Following dad’s footsteps: Asmonga Jr. played college baseball after being two-sport star for Leps
Submitted photo
Don Asmonga Jr. is shown during his playing days at Belle Vernon when his head coach was his father, Don Asmonga Sr.
Submitted photo
Don Asmonga Jr.
In athletics, playing when your father is the coach can be a difficult proposition.
Case in point, former Belle Vernon Leopard Don Asmonga Jr., who played baseball and basketball for his dad.
鈥淢y dad encouraged all of us to play sports,鈥� Asmonga Jr. stated. 鈥淗e encouraged us to get out and play and we were always out in the yard or going down to the basketball court and the baseball field down the street. He encouraged us to do something, get out of the house.鈥�
Asmonga Jr. played baseball starting as a freshman and was on the varsity in basketball as a sophomore. His father was a legendary coach in both sports and playing for him was an interesting dynamic.
鈥淚t was tough playing for my dad,鈥� Asmonga Jr. offered. 鈥淚t was tough because he always expected more and he was driving, but he was encouraging as well, but he always expected more from you. Of course, you were his son and he expected you to do more to be a better player, he expected you to not only be a better physical player, but to be a more intelligent player as well. The bar was higher because he was a successful player as well, and he wanted you to reach those heights.鈥�
The elder Asmonga played basketball at Homestead and helped lead the high school team to a 28-0 record and a state championship in 1946.
He garnered all-state honors and also received WPIAL honors in football and baseball as well.
After an outstanding career at Alliance College where he starred in basketball, he had a brief career in professional baseball. Asmonga also played professional basketball and had a brief stint with the former Baltimore Bullets of the NBA.
鈥淚 knew about his career as a player,鈥� Asmonga Jr. said. 鈥淚 heard those stories from friends of his and other people. We were always around his family and folks from Homestead and Duquesne and I heard about the four Don蘑菇视频 and a John, the team that won the state championship, and his pitching exploits in minor league baseball.鈥�
Asmonga Jr. played baseball and basketball, but preferred the baseball diamond.
鈥淚 liked baseball better, he stated. 鈥淚 really enjoyed baseball. I had more fun playing baseball.鈥�
Belle Vernon was competitive in baseball when Asmonga Jr. was a freshman and sophomore, Connellsville was usually the team to beat in the section. Asmonga Jr. was a pitcher and a shortstop.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 play as often my freshman and sophomore year,鈥� Asmonga Jr. said. 鈥淲e had some pretty good ballplayers.鈥�
In basketball, Asmonga Jr. played sparingly as a sophomore on a team that went 7-5 in section play and 16-9 overall. Asmonga Jr.蘑菇视频 athletic career took a hiatus his junior year in high school.
鈥淚 was actually down visiting my sister Nancy in Germantown, Maryland,鈥� Asmonga Jr. recalled. 鈥淲e were up touring the capitol and we were in the dome of the capitol and saw Amy Carter had signed her name in the dome as a Congressional page. She explained what a Congressional page was. We went back to her condo and we wrote a letter to congressman Joe Gaydos, our congressman at the time. We never said anything to mom and dad about it.
鈥淢y mom and dad knew Joe Gaydos and he had an event at the Belle Vernon American Legion and he ran into them at the event. He told them that he had an appointment for your son and she said, what are you talking about? He told them I had to come to Washington at the end of the school year to become a congressional page. This was right after the page scandal had happened. My mom said he蘑菇视频 not going anywhere. After discussing it I ended up going to Washington in June and spent the summer there as a running page delivering messages.
鈥淪everal pages were staying for the rest of the school year and they interviewed four of us. It was Chris Matthews who used to be on MSNBC, he interviewed us to be Speaker of the House蘑菇视频 page and I was selected. I became the page for speaker Tip O鈥橬eill and that was quite an experience. It was fantastic, the people you meet and the friends you meet, it was quite memorable.鈥�
Asmonga Jr. returned to high school his senior year and played baseball on a team that finished 1-13.
鈥淚 had arm trouble,鈥� Asmonga Jr. lamented. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I pitched all that much my senior year.鈥�
He played basketball as a senior and tallied 214 points on a squad that went 4-8 in section play and 7-15 overall.
鈥淲e had a decent year and most of the games we lost we were fairly competitive in those games,鈥� Asmonga Jr. said.
Asmonga Jr. was named honorable mention all-section in basketball as a senior.
His senior year in 1985, Asmonga Jr. attended a tryout for the Cincinnati Reds in Charleroi. It was an eye-opening experience.
鈥淲hen you are with your team and you play in your section you think you are a pretty good ballplayer and you think you run pretty good and have good stuff on the mound,鈥� Asmonga Jr. explained. 鈥淭hen when you get to play with players from around the whole region or that could be from out of state you realize maybe how ordinary you just might be. It蘑菇视频 amazing the amount of talent that is out there. It蘑菇视频 an eye-opener.鈥�
Asmonga Jr. played two years at Montgomery College in Germantown, Maryland.
鈥淚 started out at WVU and then went to Montgomery College,鈥� Asmonga Jr. said. 鈥淢ontgomery College was one of three Montgomery College campuses. I was one of four or five guys that had played baseball before on that team. I actually did fairly well. We only won a couple of games and I pitched one game we lost 4-3 and I had 14 strikeouts. I pitched and played shortstop and first base.鈥�
Asmonga Jr. graduated from Mount Saint Mary蘑菇视频 University in 1990 and got an MBA from Frostburg State University in 2000. He embarked on a very successful business career.
He was Legislative Director for the Hon. Joseph M. Gaydos for three years. He served as Senior Director of Government Relations for AHIMA for 20 years. He was Vice President and Consultant for Standards and Government Affairs Privacy Analytics Inc. for a little over a year and was Officer, Health Information Technology for The Pew Charitable Trusts for five years. Asmonga Jr. is now a freelance government affairs consultant.
Asmonga Jr., 56, resides in Frederick Maryland, with his wife of 30 years Sandra. They have three children, Caitlyn, Collin and Megan.
Asmonga Jr. is proud of his volunteer work.
He serves as President of the Frederick Youth Hockey Association. He assumed the president蘑菇视频 role during a time of difficulty and declining membership and has shepherded the club through a name change, a new hockey director, and an unprecedented period of growth and success. Since becoming president, the club membership has grown from approximately 110 players to over 220, multiple teams have made the USA Hockey National Championships and the club has assumed management of Maryland蘑菇视频 junior hockey team, the Frederick Freeze.
Asmonga Jr. also very involved with The Donald Asmonga Foundation that was established in honor of his father. Family and friends formed the non-profit Donald Asmonga Foundation in his memory. The Foundation awards 鈥淢ighty Leopard鈥� student athlete scholarships of $1,000 each. The Foundation has awarded over $50,000 in scholarships.
鈥淎thletics was a big part of my life,鈥� Asmonga Jr. stated. 鈥淚t teaches leadership and it teaches camaraderie and learning respect for each other. It蘑菇视频 a wonderful way for folks to grow.鈥�
George Von Benko蘑菇视频 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Sunday editions of the 蘑菇视频. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.