Cardinals take flight

HUDSON VALLEY –– Not many 32-year-olds can say they own a professional basketball team. But Dev Williamson can. The Monticello resident graduated from Liberty in 2006, where he represented the Indians on the basketball court, football field and on the track.

About a decade later, Williamson started playing for the Cardinals, a professional basketball team made up of players from the Greater Hudson Valley. Williamson alternates time on the court at shooting guard and small forward, and when he started with the team, the owner Brian Salter, took a liking to him because of the love and respect he has for the game.

Williamson began to slowly learn the business side. This was, until one night, when the owner took him aside and revealed that he had cancer. Salter asked Williamson if he would take over the team, which he agreed to do.

Salter passed away soon after.

“He didn’t tell anyone he was sick,” said Williamson. “He just wanted us to enjoy the opportunity [of playing on the team].”

Williamson’s first order of business was to research different leagues for the team to join, as he felt they were capable of playing at a higher level.

Using his basketball connections domestically and internationally from relationships with players he’s built over the years, he discovered the American Basketball Association (ABA). Williamson reached out to the league, and with some help from their officials, the Cardinals joined the league’s Northeast Division.

One might surmise that the Cardinals would have struggled early on since the level of competition increased, but that wasn’t the case. They actually made the playoffs in the first two years, but haven’t in the last two.

Williamson is constantly recruiting players to fill out the roster, as these talented athletes look to move up the ladder in the sport. For example, with his help, former Cardinals’ players have gone on to play collegiately and overseas.

Players are generally from Sullivan and Orange Counties and in the 18-24 year old age range, but Williamson is an exception, still hanging in there with the younger guys in his early 30s.

The Cardinals’ 2021-22 campaign is currently slated to kick off on October 30.

Challenges of owning

a team

Williamson has worked extra jobs since taking over ownership of the Cardinals. He’s done this to help pay for food and transportation for some of the guys on the team. Sometimes he rents a van so they can travel together.

“It has a family aspect,” he said, “being on the road as a team.”

Teams in the Northeast Region are located as far south as the nation’s capital, out to the western side of New York and as far east as Boston, Massachusetts.

They also have to pay for the cost of a venue to use for home games. Speaking of which, the Cardinals are currently without one.

Home games were being held at GymRatz Basketball Center in Goshen, but that is no longer an option due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This means the Cardinals, at the present time, will have an entirely away schedule, hitting the road from anywhere between 12 and 20 games between October and April (possibly longer if they qualify for the playoffs).

Therefore, there’ll be more travel costs this season. While the guys have offered to pay for some things, Williamson said, “I try not to ask guys for much because if they have to pay for everything, it takes away the professional aspect from the game.”

What it’s all about

Williamson loves the game, but jokes that when it comes to his own basketball playing future, there comes a time to call it quits. But owning the Cardinals allows him to have a greater impact on those who wear the red, yellow and black [the team’s colors].

“My dream –– why I keep the team going –– is to teach the guys different kinds of values, for them to be able to further their basketball careers or to just be a part of a family,” said Williamson.

The team is very community minded. In the past, Williamson and the Cardinals, with money out of their own pockets and / or from ticket sales, have paid for local youth’s haircuts and school supplies. They’ve also held food drives.

The Cardinals have and continue to receive some financial support from the Liberty NY Rotary Club. But the need for a venue and increased travel costs from their road schedule remain.

Despite the challenges associated with owning a professional sports team, Williamson loves what he does.

“I appreciate helping the guys,” he said. “Some of them, if they weren’t playing, would be out on the streets getting into trouble. I can relate to guys who might be hurting or struggling without a support system. If you’re looking to be a part of a family, that’s what the Cardinals are about. It’s bigger than me. It’s about helping someone’s life and putting them into position to better themselves and do more, like others have done for me.”

If you know of a venue the Cardinals can use, wish to make a donation to assist with their expenses or want to play on the team, contact Williamson at 845-423-3559 or through the team’s Facebook or Instagram pages.