Athletes are also developed beyond the court. With the support of PanAm Squash, ATLETA 360 will give families practical tools to accompany every stage of an athlete’s development.
Behind every squash player there is a family that drives to tournaments, waits outside the glass, celebrates the wins and absorbs the losses. That role is decisive, yet parents rarely receive any preparation for it. ATLETA 360 was created to change that: a new online education program for sports parents and families, supported by PanAm Squash.
The program will be led by Renato Gallego, one of the most respected coach educators in world squash and a member of our Coaching Committee, with one clear purpose: to build a healthier and better-prepared environment around every athlete.
ATLETA 360: online education for sports parents and families, led by Renato Gallego.
What ATLETA 360 Will Cover
The program addresses the topics that most often shape, or strain, an athlete’s journey:
- Communication between athletes, parents and coaches
- Competitive pressure and how to manage expectations
- Motivation and the development of autonomy
- A healthy relationship with coaches
- Wellbeing on and off the court
- Safe sport
The goal is simple: to give families practical tools to better support every stage of an athlete’s development, from the first junior tournaments to the moment a player starts making their own decisions.
“Empowering parents. Strengthening families. Supporting every athlete.”
ATLETA 360
Why Parents Matter in Squash Development
Squash is an individual sport, but no player develops alone. Parents organise schedules, finance travel, choose clubs and are often the first voice a child hears after a match. When that voice brings pressure instead of perspective, both performance and enjoyment suffer. When it brings calm, trust and encouragement, players grow on and off the court.
For PanAm Squash, supporting families is part of building a sustainable pathway across the Americas: one that keeps more young players in the sport for longer and prepares them for every step, from national junior events to the Pan American Junior Championships.
About Renato Gallego
Renato Gallego is a squash coach, coach mentor, author and speaker with more than 30 years of experience working with junior players. A WSF tutor for coaching Levels 1, 2 and 3, he has trained more than 3,000 coaches across the Americas and Europe.
He serves as Technical Director of the Brazilian Squash Federation and is a member of the PanAm Squash Coaching Committee, as well as of the European Squash Federation’s Marketing & Communications committee, where he played a key role in launching the ESF Coaching Hub. He is also a squash parent himself, which gives him a first-hand view of the challenges families face.
His philosophy on the role of parents is clear: praise effort, help children accept defeat, keep the sport fun and leave the coaching to the coach. As he wrote for the European Squash Federation: “Too much love will never, ever be a problem.”
Registration Coming Soon
More information about dates, registration and program content will be shared soon through PanAm Squash’s official channels. We invite parents, families and coaches across the continent to follow our social media so they don’t miss the launch.
At PanAm Squash, we believe that every athlete starts at home. ATLETA 360 is our commitment to the families who make our sport possible.
