Ray Ingram from Baybrook, TX shares his inspiring story about his fight against cancer and how basketball revived his passion to continue the fight.

Ray is the league coordinator for 3 different leagues at Baybrook and is currently looking to start his 4th league at our brand new club in Sienna this Fall. His commitment to Ultimate Hoops is the definition of Never Retire and what Ultimate Hoops is all about.

In honor of the Ultimate Hoops Hall of Fame Committee, we have decided to honor Ray’s legacy by selecting one contributor each year to enter the Ultimate Hoops Hall of Fame starting in 2024. Ray will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 as the first contributor to receive the prestigious honor.

Every league coordinator and contributor of Ultimate Hoops will now have the opportunity to join the Hall of Fame in honor of Ray. Thank you Ray for continuing to spread our mission in Houston to Never Retire.

The Hall Fame Class of 2023 nominees will be announced on October 1st. All players must have minimum of 500 games played to be eligible. League coordinators and all Hall of Fame inductees will have the opportunity to vote for 5 players. Each player must receive 50% of the votes in order to get in. The 2023 class will be announced on November 1st.

Read Ray’s full story here

I was coaching in Germany at the age of 66.  I had the good fortune of coaching a women’s team at the European championships in Novi Sad, Serbia in the summer of 2016. It just so happens that the German Over-65 men’s team was also playing there.

I was shooting around on a side basket in between games and the coach of that men’s team approached me about playing. I hadn’t played competitively in a while but I told him I would think about it.

 

A month or two later, he contacted me and asked me if  I would come to Bonn for a practice. I said I’ll try and make it.

 

I did a little running to pretend I was getting myself in shape and a couple weeks later I went to the practice.

 

It was a pretty decent workout and I got to know some of the players.

When it was all over, I asked the coach how I did. He said, “I think you should play.”

 

it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences in my basketball career. that career covers almost 60 years. I’ve been a player, a coach, and a ref at almost every level imaginable in the USA and in Europe.

 

Having passed the ”65” barrier, I was sure that my playing days were behind. Somehow this invitation awakened more than “just” competitive juices. It was a combination of nostalgia, competitive drive and ego.

 

I was excited! I wanted to play again! That “post-workout” agony that I used to be proud of… you know what I mean… “It hurts but it feels great!”

 

I literally ran myself into the ground and did drills I hadn’t done in ages… and I loved it. It was killing me, but I loved it.

Then came the World Championships in Montecatini Terme, Italy.

It was absolutely fantastic. The pre-game prep, the butterflies in your stomach, the competition and camaraderie… It was great…!

 

Skip ahead eight months - I received my reality check. I was diagnosed with cancer. I moved back to the United States and had pretty much resigned from life.

 

I needed a job to supplement my modest pension … for survival purposes. Life Time was not on my radar, but a magazine in my mailbox made me aware of Ultimate Hoops.

 

I was lucky enough to get the League Coordinator Position at Life Time Baybrook and it has gone fairly well.

I saw older guys watching our games and I could see it in their eyes … “Man, I would love to play real games again, but I can’t play with these guys.”

 

I remembered how I felt when I had that opportunity, and I wanted to give them that feeling again. The “Over-40” League became my pet project and I look forward to the games, hanging out and talking “Back in the day basketball” with my guys every Wednesday.

That’s the most recent (and one of the more rewarding) parts of my basketball journey.

Please check out my book “Its the Coach’s Fault”

Link to purchase