I recently read an article about a woman from Battle Creek who walked completely around Lake Michigan over a seven month period. A pretty unusual event I’d say. And a great accomplishment as well. Reading about her quest, inspired me even more to want to fulfill my own dream. And while I’m recording everything in my log book, I decided, like Loreen did, to write a book about my exploits. I hope the Fireball 1 adventure will inspire others as well. May what I do, help people to reach high to fulfill their dreams, and to not give up when things get tough during their own personal attempts.

It’s a long way till’ December 31st. I’m excited about this quest. My journey will take me all over Michigan. I’m planning on going to many new cities and towns; shooting baskets the whole way. Will Fireball 1 succeed in fulfilling his goal of shooting every day of 2011? Only time will tell. And should it truly happen, it will be because one person had a vision of doing something very different; something that he loves, and putting himself to the test of endurance and excellence like none other. I’ll keep the world updated as the year moves forward. Will I reach my goal? I’m certainly going to, “Give It My Best Shot”!

Jerry Ball – Fireball 1

As reported, the next day begins with a beautiful winter’s sunrise. I go to the back room, and pick up my great grandfather’s snowshoes that he wore in the late 1800’s. These will be very cool pictures, I’m thinking. It’s interesting for the novice, to put on snowshoes, and use them under normal, “I’m wearing snowshoes for a long journey”, situation. But here I am lacing them up, to go out to my outdoor basketball court and shoot baskets in them. I get them on, and then grab my step ladder. I’ve got another idea that is more than unusual.

Ann follows me out to the court with her digital camera. As she prepares to take her first picture, I set the ladder up, right underneath the hoop and net. The idea that’s going through my strange little mind, is to sit on top of the ladder and get a picture of me slam dunking in snowshoes. To think of me dunking regular is completely far fetched under normal conditions. I’m lucky to be able to jump high enough to touch much of the net. (I did touch the rim once in high school). So to fulfill a fantasy, I’m now prepared to use a little leverage to complete this task.

It must have been amazing to watch this older, bearded, winter-dressed man, attempting to climb a step ladder in snow shoes. It felt extremely weird! Slowly I placed first the left one on a step, and then the right one on the step above it. Two more steps up, and I began the process of balancing myself and getting in a sitting position just in front of the rim. I then had Ann hand me the basketball with the hope of not falling off the ladder into a “snowshoe’s pile of me”. Once in my hand, (the other grasping the rim for support), I slowly place the ball in both hands to prepare for “The Dunk”!

Everything goes well. Ann got some good shots of me dunking with one and then both hands. Sweet!!!!! Just like Michael Jordan, almost, (with a little lift assistance). Slowly climbing down afterwards, we got some other pictures of me shooting a set shot and a hook shot. The lighting is amazing out, so the pictures come out wonderful. This afternoon’s event might seem a little strange to some people, but isn’t what I’m doing a little of that anyway? Yeah, it probably is – and I love it!

Right now, I’m averaging over 150 shot attempts per day, (through January 31st).
That equates to nearly 55,000 shots taken for a whole year – far surpassing the 20,000 plus I took five years ago, and going well beyond the 30,000 plus I’d originally hoped for. I certainly don’t know where all of this will lead, but God has certainly given me a talent and motivation to do the unusual; and to show that you’re never too old to be able to continue doing the things you love.

The whole area of Michigan did experience the most powerful snowstorm in 30 years; dropping 11 inches on Battle Creek, AND on my outdoor basketball court. Some surrounding cities had nearly two feet dumped on them. Because it was such an unusual event, (and what I’m doing is unusual in itself), I decide to meet another of my goals hours-wise, by shooting deep into the night. What was really spectacular; because the night lights were reflecting off the snow and ice crystals, I never had to turn on my truck lights during the 11 pm and 12 am / 1 am & 2 am hours. It was unbelievable! And I shot quite well during each session. My daughter Ann took a picture of me during the early evening of the beginning of the storm. It is really cool.

Through the six pm hour today, February 2nd, 24 hours after it began, the storm was definitely over. I shoveled off the court first, even before my driveway; but that was after I shot one set of 30 in 11 inches of snow. I set a personal record of making 23 in a row, and shot the second most in one day with 245 attempts, making 156 of them. Its challenges like this that really inspires me to meet adversity head on.

The weather report for Thursday is for sunny skies. I want to get a picture of my basketball court; now complete with 18” to 24” snow walls all around it. It’s so nice that the walls keep the ball from traveling a million miles away after a shot. I tell Ann, that I want to get some pictures of me shooting in the bright sunshine. And then it comes to me. Why not do something out of the ordinary? Fireball 1 already is unusual. I remembered right where “they” were, and know that they’ll add a dimension to my quest that no one else would probably ever think of.

