National Squash Academy
Every Shot Counts
The National Squash Academy (NSA) serves as the cornerstone of US Squash’s Player Development pathway. The program is focused on athletes who are already competing at a national level or have been identified as having the potential to reach the elite level. The program includes junior players at the early stages of their development and follows them as they transition to senior levels or progress from amateur to professional squash. The primary focus is to identify and cultivate talent across all stages of development, creating a structured pathway for each athlete and to build a pipeline of world-class athletes capable of competing on the international stage.
Elite Squash Coaching delivered by National Team coaching staff with extensive experience in competitive squash which emphasizes technical and tactical development for international success.
Competitive Exposure through participation in national and international competitions, fostering experience in high-pressure scenarios and opportunities to train and compete against the world’s best, preparing athletes for elite-level challenges.
Centralized Training Facility located at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center which has State-of-the-art courts and training resources and is a hub for collaboration among athletes, coaches, and support staff.
NSA – Aspire includes players from all age groups who show the potential to represent Team USA on an international stage. Using a combination of ranking and rating-based qualification, players will be invited to attend squad sessions at the Specter Center and regionally throughout 2025-2026 season. Led by the national coaching team, they will benefit from playing and training alongside Team USA High Performance athletes. Sixteen players in each age group are expected to be invited to participate centrally at the Center while our regional programs will comprise a deeper ranking bench appropriate to the number of players in that area. 
NSA – Regional is a subset of NSA – Aspire, involving players across the country using a regional approach. The National Coaching staff together with the appointed lead Regional coaches will ensure consistency in coaching ethics and player behavior across the country. Regional squad sessions will be scheduled throughout the 2025-2026 season alongside the JCT events, with players receiving an invitation to participate based on NSA – Aspire criteria. This approach minimizes the travel burden for local players as well as missed school days. 
Players graduating to the NSA – Performance program will represent Team USA Squash at the pinnacle junior international events, the World Junior Championships, as well as the Pan American Junior Games. Selected through the U19 rankings, these players will likely have started their professional squash journey and will attend several Team USA squad sessions at the Specter Center throughout the year where they will integrate into the National Team training structure. While its subject to change, it is expected that the top six U.S. citizens by U19 ranking will qualify to play in the World Junior Championships, with the next two qualifying to play for Team USA in the Pan American Championships. The last two spots for the Pan American Championships will be allocated to the two next players on the U19 ranking who have at least one more year of junior squash. Up to date selection criteria can be found on the Team USA Squash web-site – https://teamusasquash.com/criteria/ 
NSA – Under 23 is a new initiative aimed at strengthening the U23 (college) program and to help American athletes transition into their professional careers.
The goal is to manage elite players attending college who aspire to play professionally and represent Team USA Squash on the world stage by bridging the gap between the junior squash circuit, college, and professional ranks. Building strong relationships between players and college coaches is key to the success of this program. US Squash will work with college coaches to help their players progress toward their professional aspirations through exposing players to PSA events, providing training opportunities at the National Center, and offering guidance on navigating the early stages of becoming a professional athlete.
Players invited on the NSA – U23 program will receive specialized support from the National coaching team to help them navigate their academic and squash goals while remaining compliant with school policies. This will include outside of the season tournament planning, and centralized training at the Specter Center with the National Team in the summer and outside of the core college squash season.
Players who decide to take the first step as a full-time squash professional may be eligible to join the NSA – Professional program. The aim is to support athletes to achieve their highest potential and thereby help Team USA secure podium finishes. Players in this program will likely be ranked at about 100 on the PSA tour and will have already started their professional journey albeit on a part time basis. As part of the NSA Professional program these players may be supported indirectly by US Squash through the provision of centralized services at the Specter Center. Selected athletes will have access to the following: –
- Coaching support from the US Squash National Coach.
- Onsite training programs at the Specter Center including group and individual coaching from the US Squash National
- CoachGuidance with training programs and tournament scheduling.
- Performance-related support including strength and conditioning,
- Limited physiotherapy, sports psychology, and nutritional support may be provided at the Specter Center. This is supplemented by that available directly from the USOPC.
Admission to the program will be through the US Squash Ganek Family Head Coach.
The Arlen Specter US Squash Center serves as a world-class training facility for athletes from around the globe, offering all the amenities a squash professional needs, including courts, a high-performance strength and conditioning room, recovery amenities, and expert coaching. The primary goal of the program is to support U.S. National Team participants by providing them with top-tier training partners and a highly competitive environment.
International athletes may apply for privileges through the Ganek Family US Squash Head National Coach. Given the program’s limited capacity, acceptance is solely at the discretion of the National Coach and US Squash management.
International athletes receive several benefits, including
- Complimentary membership to the Specter Center,
- Court reservation rights,
- Access to the High Performance Center outside of Team USA restrictions,
- Opportunity to participate in NSA Professional and National Team group squash training sessions
- Strength and conditioning sessions at no cost, subject to space limitations.
Players accepted to the NSA National Team Program will be eligible to compete for Team USA Squash on the World Stage. These players will have access to the same indirect support as the NSA Professional athletes. Direct support in the form of US Squash sponsorship will also be available. The amount of direct support will be graduated and will be based on several criteria including, but not limited to, Player ranking, ranking trend. Dedication and commitment and future ranking potential.
To find out more about Team USA please visit the website
