Joel Ascher’s gamers by no means forgot him.
Years later, they might return, attending an annual reunion in honor of the person who taught them about basketball and life at August Martin Excessive College in South Jamaica, Queens. Even in his last days, three gamers — Nicole Browne, Yolanda Wilson and Wally Vega — had been round him steadily, serving to him get to physician appointments and deal with menial duties.
“Very loving and caring, at all times keen to go above and past for anybody for something,” mentioned Wilson, who graduated in 1991. “His coronary heart was simply product of gold. I don’t suppose there’s sufficient phrases to precise to explain what a terrific, superior man, father, coach, pal he was.”
Monday evening, these gamers misplaced a person they thought of a father to them. Ascher died on the age of 83, struggling a coronary heart assault in his Rego Park, Queens dwelling. He by no means married or had youngsters.
“He didn’t personally have his personal youngsters, however he made positive that we felt the love of a father from him,” Vega mentioned. “He beloved us all. Every of us have a novel reminiscence of him.”
Browne fondly recalled how Ascher would exit of his technique to be there for her. When she gave delivery to her son 5 years in the past, he waited on the hospital for six hours to see the new child. When she attended Lackawanna (Pa.) Faculty, he made the journey together with her, transferring her in, ensuring all of the services had been working. One other participant, Heather Hoard, held him in such excessive regard, she wanted Ascher’s blessing earlier than marrying her future husband. It was Ascher who launched her to basketball, resulting in her touchdown a full scholarship to Northeastern Illinois.
“Daddy ‘Asch’ was every thing to us,” Hoard mentioned. “He’s actually the epitome of what a father is meant to be.”
He retired previous to the 2009-10 season as a result of painful arthritis in his legs, hips and again, after main August Martin to 12 metropolis championships — within the span of 14 years — and 4 state titles throughout 30 principally profitable seasons, creating this system into town’s finest on the peak of his tenure. Greater than100 of Ascher’s gamers went on to varsity, enjoying for the likes of Stanford, Wisconsin and UCLA. He additionally coached softball within the spring at August Martin.
“He was like the daddy of women basketball within the metropolis so far as I’m involved,” mentioned Ed Grezinsky, the previous Murry Bergtraum ladies basketball coach. “I used to be getting began within the 1990s and he was the man I at all times seemed as much as. You needed your program to sometime be what his program was.”
Ascher harassed fundamentals and crew ball and was recognized for his blunt honesty and deep affection for his gamers. He was quiet throughout video games, sitting on the bench, observing moderately than yelling.
“He would stand on the finish of the bench with one leg propped up on the chair and his elbow on this knee, his fist beneath his chin and watch that recreation,” recalled former John Jay and Bishop Ford coach John Losasso, who misplaced 4 instances to Ascher within the metropolis finals. “Right here I'm going loopy with technique making an attempt to determine issues, make modifications, and it doesn't matter what it’s like he’d be unperturbed.”
Most essential to him was his gamers’ lives after basketball, serving to them get a free training that might set them up for fulfillment.
“I simply don’t need the [borough] of Queens to overlook him,” Hoard mentioned, combating again tears. “He was such a terrific particular person. That’s my father.”
— Extra reporting by Joseph Staszewski
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