The Why Behind the Why: Squashing My Way Through Life by Ally Jiang

A big part of me is the sport that I play, squash. Most of the time when I say I play squash, people ask what it is because it is such a small sport. It's easy, yet hard to describe. So then, I try to explain the complicity of how it is like tennis against a wall, while also being nothing like tennis. Then, they usually ask why I do squash. I say that I love squash because it's MY sport and it's incredibly fun. I say I love it because it helps me relax and take my mind off things. I say that it helps me become better physically, mentally, and helps better myself. I say I have made forever friends in this sport. All of these reasons are 100% true, however there is another reason why I love it.

Since starting squash, I have truly watched myself grow into a more confident person. I've always been a very shy person, and I've always been a bit insecure and afraid to be myself. However, soon after starting squash, I learned I had to be confident on court, otherwise I could never truly win and get better. At first, I had to force myself to be confident in my shots and to not be scared of hitting a bad shot or of the other player. After a while, I not only was more confident on court, but also more confident in myself off court. I began to express myself better and not be scared of others' opinions or making mistakes. I grew to be comfortable with being myself around everyone, and not changing myself based on the people I was with. So, yes, my why to playing squash is because it is fun and helps me to improve myself physically. However, on a deeper level, my why behind the why is because squash has helped me to find myself and not be ashamed of myself.