In locker rooms and galleries, during van rides and post-game chats, people always talk about who does what in the game, about which celebrity is rumored to play, about which coach or player is more important. Squash Magazine has finally put it down on paper, in our first annual Top Fifty issue. It wasn’t scientific. We had no algorithm. Caprice, whimsy and an eagle-eyed glance at the state of squash in America in 2014 provided the basis. We know you’ll have suggestions of people we missed and people we should have left out and comments on the ranking. Send them to the editor: letters@squashmagazine.com.
—The Editors
1. Paul Assaiante, Trinity College—Head Coach
Coach is everywhere: guiding Team USA’s stable of coaches, annually giving dozens of lectures and talks (including addressing the New England Patriots), throwing out a first pitch each year at Fenway Park and mentoring the top American players. Oh, and he’s coached Trinity’s men’s squash team to fourteen national titles since arriving on campus exactly twenty years ago, compiling a 362-18 overall record for the Bantams. He recently optioned his best-selling 2010 memoir, Run to the Roar: Coaching to Overcome Fear, so look soon for a major motion picture. Guess who is playing Assaiante in the film: Brad Pitt? George Clooney?
2. Amanda Sobhy, Women’s Squash Association—World No. 10
Proving all the skeptics wrong, the spunky Long Islander has been able to attend college and improve as a player. She was ranked twenty-one in the world when she arrived at Harvard and now, heading into her senior year, she’s in the world top ten. Sobhy is 47-0 in intercollegiate play, the most dominating collegiate performance ever—or at least since Mike Desaulniers went undefeated at Harvard thirty-five years ago, losing just one game in his three years of competition. Question: how many games has Sobhy lost in college? Answer: just one so far, on February 6, 2012, when Kanzy El Defrawy filched the first game, 11-6, in the Trinity v. Harvard dual match. Otherwise, it has been all 3-0 matches and three national intercollegiate individual titles and two team ones for the anthropology major.
3. Victor Elmaleh, World-Wide Group—CEO
He turns ninety-six in November and still works every day, running his commercial real estate empire from his eighteenth floor office in Midtown Manhattan. And he still gets on court each week, running younger players ragged. Not bad for the man from Mogador. His legacy is assured. He was a great player: sixty years ago he played in the first U.S. Open. He has been one of the most generous supporters of squash in North America in history, whether funding development with US Squash or donating the funds for the world’s first four-wall glass hardball doubles court up in Toronto.
4. Bahram Akradi, Life Time Fitness, Chairman—President, CEO and Founder
The most important person in American squash you’ve never heard of, Akradi runs Life Time Fitness. A native of Tehran, he moved to Colorado at seventeen. In 1992 he started Life Time Fitness, which today has 112 clubs across the country, with forty that have squash courts (118 total courts) used by 20,000 people. It’s the largest squash club chain in the world.
5. Jaffray Woodriff, Quantitative Investment Management—CEO
He is the rainmaker. In one fell swoop, the self-taught hedge-fund trader installed one of the world’s most dynamic squash centers, the $12.4 million McArthur. Because of Woodriff, little Charlottesville has hosted the National Singles last season and will again this year, as well as PSA and SDA events. And UVA is poised to become the first collegiate powerhouse in the South, pushing the game into a fertile and under-leveraged region. Not bad for a guy who never played squash a decade ago.
6. Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senate—New York
The former Dartmouth captain—she had a 34-11 record on the Big Green varsity, including going 11-0 her senior year at No. 4—is currently the junior senator from New York. Perhaps the best player in Congress these days, she plays regularly and credits squash with getting her fit again after the births of her two sons (she’s just the sixth woman to give birth while a member of Congress). Her new book, Off the Sidelines: Raise Your Voice, Change the World, was just published by Random House to much acclaim and attention.
7. John Fry, Drexel University—President
He is the chair of the US Squash board of directors. He is the host of the stunningly-presented U.S. Open each fall in Philadelphia. He is the reason Drexel now has a top-flight squash program. And he still plays a lot of doubles, representing Merion on their Super B league team. Oh, and Fry is no small fry—he does a few other things away from squash. He’s the president of Drexel, on the board of dozens of other organizations including the American Council of Education, and a parent of three.
