Turning dreams into realities
Our Why
The Zambia Youth Squash Development Program exists because talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. In Zambia, many young players have the potential to become strong athletes, but they often lack consistent coaching, proper equipment, regular match experience, and a clear pathway to improve over time. Squash should not be a sport that only works for the few who can afford it or who happen to be in the right place at the right time. This program was created to make development more fair, more structured, and more accessible, so motivated juniors can grow with real support and a real plan. It also exists for something bigger than sport alone, because disciplined training builds confidence, focus, resilience, and leadership, and those qualities matter far beyond the court.
Our mission
What We’re Trying To Do
We are building a structured youth development pathway that supports juniors consistently, not occasionally. That means regular coaching and training sessions, progressive skill development, fitness and movement work, match play, mentorship, and guidance around the mindset required to keep improving. It also means removing barriers that hold juniors back, like not having a racquet, shoes, balls, transport support, or the ability to enter competitions. The program began with one student, and the goal is to grow it step by step into a system that can support as many young players as possible. Instead of staying small and informal, we want it to become organized, measurable, and scalable, so every new player added is part of a stronger and more sustainable pathway.
Where We Want To End Up
Our long term goal is to transform this from supporting a single junior into a growing community program that develops many athletes across Zambia, with a clear pipeline from beginner to competitive levels. As partnerships and donations increase, the program will expand by adding more students, increasing coaching capacity, improving access to equipment, and creating more opportunities for tournaments, training camps, and exposure to higher level competition. Over time, we want Zambia to have a stronger junior squash culture, a higher competitive standard, and more players who can represent their communities and their country with confidence. The final vision is simple but ambitious: a program that started with one student becomes a pathway that consistently produces opportunities for many.
Who We Are
My name is Andrew Karabassis, the founder and head of the Zambia Youth Squash Development Program. I am a 15 year old high school student with a deep passion for squash that has been handed down to me through my father and my entire family. Squash has always been more than just a sport in our home, it is something that has shaped my discipline, confidence, and mindset, and it has shown me how powerful the right support system can be for a young athlete. As I have trained and spent more time around junior players in Zambia, I have seen a clear problem: there are many talented and hardworking students who could go far in squash, but they are held back by things that should not decide an athlete’s future, like lack of funding, lack of equipment, limited mentorship, and limited access to opportunities to train and compete consistently.
I am not doing this alone. I am being supported by two passionate people who genuinely care about building a better future for youth squash in Zambia. My cousin, Jimmy Karabassis, is the Vice President of the Squash Association of Zambia and has been committed to growing the sport and creating real pathways for young players. I am also working closely with Nathan Kalembwe, a dedicated coach at the Nchanga Rackets Club in Chingola, who is on the ground with junior players and understands exactly what they need to improve. Together, we share the same goal: to help young squash players in Zambia develop properly, with guidance, structure, and encouragement, so that their progress is determined by effort and potential, not by money or luck.
We believe youth athletes should not be kept from their squash dreams because they lack funds, mentorship, or opportunity. This program is about removing those barriers and replacing them with consistent coaching, support, and a clear development pathway. As the program grows, we want to reach more juniors, build a stronger squash culture, and create an environment where ambitious young players can train with confidence, compete with pride, and see a future for themselves in the sport.
Support the program
Donations help us grow the program by expanding coaching, improving access to equipment, and creating more chances to compete.
Updates and progress
Track our updates and progress to see what we have done so far, what we are working on now, and what we plan to do next. This page also shows the real impact of donations and the kinds of training, support, and opportunities your contribution helps fund for young squash players in Zambia.
