For many years, Chuck Lara was a well-liked mentor within the coaching ranks of both Bonita Valley and Bonita Vista High softball. When he unexpectedly passed away a year ago it was a devastating blow to the group of athletes that had grown up almost as a family playing on his teams. None of them of course, was more devastated than Lara’s daughter, Andrea, who was then a sophomore at Bonita Vista High.

   “I wasn’t going to continue playing after my dad died. It was very tough, but after a couple weeks I realized that he would have wanted me to keep playing, so I decided to play for him. He is the one who got me into softball, so every time I step up to the plate I think of him. Everything I do on the field is for him.”

   He must have been watching down upon her last Saturday when the diminutive Lara, who is not known as a power hitter, smacked the fence with one of her two hits. Lara, a quick, sure-handed second baseman, contributed to the Barons perfect league season and their thrilling come-from-behind 5-4 CIF playoff victory last Saturday over Rancho Buena Vista. Monday night the Barons advanced even further with a stunning 2-1 victory over fourth ranked Poway.

   “I have been coaching Andrea since she was eight. She and my daughter have been good buddies since they started playing at Bonita Valley together. Andrea is a great kid with great heart and she’s a tough competitor. She is not a big hitter, but she is scrappy and she is a battler. Andrea has played second base for me for what seems like forever. With her, you know that she is going to hustle, she is going to dive and she is going to get dirty,” said elated BV coach John Carlson following the victory.

   Saturday’s victory was just the latest highpoint in a career that began while Lara was still in kindergarten.

   “I started playing tee-ball when I was five. My dad was one of my coaches. He taught me how to throw and how to hit. He helped me a lot over the years and was always by my side every year up to last year,” Lara said.

   In addition to the obvious competition and exercise that softball has provided her Lara has found that being a part of this team has also helped her through her grieving process. Her teammates have been very sensitive to her situation and have honored her father’s memory by placing his initials on their batting helmets, coach’s hats and on the right field fence.

   “My teammates and coaches keep me up and it allows me to take my mind off things because when I am out here, my mind is focused on the game. Once the game is over we have a tradition of running out to right field and touching his initials on the fence as a way of thanking him.”

   Their success and sportsmanship on the diamond this spring has been a fitting tribute to a man that gave so much of himself for so many years.