Growing up in England, new Toledo Club squash professional Eddie Charlton was drawn to the community atmosphere of the sport.

Early on in his life, watching his father David play squash recreationally was an excuse to stay up later than usual. Then the sport grew to a way to socialize with friends. At his local club, Eddie had the opportunity to step on the court and play against veteran players.

“I grew up playing squash in an environment that was community based and everyone was looking after each other,” Charlton said. “There were no egos, so I could go on court as a 12-year-old and play against pro players that were based out of our club. The adults who were the best players there had the time for me to do that.”

Charlton played a lot of soccer growing up, but at the age of 12 or 13, he decided to pursue squash. At the time, the decision was clear-cut, because more of his close friends played squash than played soccer.

Eventually turning pro, Charlton rose to as high as No. 50 in the world. He survived the grind of sleeping on couches and staying in hostels as a young professional as he made a career out of the sport he loved.

He traveled the world and met his wife, Emma, who was also a professional who reached as high as No. 11 in the world.

Prior to coming to Toledo last September, Eddie and Emma lived in Chicago. They have a son, Harry, who will be 2 years old in March and have a baby on the way in August.

Eddie Charlton said the Toledo Club reminds him of the clubs he played at as a young kid, and he has been impressed with the fact members come in to play, but often stay afterward for a social experience.

“It's unique,” Charlton said. “I haven't been to too many clubs like this in the U.S. that have that community feel to it. When I worked in Chicago, it was a beautiful club, but it's a big city so people come in and they work out and then they go back to their family or go back to work. Whereas here people tend to come in and play some squash but then stay and hang out and go for a beer with friends after or go grab some food with the family here. It's a nice place to be. People aren't always in a rush to go do something else. People are living their life here, and that is something that really appeals to us and in our short time here we've been really enjoying.”

From programs for 3- to 5-year-olds to the upcoming Toledo Squash Classic from March 13-15, the Toledo Club squash program offers a range of opportunities from teaching clinics to high-level competition.

Charlton said the Toledo Squash Classic is the marquee event the club hosts each year. He expects to have 150-plus players come to the club for the tournament, including members and players from out of town.

Toledo Club general manager Jeff Anderson said squash is a vital part of club activities.

“I think it's a big anchor to our club,” Anderson said. “We have over 150 people in our squash league, which is a record. When you join a private club you kind of have to validate your membership dues. Here, you have a social outlet, a dining opportunity, a great fitness area. The cool thing about squash is it's easy to pick up. There is a big squash community here that is very welcoming. We have Tier 1 players playing against Tier 13 players just because they love playing squash. That helps. It used to be squash and then the social, but now those lines have kind of blurred and gone away.”

Transitioning from player to teacher, Charlton has a good idea of what the sport can offer and said squash can test your limits both physically and mentally.

“You have two people battling for every square inch,” Charlton said. “I think squash is a real good test of character. When it's close and you are fighting to try and win the match, your true colors can come out. There's no hiding. If you have not put the training in or you are not mentally strong enough or your technique breaks down, it's going to show. ... There are so many different aspects to it. When I was training you are effectively training to almost be a marathon runner. But then you have to be able to do repeated sprint intervals super quick. You have to be strong. You have to be agile. You have to be a good tactician. There's all these different things that go into one sport.”

First Published February 21, 2020, 2:55 p.m.