The Beauty of the Game

There’s something I love about squash and how it gives kids skills for life. Could be true of any sport. But it happens to be true about squash. There is beauty in the game, a beauty that captures the imagination and the heart. There is a right way to swing, a right way to make the ball travel along an intended line, an elegant and efficient way to move from point A to point B, a soft arc to the perfect lob, a harmony in geometry to the boast, a crisp, clip to the volley nick. The beauty of squash impresses itself upon young people as they are first exposed to the game. It captivates. It breathes into a child the desire to take part in the game. To participate in the beauty they see. This desire to participate gives rise to the desire to learn. That sets up a long novitiate in a practical set of steps upon steps, as a child applies herself and learns actions towards the form she has fallen in love with. It is a joy to watch kids climb this ladder of patient learning over time, this internship in life learning. But it’s also good to remember that it all started with a child who looked upon the beauty of the game and felt a desire to be a part of something beautiful, felt something like love. A love that, having once guided her actions in this sport, can later grow stronger and guide her steps in other life endeavors as well.