Squash Growing Quickly in U.S.
over a million people played squash in the U.S. last year
Squash participation trend in the United States (in 000s)
June 18, 2012 - 1.1 million people played squash in the United States in 2011. This is an 8% increase from the prior year and up almost 40% over the past two years.
“We received this data from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association,” said PST Commissioner Joe McManus. “They surveyed over 38,000 households earlier this year. And I view their study as the most accurate information we have regarding the participation base of squash in the United States.”
From 2007 to 2011, squash’s participation in the U.S. has increased 83%. According to the data, squash had 612,000 participants in 2007 compared with 1,112,000 last year.
Not surprisingly, squash participation per capita is largest in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. However, the Pacific region is also becoming a sizable participation base.
Squash particpation by U.S. region
Squash continues to benefit from an affluent and educated participant base. Slightly more than half of all squash participants have a household income of $100,000+ and 69% have a college degree or higher. Of the 1.1 million players, 59% are male. 387,000 people would be considered core players because they play squash eight or more times per year.
"Squash is a great and social sport," McManus continued. "Players get a fantastic workout in a relatively short period of time. The only bottleneck for squash's growth is access to courts. It is still a relatively expensive game to play. Increasing access to the game remains a priority of mine."
In 2003, Forbes Magazine pronounced squash as the best sport in the world to "get you fit--and keep you there."
Squash is played by more than 20 million people in 185 countries across the globe. Pro Squash Tour's season begins in August and runs through May when the top eight players are invited to compete for the Pro Squash Tour World Championship hosted by the Detroit Athletic Club.
