Hoops and Beyond

Hoops and Beyond equips basketball players with the proper skills you need to be successful on the court and in life. Teaching youth athletes the importance of - mental health, financial literacy, character-building, career readiness, resiliency, life skills, and basketball skill development. Hoops and Beyond is set out to show what areas of development athletes need to focus on when looking to to live a happy and prosperous life. With a focus on the under-resourced communities, Hoops and Beyond wants to give hope to youth through the game of basketball no matter what situation they may come from. Hoops and Beyond was founded by two former St. Louis area standout high school basketball players, Rayshawn Simmons and Kendal Shell. “Ray” and “Ken” both grew up playing basketball in the same neighborhood together, spending countless days and nights in gyms across the city. But it is all the knowledge and life lessons they have learned outside of basketball that has brought them onto this journey.