SquashDrive was the official non-profit partner for the Oracle NetSuite Open for the 3rd year in a row. Each year the tournament is a space for SquashDrive to fundraise and spread knowledge about our program. This year we managed to raise over $50,000 thanks the SquashDrive community. Thank you to everyone who bought a raffle ticket, visited our bar and or merchandise table, your support means everything to our program. 

Congratulations to Rajiv Parihar for winning our raffle for two tickets to the Tournament of Champions in New York; we hope you have a great time! 

The weekend was full of many events like the pro-clinic and Fan Fest. At the pro-clinic, our students were enthusiastic to learn skills from pros Declan James and Simon Rösner. They enjoyed the competition and felt like the opportunity inspired them as players. One technique in particular that students remember learning is a boast. Our students also enjoyed getting to know other pro-squash players personally during the Fan Fest. Talking to the players off of the squash court made their professions seem more attainable to our students. Since the opportunity, our students have been showing even more dedication on the squash courts!

We look forward to the continuation of our partnership; the Oracle NetSuite Open is always a chance for the Bay Area Squash community to come together and we are honored to be able to participate. See you guys next year!

On July 23rd, SquashDrive partnered with the Oakland Athletics as the non-profit organization of the game. Students, parents, volunteers and supporters came out to cheer on the A’s and represent the success the SquashDrive year. Rising 8th grader Kenneth was honored to throw out the 1st pitch. Go A’s and Go SquashDrive!

Summer 2019 for SquashDrive was packed with many camps, tournaments and training! We had student-athletes attend Deerfield, Stanford, and UVA Squads for elite squash training. We also had students attend academic camps at  Choate Boarding School,  Northwestern University, and Andover. Alondra, 8th grade, spent 3 weeks on Northwestern’s campus studying creative writing. Alondra expressed her excitement by sharing," my favorite part was writing my own fan fiction on paranormal activity."

SquashDrive high schoolers participated in two weeks of STEM Camp this past June, exploring different fields of STEM with daily field trips. Some of the highlights included Save the Bay and Google. At Google, students explored different career opportunities at Google as they toured the offices. They also had the opportunity to learn more about software engineering as they participated in an introductory coding activity. We look forward to more STEM field trips in the future!

Squash players from all over the Bay Area came together on May 4 to make up the eight teams competing in the annual Slam Team Tournament to take home the SquashDrive Cup. The tournament took place at both the Olympic Club and the University Club and included competitive singles and doubles matches for players of all levels. The Razor-Tight Rails impressed all teams with their fundraising, taking home the title of most money raised. Each team showed up spirited, and SquashDrive students had the opportunity to be a part of the lively atmosphere. In the end, The Salt Shakers beat the UC Hotshots in a close 5-3 final. The Slam Team Tournament allowed the SquashDrive community to come together and show their support while meeting other members of the community, learning more about SquashDrive, and, of course, competing for the SquashDrive Cup.

Supporters from the SquashDrive community gathered on March 28, 2019 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco for our annual Slam Dinner. Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about SquashDrive, beginning with a cocktail hour where they conversed with SquashDrive students. SquashDrive middle schoolers Jahlil Lindsay and Leo Ibarra wowed the crowd as they opened the dinner with their original Slam poem. Then, throughout the course of the dinner, the community was excited to hear about SquashDrive’s growth over the course of the past year from Board Chair Stephen Seelbach and Executive Director Lauren Patrizio Xaba. Highlighted in their speeches were the four graduating SquashDrive seniors-SquashDrive’s first class to graduate high school and matriculate to college. SquashDrive senior Piera Miller received a standing ovation for her moving speech about her time in SquashDrive and plans for the future. Thanks to the generosity of the SquashDrive community, SquashDrive will be able to continue to support these students as they begin their next chapter.

On March 25th, SquashDrive participated in the annual Oakland Running Festival! Volunteers ran and fundraised for SquashDrive, helped out at the water station, and came to cheer us on. It was a great way to get involved.

The 2018 SquashDrive Slam was held on Thursday, May 17th with the team tournament to follow on Saturday, May 19th.

We loved seeing everyone there.

The 2018 SquashDrive Team Tournament and Slam

An annual dinner with generous donors. 

The SquashDrive community gathered together on Thursday, May 17th at The University Club of San Francisco for an exciting evening of squash exhibition matches, a cocktail hour, and the Annual Slam Dinner and Live Auction. Thanks to our generous donors, we raised a record-breaking $240,000, which will be used to support the growth of our College Prep program and increase enrollment this fall. 

We made it to the press! 

Check out this great article about SquashDrive by Becky Bearse from the Huffington Post: Squashing Diversity’s Glass Ceiling.

Our annual SquashDrive Slam is fast approaching! If you'd like to participate in our team event, please contact lexi@squashdrive.org. 

The squash season is in full swing for SquashDrive with a recent trip to Urban Team Nationals in Philadelphia! Our students not only improved their skills on court, but also had a blast running up the “Rocky” steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and seeing the Liberty Bell at the Constitution Center. It was truly a memorable weekend of travel, squash competition, and cultural enrichment activities for SquashDrive!