Cameron Powers | Hometown: Middlefield, Conn. | Marketing

A Letter to My Teammates,

We were once all strangers. We didn’t know a single thing about one another besides our first and last names. Before we met, a few of us would do research on everyone, watching each other’s high school highlight videos and looking up stats. We would follow each other’s social media accounts and try to get a glimpse of who we were. From all different parts of the country and parts of the world, we were all brought together and became a family.  

I experienced this family bond on my first night of college, where I’m not going to lie, I was really nervous. Moving to Boston was a considerable change from my small hometown in Middlefield, Connecticut. I was shown comfort from upperclassmen; Jim Djema, Mike Hagopian, Warfa Abdillahi, Steve DiPrizio, and Kevin Querusio who invited the team to the movies that evening. We now take this trip to the movies every year when the under classmen arrive to campus in the dorms. On my first night, I saw that fifteen plus guys cared about me and there was no looking back after that. 

I have never had a brother, but today, I can honestly say I have too many to count. The bonds that we have built through the game that we all fell in love with, has now brought us something that we can cherish forever. Although all of this sounds great, it wasn’t always pretty.  

There were a lot of ups and downs. We faced adversity as a group on and off the court more than any other team should. Yes, sometimes we didn’t agree on everything, sometimes we fought both verbally and physically. We would get on each others’ nerves and push each others’ buttons, but when it would came down to it we would go to war for one other. These are the kinds of things that will last a lifetime. This brotherhood would always be a part of us, no matter what happened in our experience here. I know that you all will have my back for life and when I needed you all the most you were there for me. This is what it’s all about.  

Although I always say “Ball is Life,” unfortunately the ball will all stop bouncing for all of us at some point. Basketball will not last a lifetime, but the love of the game and the recollection of the incredible times we all shared together will. The stories we will be able to tell down the line will be endless and that’s what this journey is ultimately about. It took me a long time to realize that there is more to life than just basketball, due my obsession with the game and always trying to get better. It was very easy to focus on the game itself, and not appreciate the benefits that come throughout your journey. These benefits were all of times we spend together on and off the court. I’m not saying to not work as hard as you possibly can, I’m saying to enjoy every second while you do, especially with your teammates. Enjoy the days where everything is going right, but try to enjoy the days that are challenging you even more. I have no regrets after my journey because I gave it all I had every single day, but I also tried to relish every moment. They say, “you don’t know what you have ‘til it’s gone,” and I would do almost anything to go back. 

I’m going to end this letter to you with two challenges.  

The first is that I want you to be the best possible basketball player you can be and grind every day. You cannot cheat the grind in this beautiful game, so try to get better in some way as much as you can whether that’s mentally or physically. Stay paranoid and know that someone is always working just as hard or harder then you. 

The second and most important is that I want you to be the best possible teammate you can be. Put your brothers before yourself and embody the WE>ME mentally. Make others feel comfortable, be positive, be thankful, bring full energy, and be enthusiastic regardless of the situation you are in. Championships are won from those rides together in the vans, listening to music together in locker room, hanging out together on Saturday nights, getting food together, going to the movies together, going to Celtics games together, and those workouts together.  

“Ball will always be life,” but know that I have come to realize that “life is a ball” and enjoy every second … it will go by fast. Thank you to all my teammates and coaches for being a part of my journey, and I’m honored that I was a part of yours. 

Sincerely, 

Cam Powers 
(CP15, SMURFGANG, PUDDLES, MITTENS, ONIONS, PIZZABEAR)