Ken Hamric

First kicked in 1983.

Soon after, was with 3 friends at a park when a stranger walked up and asked to join the circle. He did 3 alternating clippers in a row, and we were floored... and hooked. This man was Lee Guenther, and soon after he founded Memphis Footworks.

Began as an all around player, doing freestyle, consecutives, and net, but quickly began to specialize in net, particularly doubles. First doubles partner was Andrew Williams. Andrew also played volleyball actively, and understood the discipline of spiking each and every time.

We began competing, and won the Advanced World Championship Doubles title together in 1986. Andrew deserves a lot of credit for shifting the doubles game to a spike oriented sport.

In fall of 1986 I switched to play with an upcoming player, and my roommate, Chris 'Gator' Routh, forming a team known as 'The Rebels'. Our first big win was against the Footboltz in Memphis in Feb 87, and then we met the two best net players in the world, Mag Hughes & Kenny Shults, in Portland. In an upset, we defeated them.

We competed against this team, 'The Establishment', for the next several years in multiple tournaments, including the world championship finals in 88, 89, 90. Chris and I won the 89 Worlds Doubles Championship. I also was fortunate enough to make it into the mixed doubles final in ‘89 with Janice Earl, where we were defeated by Jody and Brent Welch.

Retired in ‘91 after one last victory teaming up with David Robinson in the Vancouver tournament against Chris Routh & Danny B.