Deora Marsh returns home to inspire Lakeside Junior High basketball team

“Just remember — you are lucky.”

With those words, 1978 Ashtabula High School graduate, Ashtabula County Basketball Hall of Fame and Ireland Hall of Fame member Deora Marsh opened his message to student-athletes on the Lakeside Junior High basketball team recently.

While the hallways and basketball court may have changed over the years, Marsh’s connection to Ashtabula has not. Returning home from Ireland, he stopped at Lakeside Junior High to share his journey and the lessons that helped shape him as both a player and person.

Marsh’s path in basketball is anything but conventional.

A native of Ashtabula County, he did not play organized basketball in elementary school or junior high.

Instead, he developed his game on local outdoor courts, including West Street, and did not earn his first opportunity to play organized basketball until his junior year at Ashtabula High School.

“I didn’t play in elementary school or junior high,” Marsh said. “In fact, I didn’t make the freshman team and didn’t play until my junior year.”

Despite the late start, Marsh’s dedication and work ethic carried him forward.

He went on to compete at the Division I NCAA level with Southern Mississippi, a testament to perseverance and commitment.

After college, Marsh continued his basketball journey overseas, signing with Ballina and playing professionally in Europe before ultimately being committed to professional basketball in Ireland, where he remains connected to the game to this day.

Marsh emphasized that basketball alone did not define his success.

Much of the credit, he shared, belongs to his parents, whose guidance, expectations, and support were just as important as anything he learned on or off the court.

Marsh also spoke candidly about setbacks, including not making the team as a freshman. Rather than letting that disappointment define him, he used it as motivation to work harder, stay disciplined, and remain focused on his goals.

Throughout his visit, Marsh emphasized lessons that extended far beyond basketball fundamentals.

He encouraged players to play as a team, work hard, stay disciplined, listen to their coaches, and take school seriously. He reminded them that academics must come first — without success in the classroom, there is no opportunity to play the game.

His message was clear: talent alone is not enough.

Success is built through effort, discipline, and a willingness to learn — both in athletics and in life.