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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E43]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING MR. RAY WALKER FOR AN OUTSTANDING COACHING CAREER
______
HON. MO BROOKS
of alabama
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate
Mr. Ray Walker for his induction into the Alabama Baseball Coaching
Association Hall of Fame.
Ray was born in 1946 in Anniston, Alabama. At two years old, his
family moved to Huntsville. Ray was a part of the first graduating
class at Lee High School, in 1964. At Lee, Ray played baseball,
basketball, and football. Upon graduation, Ray attended William Carey
College before transferring to Florence State (UNA), where he earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in 1968. In 1970, Ray received a master's
degree in Physical Education (PE) and Administration from Athens State
College.
In 1968, Ray began teaching Biology and PE at Chapman Junior High
School, where he coached baseball, basketball, and football. In 1975,
Ray transferred to Grissom High School to become a driving instructor.
At Grissom, Ray took on two head coaching positions: baseball and
freshman football. Ray remained in these two positions until his
retirement in 2000.
As the head Freshman Football Coach, Ray's teams won 102 games and
eight city championships. Ray served as Grissom's Head Baseball Coach
for 25 years, where he led his team to 389 wins. Sixty-eight of the
players from his program went on to play in college and three went into
the minor leagues. In total, Ray's teams won nine city championship
titles and advanced to the final four during the state baseball
playoffs in 1982 and 1991. Ray's Grissom High Baseball team won the 6A
State Baseball Championship in 1989. Ray was chosen several times as
Huntsville City Coach of the Year in baseball. In 1989, Ray was chosen
as Coach of the Year for the State of Alabama. During the last 20 years
of his baseball coaching career at Grissom High School, his team made
the state playoffs 18 times. In 2004, Ray was inducted into the
Huntsville Madison County Sports Hall of Fame for his many
achievements.
Ray served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1998 and retired as a
Master Sergeant. He recalls that as a young man many people had
significant influences in his life but none greater than his uncle, Oba
Belcher. Ray followed his uncle's career at Athens College with intense
interest as he coached many outstanding basketball teams. Ray observed
that his uncle always set his standards high, out-worked other teams,
and projected a positive attitude through his coaching. Oba was a
wonderful role model and mentor, especially when Ray began his coaching
career.
After teaching and coaching for 46 years in the Huntsville City
Schools, Ray retired, or so one thought. Ray's retirement from the
school system led to what was the beginning of his new career as the
owner and operator of Coach Walker's Driving School. Ray jokes that
because the word ``retirement'' is not in the Bible, you need to keep
on working. Truth be told, he loves what he has felt he was lead to do,
and is continuing to fulfill his life's work by teaching and coaching
today's young people.
____________________
