvements in their squash skill in an intensive instructional type setting, send them for a summer to England to any number of programs. Meanwhile play tournaments as often as possible.
You haven’t said what gender, nationality, or level/rank your student is, but if they are in HS, they, along with their coach, should have a good sense of their recruiting potential. Sure some student athletes will make great strides relatively later in HS, but that’s not the norm for a recruited athlete. Lastly, squash recruits tend to have relatively high academic stats, and they also tend to be full pay.
I believe this is an NCAA requirement that camps must be open to all interested parties.
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I think it is pretty hard to recommend any strategy for camps without knowing something about the player, his/her abilities/age/schools targeted/etc.
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does that apply even if squash isn’t an NCAA sport?