Q: Please tell us a bit about yourself and your family.
My name is Asher Dubas and I have been in the Holland area since my parents moved my family here in 1984. Growing up we followed my dad’s career around a bit. We lived in Chicago, Mississippi, Yardley, and then finally settled in Holland. I have been here ever since (with the exception of my years away at college in South Carolina and Long Island). My time away really solidified for me my love for Bucks County and specifically, Holland. That love is why my wife and I decided to settle down and raise a family in this area. I met my wife when we were both in our mid-twenties on a family vacation. Coincidentally, my wife and her family are from the same area in Chicago that my mom had grown up. We had a great time talking about the midwest vs the east coast and after the vacation we stayed in touch. Now we have 2 amazing children, a 12-year-old son, and a 9-year-old daughter. Both of my children attend Hillcrest Elementary and love it there. It is very surreal for me to get to see my children explore the same creeks and woods that I got to explore as a child. This is a special place, and I am glad we get to raise our kids here. My son plays baseball with Holland Little League and my daughter does cheerleading and gymnastics. She is going to try her hand at softball this year so if you need to find us from April through June, we will be on one of the local ballfields. I am constantly thrilled and amused by our children and excited to see what they get into next.
Q: Tell us about your time with the Holland Little League.
Growing up I was part of Holland Little League. I fell in love with the game of baseball and played it through high school and college (I still sneak out and play a game here and there). I am lucky enough to get to coach my son and his friends on the same fields where I fell in love with the game. I feel like Holland Little League is so very special because it still has that town ball feeling. It has an innocent feeling of friends and schoolmates playing against each other. In this day of measuring everything and always preparing for the next level-which can feel all too transactional-it’s a space for kids to learn the game of baseball and not worry about what their numbers are or who they need to impress. Holland has kept it very town focused.
Holland Little League is supported by a wonderful organization. Our volunteers and community are what make this league so successful and give kids such great opportunities. We have a board that takes great care of us. They do a fantastic job organizing and fundraising to make sure that our kids have great fields, uniforms, equipment and more! I am lucky enough to get to sit on that board with some of the amazing parents that I coach with. The community has really come together to care for the kids in this league. We have some parents who are still coaching teams that their children have long grown out of because they love it. People stay around for years and lend their support because they really believe in what we are doing. I believe that the league is etched into the fabric of what makes this community great. You can look and see our community pouring into Holland Little League and I think it says a lot about what our community stands for.
I am privileged to coach the 12 year old travel team for the league. I love the Holland travel program because I feel that the team is composed of the kids who are the most dedicated and excited about the game and have chosen to play more baseball. I have been coaching most of these kids since they were 6 years old. That helps us build a special bond. When I took on coaching the team, I didn’t have any experience coaching. I asked my dad for some advice, and he told me that I had been given a lot of good knowledge and information about baseball and now it’s time to pass that along. Think about what you needed when you were their age and pass that on to them. That was very helpful to me. I like to get to know the kids and understand what they need. Some kids need you to be direct and tough, some need more affirmation and encouragement, while others need very specific detail. I want to give them what I think they need based on their development. I want to meet them where they are. Seeing where these kids started and where they are today is amazing and so rewarding. I try to incorporate life lessons for them as well. I like to give them quotes and bits of knowledge that I borrow or come up with when thinking about the game. Recently I told them, “Talent is a gift. You have no say in how talented you are BUT you can choose to get better by the amount of effort you put in. Have goals and choose to work hard toward those goals.” They may not all become pro baseball players, but I certainly hope they will take some of the lessons they learn while playing here in Holland.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career.
When I’m not coaching baseball, I have a job as an independent management consultant. I specifically help with project management for different companies. I’m currently doing a job in higher education. I’m on a team implementing new systems and making sure processes are moving quickly and efficiently. Being an independent consultant gives me a somewhat flexible schedule and allows me to be more involved in the community.
Q: What do you love most about coaching baseball?
I love the fact that I have the opportunity to teach the next generation lessons that they will take and apply to their future lives. I see baseball as a proxy for life. Baseball is a hard game. If you fail 70% of the time, you are a wild success. I teach the kids that in life you will face hardships and failure but there will also be big opportunities and good times will come. I think if they can understand that they will be set up well for life. If nothing else, I hope they have fun and make lifelong friends to talk baseball with.
Q: What is a “Must do” for someone visiting our community?
All of the parks here are fantastic. I really like Tyler State Park and Core Creek Park. I would say to anyone visiting, go outside and enjoy the beautiful scenery around us.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
I have always wanted to go to Italy. I have some Italian heritage and I would love to dive more into that. I am enamored by the culture, the food, and the wine. Costa Rica is also on my short list.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
Ted Lasso is so good. It incorporates the challenges and absurdities of coaching with a lot of life lessons. I enjoy Ozark as well. It can get pretty dark but it’s hard not to be intrigued by those types of characters. I like to see the inner workings of people navigating their lives when they’re in a tight spot. Also, we made the questionable decision to let my son watch Stranger Things because it has so much 80’s nostalgia in the first season. He loved it and now we have watched all of the seasons. He’s a huge fan, and thankfully, can still get to sleep at night.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
I once heard that life is about losing and gaining perspective, and that stuck with me. We can easily lose perspective because life gets busy, complicated, and demanding. I think my advice would be that you need to make time and space for yourself to recenter and regain your perspective…however that works best for you. Don’t just drop out but here and there step back and take time to reflect. Go for a walk/run or have coffee with a friend and take the time to regain your perspective on what is really important to you.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I have always been a huge fan of college baseball, so I would love to go to the College World series in Ohama one day. I would also like to see the many national parks with my family- maybe as part of the trip to Omaha!
Q: What is your favorite band or music genre?
My wife and I just really enjoy music so we are always looking for new (or new to us) music. Somewhat recently, we have been listening to Nathaniel Rateliff. We actually saw him at Red Rocks in Colorado and the experience was incredible. Growing up when I did, it’s hard not to love anything from the 80’s and 90’s…hip-hop, grunge rock as well as classic rock, any rock will do.
Q: If you could choose anyone alive or dead today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I think Elon Musk is one of the weirdest and most interesting people around. I would like to get more of his unpolished perspective and story of how he came to where he is today and what running such large companies is really like. I’d invite him to Cafe Madison and try to get my name on the list for a trip to Mars.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
In 5 years, I’d like to reenter the small business world. I have several ideas that I think could work. Only one way to find out! Primarily, I hope my family is still happy, healthy and thriving and that my kids continue to pursue their passions.
Q: What is your favorite holiday and why?
I enjoy all of the holidays as crazy as they may get, however, it’s hard to beat Thanksgiving. The whole family gets together. My family is my greatest joy and I love getting everyone together. My sister is amazing and she has been hosting Thanksgiving for many years now. How she and my mom cook so many fantastic dishes all at once, I do not know. I also run a flag football game (the Turkey Bowl – super original, I know) on Thanksgiving morning for the past 25+ years. It started with me and my friends and now it’s our kids playing. It’s a great time!
Q: Who inspires you to be your best?
My whole family really. My wife, my parents, and my sister, they are my biggest inspiration. They help me refocus, gain perspective, listen to me, give advice when needed, and help me navigate all of the craziness.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Chocolate chip cookies are pretty amazing. Also, the smell of home. You come home and there is a specific smell and I love it.
Q: What words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Love, joy, togetherness, support, and dancing.