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Try It, You Might Like It!
Sports Ideas for Fun and Fitness
By I.J. Schecter
Racquetball/Squash
At a Glance: Using all four walls of an enclosed court, players try to win enough individual points to win games (usually up to 11, 15 or 21), and enough games (two out of three or three out of five) to capture an overall match.
Top 3 Benefits:
1. They require not just athleticism or strategy, but both.
2. Virtually anyone can play and enjoy them.
3. They're deceptively great exercise.
Wallet Factor: A racquetball or squash racket costs between $50 and $150; protective goggles (a must), about $35; and balls, a few bucks.
Hockey
At a Glance: Teams of five skaters plus a goalie try to shoot a hard rubber puck into the other team's net. After three periods – usually 20 minutes each – the team with the most goals wins.
Top 3 Benefits:
1. By cultivating athletic dexterity at top speed, it's a major adrenaline rush.
2. It has both a rich history and a still-growing fan base.
3. As a workout, it has few peers.
Wallet Factor: Outfitting a junior player with standard equipment – skates, pads, helmet, stick – runs in the neighborhood of $350 (plus the costs of annual replacement as your Gretzky grows). Team fees can usually be expected to run a few hundred dollars per season.
Basketball
At a Glance: With games divided into four quarters, players dribble, pass and shoot in the attemptto score as many baskets as possible on the opposition while giving up as few as possible. The team with the most points wins the game.
