Squash Magazine's October edition released their list of squash's Top 50 Most Intriguing, Interesting, and Influential People of 2014.
It's a fun article that will surely inspire conversation around the courts. But there are 10 people that we can't believe were ignored. Add your comment below if you disagree or think we missed someone else.
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| Jack Herrick |
Jack Herrick - Jack is the George Washington of professional squash. At the time of squash's revolutionary transition (hardball to softball) he was the Commissioner of the WPSA and orchestrated the transition to softball. A year later, he was then asked to return to serve as Chairman of the PSA World Tour and keep them from going bankrupt. They had lost 75% of their reserves in their first year. Herrick stabilized the tour and over 14 years helped them grow dramatically.
At Herrick's induction ceremony to the US Squash Hall of Fame, Kevin Klipstein (US Squash CEO) said, "Jack Herrick has been more influential globally than perhaps any other American in squash history ... I am not sure that people realize that he has been at the forefront of what is universally considered as some of the biggest advances in the game world-wide."
Herrick was the #1 player on the Dartmouth College team. He was the first American to win a softball world championship, winning the 45s in the New Zealand hosted 1983 world championships. He was the U.S. men's team captain at the world championships four
times. He is a former Chairman of US Squash. He led the initiative to launch an urban squash program in his hometown of Cleveland. And the game's leaders still rely on him for support and advice.
Jack Herrick should be #1 in any list of the most intriguing, influential people in squash.
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| Ted Gross |
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Ted Gross - Ted publishes the Daily Squash Report. A former member of the US National Team, Ted has picked up where Ron Beck (SquashTalk) and Tom and Hazel Jones (Squash News) left off. Thousands of fans each day read the news that Ted believes is worth your time.
He has to be on a list of the most influential people in the sport.
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| Bob Callahan |
Bob Callahan retired in 2013 from coaching Princeton University men's team. His list of accomplishments at Princeton, as a player and coach, are well documented. He is a coaching legend who won three national team titles and coached five different players to individual national titles.
But it is this coaching legend's brave fight against a malignant brain tumor which has allowed him to dramatically surpass medical predictions. Bob remains a daily example of resiliency and tenacity and continues to inspire so many in our sport.
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| James Zug |
James Zug - James literally wrote the book on squash, entitled "Squash: A History of the Game."
His blog SquashWord.com and his insider access to "the establishment" make him interesting and influential enough to give him a spot on the list.
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| Kevin Klipstein |
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Kevin Klipstein - Kevin is the current CEO of US Squash.
It's kind of an influential post in our sport. It's at least important enough to put him in the Top 50.
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| Gordon Anderson |
Gordon Anderson - More of you play on a court built by Gordon Anderson than any other builder. Gordon for decades has been based in Buffalo, New York. But the former professional player's footprints are seen across the United States.
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| Bill Kaplan (r) |
Bill Kaplan - Former Harvard squash player Bill Kaplan used funds he received on graduation as Harvard's outstanding scholar-athlete to generate a more than 35 fold rate of return at Las Vegas blackjack tables. He took his winning concept and founded the MIT Blackjack team, which was popularized in the movie 21, featuring Kevin Spacey. Kaplan is still one of Boston's better players in 2014.
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| Dave Talbott |
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David Talbott - College Squash is the driving engine of growth in the American squash arena. And David Talbott has driven that growth as the Head Coach of the Yale Bulldogs for over 30 years. He has won national championships with both his men's and women's teams, which is something only one other active coach can claim. And the Yale center, which Talbott built is now home to dozens of annual large squash events. Talbott is such a big deal in New Haven that he is routinely heralded as one of the leading drivers of tourism in the city. How impressive that a squash figure is celebrated for driving tourism with his activities.
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| Mike Way |
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Mike Way - Mike Way is the Head Squash Coach at Harvard University and is the most sought after clinician in the U.S. Before Harvard he was coaching professionals to win world and national championships.
Since arriving at Harvard in 2010, he has already coached his men's and women's teams to national collegiate championships. And he has coached men and women to individual collegiate national championships.
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| Deval Patrick |
Deval Patrick - Second term Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick loves his squash. It's his favorite sport. And he was recently helping raise visibility and money for Squashbusters in Boston. We bet he beats Hugh Jackman in a game.
