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In 1982, Ray Ferraro was drafted by the Hartford Whalers, kickstarting his nearly two-decade National Hockey League (NHL) career. But, before Ferraro lived out his dreams on the ice, he first lived out every Little Leaguers® dream when he laced up his baseball cleats and represented his hometown community in the 1976 Little League Baseball® World Series.
“I always loved baseball and hockey pretty equally,” said Ferraro. “When my skates went away, my glove came out. I couldn’t get enough of baseball.”
Representing Trail Little League in British Columbia during that 1976 all-star season, Ferraro and his teammates went on to win the Canada Region championship to punch their ticket to Williamsport. While he and his teammates did not go on to win the World Series championship, ending their experience with a 1-2 record, Ferraro left the series with lifelong memories.
“The memories are countless. It was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done in my life. I have gotten to do a lot of cools things and getting to the Little League Baseball World Series is right at the very top. It was an incredible experience,” said Ferraro. “I remember with such clarity the houses we stayed in and the big recreation hall where we would interact with all the other players. Everyone was just so excited.”
After trading in his baseball cleats for ice skates, Ferraro scored 508 goals and had 490 assists for a total of 898 points across 1,258 games in his 18 years competing in the NHL. The 1992 All-Star retired in 2002 but remained involved with the game he loves. Since he joined the TSN broadcast as a full-time analyst in 2008, Ferraro has been a fixture in hockey coverage across the American and Canadian networks. In 2010 and 2018, Ferraro served as a commentator for the Winter Olympics, and in 2015, Ferraro became the first hockey broadcaster to call a game in which their child is playing, when his son, Landon, skated for the Boston Bruins. Today, Ferraro serves on ESPN’s broadcast team as an analyst and his voice can be heard in some of the game’s biggest moments.
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In August 2024, Little League enshrined Ferraro into the Little League Hall of Excellence, the highest honor that can be bestowed on its alumni. After his official induction, Little League sat down with Ferraro for a Six Innings Conversation:
First Inning: As a young athlete, what was the best advice you received that you carried into your professional career?
One of the great blessings of living in a small place is that you get a lot of field time if you want it and, specifically in my community, we were blessed with a coach named Andy Bilesky. I can’t think of anyone more influential to Little League Baseball in their communities than Andy was to ours. In the winter, he would rent the gym and we would practice all winter, and he did it all on his own, whether it was six kids who showed up or 20. From Andy, I learned commitment – if you want to get better, you have to practice more than the kid next to you – and how much you have to enjoy the practice – if it felt like work, you weren’t going to get better at it. He also taught us dedication. We would take ground balls for hours on end and it didn’t always seem like it was the most progressive work, but it was fun, and you knew you were being coached by someone who cared. Commitment, dedication, love what you’re doing, and have fun.
- Andy Bilesky coached Ferraro and the players of Trail Little League during the 1976 LLBWS. Bilesky has traveled five times to Williamsport to compete in the international tournament, with his first trip in 1952.
Second Inning: What did it mean to you to represent your community in the Little League Baseball World Series? Do you have a favorite memory from the series?
During our first game against Puerto Rico, we were so nervous. I was warming up our pitcher and he was so nervous he knocked the bullpen phone off the wall with a wild pitch. It was actually a really good thing to happen because it made us laugh and realize how nervous we were, so it helped relax us a little bit. We played three games – lost the first two and won the third one. I got a couple of hits throughout the tournament, but just being on that field felt like you were in the major leagues because of the field quality and the presentation of the game. It was the best.
Third Inning: What advice would you give to a young athlete who is looking to pursue either a professional athletic career or a career in the sports industry?
Stay in the Moment
About six years ago, I started meditating and one of the things it taught me is to focus on the moment that you’re in. You can’t be fearful of the past or anxious about the future because you can’t control that. I bring this up because as kids progress and want to be better and want to get to the next level and have someone notice them, it quickly becomes overwhelming and everything feels so important. What if this coach doesn’t pick me, or what if I mess up this play, or what if this scout doesn’t notice me? None of it matters except for the moment you’re in. So, my advice to a young athlete is to work really hard, but also understand that there is only one thing that’s important, and that’s the moment you’re standing in. Don’t worry about your strikeout from two innings before while you’re up to bat, focus on the ball coming out of the pitcher’s hand.
