If I told you there was a new professional sports league in the US where the teams were named the Tornadoes, the Colts, the Grizzlies, the Crushers, the Knights, and the Dragons, what sport would you think of? The US big four sports certainly come to mind. And the new LIV Golf tour has team names like that. Pickleball and Padel are growing fast, but they are not really fierce enough to warrant names like that, are they? So, what sport could it be, maybe they are rugby team names.
Well, the answer is, in fact, squash. Someone finally realized that there is an opportunity to create a team-based professional squash competition in the US. This idea has been bounced around for a long time but there has never been enough interest in it, given that squash is predominantly an individual sport. But, in the US, college squash is very much a team sport and is an incredibly entertaining competition to watch. So, a new pro tour has been born in the US called the National Squash League or NSL.
By way of comparison, golf is also primarily an individual sport. Viewership of golf tournaments was languishing for years and then the Ryder Cup was born. That was a team-based competition that changed the landscape of pro golf and showed how incredibly exciting and marketable a team version of the sport could be. Despite its phenomenal success, the Ryder Cup was infrequently contested though, so the pressure was always there for a new team golf competition to fill that void. Then finally LIV came along a few years ago. LIV achieved incredible early popularity and success. So much so that now LIV and the PGA have joined forces. The PGA didn't have a choice, they held out as long as they could. But in the world of professional sport you have to give the viewers what they want.
The National Squash League (NSL) is here to redefine how you experience the fast-paced and strategic game. While squash thrives as an individual sport at the professional level, collegiate squash in the US boasts a vibrant team atmosphere. The NSL capitalizes on this team spirit, offering a unique and exciting viewing experience. This innovative format mirrors the success of LIV Golf, in a sense, proving that team competitions can elevate individual sports.
What I love about how this new NSL competition has started is it is gearing up for the future. The NSL have taken the naming one step further. They are not just naming their teams, but the players too. This is very smart. The best squash players are mostly from outside of the US, e.g. they are French, Egyptian, Pakistani, and their names are not always easy to pronounce. And no casual observer of this new league is ever going to remember the names of the players. They are going to want to watch a match in their hometown and shout for the Hammer, or the Shadow, or the Tranquilizer. Those, in fact, are 3 of the players in the Rhode Island team. There are other good ones too. Atlanta has a Red Lion and a Gunslinger. The Louisville team comprises one Smooth Operator, one Surgeon, and even a Flying Khan (Khan means King). It is going to be so easy to remember these players going forward, and to cheer for them, instead of struggling to remember unfamiliar names. This ingenious approach fosters fan connection and engagement, making the NSL incredibly spectator-friendly.
The best part about the NSL is that it has the backing of the PSA and US Squash, without which it would almost certainly fail. Others have tried in the past to create national squash competitions and have been squeezed out by US Squash, the national governing body for the sport. They could not let anyone get a foothold on their turf, when that turf was, at its core, ranking all the singles softball players in the US, both professional and amateur. Control the rankings, and that way you control the tournaments and the prize money and the clubs and the districts, etc. It is a daunting task managing squash at a national level when practically every state has their own ideas of what the sport should look like. Fortunately, the NSL does not disrupt US Squash, the individual rankings or the existing PSA events, so it complements existing structures, offering a fresh perspective without disrupting the established formats of the sport.
The balance of interest in the game has definitely shifted westwards over the years and there are numerous major tournaments now played on US soil. This never used to be the case. Now, that boat cannot be rocked. Not with the Olympics just around the corner. US Squash and the PSA World Tour have done a great job in bringing the sport to where it is today, but there is still work to do. The endorsement of this new league by those in positions of power and influence is the first step in making it a success. And, thankfully, that appears to have happened.
We will see what the future holds for the new league. If it sticks it is going to be awesome. They should add female players to the NSL too, one spot on each team; or a separate women's league itself perhaps. Or maybe one day they will go out there and recruit players like the Artist, the Machine, the Marine, the Cobra, the Magician, the Wolf, and the Marksman for the senior doubles softball tour. Who knows what the future holds. Pity that pro team squash wasn't around 20 years ago, it would have been awesome to see those guys in a team play format. In fact, I wrote about that need years ago here.
Follow all the NSL action at their website: National Squash League. Hey, you could even buy an NSL team if you wanted to, there are many more cities up for grabs, e.g. Boston and DC are still available. Think about it, you can even name your own team. You could choose the Stingers, the Aces or the Fireballs; or, even better, the Nicks, the Mizukis, or the Flatliners.
