From Heartbreak to Hardwood: What Happens When You Refuse to Quit - The Ryan Cameron Story His Words
From Heartbreak to Hardwood
My basketball journey has been filled with ups and downs, from CYO in the fourth grade all the way to college basketball. It has always been an uphill grind for me. When I was a seventh grader at Van Wyck, I made the final cut for the basketball team, but in the end, unfortunately, I got cut. This hurt me pretty bad, especially seeing some of my best friends make the team. But I just put my head down and grinded my way through the summer, and I saw great improvement in my game.Â
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I rejoined Kings for the fall AAU season and had a great season. I was feeling confident going into tryouts, and I ended up making the team. It was a great feeling knowing that my hard work had paid off and that I had reached my goal.Â
During the COVID year I played on the freshman team at John Jay, and with Kings during AAU over the spring, summer, and fall seasons I could feel my game improving. Heading into JV tryouts, I was feeling pretty good about myself. There was no doubt in my mind, or in anyone else's around me, that I would be on the JV basketball team. And then I got cut.Â
I was absolutely devastated. I could not believe it. It was the most heartbreaking feeling I had felt in my life. I started to question my own ability and thought my career was over. I never could have imagined getting cut from JV. I even contemplated quitting and wondered if I just wasn't good enough. But I stuck with it and continued to work hard and improve my game.
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The spring of 10th grade is when we started to have much more success as a team with the Kings, and winning felt very good.
Then the school season rolled around, and during open gyms I felt—and knew—that I belonged on that varsity team.
Then tryout week came. I had a great week, but ultimately it just wasn't enough.
I had gotten cut for the second year in a row.Â
It truly felt like my days as a basketball player were over. The day after tryouts, my dad mentioned the idea of transferring to the school he works at, Newburgh Free Academy, and trying out for the team there as soon as possible. I was very hesitant about the idea. It was a huge gamble. Newburgh is one of the best programs in the state and was also coming off two straight sectional championships.
In the end, I made the decision to leave John Jay to transfer to Newburgh with no guarantee that I would make the team. Two weeks went by and I was finally cleared to participate. I had a great couple of days of practice with the team, and then my coach made the announcement in front of the whole team that I was now a member of the squad. It was one of the best feelings I've ever had.
Even though my playing time that season was limited, it was completely worth it. It became the most unforgettable season of my life as we went on to win the program's third straight sectional title while making a solid run in the state tournament.
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When the season ended, I knew that was when my work had just begun. That offseason I spent countless hours in the weight room and in the gym, getting hundreds of shots up every day.
During the spring and summer seasons with Kings, we established ourselves as one of the best squads in the 845, battling against top competition.
The work we had put in with Coach King was starting to show.
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Then it was finally time for my senior season. I was feeling great about myself and about my team.
I got off to an amazing start to the season, and in our fourth game against our archrival, Kingston, I had the game of my life—scoring 17 points and hitting the game-winning three with 10 seconds left.
It was an amazing moment that I had worked so hard for and felt like I truly earned.
The rest of the season was filled with ups and downs, and we ended up coming up short of our goal of a championship. But it was still an amazing season for me, knowing I was able to do what I did after being cut from both the JV team and varsity at John Jay.
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I have been lucky enough to call myself a college basketball player, which has also been filled with ups and downs for me.
I just finished my season of JUCO basketball at Cayuga, which has been an amazing experience.
When I was on the court, I proved I belonged yet again.
Looking back at my journey, one thing stands out more than anything, getting cut is not the end of the story unless you let it be.
Some of the hardest moments I went through were being cut, doubting myself, and feeling like it was all over. These ended up being the moments that pushed me the most.
If you didn’t make the team this year, it doesn’t mean you aren’t good enough. It just means your story isn’t finished yet. Use the feeling you have right now as motivation. Put your head down, work harder than ever, and come back better. The players who succeed aren’t always the most talented,they’re the ones who refuse to quit.
