What do you think?
Rate this book
Champion of the Barrio: The Legacy of Coach Buryl Baty
Buryl Baty (1924–1954) was a winning athlete, coach, builder of men, and an early pioneer in the fight against bigotry. In 1950, Baty became head football coach at Bowie High School in El Paso and quickly inspired his athletes, all Mexican Americans from the Segundo Barrio, with his winning ways and his personal stand against the era’s extreme, deep-seated bigotry—to which they were subjected.
However, just as the team was in a position to win a third district title in 1954, they were jolted by an unthinkable tragedy that turned their world upside down. Later, as mature adults, these players realized that Coach Baty had helped mold them into honorable and successful men, and forty-four years after the coach’s death, they dedicated their high school stadium in his name.
In 2013, Baty was inducted posthumously into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame.
In this poignant memoir, R. Gaines Baty also describes his own journey to get to know his father. Coach Baty’s life story is portrayed from the perspectives of nearly one hundred individuals who knew him, in addition to many documented facts and news reports.
However, just as the team was in a position to win a third district title in 1954, they were jolted by an unthinkable tragedy that turned their world upside down. Later, as mature adults, these players realized that Coach Baty had helped mold them into honorable and successful men, and forty-four years after the coach’s death, they dedicated their high school stadium in his name.
In 2013, Baty was inducted posthumously into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame.
In this poignant memoir, R. Gaines Baty also describes his own journey to get to know his father. Coach Baty’s life story is portrayed from the perspectives of nearly one hundred individuals who knew him, in addition to many documented facts and news reports.
- GenresSportsNonfiction
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 9, 2015
3 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 10, 2015
Biography
Baty, R. Gaines
Champion of the Barrio: The Legacy of Coach Buryl Baty
Texas A&M University Press
978-1-62349-266-3, hardcover, 288 pgs., $24.95
Feb. 9, 2015
Champion of the Barrio: The Legacy of Coach Buryl Baty by R. Gaines Baty is the latest biography in Texas A&M University Press’s Spirit of Sport: A Series of Books Focusing on Sport in Modern Society. The author, older son of Coach Baty, undertook this project as a way to learn more about the father he hardly remembered, to see the man through the eyes of those he touched so deeply before he was taken so tragically and so young.
A member of the Greatest Generation, Buryl Baty grew up during the Great Depression in Paris, Texas. A high school football star, he earned a full ride to play Aggie football. His college career was interrupted by World War II, during which Baty served in both the European and Pacific theaters as an Army combat engineer. After returning and completing a successful college career, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions but chose instead to dedicate his life to teaching and coaching young people.
Coach Baty accepted his second job in 1950 to coach the Bears of Bowie High in the Segundo Barrio, the poorest section of El Paso, with a 100% Hispanic team. “While the post-WWII era abounded with optimism and opportunities for Anglo-Americans, discrimination soured the times. Shameless acts against people of color, black and brown, were accepted and/or ignored by the Anglo majority. Athletics were mired in this same oppressive state. Buryl Baty did not realize the extent of this phenomenon when he accepted the El Paso job, but his eyes were quickly opened. And he did not like what he saw.”
Champion of the Barrio is part gentle pleasure in the sweet details from the diary of Coach Baty’s wife when she was a teenager, stories of the high-schooler Baty when they built campfires in locker rooms to keep warm, and traveled to away games wearing coats and ties. The author’s depictions of the football games are exciting and suspenseful and it’s fun to read about names such as Bear Bryant, Tom Landry, and Frank Broyles before fame and fortune. Occasionally there is humor: “By the end of spring drills, these kids looked pretty good at times. But then, there were the other times.”
The other part of Champion is breathtaking ignorant ugliness— motel owners who wouldn’t let the Bears sleep in their rooms, café owners who wouldn’t let the Bears eat in their dining rooms, and schools that wouldn’t let them use their locker rooms or restrooms. And this: “Fifteen-yard penalty for speaking Spanish!”
