WHY I BOOST: CHARLES AJARRISTA
When the Barbo Booster program launched earlier this year, there was a person I had in mind who would make an ideal Booster. He thrived in the Green & White as a player, our star fly half who never even seemed to sweat out on the pitch. Cool as a cucumber on a hot summer day, Charles Ajarrista was always able to steady the ship with his trusty foot. He rarely backed down from a crunching tackle, and he always knew how to make his teammates smile (a rare, but useful, skill on the rugby pitch).
Charles found success off the pitch in his career selling software for OpenTable. I remember when he first interviewed for the job, bursting with confidence that his trilingualism would set himself apart from the pack of seemingly average applicants. He was right. Speaking English, Spanish and French fluently was always going to be a leg up, but his defining sales skill was the same one so often enjoyed on the pitch. His ability to put people at ease.
When I got around to calling him in February, I imagined that our conversation would be like any “sales cycle”. I would start by just telling him about the newly formed initiative. Then I would follow up a month later, showing him how persistent I could be. Then, after two months, he would finally sign up. But I was pleasantly surprised when he stopped me mid-pitch to tell me he wanted to sign up asap. For $50 a month!
While I was initially surprised at the generosity, it all started to make sense to me when he told me his “why’”.
"Chucky Fresh” (pictured on the right), was a key piece in the 2018 National Championship Team
“When I moved to Denver, I joined up with the club and immediately felt like I had been welcomed into a family. After playing with the club for a few years, I experienced some highs and lows. Tearing my ACL (twice) was a challenging time for me. The road of recovery was slow and incremental, but some key “old boys” stepped up and helped me during those trying times. Tom Hewitt and Mike Pisney both opened up a room in their house when I was between leases. They provided not only a roof over my head, but also helpful advice that helped me advance my career in sales.
After my grueling rehab and recovery, I was able to retake the pitch and don the Green & White for the first time after two years away. The 2017-2018 season was a year that I will always hold dear to my heart. Not only did we navigate a new club rugby landscape (after the 2016 PRO rugby “experiment”), but we continued to play winning rugby which ultimately culminated in a Club National Championship. As sweet as the success was on the pitch, it was the simple memories off the pitch that still stay with me to this day.
I became a Barbo Booster to repay the debt I owed this great club. Without guys like Tom Hewitt and Michael Pisney in my corner, my path may have been completely different. It gives me great pride to be Barbo Booster #4, and I look forward to continuing to support the team from my new home in Querétaro Mexico.”
Charles (pictured far left) never passed on an opportunity to help his club and community
If reading about Charles’ “why” has inspired you, please sign up and become and Barbo Booster. Together, we can all help create a platform for future players to thrive in this great rugby club.
As Always, Bleed Green