US Squash has hired Narelle Krizek to serve as Assistant Director of the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. Krizek will be responsible for development of the Specter Center’s programming and event activity, donor relations and communications with the local and national squash community regarding the project.
“I am delighted Narelle has agreed to join the Specter Center team,” said Ned Edwards, Executive Director of the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. “She has had a stellar career as a world-class professional player, coach, and innovator highlighted by building the professional women’s doubles tour. Coupled with her energy and enthusiasm for US Squash’s vision of broad community outreach, Narelle is ideally suited to have a major impact on the Specter Center’s mission.”
With more than twenty years of experience in the sport, Krizek is a highly accomplished playing and teaching professional, entrepreneur, and mentor. As a junior, she captained the world championship team for Australia, then rose to a career-high adult ranking of No. 23. Narelle moved to the U.S. over two decades ago and has coached juniors and adults at several premier squash programs.
In 2007, Narelle founded the Women’s Doubles Squash Association (now the WSDA Tour), the first and only women’s professional squash doubles tour which she ran until 2016. Through her leadership, the WSDA has grown to feature more than ten events throughout North America and has raised funds and awareness for eight charities. Recently, as CFO & Co-Director of Good Nick Squash at the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, Narelle ran programs for all skill levels as well as annual US Squash junior tournaments, which were highlighted by a junior gold that attracted hundreds of players.
“I am so excited to join Ned Edwards and the entire US Squash team as the Assistant Director of the Specter Center,” said Krizek. “Increasing access to squash while maintaining the sport’s core values of sportsmanship and excellence has been the guiding objective of my professional career. The Specter Center will help bring US Squash to the world, and I am proud to join this transformational initiative.”
Located just two blocks from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station in the historic Armory building, the Specter Center will dramatically accelerate US Squash’s progress against its mission centered around access, community, excellence and sportsmanship. The Specter Center will feature eighteen singles courts—including two all-glass exhibition courts—and two doubles courts, serve as US Squash’s national headquarters, the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame, house a Learning & Innovation Center and offer elite athletes state-of-the-art development resources including a Coaching Excellence Center and coordination with Drexel University’s robust capabilities as a major Division I athletic program. The Specter Center will serve as a model for community engagement, operating in partnership with SquashSmarts, Philadelphia’s award-winning out-of-school squash and education program.