Coach Baty was an advocate for his boys and inspired them to believe in themselves. He coached the Bears to championships on and off the gridiron. The narrative is studded with testimonials from the players and they are most telling. “He was a great man, a gentleman. He inspired me every time he spoke. He taught us to be proud, gave us hope. Buryl Baty was the best coach Bowie High School ever had. He is still with us.” —Le Muñoz
Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life.
Baty, R. Gaines
Champion of the Barrio: The Legacy of Coach Buryl Baty
Texas A&M University Press
978-1-62349-266-3, hardcover, 288 pgs., $24.95
Feb. 9, 2015
Champion of the Barrio: The Legacy of Coach Buryl Baty by R. Gaines Baty is the latest biography in Texas A&M University Press’s Spirit of Sport: A Series of Books Focusing on Sport in Modern Society. The author, older son of Coach Baty, undertook this project as a way to learn more about the father he hardly remembered, to see the man through the eyes of those he touched so deeply before he was taken so tragically and so young.
A member of the Greatest Generation, Buryl Baty grew up during the Great Depression in Paris, Texas. A high school football star, he earned a full ride to play Aggie football. His college career was interrupted by World War II, during which Baty served in both the European and Pacific theaters as an Army combat engineer. After returning and completing a successful college career, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions but chose instead to dedicate his life to teaching and coaching young people.
Coach Baty accepted his second job in 1950 to coach the Bears of Bowie High in the Segundo Barrio, the poorest section of El Paso, with a 100% Hispanic team. “While the post-WWII era abounded with optimism and opportunities for Anglo-Americans, discrimination soured the times. Shameless acts against people of color, black and brown, were accepted and/or ignored by the Anglo majority. Athletics were mired in this same oppressive state. Buryl Baty did not realize the extent of this phenomenon when he accepted the El Paso job, but his eyes were quickly opened. And he did not like what he saw.”
Champion of the Barrio is part gentle pleasure in the sweet details from the diary of Coach Baty’s wife when she was a teenager, stories of the high-schooler Baty when they built campfires in locker rooms to keep warm, and traveled to away games wearing coats and ties. The author’s depictions of the football games are exciting and suspenseful and it’s fun to read about names such as Bear Bryant, Tom Landry, and Frank Broyles before fame and fortune. Occasionally there is humor: “By the end of spring drills, these kids looked pretty good at times. But then, there were the other times.”
The other part of Champion is breathtaking ignorant ugliness— motel owners who wouldn’t let the Bears sleep in their rooms, café owners who wouldn’t let the Bears eat in their dining rooms, and schools that wouldn’t let them use their locker rooms or restrooms. And this: “Fifteen-yard penalty for speaking Spanish!”
Coach Baty was an advocate for his boys and inspired them to believe in themselves. He coached the Bears to championships on and off the gridiron. The narrative is studded with testimonials from the players and they are most telling. “He was a great man, a gentleman. He inspired me every time he spoke. He taught us to be proud, gave us hope. Buryl Baty was the best coach Bowie High School ever had. He is still with us.” —Le Muñoz
Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life.
September 2, 2015
A fabulous book about what really matters!
November 13, 2016
Such an amazing story of an extraordinary man who not only knew the burden but embraced the importance & responsibility of the title Coach.
November 19, 2016
"This is a true story of triumph -- triumph over hardship, over evil, over discrimination, over tragedy, over one's self.” – Gaines Baty
Author Gaines Baty sets the stage right away in the prologue of Champion of the Barrio: The Legacy of Buryl Baty. The research and writing of the book allowed the author, nearly sixty years after his father's tragic death, to at last, really know his father, Buryl Baty.
Readers will feel fortunate that they, too, get to know Buryl Baty. What is striking about Buryl's life is how the kindness, discipline, and caring of adults molded him. His coaching was heavily influenced by what had been programmed into him from high school and college, and he was never about breaking down people but instead worked to build them up.