Dedication and Preparation
My second piece of advice is that nothing beats dedication and preparation. At some point, all of the players are going to be really good, and the funnel you have to get through to move up in level is really small. It’s the players that love it the most and are dedicated and prepared that are going to get there. I wasn’t even the best hockey player in my small town, but I played 18 years in the NHL, and I think it‘s because I loved the sport, I loved the work, and I embraced the work. If you’re dedicated and prepared then when you get to the rink or the field, don’t think, just react. Your preparation has made you ready to play.
Fourth Inning: With your experience as both an athlete and sports industry professional, which of Little League’s core values – teamwork, community, inclusion, fun, and integrity – have you carried through your journey and continue to carry with you today?
They all matter. But there are two ways you can learn a lot about someone – when they win and when they lose. How do they react and are they able to bounce back? If you keep winning but you’re arrogant and don’t have compassion and have no integrity in the sport, then eventually you’re going to bump your head on the ceiling and someone who is more committed, has integrity, and is good to the people around them is going to pass you. It’s just about doing your best, which sounds corny, but it’s the only thing you can do and then while you’re doing your best, it’s not hard to just take a step back and treat the people around you with respect.
![Ray Ferraro Roster](https://res.cloudinary.com/little-league/image/upload/c_limit,dpr_auto,h_751,w_1200,q_auto,c_fill,g_face/v1719350627/RayFerraroLLWS.jpg)
Fifth Inning: Based on your experience as a youth athlete and professional athlete, why would you say it is important for kids to play sports at the youngest level of play?
In baseball or any sport, we celebrate and notice the player that wins; but, what’s amazing is how many people play and don’t win and still take lessons from it, but they don’t even know in the moment that they are learning those lessons. They are just playing the sport they love; they are just kids. The thing I love best about the core values of a sport is that they are consistently taught to the teams and updated as we continue to grow and learn, then it becomes a part of what you think beyond sports. What could be better than groups of kids learning to think about a core value in a positive way? Nowhere in there does it say anything about winning, that is a byproduct of everything else. Reinforcement of the good only brings more good.
Sixth Inning: With your enshrinement into the Little League Hall of Excellence, you join four other former professional hockey players, what does it mean to you to receive this honor and join a group of incredible alumni?
I was quite surprised, honored, and thrilled when I found out. I got to pull out my Little League hat and all of the pins I collected and share with my wife and kids my stories about the journey to get to Williamsport and that experience. They know about my pro career and broadcasting, but outside of stories, they did not know a lot about Little League. It was reinvigorating to talk about it again. I’ve told countless people over the years about my trip to Williamsport and how much I like Little League and how much I loved wearing Canada on my chest and playing baseball. What an amazing thing to happen to an 11- or 12-year-old, because we weren’t expecting to do it and go the whole way. Williamsport might as well have been on the moon. Being inducted let me relive all of that again.
![Ray Ferraro with Steve Keener receiving the Hall of Excellence Award](https://res.cloudinary.com/little-league/image/upload/c_limit,dpr_auto,h_1334,w_2000,q_auto,c_fill,g_face/v1719350546/RayFerraro.jpg)
Inducted into the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2024 alongside Ferraro is Meghan Duggan, former professional women’s ice hockey superstar and current Manager of Player Development for the New Jersey Devils. To learn more about Little League’s notable alumni, visit LittleLeague.org/Alumni. If you know of a notable Little League graduate that is not listed on our website, please fill out our Little League Alumni Submission Form.
About Little League® Hall of Excellence
Established in 1988, enshrinement into the Little League® Hall of Excellence is conducted annually for a Little League graduate (or graduates) who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their chosen profession and exemplify the values learned as children in Little League. Enshrinement into the Little League Hall of Excellence is the highest honor that Little League can bestow.
Located in the sixth inning of the World of Little League® Museum, multiple exhibits display the tremendous accomplishments that these Hall of Excellence enshrinees have achieved as well as never before seen artifacts and displays from these iconic Little Leaguers®.