GRIT
The
Story.
“UNBROKEN”.
1995 - 2001
Hi, I’m Barak Swarttz.
My family moved to Israel when I was six; that was when I first picked up a basketball. Shortly after we returned to the states, basketball became my life. Training, playing, and competing were the only things I cared about. Improving my game became an obsession. The grind consumed me. My older brother taught me how to play in our driveway. We passed on dinners and homework and worked on my passes instead. In the winter, I shoveled mounds of snow just to practice my dribble. I chose to play with the older, bigger, stronger and more talented players to gain a competitive edge over others my age. This grit built the bedrock for my success as a player and coach, and remains a force in many areas throughout my life.
2009 - 2013
I realized that my dream of making it to the NBA was unrealistic. Despite my work ethic and competitive nature, there are just some things in life that you cannot control. I was talented, but not that talented. I was gifted, but not that gifted. In order to make it to the pros, you need a combination of god-given talent, genes and athletic abilities that I was not given. Acknowledging this from an early age helped me keep my goals realistic. My goal was to wear a college jersey and reach my full potential as a player.
The summer heading into my senior year at Newton South High School, I generated interest from several colleges. After a tournament that summer, I experienced what would end up being the first wave of injuries which altered the course of my playing career.
2013
I was diagnosed with 2 hairline fractures and spondylolisthesis in my back and was put in a back brace and shut down from activity for 6 months. I wore the brace 23 hours a day; the 24th hour was designated for physical therapy exercises and showering. In addition, I had a bone stimulator hooked up to my back to help heal my bone over time.
At 16-years-old, orthopedics at some of the best hospitals in the United States questioned how I had these injuries at such a young age. I did bone density, calcium, bone marrow and other medical tests to rule things out.
2014
After finishing physical therapy, the colleges were no longer recruiting me and played my senior year at Newton South. After graduating, I attended prep school at the Pomfret School in Connecticut as a PG (postgraduate), with hopes to regain recruitment and explore subjects to potentially study in school.
Within weeks at Pomfret, I was diagnosed with bi-lateral hairline fractures in both of my tibias - fractures in both my right and left shin bones. I had the option to rest 2 months and miss part of the season, or monitor pain and push through. I had no choice but to play if I wanted to play in college. At the end of the season I had compartment syndrome in my left leg, which affected my ability to sleep, walk and get around campus. The year consisted of many breaks, resulting in resting when pain was too strong.
2014 - 2016
Despite many injuries, I was recruited by a small pool of schools and attended Elmira College in New York as a Business Administration and Marketing student. During my two years at Elmira, I didn't play much. The fractures in my legs prevented me from playing most of the time, I fractured my ankle, and other physical challenges on the court with my body sidelined me.
My days mostly consisted of rehabbing an injury. This mental state of mind is one of the things that I believe affected me negatively during my career. On one hand, I fault myself for thinking like this - even though things always hit the fan, optimism always wins. Positive thinking, positive attitudes, and thinking ahead always wins. On the other hand, the amount of injuries and times I was told it was time to stop playing basketball became so routine that I wasn't even surprised when the next injury occurred.
I saw a sports psychologist at home. There was no sense of true therapy, instead it was a period of time for me to "complain and kvetch", with an occasional head nod and "I'm sorry, tell me more!" I knew this wasn’t helping me move forward. But, I was not content with accepting this broken body of mine and giving up.
2016
I transferred to Curry College for my last two years in school. I was closer to family, near a city with opportunity to network and grow professionally, and play basketball.
The day before I moved into Curry I tore my ACL. Junior season - gone.
I kind of laugh looking back at this. I remember self-diagnosing myself online so that if I was told it was torn I wouldn't be as crushed. After the doctor told me it was torn, I reminded myself that I'm back in my home city, my family and friends are here, and the situation could be a lot worse. This time around, trying to be optimistic, and just think positive.
Getting surgery in Boston, going home during weekends, and being around the people I love the most in life 1,000% had a direct effect on not only my rehab process, but my life in general. In life, family is everything.
2016
After 9 months of ACL rehab, I was ready for my final season as a college basketball player. Senior year I played with injuries, however it was the only season in which I was able to get through with the least amount of breaks. I wasn't 100% but I implemented the same approach I took as the 17-year-old with a broken back whenever adversity hit.
There were several times during my playing career where I questioned all of the energy, rehab, time and work I invested into building my craft. I wasn't on my way to the NBA and it became clear that playing wasn't my long-term career. I followed every single protocol from each professional I dealt with to a tee. Doctors, athletic trainers, physical therapists, strength coaches, masseuses, surgeons, therapists, chiropractors - all of them. I never allowed myself or my work ethic to be the reason I wasn’t getting better.
I remember sometimes people would say to me: "Barak is it even worth it?" or "Dude it's just ball…"
Something about the work ethic, the process, the grind and overcoming fear and the challenges of facing adversity made me realize it's more important than basketball.
I used to think that being injured and never reaching my potential was one of my life's biggest failures. But, it's actually my life's biggest asset.
2018 - 2020
I worked in high tech, marketing, social media and sales after graduating. The 9 to 5 life behind a desk didn't give me a sense of purpose. I thought about the things I love the most in life, and the things I know best.
Family. Israel. Basketball.
It hit me. My experiences of being an injured athlete gave me this window of opportunity to help athletes. How cool would it be if I could train and coach others to become so healthy, fit, elite and strong that they didn't have to endure what I did? The physical and mental adversity I experienced paved this way for me.