As I read the book, I found myself comparing Buryl's actions and decisions to what I observe happening in today's world, and sadly there are few similarities. Buryl was in love with one girl, and he married her. He felt called to help in the war and put his college football career, scholarship, and education on hold to serve his country. He had an NFL contract but rather than taking it, he chose to get a master's degree and coach high school football. He coached without using expletives or personal attacks and his players flourished. He stood up against discrimination. How rarely those qualities are displayed these days.
I learned a lot from reading Champion of the Barrio, and as an Aggie, I enjoyed that Gaines Baty includes lots of Texas A&M school history, traditions, and anecdotes. There are lighter moments, like the 1948 headline that read, "A&M Breaks Austin Jinx, 'Beats' t.u. 14-14," and more serious moments, like the severe hazing incidents that were rampant among the cadets. And of course, there is Aggie football from Buryl's Fish days in the then all male school.
As Buryl Baty, the star football player transitioned into Coach Baty, the star football coach, readers see that he was virtually unchanged. Just like he played the game, he coached the kids. His football lessons were his life lessons, and he taught both from the heart. When Coach Baty encountered first hand the discrimination which his players encountered, he was incensed but taught the kids to channel their anger into football and to rise above the ugly words and actions (and objects) hurled at them. He also taught them, by example, not to accept it. After the shameful discriminatory behavior the team experienced in Snyder, Texas in 1954 -- much of it from the officials --Coach Baty told his team,
"There were two contests going on here tonight: one of character, and the other of football. You won the more important one."
Coach Baty seemed on the cusp of taking his fight against discrimination to the next level. Sadly, he never got the chance.
The book is very-well edited, and Gaines Baty's writing is excellent, resulting in an engaging, exciting read. The highlighted football games are edge-of-the-seat fun, enhanced with news articles of the times and plenty of legendary appearances. Additionally, there are some forty photographs (many taken by Buryl Baty) and sections of quotes about and by Buryl Baty. An index is also included and I found it helpful when I wanted to re-visit a particular event or identify a person. I highly recommend this book for football fans of all ages.
"Give it your best every day -- everything you have! You'll never regret doing your best." -- Buryl Baty
Thank you to Lone Star Book Blot Tours, the author, and Texas A&M University Press for providing me a print copy in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.
Author Gaines Baty sets the stage right away in the prologue of Champion of the Barrio: The Legacy of Buryl Baty. The research and writing of the book allowed the author, nearly sixty years after his father's tragic death, to at last, really know his father, Buryl Baty.
Readers will feel fortunate that they, too, get to know Buryl Baty. What is striking about Buryl's life is how the kindness, discipline, and caring of adults molded him. His coaching was heavily influenced by what had been programmed into him from high school and college, and he was never about breaking down people but instead worked to build them up.
As I read the book, I found myself comparing Buryl's actions and decisions to what I observe happening in today's world, and sadly there are few similarities. Buryl was in love with one girl, and he married her. He felt called to help in the war and put his college football career, scholarship, and education on hold to serve his country. He had an NFL contract but rather than taking it, he chose to get a master's degree and coach high school football. He coached without using expletives or personal attacks and his players flourished. He stood up against discrimination. How rarely those qualities are displayed these days.
I learned a lot from reading Champion of the Barrio, and as an Aggie, I enjoyed that Gaines Baty includes lots of Texas A&M school history, traditions, and anecdotes. There are lighter moments, like the 1948 headline that read, "A&M Breaks Austin Jinx, 'Beats' t.u. 14-14," and more serious moments, like the severe hazing incidents that were rampant among the cadets. And of course, there is Aggie football from Buryl's Fish days in the then all male school.
As Buryl Baty, the star football player transitioned into Coach Baty, the star football coach, readers see that he was virtually unchanged. Just like he played the game, he coached the kids. His football lessons were his life lessons, and he taught both from the heart. When Coach Baty encountered first hand the discrimination which his players encountered, he was incensed but taught the kids to channel their anger into football and to rise above the ugly words and actions (and objects) hurled at them. He also taught them, by example, not to accept it. After the shameful discriminatory behavior the team experienced in Snyder, Texas in 1954 -- much of it from the officials --Coach Baty told his team,
"There were two contests going on here tonight: one of character, and the other of football. You won the more important one."
