Your stories
How squash helped me feel at home
- England Squash
- 4 min read time
I first started playing squash while living in Delhi, India. I played on and off over the years, but it was always something I enjoyed and wanted to continue.
When I moved to the UK, I knew I wanted to get back on the squash court.
Like many people moving to a new country, I was starting from scratch in a lot of ways. I was settling into a new environment, building a routine and trying to make connections outside of work. I thought squash could really help me with this.
After settling into life in Birmingham, one of the first things I did was look for a local squash club. I came across Kings Heath and joined. It gave me the chance to play regularly again and meet people who shared a common interest. Before long, I had found a group of players at a similar level, and squash became a regular part of my week once again.
A few years later, after moving to Leamington, I joined Leamington Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, and that’s where squash really became a central part of my life in the UK.
Moving to a new country can feel quite isolating at times. You’re building a life from scratch, getting used to a different culture and trying to meet people. When you join a new club, you don’t necessarily know anyone, and it can take time to settle in.
The head coach introduced me to the different ways I could play and signed me up for the monthly box league. It was my first experience of that format, and I really liked the fact that I could play different people every month.
It gave me an immediate reason to keep coming back.
But the moment I really started to feel part of the club was when I joined the internal team league last year.
Playing in a team gave me the chance to meet and play with people of different levels. But it wasn’t just about what happened on court.
After match days, people get together for a curry and some drinks, giving you the chance to talk to people you might not otherwise have met.
That was a big thing for me. I wasn’t just turning up to play squash anymore. I was getting to know people, becoming part of different groups and having conversations away from the court.
Squash gave me somewhere I could go regularly, people I could talk to and a community I could become part of.
It also gave me a routine. After work, I had something to look forward to, and when I was on court, I could properly switch off. You can’t really think about everything else when you’re trying to get to the ball.
And, ironically, wanting to get better at squash has even encouraged me to start running and going to the gym – something I never thought I’d say!
Looking back, picking up a racket again was a much bigger decision than I realised. From playing casually in Delhi, to joining Kings Heath in Birmingham, and then becoming part of the community at my club in Leamington, squash has been a constant connection for me.
I honestly couldn’t imagine life without it now. I’d miss the games, the people, the social side and, most of all, that feeling of walking through the club door and seeing familiar faces.
For me, squash isn’t just something I play anymore. It’s helped make the UK feel like home, and it’s very much part of who I am.
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