In today’s hectic world, it can be hard to find the time to get your family outdoors and playing. However, if you have a backyard or garden and some space for an indoor activity, squashes are a great choice for getting kids excited about exercise and having fun at the same time. In this blog post, Canadian squash player Marc Bistricer, will explore some of the many benefits that come from playing squash and how you can get your kids involved in no time.
Fitness
There are lots of great reasons to get kids involved in sports and squash is a great one. Not only will playing squash help your child build strong muscles and improve their fitness, it also helps kids develop important social skills. Your child will learn to communicate with their squash partner (and you!) and learn to be assertive and take control in a team environment. They’ll also be getting in some great exercise, which is great for their muscles and their minds.
Hand-eye co-ordination
A major benefit of squash is that it promotes good hand-eye coordination since you will have to see the ball repeatedly and adjust your body and hand so you can effectively hit it back under competitive stress. Coordination of eye movements, hand movements, and the use of visual information to guide movement increases accuracy and promotes finesse of movement, explains Marc Bistricer. 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 kid’s coordination abilities are well-developed.
Social benefits
There are a lot of great sports that can help your child to develop social skills, but few that can do it as effectively as squash. In Canada, many squash clubs and centers hold friendly tournaments and games to ensure that those who are interested in squash have someone to play with, allowing squash players to meet and compete with each other. The friendly environment in gyms and clubs can provide players with an opportunity to make new friends.
Helps kids improve their confidence
Playing squash can help your child to improve their confidence and feel more comfortable in their own skin. However, this isn’t a sport where your child will feel like they need to be the best at everything. They’ll find that it’s much more about being a part of a team and having fun than about winning. Playing squash can help them to develop an awesome competitive edge, but it can also help them to see how great they already are just because they’re good at the sport!
Whatever the outcome of the game, players develop a sense of accomplishment and confidence after playing squash. In a game as intense as squash, knowing one has competed to the best of one’s abilities boosts self-esteem and offers a sense of assurance, adds Toronto-based athlete, Marc Bistricer.
Conclusion
Squash is a great sport for kids to get involved in and is a great way to get them active and fit. When starting a new sport it can be helpful to ask families or other kids in the area what their experiences and advice are. This is a great opportunity to really get your kids involved and excited about playing a new sport. With a bit of preparation (and maybe a little help from your parents too!) you can get your child playing squash in no time. From there, you can get them enjoying the great health benefits, team-building benefits, and competitive edge that come from playing squash. Squash is a great sport for kids to get involved in and is a great way to get them active and fit.