By Jacqueline Tung, AMS Social Media Coordinator (Canada Summer Jobs 2026)
There may not be a squash court on campus, but that has not stopped UBC Squash Club from building its community from the ground up.
This year, the club won the AMS Recreation Award for expanding access to squash and creating opportunities for students with different levels of experience to participate in the sport.
The award celebrates clubs that promote student wellbeing, encourage participation and build community through accessible recreational activities.
For UBC Squash Club, building that community came with a clear challenge — there are no squash courts on campus.
“We really thought with no squash court on campus, we’d get five people signing up,” said Cara James, Treasurer of UBC Squash Club. “But with 75 signing up, willing to take a bus, an hour to play, it’s clear that there’s a real need for squash and a want for squash on campus.”
The club offered weekly drop-in sessions and beginner-friendly programs throughout the year, including a women-only beginner session that drew 15 participants in September last year.
“Most of them had never held a racket before but were still coming every week and have just improved so much,” said James. “It’s been really nice to see that — grassroots sports in action.”
The club also formed a competitive team made up of four men and four women after holding tryouts.
“Seeing these competitive players take what they’ve learned in these classes and come back and teach the beginners has been a real full-circle moment for us,” said James.
UBC Muay Thai was also nominated for the award this year after seeing an increase in membership through collaboration with other martial arts clubs.
“We are able to give our members the opportunities to go into actual Muay Thai gyms and train and be taught by professional fighters that are world-renowned, which I think is really cool,” said Tara Mazarei, coach of UBC Muay Thai.
The club also introduced strategy and sparring events, where members watched professional fights, discussed techniques and put what they learned into practice during sparring sessions.
“We don’t just focus on everybody becoming better athletes, but we also focus on becoming better people and just having a better community,” said Mazarei.
Whether you’re picking up a racket for the first time or looking to train with others, both UBC Squash Club and UBC Muay Thai offer great opportunities to get active, meet other students and build community through sports.
Looking to get active and connect with other students at UBC? Learn more about the clubs featured in this year’s Recreation Award.
Website: https://www.ubcsquashclub.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubcsquash
Website: https://ubcmuaythai.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ubcmuaythai
Explore more student clubs and find opportunities to get involved: https://amsclubs.ca/
Jacqueline Tung is a student journalist with BCIT News and a Broadcast and Online Journalism student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). She is a UBC alumna with a background in International Relations and Psychology. Originally from Hong Kong and now based in Vancouver, she is passionate about multimedia storytelling and covering human-centered stories, local voices and community issues.
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