Squash in Schools Makes a Winning Start

As many of you will know, one of our many aspirations is to grow squash across Bedfordshire for people of all ages, with a particular focus on children aged 8+, and we’ve made great progress since we opened in 2017.

One of our key initiatives for growth is the Bedford Squash Academy, which we founded in 2022. The Academy runs weekly squash sessions at Mowsbury Golf & Squash Centre for juniors from beginner level upwards. Since launching, we have welcomed 70 children onto the Mowsbury courts, many experiencing squash for the first time. The Academy has gone from strength to strength and will return in September for the Autumn Term.

Buoyed by the Academy’s success, we approached several local schools to explore the possibility of supporting their PE curriculum. We offered a six-week squash programme for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils, delivered by our highly experienced coach, Sam Morris.

We were delighted when both Carlton C of E Primary School and The Hills Academy signed up for the second half of the summer term. Each week, Sam visited the schools to deliver engaging squash lessons in their school halls.

“But surely you need a squash court?” we hear you ask!

Not anymore. We have invested in portable squash walls that pop up in minutes and provide a realistic rebound, allowing children to experience many of the skills of squash almost anywhere. Alongside these, there are plenty of fun activities that develop hand-eye coordination, movement, racket skills and ball control.

After six fantastic weeks, pupils from both schools were invited to a Festival of Squash at Carlton Squash Club and Mowsbury Golf & Squash Centre. For many, it was their first opportunity to step onto a real squash court, where they learned to play rallies, took part in fun games and challenges, and celebrated their achievements by receiving certificates at the end of the day.

The feedback has been incredibly rewarding.

Rachel Lowden, PE teacher at The Hills Academy, said:

“It was absolutely amazing! The children loved it (as did I!). It was great to be able to offer something different. Sam is an excellent coach who really encouraged everyone and brought out the confidence in those who were lacking it.”

We were equally pleased to receive this message from a parent of one of the Carlton pupils:

“My daughter recently took part in the squash course through her PE lessons at Carlton Primary School and absolutely loved it. She came home really enthusiastic about continuing with squash.”

This is exactly what we hoped to achieve. We look forward to seeing children continue their squash journey, whether that’s by joining Carlton Squash Club, attending sessions at the Bedford Squash Academy in Mowsbury, or joining us here at the Club.

This is just the beginning of our Squash in Schools programme. We hope to introduce even more Year 5 and Year 6 pupils across the local area to this fantastic sport over the coming year.

If your school would like to find out more about what we can offer, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.