Children can play squash as young as 6 years old on condition that the correct training is done for that age.
As parents, we are concerned about our childs development in the different areas of their lives. I have put together a piece on what is needed to be done in the stages of development. Naturally this is a guideline and is not set in stone as childrens development depends on the growth of their body and on the growth of their nervous system. Simply speaking, if the children experience a well organized, systematic and efficient training program, those children will accomplish the best performances. With clearly defined objectives such as employing correct training principles we will produce healthy and outstanding squash players.
When planning a program, the program is totally different to a set program as in school. The school focuses on chronological age, whereas, I would identify a state of readiness and adjust the program accordingly.
I focus on 4 stages of development.
- Initiation stage 6 – 10 years old:
Low intensity where emphasis is fun. - Multilateral development is of essence. Running, jumping, catching, throwing , balancing, etc.
- Formation and improving their Bio-motor skills 11 – 14 years old:
Intensity may be increased, skill development introduced, and provide them with opportunities to participate at a challenging level - Specializing 15 – 18 years old:
The most significant changes in training take place during this stage. The coach moved from a teaching role to a coaching role. - High performance 19 years and older:
Once a child reaches this stage of development, the decision to specialize in a particular sport becomes evident. Achieved a reasonable amount of success during the previous stages do not correlate with high performance results as a senior player as maturity has not yet been reached.