Dianne Baros: Leading the push behind youth sports
11/21/2007
Patron Saint: A saint looked on as the special guardian of a person, place, institution, etc.
That's how Webster's defines a patron saint and, if Mark Paige had any say in the latest edition, he would have included a picture of Dianne Baros alongside that entry.
Not everyone gets that lofty of a nickname, but Baros fits the bill as the Patron Saint of Pojoaque Youth Sports. For 12 years, Baros has tried to stay out of the limelight working with Pojoaque's basketball and soccer leagues. Still, she always seems to be the familiar face when it comes to those sports.
"It's an incredible amount of work that she does for these leagues," said Paige, a coach who nominated Baros for the honor. "The work that she does is the kind of work no one wants to do. And not only does she do it year after year, she does it with a smile."
Baros can write down the directions to run an entire youth sports season in a matter minutes, because she knows each step by heart. And despite her willingness to stay in the background, her work gets her noticed.
She has been spotted entering the newspaper office to place an advertisement for the upcoming season. That was her dropping off fliers at the elementary and junior high schools. And the return address on the registration mailout indicating the upcoming season is hers as well.
However, she's most recognized standing in front of the Pojoaque Supermarket, running the registration table.
She is humble, though. She'll tell you there are other people who help with each league. But she is the person who wants to do the mundane jobs that need to be done. And there's a reason for it all.
"I just enjoy doing all of this work," Baros said with a grin. "I really enjoy standing out in front of the supermarket. I don't look at it as a job that needs to get done, and I'm the only one to do it. I look at this as something I want to do."
Baros, like most parents, got involved with the youth sports scene when her oldest son, David, was in grade school. But then she took on the job as a parent willing to help out her son's team. It wasn't until her daughter, Kimberly, joined that Baros jumped knee-deep into the league sports.
Paige said in his nomination letter that there would be little for youths to do in the Pojoaque area if it weren't for the leagues. There are no parks and there are few youth-oriented activities available. The youth sports leagues have been a mainstay for constructive youth participation and also are a regular center of community social gatherings. And Baros has been the cornerstone of their continuance.
"She doesn't get a whole lot of recognition for the work that she does," Paige said. "And she seems fine with that. That's amazing."
Now that both of her children have grown and moved on, Baros remains with the leagues. She admits that the work isn't always easy, but it's the kind words and thanks she receives in the supermarket aisles or at a restaurant that keep her motivation strong.
"There are some hard people to deal with, but there are so many more who appreciate what you do and thank you for what you do," Baros said. "They thank you for giving the time that makes it worthwhile. You appreciate seeing the kids out there playing, and then they take time to come by and talk to you. They remember you from when they registered. So when they see me on the fields, they know who I am."
Once the kids are registered, Baros' work is not finished. She starts putting the teams together, and then comes the time to order the uniforms. Last year, there were approximately 300 4- to 12-year-olds in basketball. That was about the same amount in soccer this past fall.
The kids aren't just from Pojoaque, they're also from Española and Santa Fe. And her popularity goes beyond the people she lives with and sees on the weekends.
"I'll get a call from the uniform company that handles our soccer uniforms letting me know that it's close to order new ones," Baros said. "It's funny, you know? I have worked with the same people at the company for years, and I feel like we know each other as well."
Once the season starts, another place you'll find Baros is inside the concession stand.
"I swear she lives in that concession stand," Paige said. "Her dedication is unbelievable. There was once during the soccer season that I went out to the fields a couple of hours before the games started and there she was, getting things ready in the concession stand.
"And on top of everything else, she knows how to make a great Frito Pie."
Baros uses the spring as a time to rest and re-energize for the next season, which always seems to be right around the corner.
And it's not like she's bored either. When she isn't working for the Department of Transportation as an account auditor, she volunteers as a Eucharistic minister at her church.
"I am really humbled to be nominated for this honor because it isn't just me out there working. There are so many people who I work with that help make the leagues work," Baros said. "And I'll continue to do it, as long as they'll have me."