Busy times

Well it has been a busy time for the Board since the AGM. So much so that we have decided to have a Strategy Session once a month in addition to the usual monthly Board meetings in order to get all the new Board members up to date and make progress on important items. So far we haven't gotten sick of each other :) In fact the Board has a very positive and progressive outlook so expect some changes over the next year.

So what has the Board been up to? Firstly, the election of Mark Goldstone to the role of President left behind a vacant 1yr term on the board. After some discussion we came to the decision that the position should be filled by someone with skills that did not currently exist on the Board, skills that would enable us to promote squash and keep in touch in the digtial domain. So we have advertised the position, looking for someone with marketing expertise and IT experience.

To get a real handle on the ins and out of Squash SA and to see where we currently stand with respect to the Squash SA strategic plan, the Board has engaged a company to perform an efficiency and economy audit. The report (hopefully out next month) will not only tell us where we are, but also how to align our programs, administration and spending with the goals of the strategic plan. We are also going to review the strategic plan to define the key areas that will be focused on for the coming years. Grass-roots support, marketing and growing participation numbers are high on the agenda. Until we get the results of the audit and have worked over the strategic plan, we decided to postpone our engagement with a marketing company. We want to get our ducks in a row before getting a marketing message out.

Facilities: The data from a survey of the squash facilities in SA are in. We now have information on where courts exist in SA, how many courts they have and whether they are a member of Squash SA.

Fit for Work: A fantastic new initiative by Masters Squash South Adelaide. They have developed an early morning 10 week program that includes on-court fitness work with an instructor, coaching and a game of squash. It that wasn't good enough it also includes a continental breakfast! Check out the flyer. We loved this concept so much and if it proves succesful at South Adelaide we want to get it going at courts all over Adelaide.

The New Board

As many of you will know by now, at the last Squash SA AGM in September, four new Board members were elected as well as a new president. This was a big change for the Board. You can read about all the current Board members at the Squash SA website. One of the big promises we made to the squash community is that there would be better communication between Squash SA, the courts and clubs and the players. So this blog has been created as one of the new Board's initiaves to keep in touch with the squash community.

This blog will be updated with new posts after each Board meeting and strategy session to let you know what we are doing, thinking and planning for the future of squash and racquetball.