“Bucket-Trip .. Day-5”

🏀 Day-5 🏀

👉🏽Kassel Enemy Territory - Marion Kuehn - Diamond in the Rough

👉🏽Hotel Hagspihl Breakfast… a once upon a time hotel… fitting because Quakenbrück is a “once upon a time” town.

👉🏽It’s hard to believe that a town with a population of “only” 13,000 once had an 1.Bundesliga Basketball Team - the Artland Dragons… I put a few pictures in here, but today is really going to be about Marion and Kassel.

👉🏽There will quite a few stories and videos about the “Dragon Days” on the new YouTube Channel … ‼️(@rayritzingram ) … check it out - then 🗣️Like - Subscribe - Share ‼️

👉🏽 A fun fact before we get back to today … Siri can absolutely not speak German 🤡 I am using the “Car Play” on my phone for navigation (couldn’t afford the upgrade for a car with GPS Navigation 🤷🏽‍♂️) My Siri Voice is in English. I am trying not to laugh too hard when names of towns and streets are announced. If you want to have some laughs when you’re driving outside the USA, try your phone’s GPS in English🤦🏽‍♂️

👉🏽Later, I might bore you with a story about what goes through the maze that I call my mind during these long drives… including the exhilarating feeling of driving 95 MPH and passing police cars 🚔 .. and not having to worry about it.😈

👉🏽One thing that takes a little getting used to … that “wake-up / stay in your lane” thing in new cars. When the road is wide open, sometimes I change lanes without signaling. When your tires make contact with road markings, your “reminds you” that you’re out of line. That’s a good thing … except when you’re driving 100 MPH 😬 The car literally “throws you back in the lane!😵‍💫 As stated .. in German they say “It’s gewöhnungs-bedürftig“🤣

👉🏽 Nevertheless, one of things in life that I have always enjoyed is getting in a car - getting on the oen highway with nowhere to go, and plenty of time to get there. Add to that, the music of your choice and it’s like being in another world. I made special playlist for this trip. “Cav Days” .. “‘Stra Days” (Hofstra😏) .. and more. Memories - tons of memories!😊

👉🏽That’s the upside!👍🏽.. The downside is that I was in a “new” rental car with a really good sound system. It’s downside because it reminded me that I have a car that’s 15 years old with a system that sounds like those “cans connected by a string” that we used to play with. There’s a rumor floating around that those outstanding kids (now women 😳) that I had at UNC-Asheville, are trying to organize a get together for late June. If it materializes, I definitely want to go. It will most likely be in North Carolina. I would drive! I have to pinching pennies to buy some speakers to put in the car… If worse comes to worse, I’ll try and buy a good bluetooth speaker and just put on the backseat.🤷🏽‍♂️ I’ve done that too!😈We’ll see how things develop.

👉🏽So, back to today and Marion Kuehn. My book, for those living under a rock, is titled “It’s the Coach’s Fault!” In this story “It’s the Mother’s Fault!” Ilse Kuehn is, in her own right, a Legend. She has been a leading basketball figure in the District of Kassel and the State of Hessen

🎊To Ilse 🎊

🗣️Ilse Kühn was involved with basketball in Hessen for over 50 years, beginning shortly after her arrival in North Hessen in 1970.

Arrival and Early Involvement: She came to Kassel in 1970, where she started playing for ACT Kassel.

Leadership Roles: She served as the long-time basketball department head for ACT Kassel, a role she held for over 30 years as of December 2023.

District Leadership: She served as the chairperson of the Basketball-Bezirk Kassel (Kassel Basketball District) for 17 years before stepping down in April 2024.

👉🏽Now that you have the background, you tell me how I could have said “No” in 1995 when I was the Head Women’s Coach at UNC-Asheville, and Ilse asked if I would conduct a camp for her ACT Kassel Basketball Club.

👉🏽On the first day of camp, there was one 17-year old participant who caught my eye. Her name was Marion (Last Name “Kuehn”)

👉🏽 By the last day of Camp, I was talking to Marion , Mom and Dad … inviting them to North Carolina for an official visit … and offering her a basketball 🏀 scholarship.

👉🏽 I have never regretted or second guessed that decision. The only negative throughout our years long relationship is our difference of opinion regarding “Grits”😈

👉🏽 We met for dinner tonight Wednesday 13.May 2026, which makes our relationship 30 years and still counting. As a plus, she invited a number of former players and refs from AFC Kassel and we spent hours revisiting the good old days and wishing we could go back.

👉🏽The Asheville Team that Marion joined was special. So much so that they will get their own series of stories and videos on the new YouTube channel.

Check out the new YouTube Channel

👉🏽 ( @rayritzingram ) … and pass it on to your friends.

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