Landon Rumble won state competition

By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer

Landon Rumble is carrying on a family tradition — and he’s doing pretty well at it.
Landon, 9, is following in the footsteps of his older brother Riley and their father Randy by competing in the Elks Hoop Shoot basketball free throw contests, representing Liverpool Lodge No. 2348. After winning the state competition in the boys’ 8-9 age group, Landon placed second in the Northeast Central Region Elks Hoop Shoot, which was held March 19 in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.
“We were very proud,” Randy Rumble said of his son’s performance.
Landon said his great-grandfather was an Exalted Ruler in the Elks and told him about the Hoop Shoot competition. Randy has been a member of his hometown Elks Lodge in Lowville for 15 years, but he and his wife, Allison, and their five children — Riley, Landon, Kendall, Emmy and Avery — now live in Clay. The Liverpool Lodge is part of the Ontario District.
The Elks Hoop Shoot began in 1946 as a local program of the Elks lodge in Corvallis, Oregon, and has spread across the nation. Players compete at their local Elks lodge, advancing to district, state, regional and then national competitions. The players have 25 shots at the hoop, and the player who makes the most free throws advances.
Landon made 21 of 25 shots in the state Hoop Shoot, which was held March 5 in Vestal. At the regional Hoop Shoot in Pennsylvania, Landon scored 22 out of 25 shots.
“It was fun. [It was] my best of the year, but I didn’t win,” he said, adding that he felt happy and excited to have gotten so far in the competition.
“I did it when I was younger,” Randy recalled. “I never made it far, but my younger brother … had some success in it himself.”
While Landon said he practices only free throws for 20 minutes a day, Randy said his son spends hours playing basketball with his friends in their driveway. When it’s time to come inside, the fun continues with a mini-hoop in Landon’s bedroom. (Sometimes, his 7-year-old sister Kendall joins him; a gymnast, she’s not sure if she’ll join the Hoop Shoot next year.)
“It teaches a lot about competition in general,” Randy said. “We’re big proponents [of] the commitment that it takes, but we’re also able to recognize that it’s not all about winning. … It builds camaraderie; it builds pride.”
Randy said a few local Elks followed Landon’s progress, attending games. The Liverpool Elks also honored Landon at a recent initiation night.
“I just appreciated their solidarity,” Randy said. “They were really involved and encouraging.”
Next year, Landon will move to the 10-11 age group. His advice for aspiring Hoop Shooters?
“You should take your time when you’re shooting your free throw.”