(updated 18-may-10 11:07 )

A Conversation with the Natick, MA based Squash Promoter

A new low-key series of professional squash events has started popping up in the US.   What are these all about and have they taken hold?   SquashZag and SquashTalk spoke to the series founder, Joe McManus, to find out.

Meet Joe McManus

Joe McManus, announcing the recent New England Open

Joe McManus is a rare commodity in the world of squash promotion: he acts before he promotes.  In the past decade, the world of men’s pro squash has been littered with promoters who have grand visions and talk big, but when it comes to results, there is not much to show.  In contrast, McManus is a natural entrepreneur, who understand that one needs to quietly built momentum and set achievable milestones before expanding the vision.   He has now run several successful events, consistently attracting marquee players, and is getting more attention.

McManus has created something he calls the US Pro Squash Tour, for which he has created his own format and rules, and he’s attracted the attention of both some of the most well-known players in the US as well as a core of squash fans.  In a recent interview with Alex Beam of the Boston Globe, McManus explained that he was looking for a more successful formula in the USA than trying to fill large sports venues (see interview ). His approach is to start small, create interesting matchups, and draw an audience. McManus, who had a stint as a political consultant, still speaks like someone from that line of work. He talks about “appealing to the base.”

US Pro Tour

A new concept for pro squash in the US

One of the most difficult challenges in creating squash tournaments in the USA is creating a strong, even draw without investing the “big bucks” at the outset.   The format of the PSA is a major stumbling block in that regard.  Because a PSA tournament promoter is required to take entrants strictly in order of rankings, it’s very difficult to match up marquee players with local pros and the USA’s own stars in a modest sized event.

To achieve that, McManus has eschewed any ties to the PSA, and instead has created invitational events, building on the fact that some terrific world class players currently reside in the USA, players who either have accomplished so much they don’t care what the PSA says (such as John White, David Palmer and Wael el Hindi) or who are not active on the pro tour but want the competition (such as Boston’s Dan Sharplin).

He’s borrowed from a great formula pioneered in the Mennon Cup tournaments in Canada a few decades ago – invitational events featuring a top star from each of several nationalities – carefully invited to ensure parity in the event.

We hope this series takes hold, because it’s an intriguing concept and McManus appears to have the down-to-earth approach to make this fly.

McManus talked to us this week about his vision and what’s he’s achieved and learned so far. …

THE INTERVIEW
SquashTalk and SquashZag: What motivated you to create US Pro Squash Tour?
McManus: I love the game and believe it can grow in the United States.

SquashTalk and SquashZag: Do you have partners, advisors?  Who else is involved?
McManus: We raised some angel money, but on a day to day basis, David Palmer and I are collaborating on this tour. I listen closely to him and often seek his counsel. I also regularly consult with Mike Riley. He is one of only six World-Certified Referees. We need to refine the rules to make the game more fan-friendly. I don't do anything in this regard without first speaking with Mike.

I also listen very closely to our fans. I want to know what they want. We are quick to make changes when we see opportunities to improve the fan experience.

SquashTalk and SquashZag: The first US Pro Tour event was at Cross Courts Squash Club in Natick, MA.
So far, what has been the ... biggest surprise?
McManus: Almost every day I learn something that shocks me. For example, I was saddened to see that the world tour purse hasn't kept pace with inflation over the last many years. For many years in the U.S., sports entertainment has been a growth industry. But the world squash tour has actually shrunk when adjusted for inflation. Pro squash players deserve better.

SquashTalk and SquashZag:... Steepest learning Curve?
McManus: I was an executive director at a national not-for-profit and have a background in political consulting. The skill set required to promote a sports tournament is surprisingly similar to those required to run the other campaigns I've overseen.
 
SquashTalk and SquashZag:... Significant Achievements?
McManus: Immediately after the first tournament, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. Now, I feel driven to improve our presentation of the game. It's too early to feel we accomplished anything. We still have too much to do.

SquashTalk and SquashZag: ...Missing or elusive "pieces of puzzle"?
McManus: We're growing quickly as we're very much a start-up enterprise. We produce an impressive entertainment experience, but we continuously ask ourselves how to improve. I like our live packaging of the game. To grow in the way I'd like, we'll need to create a compelling web-stream and tv experience for fans.
 
SquashTalk and SquashZag: Already in 2010 you have events scheduled across the country including stops in Westchester, New York, Pennsylvania, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia with additional cities on drawing board for 2011 such as Atlanta, Seattle, Houston ... you seem to have tapped an interest or unmet demand for squash events?
McManus: We are grateful for the opportunity to bring our tournaments to these cities and look forward to doing more.

SquashTalk and SquashZag: Why not operate as PSA sanctioned events?
McManus: Actually, I can't think of one reason to run a PSA event.

