Squash

[Anonymous]

I'd like to have my kids (10 years, 7 years) try squash and am wondering whether to try a weeklong camp or try classes. We live in McLean and would love to find something nearby. I'm not sure if a camp will provide actual instruction, or if I should try semi-private lessons for both of them together. Any guidance on these questions or recommendations for places to go are appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Veteran squash family here and we've been around almost every squash facility in the DMV.

Hands down, the best program right now is at the St. James in Springfield. Josh Taylor, the program director, has coached the National Junior English team as well as many pro players. He has also assembled a team of excellent coaches around him and there are group sessions and private lessons available for every level.

The other option in McLean would be the Raquet Club. The only coaches I would trust would be Nouran or Ikram. They have a lot of beginner kids in the program but honestly, we've had a very mixed experience there overall.

The most important thing for a kid starting out is to get their technique right: proper grip. swing... which is why their first squash coach will be crucial. It gets hard to fix technical issues and break bad habits later. A mix of semi private lessons and group sessions would be good for a beginner. Probably 2 semi-privates a week and one or 2 group sessions as your time/ budget allows (it's an expensive sport). Insist of having the right coach even though many clubs will delegate a beginner kid to a junior coach who may not be as good.

Its a really fun sport with a great community. Best of luck to your kiddos.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful response.

[Anonymous]

Our kids do squash and other sports at the club level. Out of all sports, I’ve never seen directors as pushy and insistent that you have to jump in to academies w/ multiple lessons and clinics per week. Look, unless you are a total tiger parent trying to push your kid, I’d start with a couple of semi privates and then put them in some clinics. I think 10 & 7 are ages where they’ll need different levels quickly.
We tried both places in McLean (Racquet club and Play Squash). Both places have some good coaches, but we’ve heard horrible things about the owner and how he treats his coaches so won’t go back. Unless the racquet club is no longer using play squash, I wouldn’t go there either. St James and Squash on Fire in Foggy Bottom are both good.
Be warned that out of all the sports we’re involved in, the intense squash parents are the worst. I’ve never seen so much yelling at kids, crying kids, things thrown, etc than I have at junior squash tournaments. My kids no longer do any tournaments and just play on their school teams and do enjoy the sport, but the junior squash tournament world is strange.

[Anonymous]

I am the 7:30PP.
Agree with many things the PP at 10:46. I just didn't want to badmouth a business owner on a public forum. I did mention Play Squash at the Raquet Club because OP is in McLean and may not want to go all the way to Springfield or DC if her kids are just starting out. I do feel coaches Nouran and Ikram are good coaches regardless of all the drama with the owner.

Regarding the intense squash parents: you will encounter them at high level squash tournaments. Then again, once your kid is competing at that high of a level, you will encounter these tiger parents in any sport. Tennis parents are certainly not better.

Realistically though, kids would not compete in these types of tournaments before at least 2 years of training. At that point, OP can make up their mind about whether the kids are internally motivated to want to pursue the sport at that level.

Of our 3 kids, one did not like squash, one plays recreationally for fun and only one competes at the national level. It's an intense sport both physically and mentally, and not one you would want to push you kid into if they do not like it. If your kids wants it badly, then you don't have to be that type of tiger parent.