In a space not much bigger than a hamster cage, longtime squash players David Jung and John Dewis look like human pinballs -- moving in lightning-quick steps, deftly avoiding each other as they change course or screech to a halt, wielding their feather-light squash racquets like overzealous exterminators.
They're a blur of motion and flying sweat as they take turns slamming the ball into the wall, dashing out of the ball's way and positioning themselves for a rapid-fire return.
In the course of their 45-minute game, they will burn more than 700 calories, according to www.caloriesperhour.com-- a whopping number compared with most other sports. During the same time period, they would burn less than 500 calories playing tennis and just over 600 calories playing racquetball.
As they bob, weave and lunge around the court, Jung and Dewis will work just about every muscle in their bodies and will finish the game exhausted, looking as if they ran into a mob of kids armed with Super Soakers.
They will be back in a few days because they love it. "It's an amazing workout -- similar to boxing," Jung says. "You have to be light on your feet, well-balanced, and you're using your upper body continually."
Squash, a high-speed indoor racket game that generates as much loyalty as sweat among veteran players such as Jung and Dewis, is attracting a bumper crop of new, young enthusiasts.
There are about half a million squash players in the U.S., and that number is growing, says Kevin Klipstein, chief executive of US Squash, the 10,000-member national governing body for squash leagues and tournaments in the U.S.
In the last two years, membership in the association has grown nearly 20%, and participation in U.S. junior squash tournaments has risen 40%. The association sanctions hundreds of tournaments each year, and that number is up 27% this season alone.
At the tony Los Angeles Athletic Club where Jung and Dewis play, membership of squash players has increased 25% to 160 players during the last two years.
Squash appears to be benefiting from three trends: changes in the way the game is played in the U.S.; loads of good press from urban enrichment programs that combine squash with academic training; and a growing perception among some parents that squash skills could help their children get into a good college.
