London-based coach Sam Hodgkins has been named Coach of the Year at the 2025 England Squash Awards – a fitting tribute for his transformative work with his club, in high-performance coaching, and in making squash accessible for hundreds of schoolchildren across the capital.
Based at Sutton Tennis & Squash Club, Hodgkins has overhauled the club’s junior section, growing it from five players to more than 90 over the past nine years, while also tapping into the area’s older population by sourcing National Lottery funding for twice-weekly free racketball sessions for over-65s.
The ripple effect has seen Sutton’s overall membership more than double to exceed 220 players, and the two-court club is now exploring the construction of additional courts to cater for demand.
Driving the success was his desire to create a community atmosphere at the club. He said: “When I joined Sutton, it was very team-oriented, so I prioritised improving the diversity of membership.
“Growing up, the community side of a club is something I really remember and that’s what I love in a club. People aren’t just going there to play; they want to make friends and have a community.
“The junior section has come from that. Kids come along, enjoy it, and then family friends or school friends come along, or their parents start playing. And we’ve had massive growth in racketball. Some of them now play in social teams or come to watch team matches – they’re part of the community too.”
As a performance coach working with promising juniors, Hodgkins has seen four players represent England and ten play for Surrey in 2025. Over the past two years, he’s also gone the extra mile in helping one junior rehabilitate from a life-changing accident to win the Welsh Junior Open.
He places equal importance on participation, running outreach sessions for 14 local primary schools, hosting the London Borough of Sutton Primary School Squash Festival for three years, and promoting non-elite secondary school squash at the London Youth Games.
Hodgkins ambitions don’t stop there, he explained: “Exposure to the sport at a young age is key. Even if they don’t join a club straight away, they might further down the line.
“We’ve got more schools than last year at our primary school festival and I’m hoping to add more mini squash sessions at Sutton for juniors aged 5-10.
“It’s about capitalising on the great momentum we have and I’m happy for the club to have this success – I have tremendous support from them.”
To read more about the England Squash Awards, click here: https://www.englandsquash.com/awards
