This September, I started playing squash again. I haven't played for the last 4 years as I was finding it difficult to train Muay Thai and play squash at the same time. The two activities are actually extremely compatible - both require excellent footwork, hand-eye coordination, speed, power, timing, and patience. Although a different muscle set is utilized between the two, I find that if I could train both of them at 100%, I would be a fantastic athlete.
However, training for two separate sports in a dedicated way is, well, pretty much impossible. In order to improve and grow as a squash player, you have to play a minimum of 4 days per week. 5 days per week is ideal. And the same goes for Muay Thai. And then throw in cardio (running) on top of things, and there just aren't enough days in the week to do both. So 4 years ago, Muay Thai won out. I thought that I'd try to see if I could re-incorporate squash into my life this year. So far, it's not working out so well playing only once a week.
I started playing squash when I was 13 with my father. It's about the only sport that he actually did and his game was simply to dominate the T and smash the ball with all of his force. In hindsight, his interest in playing at the Exhibition Centre in Sudbury was more likely related to the woman who ran the bar at the courts than the actual game!
However! It is from him where I picked up the addiction to the sport. And it wasn't pretty when I was that age. I was an angry teenager. It made me an angry squash player, and very impatient. Playing with my father, and then later, only men, I learned to play a very 'male' game - hard, fast, low kill shots. I played throughout highschool and my undergrad degree. During highschool, I cannot even count how many racquets I broke due to simple temper. It's not something I'm proud of - it just is. It happened. As I said, I was a very angry teenager! Put a blunt weapon in my hand, and bad things happened!! However I must say that, unless I was playing with my father, which only lasted about a year before I became way too good to play with him, my anger on the court was always aimed at myself, never at my opponent. I had played in the squash league against older, better players (again, mostly male) and then also had two main partners. One of which I was madly in love with so getting on the court was more flirting than anything!! But we had fun!!
When I moved to Ottawa and started playing with the CMN boys, and the group at the Nepean Sportsplex, I had to rethink my game. I could no longer over-power my opponents. Well, some of the women, yes, but not the upper-level women nor the men. And when I joined the Women's City League, I certainly got schooled. I had to learn a completely different style - to play strategically, smart, ease up on the power and play a longer game. It took me a few years, but by the time 2006 rolled around, my game was outstanding and I was playing 5 days per week.
Then I discovered Muay Thai and combining the two sports was only possible the first year. It's not something I regret - I needed something different in my life at the time and certainly stepping into the gym was the best move I had made in years!
This year I really missed squash, so decided to sign up for the women's city league again. But I'm only playing that one match per week so am certainly not playing up to my potential.
The big difference between now and even 10 years ago is that my patience has greatly increased. I've had the same racquet for many years now without it breaking! And I don't get mad on the court any more. It's just not worth it. So I've learned how to be patient and I've learned to focus and keep my emotions in check while on the court. It's similar to being patient, focusing and keeping emotions out of the picture while in the ring. Same same but different. Except you can't kick your opponent if they get in your way...
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