Now it’s Tuesday, February 1st, 2011. The weather forecast is for a lot of snow; a huge amount, with blizzard conditions possible. Starting around 6 pm, I go out to shoot at the beginning of what they are saying may be the biggest storm in 30 years. My plan is to shoot every hour until 11 pm, and then set my alarm for 1:45 am so I can shoot baskets in the brunt of the storm. If I make it out of bed, I will be able to fill two of my time slots; the 1 am and 2 am positions. Again, my overall goal is to shoot in all 24 hour spots and in every minute of the sixty. I end up not setting my alarm. Being tired, I tell myself that if I wake up during the night, I’ll go out. Boy did I go out.

After shooting during the 11 o’clock hour, I went to bed, only to wake up a little after midnight. Out again I go. I still hadn’t set my alarm. And to my amazement, I wake up a little before 2 am and shoot in both the 1 am and 2 am time slots.

I’m really excited starting this newest adventure as Fireball 1. And then it came to me. I’m going to shoot every day anyway; why not raise money for burn victims for Bronson Hospital’s Critical Care Unit? So now my ultimate, and certainly most important goal, is to do just that, through benefits and special events with the money going to go these burn victims and their families. Having been a firefighter for over 23 years, I know something of the unbelievable pain people have to go through during a tragedy like this. So if this project and journey of mine can provide even a little relief, I want to do the very best that I can with it. Shoot every day; in my 60’s and helping others. Is that sweet or what!

It was Sunday, January 9th, that I experienced something very special in this quest. It dropped down to 0 degrees and I went out on purpose when I saw it on the thermometer; I could add it to my “degrees that I shot” chart. Then each degree that it raised, I shot again, until I went from that 0, all the way up to 10 degrees. I already had logged some of the temps in the teens, but later that day, when temperatures went from a
high in the 20’s and started dropping, I shot with each less degree showing on the thermometer. At the end of the day, my chart was full from 0 to 28 degrees; I’d shot baskets for each numbered degree.

Then, on the 23rd of January, another special and extreme event happened. The National Weather Service was calling for below 0 temps overnight. No one predicted just how cold it would get. I thought to myself that I must take this opportunity to shoot in extreme cold because it might not get this cold again this winter. I woke up at 5:40 am; pulled jeans on over my pajama bottoms; sweatshirts over my top; hat, gloves and boots, and at 5:45 am, shot baskets in -7 degree weather with my pickup lights on. It was very cold outside.

Later, at 6:33 am, to my surprise, it had dropped a degree; now -8 degrees. And at 7:45 am, it got even colder at -9 degrees. I shot during both temperature changes. 9 degrees below zero is Really Cold!!!!!! Officially in downtown Battle Creek, it was a brisk 11 degrees below zero. It was really sweet being able to do something that probably no one else on this earth was doing at that very moment; shooting a basketball outside in such extremely cold conditions.

As the sun came up over the horizon that morning, I decided to keep watch of the thermometer as it warmed up. With each temperature increase of one degree, I shot baskets; from -6 degrees back up to 0 degrees. When I logged in the numbers in my book, I was proud at what I’d just accomplished. Who else did I know, (or not know for that matter), would do what I had just done? Far fetched? Maybe. But I think it’s pretty neat. I looked at my temperature chart, and I now had shot baskets in temperature extremes consecutively from plus 28 to minus 9 degrees. Sweet!

One of the most difficult parts of shooting outdoor winter basketball is the partial or complete loss of grip on the ball. So many times it’s like I’m shot putting instead of shooting. It’s interesting each day to look out to see if it’s snowing or has snowed so I’ll know if I need to get the shovel out and clean off the court; (how many basketball courts need snow removal equipment)? Whenever it’s been humid outside, the loose snow will stick to the ball. I have to brush it off after each and every shot. And then I need to brush the snow off my gloves in order to get any kind of grip. Some days it gets so frustrating! I get ready for a shot; about to release, and the ball slips a little and throws the shot off. And there’s always the issue with one or both feet slipping when shooting.

It was 39 degrees the next day, January 1st, 2011. With my new Spalding basketball in hand, I went out and took my very first shot. My goal this time, was not to worry about making 50%, (though that’s always my goal), but to shoot every day; a minimum of 30 shots, and hopefully 110, which would break the record of 20,000 shots from 5 years earlier. I want to once again get all the letters of the alphabet; to shoot outside in all kinds of weather; and to prove to the world that someone in their 60’s can be good at this wonderful sport, and do something unique with it.

