Timmy Brownell: Building a New Era for U.S. Squash

A Conversation with Timmy Brownell on His Squash Journey 

Even though Timmy Brownell doesn’t describe himself as a “forward-thinker,” he’s always had a passion for squash and was inspired by the legends of the game. Brownell attributes much of his recent success (U.S. National Champion, HWR #29, co-founder of the National Squash League) to his training at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia — and the team-building it has fostered.

In a conversation with James Green, recorded right after winning a grueling 3–2 match against U.S. teammate Spencer Lovejoy, Brownell sat down at the Maspeth Squash outdoor steel court to talk about his career so far, and how he has propelled himself to the top of U.S. men’s squash.

Brownell currently lives in Philadelphia and trains at the Specter Center alongside the majority of the U.S. National Team, which he credits for much of his post-college success. He played college squash at Harvard University, helping the team win back-to-back national titles during his time there.

Early Inspiration and Junior Career

Growing up, he played multiple sports and never knew he wanted to become a professional squash player. He has always looked up to legends of the game such as Nick Matthew, Ramy Ashour, and Miguel Rodriguez, describing them as his heroes:

“I’ve always looked up to those guys — they were larger than life to me.”

His junior career was so successful that he skipped the U17 age group to pursue a spot on the U19 U.S. team — which he narrowly made.

“The people I looked up to were wearing Team USA on their shirt, and I always wanted to do that,” said Brownell.

He played his first World Junior Squash Championships at age 16 in Namibia, which he calls a formative experience: being around the best players in the world for the first time inspired him to eventually play at Harvard.

The Transition to Professional Squash

Post-grad, the decision to turn professional couldn’t have come at a tougher time, as the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brownell began training at the Specter Center before it was open to the public, where he started working with strength and conditioning coach Brigita Roemer (“Bridget”), who he says “changed everything” for him — from injury prevention and building muscle to training to push through long matches.

“All of a sudden I can get to some balls, I can follow more shots, I can move up and recover. It sounds so simple, but it's not.”

He credits simple exercises like squats and deadlifts for dramatically improving his physicality, recovery, and longevity on court.

Building a Team Culture

It’s not just physical gains — Brownell says the Specter Center has also created a culture of accountability and support within Team USA:

“If you think about what makes a team great, it’s by being visible, by showing up, by knowing that if you understand someone else, you can get behind them when they make a bad decision or a good decision.”

He attributes the rise of fellow U.S. players like Lovejoy and Shajahan Khan into the upper ranks of the Professional Squash Association (PSA) World Rankings to this shared environment:

“Building a team at the Specter Center — it’s working.”

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, Brownell says it’s tough to pinpoint exact goals, but he knows his level is rising and that’s exciting. He has his eye on the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but acknowledges that the selection process is still unclear. Whoever represents the U.S., he says, he’ll be their “biggest cheerleader.”

Brownell also serves as one of the athletes on the US Squash Board — a requirement for the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics:

“I think it’s a good thing to have more communication between athletes and the higher-ups, and I think a lot of people’s issues are solved by just being around.”

Driving Innovation in Squash

Brownell has a deep passion for squash and wants to make the game better for everyone — players and spectators alike. Alongside Lovejoy, he co-founded the National Squash League (NSL), a new league aiming to innovate the sport:

“I care about the game so deeply,” said Brownell. “Because of that, when I see things I don’t like, I want to be part of that change.”

Inspired by the drama and storytelling in leagues like the NBA, Brownell and Lovejoy wanted to bring that same energy to squash. He believes spectators want to see the personalities behind the players — and that this is how you create a fanbase.

“If you could make a squash match — what would it look like?”

Stay tuned for our upcoming interview with NSL CEO Lovejoy, where we’ll dive deeper into that very question.