8. Greg Zaff, SquashBusters—Executive Director
He invented urban squash. By the strength of his convictions and personality, Zaff founded and led one of America’s most innovative, successful and most admired youth enrichment programs. In January 1995 it was just an idea in a Kennedy School paper; in January 2015, NUSEA celebrates its twentieth anniversary with fifteen programs, $7 million total annual budget and 1,500 children whose lives are being transformed. The Hall of Famer is back doing what he loves: serving as executive director of SquashBusters.
9. Danielle Maur, Life Time Fitness—National Racquet Sports Director
Maur might be globally the most powerful woman in squash. She is the national racquet sports director at Life Time Fitness. Since joining Life Time in 2006, she has opened seventy-five new squash courts in eighteen clubs. Along the way, she has created a nationwide pro teaching team, internal certification program, a national squash program and along with hubby Andre, launched the Life Time Grand Prix Tour, now in eight cities with more than $80,000 in prize money.
10. Mark Hayden, Harrow Sports—Founder and CEO
In 2000 Hayden started Harrow Sports. It is now a major player in manufacturing squash racquets and equipment—it has taken the idea of customization to a new level. It sponsors a couple dozen of the world’s top players. Harrow is a giant: it also makes lacrosse, ice hockey, tennis, badminton, platform tennis, field hockey, pickleball and court tennis equipment, as well as footwear and apparel. And on the doubles court Hayden has a mean reverse corner.
11. David Keating, National Capitol Squash—President
The great peacemaker. Keating is the president of National Capitol Squash (and editor of the snappy Mid-Atlantic Junior Squash News, the NCS e-newsletter). Formerly fractious and peevish, both inwardly and out, now it is one of the most copacetic and effective districts in the country. The local politicians there should take note.
12. Peter Lasusa, World Squash Federation—U.S. Representative
Highly successful chair of the US Squash board (one of just three to serve longer than three years) now moves on to a greater challenge, as the U.S. representative at the underperforming World Squash Federation. Olympics anyone?
13. Mark Talbott, Stanford University—Head Coach
The greatest player, still. The greatest guy, period. And some are wondering when he’ll be the greatest college coach: he’s taken the Cardinal women from twenty-eight in the country when he arrived to six. Can he lead the first non-East Coast team to a national title?
14. Gilly Lane, University of Pennsylvania—Assistant Coach
Team USA member, emcee at the U.S. Open, US Squash board member, assistant coach at Penn and inarguably the greatest impersonator in the game. And mister social media; more than 3,000 tweets and going strong.
15. John Nimick, Event Engine, Inc.—President
The godfather of the godsend ToC, Nimick continues to push the pro game as the world’s leading tournament promoter, with events in Frankfurt, Toronto, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Where will the Hall of Famer take us next?
16. Chris Gordon, Professional Squash Association—World No. 57
Blazed a new trail as the first U.S. player to go overseas while in high school. It’s all paid off, as Gordon has won a national title and reached 44 in the world. Can he reprise his stunning first-round win at the 2012 U.S. Open again this year?
17. David Carr, McWil Squash Courts—Founder and CEO
The largest Rolodex in the game? For twenty years Carr has fronted McWil, the court-building firm that puts up courts all over the world, including the world’s first all-glass doubles court and portable courts in every kind of venue imaginable.
18. Demer Holleran, Fairmount Athletic Club—Owner
One of the best Americans ever, Holleran owns and operates Fairmount Athletic Club, one of the country’s largest commercial squash clubs (fourteen courts). The Hall of Famer still plays all the time and is the single mother to two children. Whew.
19. Narelle Krizek, Women’s Doubles Squash Association—Director and Co Founder
She reached 23 in the world in singles and in 2007 founded the women’s pro doubles tour. Helming the powerhouse Lawrenceville program, she is one of the few women coaching boys.