I look back at January and am in wonder at what I’ve accomplished thus far. From that first day and 39 degrees, I’ve shot baskets when it was 31 degrees down to -9 below zero,(minus 9). There was almost never any wind during the month. I shot baskets in bright sunlight; dim light; by my pickup’s headlights; in the rain, sleet and snow. The ground, and courts have been most interesting. Going to a lot of different venues to shoot, most were snow covered – many over ice, and so were quite slippery. I’ve had to be very careful when shooting. I’ve even had two or three frozen nets that I had to use my broom handle to break the ice on the net. And once, that didn’t make any difference; it wasn’t going to let the ball through. So after five shots and five swishes and five stuck-up-in-the-net balls, I retired from that place for the present time.

Some of the difficult things about shooting out-of-doors this time of the year, is the uneven court surfaces, with snow and ice on them. And with several inches of snow on most of the courts I’m going to, the ball is shot, and then lands with a thud. There’s almost never any bounce to it. Just Thud! So after putting effort into the shot, I then have to go and retrieve the ball by bending over each time to pick it up for the next one. There’s no dribbling of course, and the ball being the same temperature it is outside, (I keep my ball in a container in the back of the truck so the snow doesn’t stick to a warm ball), it lacks bounce anyway. And then there’s my winter basketball wardrobe.

Other than just a couple of times, all through January I dressed in two tee shirts and two sweatshirts; my stocking hat, a nice pair of lined leather gloves, (which also gives me at least a little grip), and a new pair of hiking boots that give me really good traction. It’s a little cumbersome, and I can’t get a true grip on the ball, so there are times when it just slips off the gloves in my shooting motion. All in all, my shooting percentage is quite remarkable; most sessions I’m hitting well over 60%. No I’m not shooting from 3-point range, but 8 to 10 feet works really well in this harsh environment.

Twice I participated in the Gus Macker 3 on 3 basketball tournament that was held in Battle Creek during the 1990’s. Later on, I formed a team at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds in Marshall, called the Maintenance Maniacs. Three older guys and a young one. Boy were we impressive! Trouble was, the other team had a guy 6’ 9” who played all the time; on teams all over the area. Still, we held our own pretty well.

In 2005, basketball for me, seemed to be at a standstill. With no team to play on, an idea came to me. Fireball 1 was born. Having worked on the Battle Creek Fire Department, thus the name. I wanted to do something special; something different than anyone else. In high school, I noticed when we would play an away game, the hoops always seemed difficult for me to shoot and hit a high percentage of my shots. Each basketball hoop, inside or outside, has it’s own personality so to speak. Some are more giving than others. Some give you no break at all if you’re not perfectly accurate. It’s a tight rim. I decided once and for all that, “No hoop was ever going to beat me again”! I began on a quest to rule the hoop world.

I go all around south central Michigan entertaining, (singing and playing guitar), at over 20 adult care facilities every month. I’ve been doing it for over twenty years. I’m in many cities and towns, so why not shoot baskets when I’m not singing, I thought. It was perfect! My goal was to beat the odds, and beat the baskets. I was to shoot at least 5 shots at every single hoop I could find, and must hit 50% of those shots. Sometimes I would hit 4 of 5 or 5 of 5, and move on to the next one quickly. Other times, it wasn’t that easy. I’d have to shoot 12; 17; even 20 or more , to reach my 50% makes. (One hoop took 63 shots to reach 50%).

I wanted to shoot every day of the year, but that faltered early on. Another goal back then was to shoot in cities using all 26 letters of the alphabet, of which I completed by going to Xenia, Ohio for my “X” city since Michigan doesn’t have one. I also came upon Zanesville, Ohio, and shot my “Z” city there. Over 20,000 shots taken; 50-plus % made. I was proud. But something told me I wasn’t finished.

Last fall, I stopped by a garage sale to look at a book shelf, when I spotted a portable basketball hoop near the garage. It had a sticker on it. It read, “$15.00”. I was thrilled! My own hoop at my house. For several months, it laid in the side yard, until on New Year’s Eve 2010, on a beautiful sunny afternoon, I made the decision I was going to revitalize Fireball 1, and once again go on a basketball adventure. I set up the hoop; leveled it, and got myself psyched up. I had decided to begin once more, my quest to play every day of the year; in this case – every day “outside” in 2011 and to show that people in their 60’s can still play competitively. Excitedly, I couldn’t wait for tomorrow to arrive.

In the Army, during the early 1970’s, I played a lot and often; whenever and wherever I could find a hoop or a game. I learned a lot from the guys from the inner cities; never backing down on defense from anyone. I could hold most players under their scoring average who were 6’ 2” and under. I worked hard at my game. I played on the B Company team from my unit, and went to the gym a lot and played pick-up games. I knew I was on the right track to becoming a more complete player. My offense was starting to click and I was slowly becoming a scorer. I also had grown to a whopping
5’- 6” tall.

At Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, I played intramural games, and joined church leagues. I continued to work extremely hard to improve my techniques both offensively and defensively. When my kids came along, I wanted desperately for them to participate in the game I loved. But only two of the eight ever gave it a try in school, and only my daughter, Lindsay, was to excel at it for just three short years in school. Two other sons and I did, however, did have some great playground games. I pressed on. And worked even harder.

