Seven reasons to play squash

I hang out a lot with squash players.
I also tend to spend a fair amount of time with friends who are in sales, marketing, and other customer facing areas of businesses.
It is a “birds of a feather” thing – in a positive way.
Squash to me is more than a game played with an opponent within the confines of four walls. I get more out of squash than the pure exercise. If you already pl+ay squash or are planning to pick up the game, here are seven reasons to play squash.
Make a living – There are a few ways to make a living playing squash. The obvious one is to turn professional.
It is easier said than done!
It is true that even the 100^th ranked tennis player makes a comfortable living playing tournaments.
Squash has some ways to go.
While the earnings of squash pros are not easily available in the public domain, prize money offered by PSA tournaments has been slowly creeping up allowing the top few to make a decent living.  Follow this link to get more info about squash tournaments and prize money.
If think you got the game and are ready to turn pro like Olivia Blatchford, the recent winner of the Manulife Investments WSA tournament at Club Meadowvale, now is your time.
Teach the game – Being a pro at a decent squash club can be a career option for many good squash players.
Offering private and group lessons combined with some pro-shop services – racquets, strings, grips, and apparel – can add up to a fair livelihood for some. Unlike professional players who have a short window of opportunity to make their mark and build up their bank balance, this option has longevity and stability, provided you are good at what you do.
Patrick Hartunian of Club Meadowvale is a good example.
Run a squash academy: This may be an option for players who built up credibility by playing at the professional and national level competitions. Jonathan Power’s National Squash Academy, the first of its kind in North America, strikes a good balance of running a business while growing the popularity of the game.
Earn a scholarship – This one may not be fully understood or utilized by young squash players. As per the NCAA “more than 150,000 student-athletes receive $2.7 billion in athletic scholarships each year…”
While squash is not recognized as an official NCAA sport, there are many high-profile educational institutions in North America and Europe that sponsor varsity squash teams. There may be opportunities to augment your academic profile with your squash achievements to earn admission to one of these revered institutions.
Radhika Ahluwalia of Club Meadowvale, who went on to play for the prestigious Penn Squash Ivy League team, should be an inspiration for some of you younger players out there.
Make friends: Generally speaking, squash players tend to be friendly outside the squash court. Analyzing losses and wins after a gruelling match builds a...... Read Here

How Critical Is Your Gear To Your Game?

More and more racquet sports enthusiasts are trying to understand the game of squash.
Tennis and badminton players are interested to find out how squash compares with their preferred sport. So, is it easy enough to switch from one game to the other and back without compromising the level of play? While we may not all be like Fred Perry who won world titles in dual racquet sports – tennis and table tennis, it is easy enough to get to a decent level in all three sports if you set your mind to it. Add table tennis to the mix and you have the sport Racketlon! Now before you head off and sign up for the next Racketlon tournament, here are some basics on Racquets, Shoes, Courts and such, for the uninitiated.

Racquets, balls and birds
I often get asked if any of the three racquets – tennis, squash and badminton – are interchangeable.  The definitive answer is “no.” If you try, you are guaranteed to break your racquet, or injure your wrist.
Tennis racquets vary in size and weight.  Based on the material and the size of the frame used, their weights range on an average between 250-325 grams. From a racquet sports perspective, tennis balls weigh the heaviest at around 57-58 grams.  

Squash racquets are lighter and weigh in the range of 110-175 grams. Squash balls are smaller in diameter than tennis balls and weigh on an average 23-25 grams. Squash balls practically do not bounce until they are warmed up before a game by repeated strokes against the wall.
Badminton racquets are the lightest of the three and often weigh as little as 80 grams. Modern racquets made of carbon fibre composite help generate power irrespective of the racquet’s weight. The shuttle cock, often referred to as the “bird” or “birdie,” is typically made of feathers and weighs around 5 grams. Unlike feather birds, the plastic ones are more durable and have become the shuttle cock of choice for the casual player in North America. It is necessary to note that all professional level tournaments are played using feather birds.

Grip, balance and strings of the racquet will have a large impact on your game. If the racquet grip is too small, you end up gripping the racquet too tightly which could lead to injuries to the wrist and arm. A grip larger than your comfort level could end up slipping in your hand and take away from the effectiveness of your strokes. The balance of the racquet – head heavy vs. head light, – and stiffness of the racquet also have significant bearing on the power vs. control a player generates. To know more about how racquet strings affect your game checkout my recent post titled Do you know your racquet strings?

Shoes
Can you play squash or badminton wearing tennis shoes? The simple answer is that you can, but not recommended. Tennis shoes rarely have non-marking, gum soles which are a requirement for indoor wooden courts. From a squash player’s perspective, the constant lunges and pushbacks are inconceivable without the proper traction and stability that a pair of flat, gum-soled shoes brings. Tennis shoes are heavier and have thicker padding in the heel area making it harder for badminton players to arch back for smashes and overhead clears. Squash and badminton shoes are largely interchangeable when playing on courts with wooden surfaces, though the sole of the two shoes are purpose-designed for movements that are unique to each game.

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Go social with Club Meadowvale!

All work (out) and no play? It’s time you went social with Club Meadowvale.

Sure, Club Meadowvale is a fitness and racquet club in Mississauga and now Club Meadowvale has established existence on popular social media stands like Facebook and Twitter and would love to get linked with members and other fitness and racquet sports devotees. Please use the links shown above to connect with us.

While on the topic of social, here is a post by one of our members that may help you grow your profile and presence on Twitter.

Six tips for Twitter users who have less than 25 followers 

• Increasing a Twitter following takes time: Twitter is all about engagement. The more engaged you are, the more you get noted. This can be in the practice of tweets, retweets or mentions. For a new comer, tweeting is the toughest part and often does not come logically. It often aids if you start by tweeting content that you come through in your day-to-day life. Most blogs and websites have a “Tweet this” button that will enable you get started.

• Start with friends and associates: Look up your friends and peers to see who follows them. It is likely that if you follow them, they will follow you back. You have to start somewhere; so, no harm in a little self-promotion. If you are on LinkedIn, a number of your “connections” may have a Twitter profile as well and may be interested in following you. If you have a decent profile, you will be noticed. My first five followers collectively had less than 30 followers.

• Look for high-profile Twitter users who are not opposed to following: Generally speaking, Twitter celebrities like to be followed than follow. However, there are exceptions. A quick look at a person’s followers to following ratio will give you an indication of a person’s propensity to follow back. Here are two high-profile Marketing celebrities, that I follow, that have completely different approaches to following. Though these statistics are dated, it goes to prove my point.

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