Mike Taylor verabschiedet sich mit einem Brief von den Fans und den Ulmern

Dear Ulm; I want to take time to say Thank you. I want to take the time to say good-bye. Without an official 'abschied spiel', we were prevented from one last moment together. May our moment be in these words. Thank you to all the players and coaches who I have had the chance to work with on the floor, you are what made Ulm basketball so enjoyable for me. Thank you to all the friends, fans, sponsors and people who have made my 8 years in Ulm so special. You are what keep the tradition of Ulm basketball alive. Thank you to Thomas Stoll and Andreas Oettel. Looking back, the last 8 years have been a wonderful chapter in my life filled with many positive memories both on and off the floor. I am thankful for these 8 great seasons in Ulm and hold them deep in my heart. On the floor, I am proud of what we accomplished together. We built on the tradition of basketball in the city. We celebrated the 'Aufstieg' in 2005-2006 and continued to build our team into the playoffs in 2008-2009. Throughout the entire process, I take great pride in what we did and how we did it. We made basketball fun and enjoyed wonderful life experiences as a team like our 2003-2004 US College Tour and our 2009-2010 trip to Chengdu China. We have developed German National team players in Konrad Wysocki, Per Gunther and Robin Benzing. We have helped many players make the next steps in their career. We have established respect in German basketball for our work with the best young talents in the country. We have played basketball with style and have become a team which the entire city can be proud of. The challenge to compete with a limited budget every season was never one I backed down from and I always gave everything I had to make the most with what Ulm had. I take complete responsibility for my work and am proud of my 8 year history with ratiopharm Ulm. In the end, with expectations to overachieve every season, it becomes difficult to rebuild especially when working with young players. My enthusiasm, passion for coaching and positive energy never failed and I can leave Ulm knowing I left the Taylorhoops trademark on the team, the city and the Bundesliga. Just as I have made an impact on the basketball court in Ulm, Ulm has made a lasting impact on me. Ulm has been such a special place for my life off the floor. I am proud to speak better German (danke Berlitz) and I love the culture and lifestyle in Germany. Without question, Ulm has become my second home and I hold many wonderful memories in my heart. I have been proud to be an Ulmer. Thinking back on many positive memories, now is the time for everyone to look forward. Ulm has the new Arena (which we all worked so hard for) and I am extremely excited about continuing my coaching career. New challenges await everyone. The wins and losses in basketball are like life in that we all have highs and lows. Just as in basketball, sometimes we face difficult situations in our lives. Sometimes the game is easy; Sometimes the game is hard. But to win, we all must play through adversity. We cannot win every game. The mark of quality character is handling the highs and lows of success and failure in the correct way. As I say my good-bye to Ulm, I would like to demonstrate the right way to respond to difficulties by remaining positive and staying strong. I will hold my head high and take what I can from this situation for growth and development. I will turn it into a positive by becoming a better person and better basketball coach. When people reflect on my time in Ulm, I hope everyone will remember my love for basketball, my positive energy and my passion for coaching. I know in my heart I have always been honest and always done my best. In the end, I am very thankful for a fantastic 8 year run. So just like Sportszentrum Kuhberg after a game, I would like to close my chapter in Ulm with a line that sums up my feeling from 8 years of hardwork: 'Ich habe stolz in meine mannschaft' MIKE T