When I caught up with Brandon Triche, SU basketball standout and local inspiration, he was on his way to pick his dad up from the airport. Despite the squeeze for time, Brandon was warm, thoughtful, and reflective, effortlessly blending lessons of resilience, hard work, and love into every part of our conversation. His perspective on success, failure, and personal growth offered a meaningful road map for anyone striving to find their balance between ambition and fulfillment.

Defining Success: Building Confidence Through Goals
For Brandon, success is about the ability to achieve both short-term and long-term goals. “Reaching small goals allows you to create another goal,” he said, “and as you experience more success, it builds confidence.” Whether in basketball, life, or even love, Brandon shared that success isn’t always linear. It has its highs and lows, and those lows are moments for growth.

Failure, as a concept, didn’t resonate with him. Instead, he believes everything is “growth-oriented.” Sometimes you need to recalibrate goals or shift direction due to setbacks, and there’s no shame in it. “You take care of yourself, learn from the experience, and push forward,” he explained. He shared a story of starting a basketball camp for kids, unsure if he’d get even 35 sign-ups. “We opened two sessions of 35, and both sold out. Next time, I’ll do 50. It’s about trying and learning.”

Resilience Born from Challenges
Brandon’s resilience started early. As the youngest of three boys, he learned to keep up with his older brothers in everything they did—basketball, riding bikes, you name it. “Anywhere that was good for them to go, I would go,” he recalled. It gave him a natural drive, and while his parents were never critical, he was self-motivated to see how good he could be.

In high school, that self-motivation turned into pressure to earn a Division I scholarship. “I tore my ACL in 10th grade and spent that whole year rehabbing. I tore it again at 24 years old,” he shared. From these experiences, Brandon learned patience and how to tune into his body. “It’s about preparing mentally and physically to push my limits—just a little faster, a little stronger.” He learned how to manage setbacks with consistency and focus, trusting himself to improve.

Brandon’s philosophy became: “Figure out how I can be the best me at the right time. If I wasn’t, then that was just for that moment, and I’d figure out what I could do differently next time.” This mindset taught him grit, determination, and humility—qualities that carried him through moments when confidence dipped. “I wasn’t afraid to mess up,” he said, “but I wasn’t scared to just get out there and try.”

The Role of Love and Support
Much of Brandon’s success was rooted in the unwavering support of his parents. Both worked hard to give him and his brothers the foundation to pursue their passions and find their paths. His dad only missed five games throughout Brandon’s entire college basketball career, traveling across the country to cheer him on. “My parents wanted us to be happy and figure out what we wanted to do,” he said. One of Brandon’s brothers also played college basketball, while the other focused more on academics, earning a Master’s from Cornell University. Their parenting approach was tailored to the authenticity and strengths of each of their children. After a particularly tough game at SU, Brandon’s dad reassured him, “Even if you just get your degree and never play basketball again, I’ll still be proud of you.”

That unconditional love and support shaped Brandon’s confidence and ability to persevere. He spoke of how critical it is for kids to feel good about their effort and to enjoy the process. “Celebrating small accomplishments helps build the confidence you need for resilience when things get hard.”