BOW VALLEY – A free 10-week fall program is available to anyone interested in trying the indoor game of squash.
Starting Thursday (Oct. 6), and running every Thursday to Dec. 8, the Bow Valley Squash Foundation is hosting try-it programs for youth and adults on the squash courts at the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort, located outside the townsite on Banff Avenue.
No experience is necessary, all are welcome, and racquets and glasses are provided to participants.
“It’s a sport for life,” said Ron Coggan, president of the Bow Valley Squash Foundation.
“It is very amenable to different skill levels, and it can, on occasion, lead to scholarships.”
The Junior Outreach Squash (JOS) program, for ages six to 18, is from 4 to 5:30 p.m., and the adult program is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sessions are hosted by Squash Alberta certified instructors.
A winter program will also be available starting in January 2023.
For more information or to register, email [email protected].
Using a squash racket and rubber ball, the fast-moving sport is played between two and four players on a four-walled court while smacking the ball off the front wall. The objective is to hit the ball and make it bounce twice before your opponent can strike it.
According to Squash Canada, a one-hour session can burn 600 to 1,000 calories.
Easy to play, squash builds muscle and and strenth and gives players a superb cardiovascular workout.
Squash is currently played in more than 185 countries.
The local squash group formed in 2015 following the Alberta Winter Games in Banff and Canmore, when the games included squash.
The foundation has been growing its numbers since and hosts the Banff SaSQUASH Open, a popular tournament and fundraiser at the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort.
