Ryan Ball Has Many Thanks After Taking Sixth in the States

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After taking second in the Section One Tournament, Ryan Ball qualified for his third consecutive appearance at the State Wrestling Championships in Albany. Success by any measure, the junior’s motivation for the two day affair was partly driven by failure and a defining photo.

“My mom took a picture at the states last year of me in my uniform. Standing in front of that empty podium, it haunted me all of last off season,” Ball revealed. “So that was my goal. To get on that podium somewhere and tell myself and the rest of the state that I am a worthy All-State wrestler.”

On February 28 and March 1, the Tusker made good. He reached the semis and finished the tournament in 6th place.

Of course, he had to get ready, and while studying plenty of film, Ball didn’t just kick back with the remote. Getting my endurance up, he said, “I needed to train differently and have a mindset where you feel you can dominate and push through no matter who your opponent is or the situation.”

The number two seed was the first to fall prey when Ball pinned Jacob Hanlon of Averill Park at 2:57. One down, Brayden Kellison of Williamsville North was next, and a 15-11 decision meant the final four for the Tusker.

On a roll, Ball still had no illusions. “Every kid is a hammer,” he assured, and the reality goes even when the last matchup went your way. The 131 pounder beat Matthew McDermott in the tournament last year and revealed the problem. “Any time you wrestle someone more than once, the mystery is gone,” said Ball.

So he wasn’t feeling super confident. “My mindset wasn’t great, and during the match, I didn’t work as hard as I should have. I felt down on myself, and questioning why I was there,” Ball said.

Matthew McDermott took advantage, and Ball made a tactical mistake early. “I stuck my head somewhere that he could lock a cradle,” lamented the grappler.

In 50 seconds the match was over, and then there was carryover in the subsequent rounds. “I just tried to wrestle and stay focused. But when I lost the semi final match that really stuck with me, because I let the opportunity slip.”

The result was what he calls a semi slide. “Where you win the quarterfinal match, then lose the semifinals and then lose the fifth and sixth place match,” he said.

Of course, the lesson here was pretty self explanatory. “My mindset needs to be stronger, because sometimes when facing state ranked or nationally ranked kids, I overthink it,” Ball explained. “So Instead of worrying, I just need to wrestle.”

Ball also expressed the long view of the learning curve. “Losses are part of the journey, and you learn to reflect on them, push through and work even harder toward your goal,” Ball clarified.

Just as important, Ball remembered to take stock. “I was proud of myself. All the tough training, sessions with my Dad, the times cutting weight, running on the treadmill and doing extra privates with my coach - it all felt worth it,” Ball assured.

Always left to go out there by himself like every wrestler, Ball understands his success is not a solo act and puts his dad at the top of the list. “He always helps me, pushes me and introduced me to the sport of wrestling. 'The family business,' he’s also the money man who makes sure I get all my privates, private camps and competitions. Plus, he has sacrificed a lot of his personal time and quit coaching high school wrestling, which he loved,” Ball said.

Dad wasn’t the only one in the house making a difference either. Aside from “washing thousands of pounds of dirty laundry,” keeping track of his schedule and preparing all the snacks and meals, Mom keeps him positive and is a constant no matter the outcome. “She’s always there with a hug and a kiss,” the grateful son beamed.

One more, his sister played the crucial, covert part that every wrestler needs. “Kaylee - she helps me sneak food when I need it - even when I’m not supposed to eat,” big brother joked.

His biggest cheerleader breaking protocol, Ball still had plenty of support among the local wrestling establishment. Empire Wrestling Academy and KD Trained provided the outside instruction, while the four month season had Somers in the lead “Thank you to Coach Ron DiSanto, Andrew Gross and Marc Hattem for providing everything I need to be a successful wrestler and a positive role model for the Somers Wrestling Program,” said Ball.

The All-Stater also wanted to thank youth coach Tom Mauro and Roman Catalino for bringing him up as an eighth grader. Not done, the biggest contingent is hard to miss and speaks loudly in one voice, according to the wrestler. “The Somers Wrestling family - the athletes and all the parents who have supported me, have my back and loved me unconditionally,” concluded Ball. “I hope I can continue to make you proud.”