Basketball (M) 7/6/2021 1:00:00 PM Emile Riga

Jaaden Lewis: Patience

In the fall of 2021, men's basketball guard Jaaden Lewis will be playing his first season in a Rams uniform while simultaneously holding a leadership role as one of the Rams' longest serving players.

This oxymoron can be explained by the years of patience and discipline displayed by Lewis – it's the reason he'll be able to step on the court in the coming months.

Lewis' postsecondary hoops journey began in 2016 when he joined the Nipissing Lakers out of Thornlea Secondary School. Lewis was arguably the biggest recruit in the Lakers' young program history, winning multiple MVP awards on four regional final teams in high school.

The 6-2 guard then delivered at Nipissing, getting the nod to the OUA's All-Rookie Team in 2017 and averaging over 14 points and five rebounds per game the following season.

Lewis decided to enter the transfer portal and joined the Rams ahead of the 2018-19 season but had to redshirt the campaign. Despite a redshirt season being regarded as a long, patience-testing process on the sidelines, Lewis was encouraged with his newly-established family.

"One of the biggest things I noticed when I transferred was the change in locker room and how much comradery and chemistry the team had," said Lewis. "That was something I had never really seen. It was really cool to experience that and be a part of that group."

Lewis also took note of the leadership abilities of Rams alumni Filip Vujadinovic, Jean-Victor Mukama, Myles Charvis, and Yusuf Ali who were all part of the U SPORTS Final 8 bronze medal-winning team.

The 2019-20 season was met with another major setback however, as Lewis sustained an off-court injury that required hip surgery and sidelined him for the entire season.

"That season was a little frustrating," said Lewis, "especially when you see your team losing and you start to think about how you could be helping your team if you were out there. All of those thoughts came up."

Despite battling the hardship of yet another year away from the game he loved, Lewis received a shining light with the birth of his daughter in the fall of 2019.

Lewis touched on the change of perception that he had to go through, saying, "When she was first born, there was a big sense of responsibility that appeared, [...] for me, it was a little easy to lose sight of that responsibility and perspective, but every time you get that visual cue (of his daughter), it's just another reminder to, if you really want to, set your child up for success and give them that freedom.

"That's something I took upon myself because that's something I wanted to provide for her."

Expanding on how his new responsibilities have affected him as a basketball player, he added, "You really have to understand time organization and discipline if you are trying to accomplish what you want to accomplish. Now when I go to practice, it's all about being intentional with what you have to do.

"Being intentional with what you're doing is a big piece that I've learned from being a father, and it has translated into my academics and athletics."

Fast forward to a third straight season without playing basketball, this time due to the OUA's COVID-19 related season cancellation, Lewis discovered graduate school as an option to further his playing career as well as his post-basketball career.

"It was my girlfriend who pushed me to explore the option of maybe getting a master's degree," shared Lewis.

Good news came in April of 2021, as Lewis was accepted into Ryerson's Master of Arts in Child & Youth Care program, which is something he never would have thought of in his early days as a Ram.

In his first year at Ryerson in 2018-19, Lewis was placed on academic probation and his plans were in a "state of emergency".

"When I first transferred to Ryerson as a third year student in a first year program, I had a mindset of 'I can dog through these courses since I've been in the system for two years and I know what it's like,' but shoot was I wrong, and it slapped me in the face.

"I was terrified at that moment," he added. "So, you can see that turnaround of going on academic probation and almost getting kicked out of the school, to slowly improving my GPA to getting into grad school."

When looking back on his last three and a half years, Lewis specifically notes the importance of patience and how, in practice, it has impacted his decision making.

"When I was younger at Nipissing, I wanted everything instantaneously," shared Lewis. "When I went to Ryerson, I had this big misconception that I would be able to achieve what I wanted right away and fill my desires."

He further added, "once I was here and was sitting on the sidelines, it really did show me that you have to be patient for what you want even when things may not pan out the way you would like them to."

Looking ahead to 2021-22, Lewis will be playing competitive basketball for the first time since he was a sophomore Nipissing Laker in 2018.

"It's definitely very exciting. I think the biggest thing I'm looking forward to is the competition piece within the OUA and just being able to play in this league again."

Lewis also touched on his desire to play in a leadership position, saying, "I'll be looking at it as one of the older students now on the team, and I understand what it was like coming in on the other side and not knowing what university is all about. So becoming confident and assuring myself as a veteran and leader, and really being there for younger players as an older player, a veteran, and a brother, that's another piece I'm looking forward to."

All that being said, there was one main reason Lewis became a Ram in 2018, and he will finally get the chance to fulfill that desire in the blue and gold.

"Winning. That's the biggest thing I want to do and I came here to win."

With a redshirt year, injury year, and a pandemic year all behind Lewis, a comeback year will surely be next on his checklist.

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Players Mentioned

Jaaden Lewis: G; 6' 1"; Redshirt

Players Mentioned

Jaaden Lewis
: 6' 1"; Redshirt
: G