Catching Up with Coach Ward

ood players, people and atmosphere.”

St. Joseph’s Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach Margaret Ward keeps it simple when she’s asked what the keys to her success on the hardwood in Brooklyn were. Ward coached from 1951 to 1984, guiding the team to many winning seasons, including the program’s only undefeated season in 1963-64.

And yet, when asked what she considered to be her greatest achievement during her time at St. Joe’s, winning was not part of her answer.

“I educated the students and players on the importance of physical education,” responded Ward, who turned 100 years old this past summer.

Living in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Ward, the Brooklyn Campus’ first athletic director and a 2015 inductee into the campus’ athletics Hall of Fame, has been an avid golfer during her retirement years, playing up to nine holes at a time as recently as two years ago.

Peg Ansbro ’57 played four winning seasons under Ward. But the memory she cherishes most from her time playing at St. Joseph’s came in 2015, when she was part of a small St. Joseph’s contingent who drove together to Pittsfield to present Ward with her Hall of Fame award.

“When I handed her the award, the look on her face was priceless,” said Ansbro, 87, a retired school teacher from Breezy Point. “She was just so happy.”

Ansbro recalled how thoroughly she enjoyed playing for Ward.

“We practiced every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I looked forward to practices as much as she did,” said Ansbro, a leading scorer on the team. “She was always calm, kind and encouraging.”