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CHRIS SANTOS - HE KEEPS IT GOING IN
PUEBLO & THE WFA |
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| Chris Santos, ISC Commissioner for the Western
Fastpitch Alliance the past three years, literally grew up at the softball
parks of Pueblo, Colorado. Chris’ dad, Joe played, managed and umpired
and Chris was always there with him. At age 10, Chris began his own
playing career in the old Pueblo Boys Fastpitch Program. And he’s never
stopped. Well, he stopped playing a few years ago but continues as the
driving force behind fastpitch softball in Pueblo. As the sponsor and
manager of the Legacy Communications Bandits team, Chris knows the
difficulty of keeping a small budget team competitive with the "big
boys."
As an ISC Travel League commissioner, Chris has done an outstanding job keeping his multi state league together. With teams from Colorado, Arizona and Utah, the geography alone presents numerous problems. But Chris has kept it going and sees growth in the league in 2000. California should come back with at least one team and Colorado, Utah and Arizona should each be looking at a one team increase. The Santos family is keeping it together in Pueblo too. Joe still handles everything connected with the 7 team local men’s fastpitch league. He organizes, schedules, prepares the diamonds and arranges the umpires. Chris worries that when Joe decides he’s had enough, the local Pueblo program may falter. We hope not. Chris, brother Jerry and Joe began the Bandits team 12 years ago. Since then they have played at the highest level of the sport. They operate on a shoestring budget. This is the epitome of dedicated softball people doing everything possible to keep the sport going. They are to be commended. The 39 year old Chris and wife Sue have four children; Gary (22), Jolene (19), Jacque (14) and Jennifer (11). The family is completely supportive of Chris’ activities and love of fastpitch softball. Chris is hoping that new leadership in the Pueblo Recreation Dept. will lead to an effort to rejuvenate to Pueblo Boys Fastpitch Program. For many years they had one of the biggest and most competitive programs in the country. Chris’ Bandits team is still benefiting from the athletes who formerly played boys fastpitch in Pueblo. Chris worked for Motorola for 15 years. When the company decided to shut down the local operation, they offered it to the employees. Thirteen of the former employees, including Chris, banded together and bought the operation from Motorola. It is now Legacy Communications. Besides Chris’ duties as an ISC commissioner, he is also the Colorado ASA Deputy Commissioner for Fastpitch. Colorado may well have one of the finest cooperative systems in the country where ISC, ASA and NAFA all work together for the betterment of the game. Many areas of the country could learn a lesson from the successful Colorado method of cooperation instead of petty competition. Chris Santos is simply a damn good fastpitch man. We need more just like him. |
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