<p>I’m surprised this one hasn’t been posted yet. No one on CC reads the NY Times Style pages???</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/fashion/09squash.html?_r=1&ref=style&oref=slogin[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/fashion/09squash.html?_r=1&ref=style&oref=slogin</a></p>
<p>Thanks for posting that interesting article. And I thought that diving, crew and fencing were hooks! Anyway, I’ll be sure to pass this one along to my friends for their future reference.</p>
<p>What is the difference between squash and racquetball? And isn’t there also something called platform tennis?</p>
<p>I don’t even know the answer - I’m a “ballet” mom.</p>
<p>Hooks & more hooks! Just when you thought you heard it all! One more reason why I can’t wait for this whole college thing to be over once and for all. I can’t imagine what kind of odds my 10yr old brother will be facing when its his turn to apply for college … I guess he better give up the skateboarding and get serious about life, like NOW.</p>
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<p>Polo will be next. :)</p>
<p>this is hilarious. my boarding school actually has a squash team. we all made fun of them…guess they’ll be the ones laughing come april.</p>
<p>Are there any collegiate curling teams 
yet?</p>
<p>That article was highly amusing, not the least because I am friends with at least one person mentioned (indirectly) in the article. I’m on the Princeton squash team, and can assure you that I didn’t take up squash to get into college. ;)</p>
<p>As for the money comment, it’s unfortunately true that squash is in some ways inaccessible to people of lower socioeconomic status, but most squash associations are starting to put forth concerted efforts to attract a greater variety of kids to the sport - not just the stereotypical Greenwich Connecticut types, but a greater cross-section of society. Most of these programs are springing up in urban locations, for less advantaged inner-city children. [SquashBusters</a> - An After-School Enrichment Program for Urban Youth](<a href=“http://www.squashbusters.org/]SquashBusters”>http://www.squashbusters.org/) is a good example. That said, more needs to be done.</p>
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<p>Squash is a significantly more subtle game than racquetball. High level squash requires significantly more precision than racquetball, as well as far better fitness (generally). In racquetball, the ball is so fast that the best assets are quick reflexes and movement, since the ball can be returned from almost any position, as long as you don’t let it get too far out of your reach. The ability of most high-level players to hit shots that end rallies immediately in squash means that at high levels play is as a game of attrition, to deny opponents opportunities (in the form of loose balls) to hit great shots and end points.</p>
<p>Here’s a couple of videos that will show you the difference:</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Racquetball](<a href=“http://youtube.com/watch?v=fJuWCvNs_4s]YouTube”>http://youtube.com/watch?v=fJuWCvNs_4s)
[YouTube</a> - Squash-Willstrop vs. Matthew](<a href=“http://youtube.com/watch?v=m9BqM6STHj8&feature=related]YouTube”>http://youtube.com/watch?v=m9BqM6STHj8&feature=related)</p>
<p>Platform tennis is entirely different from both sports. Wikipedia gives a good description: [Platform</a> tennis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_tennis]Platform”>Platform tennis - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>I took up squash in college, after having played handball against walls in inner-city New York. </p>
<p>From a fitness perspective, racquetball is for sissies. (Actually I have seen some racquetball players in terrific shape, but they don’t have to be to have a good game. The same isn’t true in squash.)</p>
<p>I played squash in college with friends. I thought racquetball was noisy and didn’t look like it took much skill. Then I tried it. I never played squash again. Racquetball was SOOO much more fun for us duffers. I started playing with skier-son when he was a little squirt. Last time we played he spotted me 13 points (out of 15) and still beat me. It’s a different game for those with great skill, but still fun if you have no skill. Plus no one seems to dress like they just came from the country club.</p>
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<p>Very true - playing racquetball as a total beginner is definitely a blast! When I played for the first time last year, it was one of the more entertaining things I’d done in a long time.</p>
<p>As for the clothing, racquetball clothing is definitely more interesting. ;)</p>
<p>I thought about this as a hook a few years ago. I was wondering when raquetball or squash would become the next hook. Now that this secret hook is out, will handball be next? That is an old sport, as is stickball, but eventually what is out of vogue comes back as a new interest. Croquet anyone? Perhaps as we develop more golf lovers, croquet or boccie ball will be new hooks? Tetherball going to be an alternate hook for volleyball? Something to ponder when feeder schools and students need to come up with new angles for admission into Ivy schools. It is entertaining to watch.</p>
<p>mini, you were a handball player! I just read your post. My FIL played that twice per week, even at 80 years old. It kept him in great shape, and was really nice for him socially too.</p>
<p>I tried handball for a short period of time. It was sort of like throwing a big rock into the air and whacking it as hard as possible with your hand. Not much fun. I quickly switched to racketball. That also was a very hard sport. I always seemed to have plenty of very colorful black and blue spots from being hit by the ball. You also quickly learn not to run into the walls any more often than necessary.</p>
<p>It is nice to see interest in something other than the major spectator sports.</p>
<p>Silly. Yes, very good squash players can get recruited to very good colleges because of their squash ability. Yes, if hundreds of thousands of kids played squash, rather than thousands, it would be a little harder to be a very good squash player. But plenty of northeastern preppies play squash, and they are applying to the schools with squash teams anyway, so the colleges don’t have to dig hard to fill their teams, and probably don’t give major tips to more than one or two kids a year apiece. </p>
<p>A nationally ranked player has a good chance of getting recruited to a good school (although not necessarily the good school he or she wants most). A strong regional player who otherwise has the academic qualifications probably has a nice advantage. Beyond that . . . so what?</p>
<p>And – like most sports – you would have to be a hell of an athlete to take it up and be recruitable at a college level within a couple of years. (A top tennis player can probably learn squash pretty quickly. There are LOTS of significant differences, but I’ve definitely seen that happen.) The kids I know who are playing in college started when they were in grade school (along with lots of other kids who aren’t playing in college).</p>
<p>I’ll tell you where the advantage in squash is. Forget getting into college. Once you are there, or in grad school, or out in the business world, it is absolutely a primo networking sport. Because comparatively few people play, people who are decent are always in demand, and it’s not unusual to get games with CEOs, etc.</p>
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<p>Yes, curling is a club sport at some US colleges - some of the more icy schools. BU for example: [Boston</a> University Curling Club](<a href=“http://people.bu.edu/curling/officers2.html]Boston”>http://people.bu.edu/curling/officers2.html)</p>
<p>It’s also a varsity sport at some Canadian colleges.</p>
<p>S’s private day school in CT had 2 squash players recruited to 2 top 20 LACs last year.
I’m so glad my D’s HS just started a curling team!!</p>
<p>One thing I’ll say about squash: it’s a sport where height is not necessarily an advantage, and strength only to a limited extent. It’s mainly about quickness, coordination, conditioning, and strategy. An athletic kid whose body type would eventually disqualify him/her from high level participation in many popular sports can excel at squash.</p>
<p>Also, although court time can be very costly, kids can often play cheap (squash courts are not much in demand in the middle of the afternoon on weekdays), and the equipment itself is not that expensive (sneakers, non-high-tech raquets, and balls that last a long time).</p>
<p>Agree with JHS. Very few are going to be able to reach the level required for athletic recruitment in two years. Forgetting its supposed use as a hook for college, playing squash is great for general overall fitness. My H and I started playing in college, many moons ago, and he still plays two to three times a week. Again, as JHS said, his athletic club is filled with lawyers, doctors, and high level executive management in our city. For all, who tend to work very long hours, it is not only exercise but a good opportunity for them to socialize with their friends.</p>