“A racquet costs 15,000 rubles. It’s better to buy two.” How much does it cost to send a child to squash?

There is something that passes through years and cities – memories. They will not arise on their own, so they need to be created. There is nothing more valuable than the positive emotions gained from time with your parents. They will warm the soul for a lifetime. So be brave to get involved in your children’s activities with them, don’t be afraid to start something new and support them.

We continue our text series on how much children’s sports cost. Today, the mother of a squash player from Moscow shares her experience with us.

squash player’s mom

In our family the choice was up to the child – at the age of four he accidentally saw a game on a squash court and wanted to try it. The game turned out to be so exciting and dynamic that now our whole family plays it. Squash is about developing coordination, stamina and decision-making speed in competition with your opponent. My son always enjoys running to the club to see his team and coach. I like the fact that in training the child not only gets a harmonious physical development, but also learns to assess the situation and behavior of another player, as well as to control his emotions.

You can start squash lessons at any age and in a mode convenient for the family – some people take their child to lessons once a week, and some train five or six times.

Clothing

Squash lessons take place indoors on a specially equipped court. The child can wear any comfortable sportswear. Usually it is shorts and a T-shirt. The cost can start from 500 rubles, and further prices are not limited, it all depends on the desire.

Footwear

It is very important to choose the right shoes. For the first classes, any sneakers with non-marked soles will be suitable. For regular training, the child will need special models of sneakers for squash, badminton or volleyball – such shoes have a stable sole and reduces the load on the foot.

Popular brands of sneakers – Asics, Babolat, Yonex. Sneakers should be lightweight, have a reliable grip on the surface and good fixation of the foot with laces or Velcro. I like the VIPER model from the manufacturer Salming, the Upcourt and GelRocket models from Asics. The cost of such sneakers varies from 5,5 to 7 thousand rubles. Buy new sneakers have to buy new sneakers twice a year as the foot grows and the shoes wear out.

Racket

Squash is played with a special racket. Children up to seven or eight years old can use junior models with a shorter handle, but with a child’s height from 135-140 cm already play adult models. As a rule, in children’s groups, the cost of using a club racket is already included in the season ticket and you do not need to buy one for the first training sessions.

Before buying your own racket, consult with your coach – he or she will be able to suggest models based on age, skills and style of play.

My son played at the age of six to eight with a junior model Oliver JUNIOR SQUASH, it cost 7,000 rubles. Recently we switched to the adult professional model Karakal S Pro Elite, which costs 14-15 thousand.

If a child practices several times a week and participates in competitions, it is convenient for him to have two rackets at the same time: one for playing and one for replacement in case of breakage on the court. On average, two or three rackets will be needed per calendar year. It is always possible to buy used rackets from familiar players at the club or elsewhere – there are often good quality offers at half the retail price.

Racket handle windings are also a consumable item. The cost of one winding is about 400-500 rubles retail. The frequency of winding replacement varies from player to player, but on average it is once every two to three months.

Squash ball

Most clubs will give you a ball to rent for free, but you can have your own two or three balls. They cost 500-600 rubles a piece. But, again, this is not compulsory.

Squash goggles

All children under 18 years old must go on the court strictly wearing special glasses – they will protect your eyes from accidental hitting with a ball or racket. We use the Karakal pro 2500 model costing from 2.5 to 3 thousand rubles. The glasses need to be replaced about once a year due to wear and tear.

Squash backpack

The range of backpacks and bags for racquet sports is very large – for every taste and purse. Popular backpack models for kids include the Karakal Pro Tour 30 (5,500-6,000 rubles), Tecnifibre Team Icon Backpack (7-8,000 rubles), Dunlop PSA Backpack (6-6,500 rubles). They have compartments for rackets, shoes and clothes.

My son has been playing squash for four years, but we still haven’t bought him a special model of backpack – we use the sports and city backpacks that were already in our family before he became interested in squash.

Water bottle

Children need to drink lots of water during training. Clubs usually have coolers with free water. The cost of a reusable sports water bottle is from 400 to 2 thousand rubles. We use a UZSPACE 850 ml bottle for 800 roubles.

Classes

The first trial class in a children’s group is usually offered free of charge. A subscription for a month with classes twice a week costs 8.9 thousand rubles. If attendance three times a week, then 12.9 thousand rubles.

The standard duration of training is an hour. During this time, children have time to perform coordination exercises in a game form, work on strokes and play with opponents for the score. Renting a court for a solo or a game with parents for an hour costs about 2-2.5 thousand rubles, depending on the time of day.

If your child has sporting ambitions and aspirations to take high places at tournaments, it is necessary to add individual training at least once or twice a week, the cost of such classes is 3.5-5 thousand rubles. It is important to take into account that these prices are for Moscow, in the regions can be two or three times cheaper.

Tournaments

About three times a year we leave Moscow for all-Russian tournaments organized by the Russian Squash Federation in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg. Participation in the tournament itself is free, but the expenses include travel (from 5 to 10 thousand per person), accommodation (from 6 to 10 thousand for two nights), and meals (from 1 to 4 thousand rubles).

Moscow hosts a series of “Moscow Young” tournaments throughout the year – every two months in different clubs in the capital. Athletes from other cities also come to these tournaments. The tournaments are rated, the cost of participation is 1.5-2 thousand.

Many juniors take part in adult commercial tournaments to gain playing experience and the opportunity to compete for valuable prizes. The cost of participation in them is from 2.5 to 5 thousand rubles.

My son participates in tournaments on average eight or nine times a year, including two or three away tournaments. Our expenses for them, including trips from Moscow, are 75-85 thousand rubles a year. If you calculate the monthly expenses, then taking into account the equipment and competitions will be about 25 thousand rubles.

There are things that are not a pity to splurge on. One of these is a favorite hobby, especially if you want to turn it into something professional.