Charity Wilson: Promoting BHS Athletes

Within a minute of her arrival at Eagles Stadium on the Belen High School campus, it became clear why Charity Wilson was nominated as an Unsung Hero.

The stadium was buzzing with activity on this particular Wednesday afternoon. A woman with the middle school football team booster club raced to give Wilson a hug, laughing as she complained the balloons she was putting up for decoration didn’t meet the standards that Wilson set.

Several high school football coaches stopped to greet Wilson in the middle of practice. She shouted encouragement to a cross-country runner who was racing around the track, asking another athlete about their most recent time.

The interaction with the students, Wilson explains, is why she volunteers her time and energy for the BHS football, powerlifting and volleyball teams.

“I believe fostering community support for the kids is crucial for their success,” Wilson said, both in academics and athletics. “They are our community. We have to support them as a community.”

Two of the coaches who nominated Wilson were on the field that afternoon — Kevin Peña, BHS head football coach, and Chris Peralta, a football assistant and Eagles’ head powerlifting coach.

“She’s just an awesome person. She’s always around. She’s always encouraging, always positive,” said Peña, who listed some of her efforts. “She’s been here on Sunday’s helping me paint the (locker room) floors. She helped us decorate our locker room,” and decorate the stadium with 1,000 balloons.”

Wilson is quick to add that she had a machine help her, blowing up two balloons at a time.

Wilson could be called the “balloon lady,” perhaps her trademark.

“I have found a talent in doing balloons,” Wilson quipped. “I love doing the balloons and I love the artistry of that.”

On the more serious side, Peralta wrote in his nominating letter that Wilson “has donated her time, money and kindness to all student-athletes who might need a helping hand. Many of her random acts of kindness are given to kids who may be without.”

The praise causes Wilson to blush a little bit.

“Very little has ever come out of my own pocket, but I do make sure they get what they need,” said Wilson, who regularly visits businesses and boosters for support. “The least that we can do for our student athletes is make sure they have something to drink and have a snack in their tummy or in their bag.”

To that end, Wilson turns saleswoman.

“She’s reached out to the businessmen and the people of Belen. They’re getting to know her quite well,” Peralta said about Wilson, who isn’t shy. “If I know somebody, I’ll reach out and say, ‘Hey can you help us out?’”

Even though Wilson no longer has a student at BHS, her son, Ivander, a multi-sport athlete graduated in the spring, she hasn’t slowed down. Volunteering seems to be a sense of duty.

“When I wasn’t able to do something for my athlete, there was always somebody willing to pick that up,” making sure her son had water or whatever he needed. “Because I had a kid in the program, I know how important it is for all of us to support kids in the program.”

That support comes in a multitude of areas, including posting to social media. This football season she has created a weekly video called “Senior Spotlight” for players, which will carry over into powerlifting.

“We have a selected number of questions,” Wilson said about the interview process. “I think they enjoy it — they feel special. It’s like their own personal media day.”

Wilson also takes football statistics compiled by the team, as well as MaxPreps player rankings, and spreads that information in-house and on social media.

“Maybe we don’t recognize our kids enough,” said Peña. “She’s been one to maybe see that light.”

For powerlifting, Wilson also deals with numbers.

“I started keeping the statistics for powerlifting, so the athletes and coaches were aware where they stood in the state rankings,” Wilson explained. “Where you were before, where your opponent is and where you need to be. I’d make packets to give to the coaches and the lifters.”

“She knows dead center what their bench (lift) was, their squat was, and their dead was,” Peralta said. “She helps us with the stats, which I have to provide to the NMAA after each meet.”

Plus, Wilson breaks out a camera and records the lifts.

As powerlifting booster club president, Wilson never stops thinking ahead, Peralta explains.

“She’s already got things in the works. She’s a blessing,” he said. “I’m very thankful for her.”

When Wilson found out about her recognition as an Unsung Hero, she as very thankful but shocked.

“It was very rewarding, very touching,” she said. “I got a little bit of goose bumps and teary eyed when I found out.”