Inner City Squash for Youth

Squash is boxing with racquets. ~ Jonah Barrington

I want to expose everyone and anyone to squash, regardless of what their background is. That's the great thing about kids - they're not going to have any preconceptions about the sport. It's just a racquet, a ball, and a wall to them. ~ Johnathon Power

I am a squash enthusiast who has played twice a week for the last 23 years with a partner who inflicts as much pain as I. We play at 6 in the morning to avoid any daily conflicts. We compete in a four walled cubicle with a rude rubber ball; those who don't know the game might think we are somewhat demented or deranged; the ball is the object of our insanity.

I read with interest how Jonathon Power, the former #1 player in the world, now lives in Toronto and has plans to set up a squash training program for inner city kids and groom them to develop their skills for competition. He has allied himself with Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services , a community development organization, to find partner schools. He has also initiated talks with donors such as members at the Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto to help transform a former decommissioned military base into a sports park including nine squash courts. Power hopes to combine the talents found in players from the inner city with junior players from across Canada.

Power's initiative is inspired by such programs as Squash Busters , a community based organization in the Boston area, which has developed the urban squash movement where junior tournaments include a significant number of inner city players. Similar multi million dollar projects are underway in Harlem and the Bronx with programs funded mainly by philanthropists who love to play the game.

Any programs which seek to engage youth, particularly in some of the needy districts of any city, are commended.