Ron Slaymaker went “Beyond the Scoreboard” as part of a documentary that made its debut in Emporia on Wednesday. And close to 600 people went with him to the Emporia Granada Theatre.
“Coach Slay: Beyond the Scoreboard” highlights Slaymaker’s days growing up in Peabody, changing his college plans from Kansas State to Emporia State to play basketball, coaching the men’s basketball team at ESU and his life afterward.
Film director Birk Ruhsam tells KVOE News the idea for the movie came about after Slaymaker coached a basketball team against a German team with Christian Bischoff on it. Slaymaker’s team won, but the two developed a friendship that lasts to this day. Ruhsam says doing a biopic just made sense.
Story architect Alexander Spitzer says it’s important to “let it roll” when it comes to crafting information for a documentary.
Ruhsam says the goal was making a “snackable-length” movie — shorter than a feature film — that shows what has made Slaymaker unique.
Spitzer says he’s most proud of how the documentary portrays Slaymaker’s legendary life.
Ruhsam was also complimentary to Emporia-area residents.
Speaking at the podium afterward, Coach Slay was blown away by the movie.
After ESU, Slaymaker ultimately returned to coaching at the high school girls level, first with Chase County, then at Olpe and finally at Topeka High before retiring earlier this year. At Chase County, he had a time trying to get his girls to pick up a charging foul — for a while. And when it finally happened…
Before girls basketball, though, Slaymaker coached football at Roosevelt High. And beating his old high school of Peabody was gratifying — but it came at a price. Slaymaker told the team he would walk into Emporia State’s Wooster Lake to get the ball, so he had to make good on that promise in temperatures under 20 degrees.
Slaymaker also spent a lot of time as a basketball referee, but he has been moving away from that due to neuropathy. He is still active as a volleyball referee. Since his longtime love, Shirley, passed away in 2018 after over 60 years of marriage, Slaymaker has since found love again with Gladys Turner.
“Coach Slay: Beyond the Scoreboard” will be available to the public on YouTube later this year.
Click here for KVOE’s YouTube channel, including Slaymaker’s reaction to the film.
Click here for KVOE’s Audio Vault from August 19, including the On-Air Chat featuring Coach Slaymaker.
