McGill Squash

                There are several reasons why I play squash. Mainly, I find running around and crashing into walls to be highly amusing. Also, there aren’t many sports where you can hit the ball as hard as you can in basically any direction (I mean tennis? I would be 100% better at that sport if the courts were as big as football fields). Also my usual squash partner is a friend who I don't get to see very often, so a quick game is always a good chance to catch up on each others lives. Finally, squash is a great excuse to swear as loudly as possible when you mess up (which in my case is often).

                In case it wasn’t made obvious enough in the previous paragraph, I definitely do not play squash because I am good at it. I can run, I have hand eye coordination and I can hit the ball well enough to have a good time, but that’s about it. Do I know strategy, tactics or proper technique? Not so much. That’s why I was completely shocked when, as I was playing with my friend the other day, we were approached by the coach of the McGill squash team and asked to come out to their next practice.

                “But I don’t really play squash…” was my first response. “That’s ok!” said the coach, “You can run, you have hand eye coordination and you can hit the ball! Practice is this Tuesday at 8:30. It would be great if you both came out.” We managed to wait until she was out of earshot before the giggling started. However, even though the idea of being on a squash team was completely ridiculous to my friend and I, we decided we would give it a try. Why not, right? It could be a lot of fun, and maybe we weren’t as terrible as we thought.

                Tuesday rolled around and I started to have second thoughts. These thoughts intensified when we arrived at the courts and all of the other girls were dressed in these professional looking sport-skirt things. I felt like a total newbie in my soccer shorts and science goggles (couldn’t find my squash goggles), holding a crappy racquet. I became even more uneasy after talking to one of the players who had been practicing squash since the age of 2. I glanced over at my friend and I realized we were both thinking exactly the same thing: what the heck are we doing here???

                Fortunately we split into two groups: the more experienced players (ie: the ones in skirts) and the less experienced players (ie: the ones looking lost and terrified). The coach worked with us lost and terrified players and was very encouraging throughout the process. I learned how to hold my racquet, hit the ball properly and where to aim the serve on the court. The coach’s instruction was very helpful and I feel as though I improved more over the course of that practice than I have during the all of my previous squash experiences combined.

                Although it was a good practice, I respectfully declined the offer to be on the squash team. Personally, I would rather just run around like an idiot and hit the ball wherever than spending hours each week trying to refine my technique. Squash for me will remain a recreational pursuit.

                However, if you are a dedicated player who owns real squash goggles, I highly recommend checking out the McGill Athletics website and getting involved with the team. If you're a beginner, don’t be shy to rent a court with a friend and enjoy a low-key game. It’s a guaranteed good time, good workout, and the kind of stress relief you can only get from smacking an object as hard as possible.

See you on the court!