SquashTalk and SquashZag: Have you received any feedback from the PSA?
McManus: I talk regularly with Gus Cook, who manages the PSA in North America. He's a great guy and a straight shooter. I like him a great deal.
 
SquashTalk and SquashZag: What differentiates a US Pro Tour event?
McManus: When an individual buys a ticket to a pro sports event, they expect to see more than a competition. They expect to be entertained. We understand this. There is some showmanship to our event. We also tie in clinics with the pros for local juniors. We also give fans time to mingle with the players after the matches. This formula has proven to be successful for us. We're not done yet. But our fans see what where we're going
with this and they've been wonderfully supportive.
 
SquashTalk and SquashZag: Why would a club join the US Pro Tour instead of simply putting on an exhibition? Exhibitions are great ideas for clubs. It gives club members a chance to see their pro on court with a touring pro in a relaxed and fun environment.

McManus: US Pro Squash tournaments are a very different experience. Although we always invite local pros to compete in our tournaments, our events are professional tournaments where players earn money for winning matches. Fans know the difference between a friendly exhibition and a professional match. We pay top pros an appearance fee, and we are pleased to do so. We want fans to see the best players in the game. We have also discovered that amateurs like to see their local pros play against the touring players. So, early round matches often have a more rambunctious crowd as they cheer on their local favorites. By the time the semi-finals and championship matches are played, fans are seeing the world's best go head to head.
 
SquashTalk and SquashZag: Any thoughts of webstreaming matches?
McManus: We web streamed our tournament at Franklin & Marshall College. It was
> a good start. I expect it will ultimately be a part of what we regularly do.
> 
> 
SquashTalk and SquashZag: ... Ranking points for a Tour Title or incentive for players playing in multiple events ... Creating programs for television, DVD.
McManus: Yes, these are all good ideas. In many ways, we have a Series right now. I expect that we will very soon become a tour where players accumulate points for an end of season bonus or ranking. We will have a tv show on NESN (New England Sports Network) this fall. People in New England, as well as those with DirecTV will be able to see our shows. 

SquashTalk and SquashZag: Sponsorship seems to be on a event-by-event basis, any success finding broader Tour level sponsors?  What are the challenges?
McManus: We have some regional sponsors now and are currently discussing national relationships. Every new venture has challenges. That said, we are much further along than I expected to be at this time. Our greatest challenge now is to be responsible in managing our growth.

SquashTalk and SquashZag: Recently you announced a rule change for your events where players will be restricted to five lets per match; can you tell us the background & objectives behind this initiative?
McManus: It is an annual affair for the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL to refine the rules to address changes in their respective games and improve the fan experience. The US Pro Squash Tour will do the same. We spent six months discussing ways to improve the game with experienced individuals. We discovered that fans, players, tournament directors and referees all were concerned with the growing number of lets in the game. After extensive discussions, we came to the conclusion that we should either eliminate the let entirely from the pro game or restrict the number of lets that could be called. We chose the latter.

From a fan's perspective, we want to eliminate the excessive re-playing of rallies. From a player's perspective, we are working to reduce the amount of "blocking" and "fishing" that exists in the pro game. 

SquashTalk and SquashZag: Two well respected individuals in the squash world John White and Mike Riley have spoken up in support of the 5 Lets per Match Rule, but concerns have been raised that the likely result will be more blocking, physical play, heightened risk of injury and after allowable lets are expended more cautious shot selection that avoids potential lets consequently boring attritional rallies.  What are your thoughts?
McManus: Yes, the blogosphere has been very excited about this rules change. I admire the passion of these fans. The concerns that have been raised are all fair questions, but they have often missed the point. Our rules change is designed to punish "blocking" and "fishing".

I should first define these terms. Blocking occurs when a player does not adequately clear to allow his opponent access to the ball. Elite players will use this tactic when they have played a less than great shot and are trying to force their opponent to run around them. Often a referee will call this a let ball. On the US Pro Squash Tour, this will be called a stroke, and the blocker will lose the rally. Fishing occurs when a player creates contact with his opponent to avoid having to return a difficult shot. This is too often rewarded with a let call. On the US Pro Squash Tour, this will be a 'no let' situation and the "fisher" will lose the rally.

In the initial matches, the touring pros tell us that they have to work harder when playing points on the US Tour because there are no cheap lets. Fans tell us that there is more drama to the rallies because there are so few "do-over" points.

SquashTalk and SquashZag: What might the average squash enthusiast not realize about role, efforts of someone organizing a squash exhibition/Tour?
McManus: I would like fans to know how much their opinion matters to me. In order for the pro squash tour to succeed, we need to build and to continue to engage a fan base. Players and sponsors are important to us. But, I always begin by reviewing the fan's experience to ensure we meet their needs. If are our fans are happy, the rest will follow.

SquashTalk and SquashZag: How can potential event hosts or sponsors contact you?
McManus:joe@USProSquash.com or on the phone at (609) 916-0100