Amelie Henzler ‘28 dons her goggles, grabs her racket, and steps into the squash court for another game. As the ball begins to fly, she is again reminded of how small the small court size feels claustrophobic. But she grits her teeth and keeps playing. But why? What motivates her, and other squash players like her?
Henzler started squash last season, and made the varsity team this year. Her family has always played squash, and so she decided to try it out herself. After a few practices, she decided to stick with it.
Henzler’s main sport is soccer, which works on a timed system in which whoever scores the most points in 90 minutes wins. But squash is different, it’s whoever scores 11 points first. Henzler likes the difference. “I really like how it’s a point system, because I’m used to timed games and sets. So it was really cool to learn how the rules worked and the point system.” Squash may not be her main sport, but she keeps playing. Because she enjoys the change of pace, and so she can play with her family.
Rio Imanishi, ‘28 has been playing squash since seventh grade. Just like Henzler, her main sport is soccer, but she needed something to do in the offseason, and she thought squash was a good choice. Ever since then, squash has found a special place in her heart. According to her, this was because she loved the competitive side of it.
“I think, comparatively speaking to all the other sports, it’s one of the most intense, fast paced games out there. You’re in a room contained with one other person, and you guys are hitting hard balls at each other, like, how much more intense can it get?”
Interestingly enough, while Imanishi enjoys the competitiveness of squash, she dislikes the numerical ranking system, as she feels it is stressful to have a number displaying how good you are.
Clover Graves, ‘27 joined the JV team in her freshman year, because she wanted to play with her friends. After stepping away, she joined again in her junior year for the same reason, this time getting into varsity. She likes how the games are fast-paced, and winning requires outsmarting the opponent. But just like Henzler, Graves feels the courts are a little too small, and finds herself bumping into the walls constantly.
But Graves keeps playing for the same reason she joined in the first place: the company
“I love being with my friends. Hang out, having fun, playing with my friends.” She also uses the sport to calm herself down when she is angry.
Imanishi doesn’t like the ranking system. Henzler thinks the courts are too small. And Graves thinks it’s too easy to bump into walls.
But they keep playing anyway. Because Imanishi likes the competitive nature. Because Henzler wants to play with her family, and Graves with her friends. It seems that each squash player has their own motivation specific to them, that gets them through the things they don’t like about squash, that keeps them playing the sport they’ve grown to love.
