YOUR STORY IS STILL BEING WRITTEN...

DEAR DEDICATED PLAYER:

If you’re anything like the kind of player I was growing up, I know how badly you wanted this.

I know how much time you’ve spent in the gym, how many shots you’ve put up when nobody was watching, and how many sacrifices you’ve made to give yourself the best possible chance of hearing your name called when the team was announced.

And I know how much it hurts when, after giving something everything you have, it still doesn’t turn out the way you hoped.

I wish I could tell you that hard work always leads to the outcome we want. That if you care enough, prepare enough, and give enough of yourself, things will always work out in your favor.

But that’s not how basketball works. And it’s not how life works, either.

Sometimes you can do everything right and still come up short.

And when that happens, it’s okay to be disappointed. It’s okay to be frustrated. It’s even okay to cry.

You don’t have to pretend this doesn’t hurt. It hurts because it mattered to you. And there’s nothing wrong with caring deeply about something.

But there’s something I want you to understand.

Not making this team doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. It means you weren’t selected for this team, at this moment in your journey.

That’s all.

It doesn’t define your potential. It doesn’t erase the work you’ve put in. And it certainly doesn’t determine the kind of player, teammate, or person you can become.

Some of the greatest players in the history of this game have experienced rejection, disappointment, and moments when someone else didn’t believe in them.

But here’s what I’ve learned after spending my life around this game: The players who ultimately become special aren’t necessarily the ones who experience the most success early on. They’re often the ones who learn how to respond when things don’t go their way.

And that’s the opportunity in front of you right now.

Not to prove your coaches wrong. Not to make someone regret their decision. And not to spend the next year carrying around anger or resentment.

But to prove something to yourself.

To discover what you’re capable of when your commitment is tested. To learn how to keep showing up when the excitement has worn off. To become the kind of person who doesn’t need a roster spot, a jersey, or someone else’s approval to keep pursuing something they love.

Because here’s something I hope you’ll never forget:

You can be disappointed in the outcome without being disappointed in yourself.

If you prepared with purpose, competed with courage, and gave everything you had, there’s something to be proud of, regardless of what that roster says.

And if there are areas where you need to improve, that’s okay, too. Every player has them. Ask for feedback. Be willing to hear the hard things. Then get back to work, not because you’re trying to earn your worth, but because you love the game and want to see how good you can become.

Years from now, you may not remember every game you played or every shot you made. But I suspect you’ll remember this moment.

And my hope is that when you look back on it, you won’t simply remember the disappointment of not making the team.

You’ll remember the decision you made afterward.

The decision to keep believing in yourself. To keep growing. To keep loving the game, even when the game didn’t give you what you wanted.

Basketball has a beautiful way of teaching us lessons that reach far beyond the court. Sometimes those lessons come through championships and celebrations. Other times they come through heartbreak.

This may be one of those times.

So take a little time. Let yourself feel what you’re feeling. And when you’re ready, pick up a basketball again.

Not because you have something to prove to the people who didn’t select you.

But because your story is still being written.

And I can’t wait to see what you do with the next chapter.

Keep your head up. Keep your heart in it. And never let one person’s decision determine how far you’re willing to dream.

I’m rooting for you.

Mano Watsa
CEO, PGC Basketball

P.S.

If you’re looking for a supportive, encouraging environment of like-minded players and coaches that can help you improve so you can potentially make your next team when tryouts come around, join our 2027 Summer Camp Priority List so you can be first in line when registration opens Monday, Feb 1st, 2027.