Richard Lee Curtis Brown Jr.’s journey through StreetSquash began as a 12-year-old in the summer of 2009.

 

He can sum up his experience succinctly. “My experience was just phenomenal,” Richard said. 

 

He learned of the program from a friend of his grandmother’s who consistently volunteered at StreetSquash. 

 

Richard says StreetSquash helped him with both physical and mental support but put emphasis on the mental aspect of StreetSquash.

 

“My mother raised me alone, so I didn’t have the support of two parents,” Richard said. “And to have all these squash coaches mentor me not just for squash but for life was life-changing.”

 

He added that StreetSquash was a place where he felt comfortable asking questions. He added that StreetSquash’s founder and Executive Director, George Polsky took him under his wing.

 

“He really saw the spark in me and put his arms over my shoulder and said, ‘Rich, this is the way to go,’” Richard said. “And that support just really helped me a lot. I didn’t have a father figure growing up, and I really looked up to him for that support.” 

 

As far as the first day Richard stepped in the building, “it was a little overwhelming,” Richard said. “You don’t normally see a well-organized building in Harlem.” 

 

“You walk in, and it’s just squash courts,” Richard added. “It was really cool. I’ve never seen that before in my life.” 

 

Richard points out a few experiences he endured courtesy of StreetSquash that he felt really helped propel him forward. 

 

The first was getting involved with a program called “Outward Bound,” which sends youth out into the wilderness. He went to Colorado Springs, where he met people from all over the country. They built tents and experienced nature. 

 

StreetSquash also enrolled Richard in two pre-college programs, one through Columbia University, and the other at Exeter Academy. 

 

“I knew squash was important, but I knew from the beginning there really aren’t scholarships for squash,” Richard said. “So I focused on academics and people. That’s why I was focused on these summer programs.” 

 

After graduating High School, Richard went to Clarkson University. He remembers getting college visits and appreciated StreetSquash’s support. 

 

“They supported me with my books one year, and my laptop,” Richard said. “They also gave me motivation with classes because it’s very stressful.” 

 

He also wanted to use his time at college to help spread the game of squash.

 

“I love squash, but I also wanted to spread the word that squash exists,” Richard said. “I started my own squash club at Clarkson University.” 

 

Richard says he partnered with St. Lawrence University because Clarkson didn’t have a squash facility. 

 

He found many other ways to get involved and build his resume while at Clarkson as well. He became a Vice President at the National Society of Black Engineers overseeing a region of more than 30 schools. He was also involved in student government and was a peer mentor. 

 

Richard also studied abroad in 2016 in Konstanz, Germany, which helped inspire his decision to live in Switzerland, where he currently resides. 

 

After graduating in 2017, he went with a friend back to Germany and decided at that point he wanted to remain in the region. He has since mastered the German language as well. 

 

Richard has gained expertise in banking, finance, capital markets, and data science. He currently works in Business Development for a tech company called DevOps. 

 

“I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have StreetSquash,” Richard said. “In life, you really can’t do things on your own. You need to be vulnerable and ask for help. And honestly, in the beginning, I was selfish. But then I became a more team-oriented person, always trying to help others and do things in a group.”