Anyone for squash?

 

 

Having had an extremely successful first Autumnal Sporting Activity session, we have organised a November event and would like Chamber members to be involved. The venue is Withdean Sports Complex on the 25th November for the date and would welcome any member, no matter what standard or maturity as we cover all here at Drewberry, to participate. 

 

Our first tournament tested not only racket skills, but also endurance of aging legs, of which hadn’t seen a squash court in more years than the average age of fellow players. Like a steam train, some of us took a while to warm up but after a swab of orange juice and rub of horse liniment, we were moving around like a wasp in a jam jar. 

 

The Winner was Will Martin with Runner Up Sam Barr-Worsfold pictured below with two very worthy opponents, Steffan Alemanno and Josh Martin: 

 

 

The participants, both young and a bit older, were of mixed ability and fitness levels but Squash offers a helping hand to the not so accomplished player in the form of walls. What a brilliant invention of a game where you can actually use the surroundings to buy time to reach the ball. Of the following benefits of playing Squash, I have to say that the last point is the most relevant as I hadn’t realised how stressed I was and the explanation is spot on.    

 

•Sharpens hand-eye coordination - Squash promotes good hand-eye coordination as repeatedly seeing the ball and adjusting your body and hand so you can hit it back under competitive stress forces the body to hone in on target and destination. The coordinated control of eye movement, hand movement and the processing of what you see to guide one’s reach boosts accuracy and promotes finesse of movement. Since hand-eye coordination tends to decrease when we stop participating in activities that foster this type of coordination, squash is a premier sport to ensure your coordination abilities are well-developed.

•Improves self-confidence - After a game of squash, players develop a sense of accomplishment and confidence, regardless of whether or not you won the game. Knowing one has competed to the best of their physical ability – especially in a game so intense as squash – enables a boost in self-esteem and a feeling of sureness characterized by certainty of ability.

•Ensures mental well-being - If you are a beginner at squash, your practice is 95% physical and 5% mental. Once physical conditioning is improved, practice becomes 95% mental and 5% physical. Instead of focusing on catching your breath and not missing the ball, you can now focus on game strategy. Concentrating on the ball, your opponent and your surroundings will boost your mental alertness and spatial awareness.

•Alleviates stress -Squash acts as a wonderful stress reliever, especially after a particularly demanding day. If your’re feeling angry or frustrated about work, home life or whatever else is grinding your gears, a round of squash can help you “squash out” those negative feelings by taking out all your anger on the court as you slam the ball as hard as you can against the wall. What comes next is a feeling of satisfaction and relief as your negative energy is used up for physical energy in the game.

 

Everyone knows the benefits of playing squash from a physical point of benefit, but I have looked at the mental aspect as more and more people are suffering from stress. According to government statistics, the total number of working days lost due to this condition in 2015/16 was 11.7 million days. This equated to an average of 23.9 days lost per case. In 2015/16 stress accounted for 37% of all work related ill health cases and 45% of all working days lost due to ill health. 

 

Now Squash is not the answer to everything, but by participating in an activity such as this sport, not only will you become fitter bodily, but mentally as well and that is the part that we all tend to ignore. Mens sana in corpore sano (a sound mind in a sound body) ie physical exercise is an important or essential part of mental and psychological well-being. On this note, please email me at bronja.whitlock@drewberryinsurance.co.uk if you are interested in joining us for a game of Squash on 25th and don’t forget to let me know your standard!