For the typical teenager, going to the gym and hitting the bicycle for an hour at a 9.4 mile per hour pace burns about 330 calories. Playing pick-up basketball with some buddies down the street burns around 450. But squash, a sport which is slowly but surely gaining popularity for numerous reasons, burns almost 700 calories per hour. You’re probably thinking, “Okay it’s a good workout, but I prefer the treadmill, why squash?” Squash is an enjoyable, interactive and extremely rigorous sport and can provide what people of all ages desire in a pastime.

Need more incentive to pick up the racket? For those track and field stars who enjoy the sprint-stop-sprint-stop aspects of track, squash requires a constant on-the-toes-ready-to-go composure, and a rapid sprint. The ball can get into tight areas or wind up far away from the player, so sprinting is an essential aspect of the sport. To play lacrosse and soccer, one needs to have a lot of stamina and the same thing goes for squash.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I didn’t get involved in the sport by choice. Initially I began playing with my dad. Instead of having him pester me about finishing my homework on Sundays, I would be able to accompany him to the indoor courts.

But one day, as I was wandering around the quad on Club Day last year, I stumbled on the Squash Club table. I started making small talk with the President, not planning on seriously signing up for the dorky sport. But then, I noticed on the sign-up sheet that this cute boy, the head of the badminton team actually, had signed up. That was all it took—I was in forever.

I ended up being the only girl in the club that season, and probably one of the worst players. But, regardless, I ended up looking forward to squash club, eager to improve my game and, if I had brought my “A-Game,” kick some boys’ butts.

Instead of spending my Fridays pulling on those cute jeans that I paid way too much for, donning a relatively revealing tank, and straightening my unruly hair like I usually did, I pulled on my middle school gym shorts and a baggy tee and clipped those annoying bangs back. Friday nights playing were perfect—two hours of quality work-out followed by a totally guilt-free pizza dinner.

Now, as I reside as the Gunn High School Squash Association President, I look forward to squash every weekend. It’s a chance for me to get sweaty, to get that well-deserved floor burn from sliding on my knees and feel that aching pain the next day—my body pleading with me to not get out of bed the next morning. And, best of all, the pizza afterwards always seems to taste better than ever. I’ve found my sport—and I’m sticking with it.