Coach Baty seemed on the cusp of taking his fight against discrimination to the next level. Sadly, he never got the chance.
The book is very-well edited, and Gaines Baty's writing is excellent, resulting in an engaging, exciting read. The highlighted football games are edge-of-the-seat fun, enhanced with news articles of the times and plenty of legendary appearances. Additionally, there are some forty photographs (many taken by Buryl Baty) and sections of quotes about and by Buryl Baty. An index is also included and I found it helpful when I wanted to re-visit a particular event or identify a person. I highly recommend this book for football fans of all ages.
"Give it your best every day -- everything you have! You'll never regret doing your best." -- Buryl Baty
Thank you to Lone Star Book Blot Tours, the author, and Texas A&M University Press for providing me a print copy in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.
May 28, 2022
Fascinating book through and through. I'm a dyed in the wool Aggie and I have to confess I did not know any of the Buryl Baty story. I'm improved by reading. Great player, great coach and a great man. It's hard to believe that West Texas town like Pecos and especially Snyder were so racist in the early 50's - "no dogs or Mexicans allowed inside" on motels and restaurants. Insane. I'm also a Texan through and through but reading about the racism of these retarded towns made me sick at my stomach. Coaching high school at El Paso Bowie Coach Baty was able not only to sometimes break through the racist barriers he taught his kids how to deal with it by example and grow up to be fine citizens. Read it.
June 20, 2017
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review for Lone Star Literary Life.
"You have to play this game with heart!"
Heart. Champion of the Barrio is full of heart. As a player, member of the Army, coach, and advocate, Buryl Baty was all heart. Reading his story was nothing short of inspiring.
Baty grew up with a work hard mentality. Early on, he was taught never to give up and to always work hard in order to achieve your goals. Reading that he decided to forgo the NFL in order to coach impressed me. Seeing that he made sure all his players worked with the same mentality that he did on and off the field instantly made me a Baty fan.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the football side of Baty's life, that wasn't what stuck with me. Baty didn't take anyone's BS when it came to race and common decency. To know that a coach would risk a game just to make sure his students are treated properly is just awe-inspiring. I've always read about racism in the past. What I haven't read about, is the racism towards Mexican-Americans. R Gaines Baty helped educate me in a subject I was unaware of until now. Learning about Baty's strong beliefs in equality and witnessing as he stuck to those beliefs was uplifiting. It's because of men and women like Baty that I, an immigrant, was able to come to this country and grow up feeling as if I was no different from my fellow man. It's because of those like Baty, that many of us feel like we aren't immigrants at all.
The greater message here, to me, was standing up for what's right. It's not always the easiest and most liked path, but it's the path worth walking.
"You have to play this game with heart!"
Heart. Champion of the Barrio is full of heart. As a player, member of the Army, coach, and advocate, Buryl Baty was all heart. Reading his story was nothing short of inspiring.
Baty grew up with a work hard mentality. Early on, he was taught never to give up and to always work hard in order to achieve your goals. Reading that he decided to forgo the NFL in order to coach impressed me. Seeing that he made sure all his players worked with the same mentality that he did on and off the field instantly made me a Baty fan.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the football side of Baty's life, that wasn't what stuck with me. Baty didn't take anyone's BS when it came to race and common decency. To know that a coach would risk a game just to make sure his students are treated properly is just awe-inspiring. I've always read about racism in the past. What I haven't read about, is the racism towards Mexican-Americans. R Gaines Baty helped educate me in a subject I was unaware of until now. Learning about Baty's strong beliefs in equality and witnessing as he stuck to those beliefs was uplifiting. It's because of men and women like Baty that I, an immigrant, was able to come to this country and grow up feeling as if I was no different from my fellow man. It's because of those like Baty, that many of us feel like we aren't immigrants at all.
The greater message here, to me, was standing up for what's right. It's not always the easiest and most liked path, but it's the path worth walking.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews