With deep gratitude for his service and excitement for his future endeavors, StreetSquash bids farewell to Simba Muhwati, our Squash Director. Simba is leaving StreetSquash to become the founding Executive Director of SquashBridge, a sister program of StreetSquash.  

During Simba’s tenure at SreetSquash, he achieved remarkable milestones, including coaching five teams to victory at the Squash & Education Alliance (SEA) Team National Championships, and making history coaching the Thurgood Marshall Academy/StreetSquash team, the first-ever all-Black team to compete at the U.S. High School Squash Nationals in 2023. Additionally, Simba launched The Squash Academy, a pay-for-play squash program open to the public, and successfully led the organization’s rebuilding efforts post-COVID.

For the past five years, Simba has been an integral part of StreetSquash, instilling a culture of excellence. His impact extended beyond the squash court, teaching resilience, mental toughness, and guiding students through their middle and high school years. Simba expressed his gratitude, stating, “Thank you to all the alums who have made StreetSquash what it is today, particularly those who have served in leadership positions on our board and attended various events. Lastly, I would like to thank the entire StreetSquash Alumni network for welcoming me into your home at StreetSquash.”

Simba’s vision for StreetSquash’s future included hiring Joanne Schickerling, a significant asset to our squash department. We are proud to announce Joanne as our new Squash Director.

Joanne has been a part of the StreetSquash coaching staff since September 2022, but had previous involvement with the organization during her time as a coach for the Columbia University squash team. She has greatly contributed to the development of our middle school players, leading two middle school teams to SEA Team Nationals in 2024 for the first time since before the pandemic. Joanne’s dedication also increased the popularity of Community Squash, a Squash Academy program, necessitating it to be held twice a week instead of once.

Originally from Pretoria, South Africa, Joanne represented her country on national junior teams for both squash and tennis. She fulfilled her dream of coming to the U.S. by attending Indiana State University on a tennis scholarship, where she earned a degree in Exercise Science. After college, she coached squash and tennis at Trinity College before joining Columbia University, where she coached squash for nine years and earned a Master’s degree in Applied Physiology. Earlier this year, Joanne was named President of New York Squash, having previously served on its Diversity Committee.