Throughout his youth, middle school, and high school tenures in each, Brendan Grudberg has seen many ups and downs along the court. Yet he has remained steadfast, with a consistent positivity and persistence that has led him to procuring a spot as a formidable big man and leader.

The North Haven boys’ basketball senior captain and forward started with hoops at the age of 6, before additionally swimming and playing soccer. But around middle school, he gave up those other two endeavors to have the hardwood serve as his main focus. After first playing varsity as a sophomore and being part of some tough goes of it for the Nighthawks’ squad and their place in the standings, he has emerged as a leader and force for postseason-bound North Haven this winter.

“With basketball, I love how easy it is to play and its versatility; you can play by yourself, casually with friends, or an organized game. That helped make it easier for me to get better at it, and it motivated me to go further,” says Brendan. “Just staying with it has helped me be successful. I was cut from my middle school team, and in my freshman and sophomore years, the varsity team had pretty bad seasons, where we lost nearly every game. Yet I never got discouraged and used my shortcomings as motivation. I just keep working and moving forward.”

Speaking of forward, Brendan loves using his grand stature to wreak havoc in the paint with his physicality. Though he is certainly not your stereotypical big man, he can drain the shots from downtown while manufacturing his own scoring chances all over.

“As one of the taller guys, I like being a big man on the court and using my size and being physical. I use my body to my advantage,” Brendan says. “But I also do not want to limit my play style. I like to shoot three pointers, and I just want to have a good impact on the court. I could not shoot as a freshman, but I have added an outside jumper. Now, I also want to be more capable on the perimeter with driving, dribbling, and creating my own shots.”

In his underclassmen years, Brendan experienced the Nighthawks take their lumps by coming up on the short end of contests more often than not. While also putting himself on a high pedestal of personal expectations, he used hardships to forge his fire and mental fortitude.

“In those first two seasons, especially as a sophomore on varsity, I knew I had to keep my head up high. Going through those losses was tough, because I hold myself to a high standard,” says Brendan. “Last offseason and my whole career, I have worked on staying confident, positive, and just kept shooting. It all helped me stay consistent and mentally tough.”

In his return campaign as a captain, Brendan has a sense of comfortability via familiarity with the stewardship role. As he likes to serve as an influential role to his younger peers where his actions echo over his words, he never wants to be an overbearing force.

“Being a captain last year helped for this year, because I got used to the role. My teammates also knew what to expect with me. It was nice to step into that same role this season and pick up where I left off,” Brendan says. “I like the captain role and being a motivator to my teammates, and try to have them play with a similar purpose to me. I want to be more of a leader that leads by example, rather than ruling over the guys. I am not above any of my teammates.”

North Haven boys’ hoops Head Coach Danny Oglesby explains that Brendan boasts great leadership attributes, while fortifying his interior game.

“Brendan is a two-time captain that has developed into an excellent leader on and off the court, and it started with his approach to his overall improvement in the offseason,” says Oglesby. “He has developed into one of the best post players in our league, and his game has improved every year since he was a freshman. He is a great teammate and student, and role model for the younger players in our program!”

No one who has gone up against North Haven this season can say they are playing with a shallow deck, as its entire roster has logged valuable and measurable minutes. The extra time together on the floor has helped create a surge of synergy to push the Nighthawks to the playoffs.

“I think our team’s biggest strength is our depth; we have guys who love the game. We have 11 or 12 guys who will play legit minutes,” says Brendan. “When it is all working, it allows us to build team chemistry in games, because everyone is involved and they take their roles seriously.”

Brendan concludes that through sports, it truly is all in the mind when it comes to mitigating one’s own potential to accomplish miraculous tasks. With an optimistic and persistent head, all things are achievable and possibilities are endless, he has discovered.

“With hard work and dedication, you can do things you did not expect,” Brendan says. “I never got discouraged with my game when I was younger, and I ended up becoming the player I wanted to be. All of this has told me that no obstacle is insurmountable.”