Soccer community mourns death of former BV soccer coach
Jim Rue couldn’t believe the text message, Joe Kijowski still can’t comprehend how a man so young could be lost, and all Jesse Cramer can do is look back.
Those were the reactions all three had when hearing about the passing of former Belle Vernon girls soccer coach Paul Sasko.
Sasko, who died suddenly Saturday afternoon at 55 years old, resigned as the Leopards’ head coach after 11 seasons last November. He finished his coaching career with a record of 172-42-10 and eight section championships, including five straight from 2005-09.
Upon hearing the “devastating” news, Cramer, who retired as Belle Vernon’s athletic director in January, wonders if health played a role in Sasko’s resignation.
“You’re never prepared for things like that, but for a guy who worked out with the girls – he still played in an under 60 league – I was totally shocked,” Cramer said. “I can’t understand. He was in shape, he looked good. I still can’t figure it out. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Sasko led Belle Vernon to its second consecutive section title last season, all-but securing it with a key home win over Waynesburg. Following the 4-0 victory, he didn’t boast of the program’s success. Instead, he was concerned about one of his players getting injured early in the match.
It is his concern and caring for athletes that earned him respect among the local soccer community.
“I still can’t wrap my head around it,” said Rue, former coach at Charleroi. “You question why things happen, but they do. I was very upset to hear about it.”
Sasko also earned the reputation for having his teams play a structured finesse game that is difficult to execute at the high school level. It was that sort of play that gave opponents fits. It led to a 127-12-7 record in section play and helped develop four future Division I players.
“He always had his teams prepared and was a great coach,” Kijowski, Waynesburg’s head coach, said. “Paul helped me through my first year. Whenever I had a question on how to handle different situations, I didn’t hesitate to call him. He was always gracious enough to help out.”
Sasko is survived by his wife, Shelly, and his three children, Leah, Matt and Marla.
Rob Miele, who coached with Sasko at Belle Vernon, set up a GoFundMe.com account to raise money for a scholarship fund in Sasko’s name. Already, $6,000 has been raised toward one scholarship per year for a boy and girl soccer player at Belle Vernon.