18 Oct Why interactiveSQUASH is Great for Kids
Are you a parent struggling to get your kids to unplug from their tech devices?
Squash kids – is it a challenge getting them to be active? Are you looking for a way to get the whole family off the couch, especially in the colder, rainier months? Try a round of interactiveSQUASH!
It’s perfect for all ages and could be a novel way to introduce a new sport to your kids. We’ve already written at length about the health benefits offered by squash and described how just an hour is enough to get into great shape. But what can interactiveSQUASH offer families seeking a fun, sporty activity? Read on to find out.
More game modes = more fun
We’ve taken winning game designs and crafted them to perfectly fit the squash court experience. No controllers or headsets, just simple racket and ball fun. Since interactiveSQUASH is a sport, participants get active like nothing else. We even have games designed specifically with younger players in mind.
This is a valuable way to encourage children to try a new sport and for them to improve their racket skills, hand-eye coordination and physical development.
Encourage focus and concentration
The interactiveSQUASH team has had many conversations with squash coaches about how the system can support them in training sessions. Again and again, the theme of ‘focus’ came up in these talks. The modern world is filled with notifications, buzzes and blips from all manner of devices which don’t place much value on the ability to concentrate on one, single task at a time.
Sports psychologists are always talking about ‘flow states’ which are periods of intense concentration used by athletes when training or competing. They shut out the outside world and devote their brain power to winning.
‘But what does my child have to do with the psychology of professional athletes?’ We hear you ask.
Well, quite a lot according to Doctor Charles Hillman, a community health professor of Illinois University. His study showed that children who were active for at least an hour a day demonstrated substantial increases in their ability to block out distractions.
Cooperative play means everyone can get involved
Two squash players of different ages and skill-levels play a round of squash together. The results are frustrating for both players. The more experienced player beats the younger player again and again without challenge. Meanwhile, the novice is totally overwhelmed and unable to score even a single point. The match ends and both leave the court frustrated and dissatisfied.
Perhaps both players should have played a cooperative interactiveSQUASH game instead.
These games let players of all skill levels work together whilst improving their racket and balls skills. The system offers a range of games which encourage teamwork and accuracy without the frustration of competitive play. For the the first time, team father-daughter can can play squash together.