Class News

Jon McBride ’64 on Nicholas Brady ’52 and Squash Haven

March 4, 2021

Jon McBride, our Class liaison to Squash Haven, circulated this excerpt from a longer Yale Daily News article about Nicholas Brady ‘52, who gave the naming gift for the Brady Squash Center in Payne Whitney Gymnasium and the founding gift for Squash Haven.

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Where a little guy can excel: Squash for New Haven youth

But before he signed the check, Brady had one last vision. He was interested in seeing squash used as a way to help youngsters in the New Haven school system. After all, describing his time as a squash player, Brady told Yale in 2000 “size is not important in squash: stamina, hand-eye coordination, but mostly sheer doggedness are the qualities that lead to success. A sport where there are no barriers to entry, where a little guy can excel, is a good place to be.”

What pushed Brady over the edge to donate was former Yale squash head coach Dave Talbott’s concept of Squash Haven, a squash and education initiative that now runs out of the Brady Center and was inspired by other programs like Squash Busters at Harvard and Street Squash in New York City.

Talbott is a founder and current chair of Squash Haven. The program is “one of the leading youth development programs in the city of New Haven” and serves 125 students in middle and high school from 25 New Haven public partner schools, according to their website. Talbott expressed his appreciation of Brady for helping his program succeed.

“Nick is the leader in what we do with Squash Haven in the sense of the facility and a big financial supporter,” Talbott said.

Prior to last March, when COVID-19 temporarily shut down the center, the men’s and women’s squash teams both volunteered weekly with Squash Haven. Gill mentioned that having the facility is “one of the biggest pluses” for the program.

The full article can be read here.