Lichfield Squash Club Leagues – Member Survey and Relaunch Update

Hi all

Firstly, a big thank you to all who took the time to complete the recent league survey. We had 31 responses, which is a really strong and much appreciated level of engagement. Your feedback has been extremely helpful in shaping the next steps.

Survey Findings

There were some clear themes from the responses:

Most players are comfortable with 3–5 matches per cycle, so reducing the number of fixtures makes sense
There is no strong preference on league length, giving us flexibility to shorten cycles
5-player divisions were the most popular option among those with a view
The biggest challenge remains arranging matches, with many highlighting the need for easier communication and coordination
There is openness to trying a regular League Night to help get matches played

Overall, the message was clear - the leagues are valued, but we need to make them easier, quicker and more enjoyable to participate in.

What we’re changing

Based on this, we’ll be relaunching the leagues with the following format:

5-player divisions (4 matches per cycle)
1 month league cycles (running mid-month to mid-month)
A trial League Night on Tuesdays, alongside Club Night, with a court set aside for league matches
WhatsApp groups for each division to help players arrange matches more easily

Participation in WhatsApp groups will be entirely optional, you can leave any group at any time, but we strongly encourage their use as a simple way to improve communication and reduce the need for chasing.

As a reminder, we already have bonus points for completing all matches, and we’ll also be introducing a small monthly prize draw for those who complete their fixtures, with booking credit prizes awarded via MyCourts.

We are also recommending the use of a single yellow dot ball for league matches (as it generally provides a better playing experience for most club players), although the final choice of ball will remain by agreement between players.

Next steps

We’ll be restructuring the leagues over the next day or so, with the new cycle launching on Tuesday 14th April.

If you would like to join the leagues, particularly if you indicated interest in the survey, please let me know by Monday 13th at the latest, and we’ll make sure you’re included.

Thanks again for your input and support. We’re confident these changes will help bring a bit more momentum and enjoyment back into the leagues, and we look forward to seeing how the new format works over the coming cycles.

Kind regards

James Roberts

Club Chairman