The Catamount Tribune is a new monthly avenue for UVM student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans to tell unique stories in their own words. The first edition of the Catamount Tribune is written by men's basketball junior forward Nate Rohrer about his coast-to-coast journey to becoming a Division I athlete in Vermont. Interested in sharing your story for the Catamount Tribune? Please click here or visit go.uvm.edu/tribune.

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." - Earl Nightingale
 
I was born in Burlington, Vermont and was raised less than 20 miles away in the small town of Underhill.
 
I grew up in a basketball loving family. My dad coached my local travel team every year until I got to high school, and my mom came to every single game. My brother and I shoveled the driveway in the middle of winter so we could shoot hoops on our frozen net. Basketball was my favorite thing to do and I played it every chance I got.
 
For most of my adolescence, playing college basketball was never a goal of mine. My family and I moved to California when I was 14, and my perception of my basketball abilities changed. There was a lot more competition than there had been in Vermont. I couldn't see playing a sport in college as a realistic possibility for myself. It wasn't until my junior year of high school, when a Division III college coach talked to me at an AAU tournament, that I realized I had the potential to play at the next level.
 
At the beginning of my senior year, I started reaching out to more schools. I sent game film, wrote emails, and left messages for the coaching staff at universities in which I was interested. Some schools I didn't hear back from. Others got back to me, but the responses weren't exactly what I was looking for. I was told that I was too soft, I wasn't a good enough shooter, and I was either too slow or too weak to play at the next level. One coach told me I needed to put on 45 pounds of muscle before I could step foot on his court.
 
Without any scholarship offers, I decided to continue my basketball career at a local junior college. At a junior college, athletes have two years of eligibility to get recruited to an NCAA or NAIA school. My goal was to play at the next level.
 
One week before our first tournament, I suffered a stress fracture in my left foot. I sat out the entire season. The time I spent on the sideline turned out to be one of the most important years of my career.
 
I had never missed more than a few games in a single season before. It was a completely new experience for me. I was forced to take a step back from being a player and was given the chance to become an observer. I learned a lot of things about myself and the game of basketball. 
 
I realized that I had started to take the opportunity I was given for granted. No matter how hard practice, conditioning, or weightlifting had been, it was nowhere near as difficult as not being able to participate. Prior to my injury, I had fallen into a negative mindset about having to go to practice every day. Rather than feeling grateful that I was healthy and able to get better at the sport I love, I felt a semblance of dread when it was time for practice. After missing an entire season, I vowed to make a conscious effort to change my mindset.
 
I was required to complete three months of physical therapy before returning to the court. During that time, I learned the importance of consistency and patience. I did the same routine every day for weeks. I expected to see a lot of improvement in a short amount of time, and when that wasn't the case, it became frustrating for me. I had to learn to embrace the process of being consistent with my daily exercises as well as being patient when waiting for results.
 
Since then, before every workout, practice, or lift, I take time to remind myself how much I've put into getting where I am today, and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to play college basketball.
 
With a healed foot and a new outlook on basketball, I was ready to get back on the court.
   
I knew a lot of junior college players that were willing to play for just about any school that offered them a scholarship, which isn't too surprising; that's probably why they came to a junior college in the first place. But I wasn't like that. I had decided that any school I would consider playing for had to be the right fit academically as well. I didn't want to sacrifice my education just to fulfill my goal of playing college basketball.
 
During the course of the next season, over 30 schools contacted me. The schools were located all around the country and ranged from the NAIA to the Division I level. I responded to every email, text, and phone call I received. I listened to every coach talk about their program and looked at every website to learn more about the school.
 
I told almost all of them that I wasn't interested.
 
None of the schools that had contacted me were the right fit both academically and athletically. Just as I thought I was running out of options, an opportunity presented itself.
 
I saw an article on the Burlington Free Press website that the University of Vermont basketball team had lost a player and was scrambling to find an eligible transfer as a replacement. In a matter of minutes I drafted an email to the coaching staff complete with my contact information as well as links to game film and highlights.
 
The next morning I woke up to a text from one of the assistant coaches. A month later I accepted a walk-on position to join the team. I had finally reached my goal. 
   
I've been playing basketball as long as I can remember. It's been a big part of my life from the start. My closest friends have always been my teammates. I've traveled to places around the country for games, tournaments, and showcases that I would have never seen if it wasn't for basketball. I've made life-changing decisions and sacrifices in order to continue my career.
 
The path I took to reach my goal was not what I expected, but it taught me a lot about basketball and how it can relate to life.
 
My dad taught me that in any situation, in basketball or in life, there are always two things I can control: my attitude and my effort. Whether I'm studying for an exam, competing in the middle of a game, or faced with any sort of difficult scenario, I think back to the phrase "attitude and effort". There's no use worrying about what is out of my control. If I control what I can, everything else will fall into place.
 
My high school coach taught me the value of preparation. He once said, "15 minutes early is right on time" and it stuck with me. Since then, whenever possible, I do my best to arrive early to class, practice, or anything with a scheduled start time. I've found that I am more effective if I take a few extra minutes to make sure I am prepared and focused on the task at hand.
 
My junior college coach taught me that talent doesn't guarantee success. He said that in order to be successful, "you have to do what's necessary, when it's necessary, without fail." I realized that whatever I lack in talent can be made up for by doing the right thing, no matter what it is, when the time comes – both on and off the court.  
 
My coach here at UVM taught me that working hard is a skill and needs to be practiced every day. The more frequently I give 100% in my attitude, effort, and preparation towards any given task, the more likely I will be to get the results I desire. If there's ever a time when I am not working hard, I'm not only cheating myself of an opportunity to improve, but I'm cheating others around me as well.
 
In my life, I've been incredibly fortunate to be able to play the sport I love for so long. The lessons I've learned during my time spent on the court have shaped who I am as a person off it. Without them, I wouldn't be who I am today.