More than 50 players, parents and coaches joined Nicolás Serna for a practical guide to the pathway from junior squash to U.S. college squash. The presentation and the full recording are now available.
On 30 July 2026, PanAm Squash hosted the webinar “Formando Campeones Globales” (Building Global Champions), presented by Nicolás Serna, member of the Pan American Squash Federation Coaches Commission. The online session, held in Spanish via Zoom, brought together more than 50 participants, including players, parents and coaches from across the continent.
Serna opened with his own story. As a junior, his father had a clear plan: to open the door to the United States through squash, taking him to the U.S. and Canadian Junior Opens and building relationships with college coaches. “Not every player has someone with that vision, those contacts and that information,” he told participants, which is exactly why he chose to share the process.
The “Formando Campeones Globales” webinar was held on Zoom on 30 July 2026.
From Dominating the Region to Competing With the World’s Best
The central message was direct: the goal is not the scholarship, the goal is excellence. Latin American juniors win year after year at South American and Pan American championships, but they rarely go deep at the U.S. Junior Open and the Canadian Junior Open, the events where college coaches recruit. A semifinal or better there, and the coaches come looking for the player.
Serna proposed a long-term plan: plant the vision at 10 to 12 years old, compete and win rounds at those events at 16 and 17, exactly when the recruiting window opens, and let the scholarship arrive as a natural consequence. That means building the annual calendar around those tournaments, exposing players to that environment from U11 and U13, and working on the physical, technical and mental side with that level in mind.
How U.S. College Squash Works
College squash is not an NCAA sport. It is governed by the College Squash Association (CSA), part of US Squash, with 34 men’s and 31 women’s varsity teams and a national team championship every February. Ivy League and Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, but Ivies cover 100% of demonstrated financial need, and at elite universities the coach’s support in admissions is the real currency.
Recruiting follows a calendar: first interest at 14 or 15, active recruiting at 16 and 17, and the final decision in the senior year. And coaches look far beyond the ranking: year-on-year progression, academic strength, character, English and fit with the team.
Four Costly Mistakes
- Contacting coaches too late: after 17, many windows are already closed.
- Waiting for someone to “discover” the player instead of being proactive.
- Applying only to elite universities, without a realistic plan B.
- Underestimating academics: low grades or SAT scores close doors.
As Serna summarised, squash opens the door, but academics decide. The ideal candidate combines good grades, a good SAT score, prepared over 6 to 12 months, and good squash.
Download the Presentation and Watch the Recording
The full webinar materials are available to everyone who could not attend, or who wants to revisit the content:
- Webinar presentation (PDF, in Spanish)
- Full webinar recording (video, in Spanish)
- All webinar materials in one folder
At PanAm Squash, we thank Nicolás Serna and every player, parent and coach who joined the session. Through our Coaches Commission, we will keep building, together, a new generation of world-class Latin American squash.
