Following a conference Jan attended earlier this summer, Jan and I took a couple of days to drive the Pacific Coast Highway from Long Beach to San Diego. It is not a long drive so we took our time and made two side trips up into the mountains. Our first night was spent in Seal Beach. As we followed our GPS we saw a sign noting the entrance gate to “Leisure World.” The sign signaled the possibility of a serendipitous side trip. Later, as we checked into our motel, I found a stack of the current copy of the “LW Weekly” on the front desk. As it turned out, Leisure World is not an amusement park but a retirement village. This newly learned information did not arouse in me any desire to visit Leisure World for an amusing adventure.
The lead story from this edition of Leisure World (LW) Weekly had an accompanying color picture of an elderly man holding a basketball in front of his face as if he were going to shoot for the basket. Under the picture was the caption, “Free Throw Wizardry”. The story was written about the dedication of a basketball court to honor Dr. Tom Amberry, a retired podiatrist who had live in Leisure World. On November 15, 1993, at the age of 71, Dr. Tom shot and made 2,750 free throws before referees and representatives of Guinness Book of World Records. It took him twelve hours to make those shots. The only reason he quit was that the custodial staff of the gym ran them out to close the place down for the night.
In January 2000 being interviewed by Fox Sports, Dr. Amberry made 2,000 free throws in six hours. This averages to be 333 shots per hour or 5.6 made shots per minute or 10 seconds per shot. In 1946 the good doctor turned down a contract with the Minneapolis Lakers to go to podiatrist school. The LW Weekly reported he had “wowed” David Letterman and Tom Brokaw on television, wrote a free throw guide book, Free Throw-How to master the most utilitarian way to win a basketball game.
Here are three quotes I found on a video Dr. Tom did with the LW Video Club.
- “Everybody knows how to shoot free throws but not everybody knows how to make them.”
- “Never quit on a miss.”
- “Repetition is the key to learning. Perfect practice makes perfect.”
At the end of the LW Weekly article, the author finished with this quote, “A free throw is a gift. You should take advantage of it.” This is the lesson I learned from my visit with Dr. Tom Amberry:
Today is a gift from God, even with all its troubling circumstances. I should take advantage of it by asking God, “What are you teaching me today?”
Photo – Mine. Our family Thanksgiving 2018.
Baldwin Heirlooms 