SPORTS HALL of FAME ATHLETE
Asa Decker Jr. '54'

From his days as a high school and college athlete to his many years racing canoes and kayaks, Asa Decker has devoted a large part of his life to enjoying and excelling in sports. He attained enormous success in the sports arena with his combination of versatility, athleticism and an unyielding competitive drive.

Asa was a three-sport athlete at Sidney, where he earned nine varsity letters. Basketball was perhaps his most productive of the three, as he led the Warriors in scoring and was named as a League All-Star all three seasons. By his senior year, Asa was among the top five scorers in the league.

In football, Asa played the quarterback and defensive back, starting both his junior and senior years. He was also a special teams performer during those seasons. One of the more memorable games was against Sherburne in 1953. Faced with a 7-6 deficit and the ball a mere six inches from the Warriors' own goal, Asa led his team on a 99+ yard drive to win the game 12-7. The winning touchdown, scored by Ron Walker, was set up by a key 39 yard pass play from Asa to Doug Porter.

On the baseball diamond, you'd see Asa manning shortstop or center field. He was selected honorable mention all-star his junior year and led the team in stolen bases.

Asa joined the Marine Corps shortly after graduating with the class of 1954. He suffered a serious car accident, which kept him on light duty for 14 months. However he recovered enough to participate on a USMC Championship football team in Edenton, North Carolina; in fact he was named team MVP. Later, he helped lead another Marine football squad to a championship, this time in Quantico, Virginia.

Upon release from the service, Asa enrolled at Albany Business College. It was there he was able to play basketball, also serving as captain, on a 17-1 Owls team that won the 1963-64 Northeast Conference Championship. Moreover, Asa also carried the highest academic average on the team. That spring, another car accident prevented him from playing the next season, when he was to be a team co-captain. As an alternative he served as an assistant coach for the team which sported a 15-3 record.

Fans of the General Clinton Canoe Regatta recognize the name Asa Decker. He paddled in races over three decades and becoming one of the first members of the 1400-mile Club for completing the 70-mile Endurance Race 20 times! He has won nine of these races in various divisions and/or age groups. In years he did not "race the 70", Asa paddled the 12-mile Sprint Race, winning that three times. Upon moving from the Norwich area to Cape Cod, he learned to kayak, which resulted in one kayak sprint championship as well.

Asa's professional career was with the C & U Telephone Company (and its many name changes), where he worked for 30 years. He and Betty eventually moved into their dream home on Cape Cod. Asa has spent his retirement years following the famous Cape Cod Baseball League as well as the activities of his five children and eight grandchildren.

Nominations poured in from his Class of 1954 teammates, but also from his coach at Albany Business College, Richard Bogdan. With all of this support, Asa Decker joins the other elite student-athletes and coaches in the Sidney Alumni Sports Hall of Fame.