I’m looking to first build curiosity within the student body towards the sport of squash, and eventually build a fruitful space for socializing, learning, and staying fit through the sport.
“The creation of a soft, hollow rubber ball that could be squashed when hitting the wall is how the game got its name.”
Squash, aptly called “chess-on-legs”, likely originated in London prisons in the early 19th Century. The game was taken up in some form by “the boys at Harrow” around 1830, and eventually the Harrow school built four outdoor courts in 1864.
Today, squash is a racquet sport played by two individuals (singles) or four players (doubles) inside a four-walled court. The idea is to outmaneuver your opponent and win points by hitting a small rubber ball in hard-to-reach positions on court. There is strategy and skill required in deciding where and in what manner to place the ball. Raw athleticism is required to then retrieve the ball with the same goal ad infinitum (or until one of you tires out, whichever comes first 😉*).*
“The game of squash offers a beautiful balance between independence and social interaction.”
Squash players move together in the same space without any physical barriers between them. A rally often requires making several subtle and explosive adjustments to your position in relation to your opponent for various reasons. This experience tends to create a unique sense of closeness and rapport among squash players that is absent in all other racquet sports.