“Whether driving, putting together a large event or organizing a banquet, Karen can always be counted on,” said Santa Barbara Athletic Director Nan Verkaik.

Karen is a parent of high school athletes and has also given time to the tennis and baseball programs specifically.

Sportsperson of the Month Lee Carter

When he’s not in court trying cases, Deputy District Attorney Lee Carter usually can be found on the local roads running or riding a bike.

And, if there is a local race on the weekends, Carter will be there in the capacity of a volunteer coach, or as a member of the race support team, or as a part of the timing crew.

And, if the local police department needs help preparing its recruits for the physical rigors of the academy, or training officers for the bike patrol, Carter is their man.

For all he does in the community, Carter was honored by the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table as its Sportsperson of the Month at Monday’s press luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe.

A former bike race, Carter is a dedicated triathlete. He has twice completed the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Carter has served as a coach for the Team in Training group and donated any money he received back to the program.

For virtually every major running event in town, Carter works with his friend, Wally Marrantette, in timing the race. Often times, they’ll run the course before the event to make sure the distance is accurate.

“He participates as relay runner for Special Olympics and can be found ‘just helping out‘ on events from the Santa Barbara Athletic Association races to the Carpinteria Triathlon to the State Street Mile,” said SBART president-elect Laurie Leighty in presenting the award. “The one constant is that he always contributes as a volunteer, refuses to be compensated and, if it is a paid position, he simply contributes the money back to support the participants. And, he always does it with a smile on his face.”

Rosabeth Dorfhuber

The work Rosabeth Dorfhuber does for athletes behind the scenes was recognized by the Athletic Round Table.

Dorfhuber was honored as the SBART’s Sportsperson of the Month.

Dorfhuber is a longtime yoga instructor at SBCC, and she has shared the benefits of yoga with Vaquero athletes, local high school teams, the UCSB volleyball team and the National Baseball Congress champion Santa Barbara Foresters.

She was nominated for the award by Foresters manager Bill Pintard.

Besides working with the athletes, Dorfhuber gives countless volunteer hours to the Foresters’ Hugs for Cubs program.

“I absolutely love what I do,” she said. “I believe the power of yoga can help transform the mind and body of the competitive athlete.”

Debra Koopmans receives applause from San Marcos Athletic Director Abe Jahadhmy and the crowd.

Another award was handed out Monday, as Debra Koopmans was named Sportsperson of the Month. The award was presented by American Riviera Bank’s Laurie Leighty and is sponsored by Wade and Roxanne Nomura.

Debra Koopmans, left, receives a round of applause for receiving the Sportsperson of the Month award.
San Marcos Athletic Director Abe Jahadhmy thanked Koopmans for her huge role behind the scenes making sure San Marcos athletes have the best experience possible.

“She has been willing to take on any tasks to improve the school and leave the place in better shape than when she got there,” Jahadhmy said.

Paul Gamberdella attended Monday's luncheon to accept the Sportsperson of the Month award from Laurie Leighty.

Sportsperson of the Month: Paul Gamberdella was recognized for his diligent work on the SBART’s annual High-Five Golf Tournament, which raises money for the local schools’ athletic departments.

Gamberdella has been a member of the tournament organizing committee since 1999. In that time, the event has raised $200,000.

“Without Paul’s dedication and commitment to this tournament the five benefiting high schools (Santa Barbara, San Marcos, Dos Pueblos, Carpinteria and Bishop Diego) would not be receiving these essential funds for their various sports during these tough economic times,” said Rich Hanna, committee chairperson and the incoming SBART president.

Gamberdella is a local guy. He was a three-sport star at San Marcos before going on to Cal Poly, where he earned all-conference honors as a catcher.

He is a senior vice president at the Radius Commercial Real Estate Group.

He and his wife, Marla, have five kids, ranging from ages 10 to 2.

That prompted a crack from award presenter Laurie Leighty:

“He has no idea how busy he’s going to be in the next 10 years,” she said.

Rich Ridgway

SPORTSPERSON OF THE MONTH: San Marcos parent Rich Ridgway has been heading up the Royals’ Field of Champions project, which seeks to raise $850,000 for a turf field at Valley Stadium. Ridgway’s pitch to the luncheon audience (see video above) was a testament to his genuine passion for the project.

“If you bring up the name Ridgway in this community it’s instant credibility,” said San Marcos Athletic Director Abe Jahadhmy.

“If we get this field built our kids are going to benefit big-time, and so are the rest of the kids on sports teams in this community,” said Ridgway.

Bruce Davis

SPORTSPERSON OF THE MONTH, BRUCE DAVIS: Hazard’s Cyclesports, owned by Davis and his wife Regina, has been much more than just a bike store for the athletic community over the years. The business has also served as an official and unofficial sponsor of numerous local teams such as Moms in Motion, the UCSB Triathlon Club, and many more. Hazard’s supports world-class cyclists such as Olympian Adam Duvendeck as well as kids just learning how to pump the pedals.

“It’s so nice to be involved in the athletic world. The athletes do all of the hard work and I always like to take a little bit of credit for making their bikes go faster, but we all know who the real stars are,” said Davis.

Paul Klein and his son, Tyler.

Paul Klein was eager to teach his young son, Taylor, about sports a few years back, so he started a group for young kids to learn about and gain exposure to different sports. As a result, “Booty Camp” was formed, with upwards of 10 community youngsters coming together to have fun ad be coached.

“It’s just a great thing. We go from sport-to-sport, whatever’s in season, I try to teach them. They want to come and play with their friends,” he said.

Sportsperson of the Month: Jean Debettignies

SPORTSPERSON OF THE MONTH: Jean Debettignies is a local athletic trainer who has tirelessly served as medical and crew chief for the Kalyra Women’s Cycling Team in their three attempts at a transcontinental record in the Race Across America. The team simultaneously raises funds for Girls Inc. of Santa Barbara. Debettignies’ work has involved hundreds of hours of service to the team.

“It was because of Jean’s efforts to the team that they were able to raise thousands of dollars for Girls Inc. and do it in record-setting time,” said award presenter Laurie Leighty.

“This is such a great community to work with… I just had never imagined how much fun I would have doing this,” said Debettignies.

It’s all done through Echelon Santa Barbara, a cycling club founded in 1984 which promotes the sport locally. Echelon also runs a youth program which has produced the likes of Olympian Adam Duvendeck, who told award presenter Joe Howell that Echelon and Mondo were instrumental in his success.

Requejo has been on Echelon’s Board of Directors since 2001.

“Mondo truly represents what every successful community group and every successful sports organization needs — someone who works hard for the organization, is passionate about its purpose and is not concerned about getting credit,” said Howell.

Joe Howell hands Armando Requejo his plaque.