What's a River Lion? Winter 2017–Spring 2018

Playing professional basketball was a dream of mine. I was lucky enough to be able to make that dream a reality in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. St. Catharines was one of the most welcoming places I’ve ever been. I quickly learned that the transition to pro ball wasn’t easy, but had a wonderful support system to help me through it. It ended up being an incredible growing experience.

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The Dream Becomes Real

After graduating from UCSD, I had an opportunity that most athletes only dream about: a chance to play professionally. I signed with a team in St. Catharines, Ontario — home of the River Lions — and moved to Canada with nothing but my gear, my guitar, and a lot of nervous energy.

Life in St. Catharines

Canada surprised me. I expected a cold, transient experience — a place to play ball and move on. What I found instead was a genuinely warm community. The people in St. Catharines were incredibly welcoming, and the experience of being a young professional in a new country accelerated my personal growth in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

The Game Changes

The jump from college to professional basketball is real. The game is faster, the players are stronger, and there’s no coach making you run sprints if you slack on the defensive end — the accountability is entirely internal. Learning to show up for yourself, every single day, without external structure, is a skill I still use.

Basketball

• Competed professionally for the first time at the highest level I’d experienced
• Developed as a player: more responsibility, less margin for error
• Learned what it means to grind professionally

Friends and Family

Being 2,500 miles from home was lonely at times. But it also forced a kind of independence and self-reliance I hadn’t needed before. Weekly calls home kept me grounded. New friendships on the team kept me sane.

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Up next: Ich bin ein Rackelos — Professional basketball in Germany →