20. Richard Millman, The Squash Doctor Corp—Owner
He calls himself the Squash Doctor, but he is more the smithy of the squash soul. He’s put together two books, coaches in a half dozen states (at the same time?) and still is one of the best masters players.
21. Scott Devoy, Merion Cricket Club—Head Professional
For a decade he’s had one of the most iconic jobs in the game: head pro at Merion. A part of the New Zealand Devoy dynasty, he’s carved out his own enormous niche in the game, leading the U.S. junior women’s team to a top-two finish in 2013. He’s also on the board of SquashSmarts.
22. Nancy Cushman, Meadow Mill Athletic Club—Founder and Owner
A founder in 1992 and the owner of Meadow Mill Athletic Club (fourteen courts), Cushman has pioneered the giant commercial squash club movement.
23. Linda Elriani, Heights Casino—Head Squash Professional
The cheeky Brit, nee Charman, reached three on the pro tour and leads the famed Heights Casino squash program. And she runs the Carol Weymuller, one of the oldest women’s tournaments in the world.
24. Tim Wyant, National Urban Squash and Education Association—Executive Director
Founding executive director of CitySquash, Wyant now guides NUSEA into new frontiers, almost doubling the number of programs in the past three years and launching the first one overseas in Colombia.
25. Melissa Winstanley, Event Engine, Inc.—Director of Operations
Title: Operations Manager. Reality: everything. Winstanley’s been the good-humored behind-the-scenes manager for a hundred pro tournaments around the continent, handling every detail, large (rats, palm trees) and small (ticket sales). And way down on the resume, she’s the mother-in-law of Peter Nicol.
26. Mike Riley, World Squash Federation—Certified Referee
The sharp-eyed referee (and coach at the Rhode Island Country Club and Portsmouth Abbey) has for two decades artbitrated matches at the major pro events. Even with his funny accent, he’s still the only American certified as a WSF refree.
27. Tracy Gates, Blogger
A part of a new generation of women taking up and taking over the game, Gates pens a popular blog on the game, Squeaky Feet: The Side Effects of Squash on Life.
28. Kim Clearkin, The Bay Club Company—Director of Squash
She might have more initials next to her name (MA D.Phil, Oxon) but she’s no armchair academic. Clearkin runs the squash at the Bay Club in San Francisco and co-chairs US Squash’s women’s committee.
29. Joe McManus, Tufts University—Men’s and Women’s Head Coach
Bête noire of the squash establishment, McManus directs the renegade Pro Squash Tour, issues the scandal-mongering Squash Ezine newsletter and leads the Jumbos, the squash teams at Tufts.
30. Julian Illingworth, Professional Squash Association—World No. 62
He’s in his thirties and has moved back to Portland but he’s still the man to beat after winning nine of the last ten U.S. national singles titles. Can he break Holleran’s record?
31. Shabana Khan, YSK Events—Founder and CEO
The 2001 national singles champion is making waves by planning to stage the 2015 World Men’s Championship in Seattle. It will be the first time the event is in the U.S. and with announced prize money of $350,000, Khan has her work cut out for her.
32. John Lau, University Club of San Francisco—Head Squash Professional
A Bay Area legend, Lau has recovered from a year-long battle with leukemia (five courses of chemo and a bone marrow transplant) and returned to his post as the pro at the University Club of San Francisco. He’ll be back to bicycling around Lake Tahoe (seventy-two miles). See his entertaining blog: johnrlau.blogspot.com
33. Adam Hamill, Germantown Cricket Club—Head Squash Professional
The amiable Scot, Hamill has been with the U.S. junior men’s team since 2007 and the head coach since 2012. He’s also logged a decade at Germantown Cricket, helping enlarge that club’s squash footprint.
34. Jackie Moss, MetroSquash Capital Campaign—Co-Chair
Moss, a Princeton ’93 and captain of team her senior year, is the founding board chair of MetroSquash, Chicago’s urban squash program. She’s helped guide the campaign to build MetroSquash’s new $5 million, eight-court, 21,000 square-foot facility, opening next spring.
