Squash is an indoor racket sport played on a four-walled court. It is fast-paced, fun and social, and can be played casually or competitively at any level. You don’t need any previous racket sport experience to play squash. Many people start through beginner squash sessions that focus on movement, confidence and enjoyment rather than rules or scoring.

How do I play a game of squash?

The aim of squash is to hit the ball against the front wall so your opponent cannot return it. The ball can bounce once on the floor before being hit back. Players take turns hitting the ball in a rally. If the ball hits the tin (the strip at the bottom of the front wall) or goes out above the top line, the rally ends. Games are usually played to 11 or 15 points, but beginner squash sessions often play without scoring while learning.

Can I play squash as a beginner woman?

Yes. Women of all ages and abilities can start playing squash as beginners. You do not need any experience to get involved. Many women begin squash later in life, return after a long break, or try it for the first time through beginner-friendly women’s squash sessions that are welcoming, relaxed and supportive.

Is squash suitable for complete beginners?

Yes. Squash is suitable for complete beginners and is widely taught through beginner squash sessions designed to help new players get started. These sessions introduce the basics gradually, with guidance, encouragement and rest. You are not expected to know the rules or have played before.

Do I need to be fit to start playing squash?

No. You do not need to be fit to start playing squash. Fitness improves naturally as you play. Beginner squash sessions are paced to suit new players, with short rallies and regular breaks.

Are there women-only beginner squash sessions?

Yes. Many clubs and organisations offer women-only beginner squash sessions. These sessions focus on confidence, enjoyment and learning at your own pace, and can feel less intimidating and more social for new players.

Am I too old to start playing squash?

No. You are never too old to start playing squash. Many women take up squash as adults, including later in life or after a long break from sport. Squash can be adapted to suit all ages and abilities, and you can play at your own pace.

Do I need my own squash racket or equipment?

No. Most beginner squash sessions and leisure centres can lend equipment, so you can try squash before buying anything. To get started, you usually only need comfortable sports clothing and trainers with non-marking soles.

Is beginner squash competitive?

Beginner squash is generally not competitive. The focus is on learning, movement and enjoying the game. Many beginner sessions help players build confidence over time, and you can introduce competition later if and when you feel ready.

Can I play squash if I don’t know anyone?

Yes. Many people start playing squash on their own without knowing anyone else. Beginner squash sessions are usually group-based, and coaches or organisers help mix players together, making it easy to meet people and feel included.

How do I find women’s beginner squash near me?

You can find women’s beginner squash near you through local squash clubs, leisure centres, or organisations that support beginner-friendly squash. Searching online for “women’s beginner squash near me” or “beginner squash sessions” is a good place to start, and many venues offer trial sessions or pay-as-you-go options.

My child plays squash — how can I get involved?

Many women start playing squash because their child plays. You can get involved through beginner squash sessions, social squash, or women-only events for new and returning players. Ask at your local squash club about beginner options.

How does Girls in Motion help women and girls get started?

Girls in Motion supports women and girls to start and continue playing squash by connecting them with welcoming opportunities to play. This includes women-only squash events, Junior Meets for girls, and support for female coaches through funding and mentorship via the LeadHER Fund. The focus is on confidence, inclusion and enjoyment.

Women's League Data Report 2026

18 Aug

Written By Sally Archibald

‍Women's county League Squash: Two Seasons, 1,124 Women, A Clear Priority

‍Read the full Women's League Data Report 2026 → Here

Girls In Motion has tracked women's county league squash across England for two seasons. Participation is growing — but retention is where the growth is really won.

Women's league squash in England is growing. Across 15 county leagues, 1,124 women played in the 2025/26 season, up from 1,024 the season before — growth of around 10% in a single year.

That is genuinely good news. But underneath the headline number is a churn problem that every league in the country is quietly living with, and it is standing between women's squash and real, compounding growth.

The headline numbers

1,124 women played league squash in 2025/26, up from 1,024.
666 women came back — 65% of last season's players.
458 brand new women joined the women’s county leagues.
358 women did not return.
15 leagues across England tracked.

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Net growth of 100 women looks modest next to 458 new joiners. It currently takes 4.6 new women to grow the leagues by one. Recruitment is working hard and running fast just to stay slightly ahead of the losses.

Keeping the women we already have is the fastest route to growth.

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Not every leaver is lost

Before we treat 358 departures as a failure, it is worth being honest about women's lives. Babies, work, moving house and travel pull women out of sport for a season or two. A season out is not the same as leaving. Some of those 358 women will be back.

The job is not to prevent every departure. It is to keep the door open and make coming back easy which, in practice, means someone picking up the phone before entries close.

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Some leagues are pulling away

Retention across the country runs from four in five women returning down to fewer than half. The gap between the best and the worst is enormous, and it is not explained by geography or luck.

The North West Women's Squash League is the model. NWWSL grew by 96 women in a single season — from 164 to 260, recruited 130 new players, and still held on to 79% of them. That is the best retention in the country combined with the strongest growth. The mechanism: NWWSL created a new beginner third division, so a woman's first competitive matches are winnable.

Sheffield also grew strongly, up 25 women.

At the other end, Herts more than halved, falling from 37 women to 17 with 43% retention. Sussex ran no women's league at all in 2025/26.

Beginners arrive — and beginners leave

The standard of the leagues dipped slightly between seasons, with the median SquashLevel falling from 416 to 382. That is not the game getting weaker. That is new beginners arriving, and it is exactly what a growing sport looks like.

New women arrive at a median SquashLevel of 223. The front door of the sport is working.

The problem is the second season. Women leave at every level, but most of the non returners were under the median squash level. 41% under the median did not return, against 26% at the top of the leagues. Once a woman establishes herself, she sticks — the loyal core sits at a median of 520.

So the sport recruits beginners well and then loses a disproportionate share of them before they ever become established players. Improving how a woman is welcomed into her second season looks like the quickest win available to us.

Where do the students go?

78 women played for a university club in 2024/25. A year later, only 7 had moved on to a local club. 47 left league squash altogether, and 24 were still at a university club.

Students graduate and move on, so some apparent drop-out is simply the academic cycle — setting students aside lifts overall retention from 65% to 67%.

Leagues stand alone. One finding shapes everything else: players almost never switch between leagues. Every league lives or dies on its own recruitment and retention.

Leagues are administered regionally by the separate squash counties. There is no central fix, no national network. Which is precisely why sharing what works between leagues matters so much.

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What leagues and clubs can do

Five practical things, drawn straight from the data:

Create a beginners division, so a woman's first matches are winnable. This is the single change behind NWWSL's growth.
Personally contact last season's players before entries close. A season out is not goodbye.
Ask leavers why. A life event is one thing. A fixable problem is another.
Offer a clear next step after a first season: a box league, a friendly night, an inter-club friendly.
Ask local universities to share club offers with graduating students. Seven out of 78 is a gap any club can help close.

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What Girls In Motion will do next:

Write up the NWWSL model as a playbook.
Work on catching graduating students before they disappear from the sport.
Target support to county leagues that want to grow participation.
Contact counties to protect at-risk leagues before they fold.
Track this data every season, so progress is measured rather than assumed.

Want your league to grow?

If you run, captain or play in a women's league and you want help growing it, we would like to hear from you. We can share the data for your league, talk through what has worked elsewhere, and help you make a case to your county.

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Get in touch: sally.archibald@girlsinmotion.org.uk

‍More info on SquashLevels → Here

Read the full Women's League Data Report 2026 → Here

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Sally Archibald