Squash

Hobbies are important. I may have just found mine. Show us an activity you enjoy doing. Tell us how you think it contributes to your personal and professional development.

Although I’ve played many sports since I was young, including Tennis and Cricket, Squash has been special.

SQUASH

Watched a friend play

April2009

Signed up for coaching

Squash: 4 hours a week

The journey so far…


Competitive SMU Team

March2011

DAWN DEDICATION DRIVEN

Watched a friend play

Signed up for coaching


An invaluable teacher…


Competitive SMU Team

DAWN DEDICATION DRIVEN

Discipline Adaptability Team work

Overcoming Failures

Discipline

The stories behind…

After the first few months of playing squash, I realised I was not making as much progress as I would have liked to. I was doing things right on the court and trying hard, but that wasn’t enough. A sport, any sport, but particularly one as intensive as squash needs more than just the hour long sessions when on court. It needed discipline in every aspect of my life. Proper sleep and proper nutrition – skip one for a single day, and the dip in your game that day will not go unnoticed.

Squash instilled in me a discipline in lifestyle.

Although I’ve always been somewhat disciplined in life when it comes to work, squash taught me a different kind of discipline, one I had never given much thought to earlier.

Adaptability


After playing a few competitive games, I realized the same strategy can’t be applied to every opponent. I was becoming more and more predictable. Each opponent had different skill sets and a different style of play. In order to win, I had to adapt my game to regain the edge. As each opponent presented different tactics I had to adapt my game with different responses.

Squash made me more flexible and alert. It helped me to learn that one has to adapt to changing circumstances.

Adaptability is the key to growth.Like Charles Darwin said, “Its not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change”.

Team-Work


When I look back at the year with the SMU squash team, I can remember all the matches, from the most painful defeats to the best victories. However, what I will truly cherish is the time that I spent with my teammates, during training, travelling and matches.My SMU teammates helped me learn a lot. They helped me improve my game, the cheered me on when I was down and out, they taught me the meaning of being part of a team. They showed me sometimes someone has to take the fall for the betterment of the team. There were times when I had to face an opponent that I was sure I was going to lose against, so that my team mates could get easier opponents. In the starting this used to frustrate me, but soon I realized that it didn’t matter if I won or lost as long as the team won. All these valuable lessons I have learnt could not have been taught in a classroom.

Squash taught me the importance of teamwork and made me realize sometime sacrifices are necessary for the betterment of the team.

Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.

Never Giving up


After I lost my first few competitive games, I used to get very agitated. The game helped me realize that losing is a part of life.I accepted that no matter how hard I tried, it would not be possible to win every point and every game. This helped me learn to accept defeat and be ready for the next point and the next game. I learnt to channel my energy by focusing on the future instead of dwelling on my past. Squash had given me a chance to learn from my mistakes and fight hard everyday in training. I knew that only then I would be able to conquer the upcoming battles.

Squash taught me that people are not judged by how many times they fall. They are judged by how they get back up, dust themselves off and learn

from their mistakes.

Squash has taught me how to deal with failure. As C. S. Lewis once said, “ Failures are finger posts on road to achievement.”

Conclusion

My experiences have been truly been a rewarding and fulfilling. I have learnt from my team mates, my opponents, my coaches and from the game itself. I am convinced that this activity will hold me in good stead as I move on to the next stage of my life. I am better equipped to face the challenges ahead in my academic, personal and professional life

Squash

Sports

Transcript of Squash