CJS Guide for Parents

Welcome to Centurion Junior Squash!  We are so happy that you decided to enroll your child to play squash, as it is such a fun sport!  We love this game, and we trust that you will also learn to love it!

We have an active junior program to develop each player’s squash skills.  Did you know that squash is considered “the world’s healthiest sport”, and it is played in more than 180 countries by over 10  million people?  To play squash, you need coordination, balance, and agility!

There is a lot to learn about squash, and today we want to highlight the essential information to you:

Wear the right shoes for safety

The squash court floor is wooden and unpolished and it can be very slippery if a player wears the incorrect shoes.

Unfortunately, sneakers or running takkies is not right for squash, as they will likely not have a grip and can cause a player to slip, which can lead to injuries. Regular shoes or takkies are also likely to leave marks on the wooden floor, damaging the wooden floor.  It is very expensive to replace a squash court’s floor.

So what are the right shoes?

The correct squash shoes have a gum sole (looks like a rubber sole), or it could be a coloured sole of a court shoe which is “non-marking”.   Non-marking shoes have flat, not-so-hard soles with no cleats and minimal texture so as not to leave a mark on the court.  If you look at the sole, you will also see the words “non-marking” printed on the sole.

Also, the right shoes provide excellent shock absorption, and good cushioning, and are non-slipping.

Unfortunately,  tennis shoes are not allowed.  Tennis shoes, even though they can be white, are NOT non-marking and they do not have a rubber gum sole. Tennis shoes are also much heavier than squash shoes, thus restricting mobility. Also, tennis shoes are not designed for swift acceleration, constant running, and the lunges that are required in squash.  You will likely damage the squash floor, risk injuring yourself and you may not get the shots right.

Players must also take note that their squash shoes must be tied tightly as you cannot play with a shoe that sits loosely on your foot. That can cause unnecessary injuries.

We do recommend that you buy squash shoes for your child.  There are many companies that manufacture squash shoes.  We have found that the Asics and Wilson squash shoes are the most popular and budget-friendly.

You can visit these squash shops to try on and purchase squash shoes:

–      Baseline Racquets, Shop 2, Brooklyn Centre Cnr Jan Shoba Street &, Lynnwood Rd, Brooklyn, Pretoria

–      Parkview Squash Club, 5 Emmarentia Ave, Parkview, Randburg

The short video below provides a great overview of squash shoes and why it is so important to wear the right shoes:

Protective eyewear is compulsory

The WSF (World Squash Federation) requires that all u18 players MUST wear protective eyewear whenever they play squash (even when they only play with parents or friends).  We request that each player do have their own protective eyewear at every coaching session.  We allow 3 weeks for parents to see if their child does like the sport but expect a player then to buy their own protective eyewear. It also teaches a player responsibility to look after their own equipment. We suggest that players do get a hard case to protect the protective eyewear as it easily scratches.

A ball that hits an eye can be very painful, cause nerve damage and in some cases, could require surgery or lead to blindness.

We recommend that you purchase WSF-approved protective eyewear, which is the following (for a complete list, visit https://www.worldsquash.org/certified-eyewear/):

  • – Dunlop I-Armor
  • – Dunlop Junior
  • – Karakal Pro 2500
  • – Karakal Pro 3000
  • – P360

You can purchase protective eyewear at https://cjsquash.co.za/shop/shop-eyewear/ , or any of the above-mentioned squash shops.

The right-sized squash racket for the age and level of the player

If your child is in Grades 1-4, we suggest that you purchase a junior or intermediate-sized racket. These rackets are shorter than the standard rackets, making it easier to learn to play squash. An oversize or heavy racquet promotes bad technique that is difficult to change in a junior player.

Our coaches do have a few small and intermediate rackets with them at each lesson, so your child can borrow a racket from the coach to see which option is best before you purchase a racket. You are also welcome to speak with the senior coach at the court after the lesson about the correct racket size for your child.

– For beginners in Grades 1-3, we recommend the Dunlop Play Mini Racket.

– For the next level, please consider an intermediate-length racket which is slightly shorter than a full-sized squash racket.

– For intermediate junior players, we recommend the Dunlop Blackstorm Graphite or Dunlop Blackstorm Titanium.

You can purchase squash rackets at https://cjsquash.co.za/shop/shop-rackets/ or at any of the above-mentioned squash shops.

 Let us know if your child cannot attend a lesson

For each lesson, we plan and arrange a coach or coaches for the number of players that will be attending a lesson. We would greatly appreciate it if you can please let us know if your child cannot attend a lesson so that we can ensure that we have the right number of coaches available.

The venues that we book and use for coaching do not allow us to cancel courts within a certain amount of time close to a session. If players do not let us know that they will not attend these courts and lights cause unnecessary expenses. One quick WhatsApp message well in advance would be appreciated.

CJS No Parent Policy during coaching sessions

We kindly request that all parents please refrain from attending the coaching lesson.

We have found that often children keep on looking at their parents during a lesson, which is distracting to other players and the coach cannot build a relationship with a player. The CJS no-parent policy is for your child’s own best will and we ask that you respect that. We do organise CJS Social Saturdays on a regular basis in order for you as a parent to watch and support your child.

Please feel free to relax outside the venue for the duration of the lesson.

Please be on time at the end of the lesson to fetch your child

We kindly request that you are on time at the end of the lesson to fetch your child. Your child’s safety is of utmost importance to us, and we will try our best never to leave a child unattended at a venue after the lesson is finished. We request that you please come into the venue to fetch your child, and we will not allow any child to sit outside alone on the pavement to wait for a parent.

Unfortunately, if we have consecutive lessons, we need to be on the court with the next group and will therefore not be able to watch your child. Also, after the lessons of the day have finished, the coaches do have other commitments and are not always able to stay longer to wait for a parent. We do know that life happens, so please let me know if due to unforeseen events you will be running late so that I can inform the senior coach at the lesson.

In the unfortunate event that you are late and a coach has to be on the court for the next lesson or leave, please note the following:

– At Uitsig Squash Club, the player will remain inside the squash court at the kiosk. There will be a person at the kiosk from 16h00 (Mondays to Thursdays) to open the entrance gate for you. However, please note that the person on duty at the kiosk is not responsible for your child, but will ensure that they remain inside the club.

– At Irene Country Club, the player will be at the entrance of the sports shop at a table.

– At Centurion Squash Club, unfortunately, we cannot leave any player inside the venue as there is not a person on duty at the venue like at Uitsig Squash Club. Also, we cannot allow a player to wait alone outside the gate. Therefore, please ensure the timely collection of your child.

– At Midstream College, once a child leaves the squash courts, the coaches are not responsible for their safety. We know that the players are on school premises, so please ensure that you communicate with your child at which gate you will fetch him/her.

– At Midstream Ridge, we have arrangements with the school to ensure the safe drop-off and collection of the players from the school. If you are collecting your child at the courts after the lesson, please ensure you are on time. The courts at Midstream Ridge are open and people can walk freely through the court area, and there is no “safe place” to leave a child to wait for a parent.

Let’s make it a great experience for all!

We are looking forward to joining hands with you in making squash a sport that your child will love and play for many years to come.

I want to invite you as parents to browse our website regularly. Please read all our blogs, and FAQs and take note of all the important information that we share on this website.

We do not only use our website, Instagram, and Facebook accounts as a source of information but also to help with marketing. If you know of other parents who might be interested in squash coaching for their children please feel free to share the following links.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on 072 130 9381.

Squash love,

Maryna Fourie