Bios

HoopSmart activities will be hosted and facilitated by its’ principals and board members Michael Ramirez, Bryon Grant and Jim Merkel. We have over 25 years combined basketball experience – including coaching and working with children in the Atlanta Catholic Metro League. Basketball players from Marist, Milton, St. Pius, St. Jude, Greater Atlanta Christian Academy and many other programs have improved their skills with the aid of our coaching staff.

Principals/Coaches:

Michael Ramirez - President

Michael has 11 years of work experience in the IT/Internet industry - primarily in Project Management. He is currently an Account Manager for a private company in Boca Raton, FL. He played basketball at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida and is a 1994 graduate of The University of Florida in Gainesville - where he was a member of the 1988-89 SEC Champion Gator Basketball Team under Coach Norm Sloan.

Since then - Michael has been deeply involved - working with boys and girls in his community – as well as – coaching basketball for the past 5 years at Christ The King (6th-8th grade Girls Select Team), Marist (2003 – 15-year-old Girls AAU Team) and St. Pius (2002 – 14-year-old Girls AAU Team).

Coaching at Christ the King, developing the Select Team program, resulted in a 2002-2003 undefeated season with a record of 11-0 culminating in the Catholic Metro League Tournament Championship.

Bryon Grant - Vice President
Having worked in the Internet industry since 1994 in various roles from designer to developer to project manager, Bryon is currently working as a Product Consultant for an Email Marketing company as well as President & CEO of his own Web strategy, design and development company.

Bryon developed basketball fundamentals as part of a championship high school basketball team. His involvement with kids began when serving as the director of a youth summer camp. Bryon has continued in his involvement assisting in coaching basketball for the past 3 years at Christ The King (6th-8th grade Girls Select Team), coaching at Marist (2003 – 14-year-old Girls AAU Team) and assisting at St. Pius (2002 – 14-year-old Girls AAU Team).

Assisting at Christ the King, developing the Select Team program, resulted in a 2002-2003 undefeated season with a record of 11-0 culminating in the Catholic Metro League Tournament Championship.

Board Members:



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