Since the fifth grade, basketball has always been a huge part of Jasper Saar’s ‘24 life. A point guard from Manhattan, Saar played all four years on his high school varsity team and was named captain his junior year. Unfortunately, Saar was battling injuries throughout his senior year, considering his performance that season to be “mediocre.” Injuries or not, his coaches have always praised him as a hard worker. Saar had always planned to play basketball at the college level and now, is more motivated than ever. He wants another chance to compete at a high level and hopes his lackluster senior season wasn’t his last; he plans to walk onto the Skidmore Men’s basketball team.
However, Saar’s hopes don't stop at just making the team. He wants to prove to people that he can excel at the sport. Standing at only five feet seven, Saar calls himself a “fun sized hooper” and has run into numerous people who think he is too “short” to go anywhere serious with basketball. When he arrived at Skidmore and told people about his athletic intentions, everyone’s immediate response was “Oh wow, you play basketball?” Nobody expected someone of his stature to play.
When it comes to game time, Saar has received praise from many people who believe in him and his abilities on the court. He describes his drive to compete as a “mix of wanting to prove those people, who think I can’t do it, wrong, and to prove the people that believed in me right.” He seems to listen to his supporters, who are much louder than his naysayers.
The past six months, like most of us, he was stuck inside. Saar was unable to play basketball or even go outside, which caused him to lose some of his athletic ability. However, he soon realized that he had to try to make the best of what was given to him, and asked himself “what can I do under these circumstances?” He proceeded to go out and work on dribbling drills, studying plays, and lifting weights every single day. On top of the vigorous work, when the outdoor courts were closed in New York City, he would bike across the bridge to New Jersey to get shots up.
Saar worked his body so rigorously during quarantine that it led to yet another injury. He was diagnosed with shoulder impingement in early July which led to bicep tendonitis in both his shoulders. Saar is two months into the injury that takes three to six months to heal. “I learned my lesson the hard way: that your body needs rest, and I’m still paying the price today,” he said.
Not being able to exercise was a big disappointment to Saar, as a big part of his lifestyle is about working out and being healthy. Basketball has always been an outlet for him and not being able to fall back on that has been hard for him.
Shoulders aside, he’s still holding his head high. He has battled serious injuries before so he is used to the stress that comes with each one and has learned to cope with it.
“You take something away from every injury you have. I learned you have to be patient; the game comes back to you as long as you have that commitment and that drive.”
Basketball has taught Saar to keep a level head and a positive attitude during times when things don’t go his way. In addition, his various injuries have led him to want to become a physical therapist. After experiencing an uplifting recovery himself, he wants to inspire the confidence that comes with recovery in other people.
With regards to his future, Saar is hungry to get back into the gym and train hard but smart. He has done a lot of research during his rest about proper training and the correct methods in which to do so. He intends to return to his optimal health in a disciplined and patient manner. He is eager to prove his doubters wrong, his believers right, and has a senior season to redeem. Responding to my final question to him about what he had to say regarding the future of Thoroughbred basketball, all he said was, “look out.”