35. Bill Simon, National Urban Squash and Education Association Board of Directors—Founding Chair
Simon ran for governor of California in 2002. He’s the founding chair of NUSEA’s board and helped build his eponymous twelve-court center at his alma mater, Williams College.
36. Morris Clothier, Lexington Partners—Advisor
He’s just stepped down from the chairmanship of the Racquet & Tennis Club’s games committee—he brought in 600 members to US Squash from the R&T. Clothier chaired the US Squash doubles committee, founded the Father & Son and the Kellner and ran last year’s World Doubles. He also reached the semis of the national dubs, at the age of forty-nine.
37. Alex Beam, Journalist
The Boston Globe columnist and regular hacker (had a regular game at the Indian embassy in Moscow in the early 1980s). He wrote perhaps the highest profile squash blog ever, on Vanity Fair’s website in 2008-09, as well as a famous Globe article on playing then-Governor Bill Weld. His latest book, about Joseph Smith, American Crucifixion, has just been optioned by Memento Films.
38. Dale Walker, Photographer
The women’s coach at Yale from 1981 to 1998, she is the person you are most apt to spot crouched behind a glass wall snapping some of her spectacular photographs.
39. Peter Nicol, SquashSkills.com—Founder and CEO
The former world No.1 is now based in New York. The Brit is coaching, running camps and tournaments and directing his website, SquashSkills.com.
40. Tom Poor, Massachusetts Squash—Board Member
The ageless Hall of Famer still runs junior tournaments in Boston, still is on the board of the Mass District, still on the board of SquashBusters and still on court: he won his twelfth national doubles masters title last spring.
41. Natalie Grainger, Chelsea Piers Connecticut—Head Squash Professional
She’s managing Chelsea Piers, the sports behemoth in Stamford; leading the U.S. women’s team; and just won the 35+ at the World Masters. Not bad for the former world No.1.
42. Ivy Pochoda, Author
Former national team player (reached thirty-eight in the world) turned novelist. Living in LA and riding high on her second novel, Visitation Street, which came out last year—chosen as an Amazon Best Book of 2013.
43. Frank Millet, U.S. Squash Hall of Fame
He turns ninety-eight next May. The Grand Master Honor Roll receipt still presides over Milton squash and still lives on campus. Having first picked up a racquet in 1931, Millet might be the most senior person in the game. He is also one of the most beloved.
44. Beth Rasin, Tournament of Champions—Associate Tournament Director
The media guru at the ToC, Rasin has also been the president of NY Squash, on the board of US Squash and managed the U.S. women’s team in the 1990s. She also produced the film, Keep Eye on Ball: The Hashim Khan Story.
45. Jim Stevens, Brunswick School—Head Squash Coach
He has quietly become one of the greatest—and hard luck—high school coaches in history. Brunswick School’s coach since 1984, Stevens’ boys have won twelve New England titles and come in second six times at the U.S. High School Championships.
46. Gail Ramsay, Princeton University—Women’s Squash Head Coach
About to be eclipsed by Sobhy as the best collegiate woman in history, Ramsay has led Princeton’s women to five national titles, the most of any active coach.
47. Jay Nelson, U.S. Squash Hall of Famer
Nelson officially enters the Hall of Fame at the 2014 U.S. Open, yet the past—his twenty-eight national masters singles titles—isn’t his focus. He wants to get the elusive, record-breaking twenty-ninth in March, but has to beat his nemesis, Gerry Poulton.
48. Olivia Blatchford, Women’s Squash Association—World No. 61
She’s scorned college for a pro career. The payoff is coming: she’s climbing the rankings. In April, she recorded her best win ever, topping Madeline Perry in the Irish Open; in September she clinched gold for Team USA in the Pan-Am Fed.
49. Damien Mudge/Ben Gould, Squash Doubles Association—Joint World No. 1’s
The two Aussies work down the street from each other at landmark Manhattan clubs, and side-by-side they’ve become one of the most dominant partnerships in doubles history, capturing forty tournaments together in forty-four attempts.
50. Hugh Jackman, Actor
The most famous person on the Top Fifty list—and some would say the hottest— Jackman is a global movie and theatre star. And he plays squash.
