Sports Recommendation

 

Mini squash

 

Squash is a dynamic sport requiring physical strength, technique and intelligence. Over the years, with the active promotion by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Hong Kong Squash Association (the Association), it has become a widely popular sport among the public. It has even been selected as an elite sport in Hong Kong since the 1990s. Meanwhile, the standards of local squash players have also been improved.

 

Long determined to commit more resources to young athlete training, the Association decided to introduce mini squash, a new game suitable for children aged from 6 to 12, into Hong Kong in 1997. With cleverly modified equipment and carefully arranged mini squash activities, beginners may be able to enjoy squash from a young age, while mastering the skills of this fascinating sport step by step.

 

Origin of Mini Squash

Given the relatively high speed of squash balls and the demanding technical and physical requirements, children who are new to squash often find it difficult to pick up the sport. Repeated setbacks may hold them back before they can savour the sport. To help children master squash skills in a step-by-step manner, the England Squash had developed, in collaboration with the sports business community, a squash ball made of a bouncier sponge and a shorter squash racket, suitable for use by younger children to grasp the basics of the sport step by step. Learning squash through leisurely fun games may readily bring children a sense of accomplishment, thereby fostering their interest in and discovering their potential for squash. This modified version of the sport acts as a bridge connecting children with squash.

 

Benefits of Playing Mini Squash

Squash is renowned as one of the most physically demanding sports, thanks to its repetitiveness, instantaneousness and high intensity during intermittent periods. Generally speaking, half an hour of squash practice will burn hundreds of calories. Despite being a beginner’s training for squash, mini squash equally requires quick footwork, frequent strikes and a close eye on the unpredictable ball path, delivering training results comparable to that of squash. Playing mini squash can not only effectively train the muscles, joints and ligaments of the whole body, but also greatly enhance the cardiopulmonary function, endurance and explosive power, while significantly improving the flexibility, sense of coordination and resilience.

 

From a technical point of view, mini squash is also a battle of wits in which players need to consider how to strike the ball, predict the ball path of rebound, apply a range of tactics to wear the opponent down, and score by leveraging the opponent’s hiccups caused by tiredness. Such a sport is very helpful to the development of a quick mind and body agility.

 

Under the rules of mini squash, players need to take turns hitting the ball with the racket and give up their position to the opponent to strike back. Such a regime helps nurture children's ethical development and respect for rules. Through competitions, players will develop tenacity in rising to challenges.

 

Differences between mini squash and squash

 

Item	Mini squash	Squash
Target	Beginners aged from 6 to 12	Participants aged 12 or above, or those who have mastered the basic skills of mini squash
Ball colour	Green (participants aged from 6 to 9) Pink (participants aged from 10 to 12)	Black
Ball size	Larger and bouncier Easier to hit	Smaller Less bouncy
Ball material	Made of sponge Softer and safer material	Made of rubber Harder material
Racket length	Shorter Easier to control	Longer Stronger strike power
Other equipment	*Goggles   Squash shoes   (white or non-marking sole) Sportswear	*Goggles (must be worn for participants aged under 19) Squash shoes   (white or non-marking sole) Sportswear
Playing field	Regular squash courts or specially designed courts	Regular squash court with an area about 9.75 metres long, 6.4 metres wide, and 5.64 metres high
Competition rule	Best of three games The first player to score 9 points wins No deuce	Best of five games The first player to score 11 points wins

 

The Development and Promotion of Mini Squash in Hong Kong

Deeply aware of the importance of young athlete training, the Association has placed special emphasis on the development of squash for local youths. Mini squash was introduced into Hong Kong from the UK in 1997. For the past two decades, a range of events and programmes, funded by the LCSD and sponsored by Fujifilm, have been organised across districts, including primary school demonstration tours, mini squash training programmes, mini squash competitions, mini squash badge award schemes, parent-child recreation days and carnivals, with participation by over 250 primary schools and an attendance of more than 90,000 teachers and students.  Put simply, various programmes have been organised by the Association, in the hope of giving a chance to beginners aged from 6 to 12 to fully enjoy squash.

 

Mini squash has become hugely popular, and notable results have been achieved in the development of young athlete training in recent years. In light of these developments, the LCSD and the Association jointly organised the "Happy Squash Kindergarten Play-In Scheme" for children aged from 3 to 5.  Activities under the Scheme are designed to be fun, safe and interactive, with the focus on mini squash. Visits have been paid to kindergartens across districts to organise exploration activities and demonstrations, in a bid to allow children to learn about mini squash, spread the message of sportsmanship among them, as well as promote a well-balanced development in their body and mind.  It is hoped that the Scheme will set a foundation for them to receive formal training in mini squash in the years ahead.

	An Overview of the Training System for Squash and Mini Squash Players
	Level 6
	Hong Kong Sports Institute Athletes
	Level 5
	Under 18 Regional Elite Squad
	Level 4
	Under 16 Regional Training Squad under the Young Athletes Squash Training Scheme Joint School Training Centre of the LCSD Schools Sports Programme Under 19 Community Squash Club Youth Training Programme
	Level 3
	Aged from 7 to 17 Squash Talent Foundation Programme Primary 4 to Secondary 6 LCSD School Sports Programme - Outreach Coaching Programme
	Level 2
	Aged from 6 to 12 Fujifilm Mini Squash Scheme Fujifilm Easy Mini Squash School Scheme Primary 1 to 6 LCSD School Sports Programme - Easy Sport Programme
	Level 1
	Aged from 3 to 5 LCSD School Sports Programme - Happy Squash Kindergarten Play-in Scheme

For more information on mini squash, 
 please visit the Association’s website: 

https://www.hksquash.org.hk/public/index.php/