Introduction to .... SQUASH!

One of the things we aim to do here at We are Girls in Sport is introduce you to some new sports that you may not have heard of or may not know much about. Squash is a fast-paced sport that really doesn’t receive much coverage despite how physical it is and the high-skill and high-energy required.

We had the fortune to catch-up with Laura Massaro, former world number 1 and author of autobiography ‘All In’ (see our competition on the grid to win a copy) to hear about her squash career, and Sonya Sasson, a 16 year-old squash player from New York who has competed internationally. She is such a fan of the sport that she has also written a book, ‘Ready, Set, Squash!’ – if you like in North America you can win a copy of that!

Laura Massaro

Laura started playing squash after going to the squash club in Lancashire, UK as a child whilst her parents played. The squash club was a bit like a creche to her but over time, she started to have a go herself and became good. Really good.

Laura Massaro competing in Dubai

Photo credit PSA

She started to take it seriously, playing against other children and then moving on to play against adults. Some of the men didn’t want to play her as they were worried about being shown up! But some men did play her, and she admits that those matches really helped her improve her game, especially as sometimes they played unorthodox or less than standard shots.

When Laura wasn’t practising and winning matches against her dad’s friends, she was in the gym doing strength training, or at school. She had to balance schoolwork and training every night as well as playing for her club’s women’s team as a teen, something she admits made her feel ‘grown-up’.

She had friends who supported her sporting ambitions and some at school who were jealous of her success, and she had to juggle this with attention from teachers. But she was determined to win and succeed and developed great resilience. She was dedicated to squash and dedicated to winning - she hated losing.

Laura Massaro winning the British Open

Photo credit Squashsite

Laura became professional and rose through the ranks making it to world champion! What an achievement! She told me about the joy her success brought her, her family and the squash club members but also the huge disappointment she felt when she lost. Sport definitely has its highs and lows.

Sonya Sasson

American, Sonya Sasson loves squash and has some notable achievements already in her squash career. Her passion comes through in this interview – we’re sure that you’ll want to give squash a go after reading this!

How did you get into squash?

I first got into squash when I was about 10 years old. My home at the time had a broken-down racquetball court upstairs, and my mom would bring me to hit a few balls with her (she played in college). We would just stand there for hours, with two racquets, a ball, and a dusty wall, and it was magical.

I knew from the moment I picked up my first racquet that I wouldn’t be able to put it down.

In a place like Manhattan, there is very limited space to build and maintain squash courts. For the first few years of playing, I would commute for over an hour each way to have lessons outside of the boroughs. Now, however, we can see new community squash courts and centers opening up and prospering, notably the Manhattan Community Squash Center and outdoor public glass courts in the Lower East Side and Queens. It’s truly so exciting to watch these new facilities pop up with the one goal of keeping squash alive and readily available to everyone.

Do you play with girls or boys, men or women?

I train with both boys and girls, but in terms of national tournaments, I compete against girls. A lot of the time, squash is viewed as a male-dominated sport, but that’s not true at all. Women all over the world have entered the squash world and empower each other through inspiring fundraising events and yearly celebrations (like Women’s Squash Week) endorsed by the Women’s Squash Association (WSA).

One of the best parts of playing squash is competing with my women’s league team for the West Side Y. Squash increases social connections through community, crosses all age barriers, and teaches sportsmanship. They are such an awesome group of girls, and I love training with them as we empower each other.

While playing squash is incredibly exhilarating and rewarding, it is not without disappointment and failure. There have been numerous times, from injuries to losses, where it was easy to feel hopeless and frustrated for not achieving the outcome I had intended. During these times, for everyone really, it seems better to take the easy way out and just give up. And sometimes, that happens, and that’s okay. The most important thing is that we get back up again and go to that next practice, that next tournament, that next workout, and we keep persevering.

Like all other athletes, I face challenges and obstacles standing in the way of attaining my goals. It’s the love and devotion I feel for squash that keeps me going. What this sport has given me and what I have invested in it makes it so that nothing in the world could make me want to give it up.

How does playing squash make you feel?

Squash makes me feel alive! It makes me feel powerful and inspired so that I can take on any challenge. It gives me the escape I need on a bad day and the thrill I want on a good one. Even further, playing squash provides me with the desire to be better and strive for lofty goals. This sport has opened up doors for me in so many ways including, discipline, empowerment, friendship, and positivity. Whether I’m hitting with my brother or playing a championship match, that invigorating spark is always there.

How do you juggle squash with school?

My friends are incredibly supportive of me as a squash player. They constantly inspire and motivate me, especially when things don’t play out in my favor. From an encouraging text message just before a match to an in-depth summary of what I had missed in school that day because I was traveling to/from a tournament, I know that they always have my back, and that’s a wonderful feeling. Unfortunately, however, it’s usually difficult for them to relate to the sport itself, mainly because it’s just not very well known or easily accessible to the general public in the United States.

And yes, some days I feel overwhelmed with the numerous things on my plate, and I reason that I just don’t have the time or energy to train. I wonder, How am I going to do well in this exam if I need to travel hours away for a tournament and spend all weekend playing? But then, I remember how playing squash makes me feel- alive, confident -and all those thoughts disappear. Even though playing squash at a competitive level is time consuming, it has made me a better student and a more resilient person overall. I have had to be much more time-efficient in order to get all my schoolwork done and I have learned so much about myself and my game through my setbacks. Each obstacle I have faced and had to overcome has only helped me grow as an athlete and as a person, too.

Tell us about the competitions you have won.

I have recently won the East Coast Junior Championship which was the first big tournament since competition began post Covid-19 lockdowns, and my current national ranking has moved up to #2. My most notable achievement, however, was when I represented my country against Canada on Team USA’s junior squad. It was so inspiring to be a part of something bigger, to be part of a real team even though squash is an individual sport. Getting cheered for by your teammates and cheering excitingly for them was so rewarding. Hoisting that trophy up at the end of it all filled me with immense pride and gratitude that I could be part of such an extraordinary event.

What made you want to write a book?

Something that has always surprised me is how popular squash is in other countries and how it is practically unknown in the U.S. Consequently, my initial goal was to give this amazing sport the recognition it deserves in this country. Most recently, there has been some growth of squash in America, but it’s not easy to get exposure to the sport. Squash is a fun and healthy sport, one that should be much more mainstream than it currently is. I (and many other squash players) was surprised to hear that breakdancing will be introduced as an official sport in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, while squash is still waiting for its day.

Wael el Hindi (my former coach and co-author) and I wrote this book with the mission to grow the sport by exposing kids to squash in a fun and exciting way while igniting a passion early on. We want Ready, Set, Squash! to be on every bookshelf in schools, libraries, and homes, alongside books on how to play tennis, basketball, and soccer. We are extremely passionate about promoting squash to a mainstream level and believe that this book is the best way to help spread the word. The book includes fun facts and history to simple instructions on how to master the squash fundamentals. We’ve included superheroes, quizzes, and resources for families so that they are introduced to the sport in an engaging and exciting way.

I want young readers everywhere to know that squash is a sport for everyone, regardless of their background or where they go to school. It is a sport that has numerous physical, mental, emotional, and social benefits. The rules are simple, and the rewards are limitless.

We bet you want to find your nearest squash court now and give this great sport a go! Laura has been involved in developing the app Racket Pal which helps you find someone to play against near you in the UK - why not download it or ask your parents to and find some squash opposition?

Let us know what you think ….