Waiting to Go Off
After a stellar pre-collegiate career, Ryan Martin, a red shirt freshman of the University of Maine Black Bears, is waiting for his moment to explode onto the Division I scene.
“I’m just sitting in the shadows, working my butt off every day. One day you’re going to see what I’ve got,” red shirt sophomore Ryan Martin calmly explained to me. However, sitting in the shadows is something that Ryan has never done before.
Ryan Martin’s basketball accolades basically date back to when he could hold a basketball. From recreational league basketball, to AAU, to a high school career in which he scored an unheard of 1,899 points, Martin has seen the spotlight and garnered attention wherever there is a basketball. In addition to all of this, Martin states that one of the most important accomplishments came when he was about ten years old. He won a national free-throw shooting contest in which he hit forty-nine out of fifty free-throws. “It is one of my most vivid memories looking back,” Martin explains, “that, and the two state championships I won when I was at Maranacook (High School).”
Judging from Martin’s success, one might guess that the transition into the ocean from the proverbial small pond of Maranacook would shock him. Ryan says that he’s gotten used to it, but that his past success is what will ultimately drive him to success when he gets his chance to showcase what he is made out of. Although he is known for being rather mild mannered and quiet on and off the court, there is always an aurora of confidence that surrounds him, and he is a big believer in the phrase, “actions speak louder than words.” However, I did prod him to see just how good he thinks he is. “I think that deep down I can play in the league,” explained Ryan in a calm, confident voice, “I have a lot of confidence in my ability as a player, and when my chance comes, you better believe I am not going to miss it.”
When I asked Ryan where his love of the game came from, he gave a lot of credit to his father, as well as his older sister, who is currently playing professionally overseas. “Basketball was never forced upon me, but my parents and my sister always supported to the fullest.” Needless to say, basketball is as much a part of him as his own body parts, or his personality. And as he waits in the shadows of this season, one thing is for sure; we do not want to miss it when he explodes onto the scene.
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