When I joined the Battle Creek Fire Department in 1981, they had a basketball hoop at #1 station. I played countless games with my fellow firefighters there, as well as at other fire stations. It became my source of recreation and exercise. During our free time after work hours, (working a 24 hour shift), I’d spend hours in the good weather; even under the lights at night, shooting hoops. I had finally arrived! All facets of my game were vastly improved. I really felt like a player who could compete at a high level.
For fun, all eight of my kids, at one time or another over the years, came to visit me at my fire department duty station, and we played hoops in the back yard. That was special!

During the winter months while stationed at #4’s , we’d come back from a run and I’d jump off the rig and, in full firefighter gear, (including bulky gloves), shoot a few hoops for fun. I could never have imagined what was going to happen in 2011.

By ninth grade, I was slowly getting better. At lunch time, I’d practice in the school parking lot at a couple of rims there. We had tryouts for the ninth grade team. Only twelve spots. I was determined to get one of them. And I did! Talk about proud – I was Very Proud. Our Freshman football team went 7-0 in 1963. With many of the same gridiron players on the basketball team, we were just miserable on the hardwood. Our record was 0 – 100 I think. We were pretty bad.

I worked hard at getting better; especially on defense. My offense needed a lot of work, but I became a good defender. I was a junior varsity guard who kept the bench very warm, with the exception of that rare blowout, and then it was my 30 to 90 seconds of glory. If we’d had the three point shot back then, I would have shot 1000% for my career, because my first long range shot was over 20 feet away. Swish!!!!!!!! Game over. We lost badly. I was proud I got to play. Never shot another long one like that in high school.

My junior year, I witnessed someone very special in a young man from Fennville, Michigan named Richie Jordan. Because dunking was not allowed during high school games, 5’ 7” Mr. Jordan, (no relation), could not only dunk, but he could do it with two hands well above the rim. People would come from all over to watch his pre-game warm-up. There was another high schooler from Hastings named Mark Brown. If I remember correctly, he averaged over 38 points a game for his high school career. And maybe he was 5’ 10”, & of average build. It gave me hope. If they could do that, just think what I might be able to accomplish with a lot of hard work. Man, I just loved this game.

Back in those days, I watched some really good players in NBA games. Bill Russell, John Havilcek, Oscar Robertson, and then the great Dr. J. From the foul line he would elevate and slam it through the rim. Wow! But the game was very different than today’s fast paced action. Then, in the 80’s, the LA Lakers changed all that. Not only did they run fast in transition, they ran it to perfection. It was almost always the Celtics verses the Lakers in the finals it seemed. Detroit snuck in two in a row. But then an unknown player from the North Carolina Tar Heels, now with the Chicago Bulls, who changed the game forever! Me, like millions of others, saw Michael Jordan become what near perfection in basketball is all about. Others players followed him, but to this day, even Kobe Bryant has been unable to duplicate his two sets of 3-in-a-row championships. (Although Michael never scored K.B.’s 81).

So I dreamed of being a good player. I wanted so badly to improve my offense. I knew it was “practice – practice – practice” that would make the difference. During my junior year, I was really starting to see progress. But then I sprained both ankles at the same time, landing on another player’s foot while going for a rebound. My playing year over, I never had another opportunity to play in high school. But the game I loved so much, was permanently ingrained within’ me forever. I was always proud when my dad would make one of my high school games. For decades he held the Athens, Michigan high school record with 38 points. I envied all the things he had accomplished in sports. My determination never waned. If anything, it intensified.

Fireball 1
The Tale Of The Year Long Basketball Quest
By Jerry H. Ball
February, 2011

Basketball has been a big part of my life for 50 years now. I’ll be 62 in March, and my love and fascination of the game continues to grow as I go into these, my latest years. What is prime for an athlete? 25? 30? Certainly not 40. That’s just plain OLD! Or is it? Only a few professionals are still playing at this “ancient” time in their life. The Red Wings have one. Brett Favre was there. A few survive that long. But most move on to other things somewhere in their 30’s. So the question begs: is it realistic to be actively playing basketball competitively in your 60’s? I say it’s possible. Definitely! That’s me.

In seventh grade, we had tryouts for the junior high team. The first time I was passed the ball, I went over and back, (center line), and the coach made me feel stupid. But I was persistent. I REALLY wanted to play the game that Mr. Naismith and his peach basket began in the late 1800’s. No one was about to stop me! At 5’ 4”, I just knew this very special game was for me. So I started emulating the other guys in our school who knew how to play. Most of them had an older brother who taught them; a father who worked with them; friends that all played. I had just my old piece of plywood backboard and rim nailed to a post above grass and sand. Now my journey had begun.