Athlete Profile: Caden Fry, Overcoming the Hype
By Ian Busking
Photo of Caden Fry via Kresta Bowman
The Rams are off to a solid start this season with an overall record of 4-2 and some of it can be attributed to Caden Fry’s recent performances. While Fry does have lots of fans who support him, there are also people who doubt his potential. There has been lots of hype surrounding Caden Fry since the season started in early December. Despite that, he has continued to prove all the skeptics wrong with the way he has been playing.
The game that gathered attention towards Fry was against the Sand Springs Sandites. The student section printed out old pictures of Fry to try and heckle him, but that did not phase Fry.
Fry expressed, “When I saw the fans at Sand Springs with my pictures printed out, an immediate smile came to my face. It was super awesome to see that my game is recognized across the state and noticed by other people who don’t play basketball. It was a pretty awesome experience.”
Fry took a situation in which some people would’ve reacted poorly, and he turned it into extra motivation to play to the best of his ability. However, it was a learning experience as Fry did not have his best game against the Sandites.
“The first game was a huge learning experience for me on how to handle the pressure and how to also be a better leader while under pressure. Since then we have been in some huge games and the pressure has not bothered me at all,” Fry reassured.
This pressure that Fry has since experienced has helped him find his role on the team. As a senior and one of the best players in the state, Fry has high expectations for himself as a player, teammate and leader on the team. He does all the little things outside of basketball as well as on the court to better himself for the team's sake.
Photo of Caden Fry via Kresta Bowman
Fry claims, “I think my role on the team this year is to be ‘the man.’ A lot of the offense runs through me, and I’m the focal point of every defense. Some things that I do to be at the top of my game include, tak[ing] an ice bath everyday or every other day, stretch[ing] daily and gett[ing] 8+ hours of sleep every night.”
Religion is also a pertinent part of Fry’s motivation to play at the peak of his abilities.
Fry continues mentioning,“God is also a huge part in me being at the top of my game. Trusting in him to make everything work is a key part to my success.”
All this work has paid off since Fry and the team went down to the Elite 14 showcase in Texas and proved skeptics wrong as they beat all of the top Texas teams. This made Fry realize how special this year's team can perform. They have very high goals for this year's team to make it the best year possible. Fry also has lofty goals for himself.
Fry hopes that, “In the future I see myself becoming a professional basketball player, whether that is NBA, G- League or overseas. I believe if I work hard enough that I can achieve that goal. I want to also become a coach after basketball is over, I’m going to try to get a degree in sports management so I can do a little bit of everything.”
There has been lots of hype over Fry and the rest of the basketball team this year. While some teams wouldn’t take that well, the Rams will continue to do what they do best. Go support Fry and the boys this season as it is just beginning!