Biff Warren at the entrance to Nimbus Fields, to be renamed the "Biff Warren Baseball Complex." - Photo by Vicki Maurer

Little did Courier sportswriter Bruce “Biff” Warren know that

volunteering to help with the annual Niwot Youth Sports (NYS) Spaghetti Dinner would lead to one of the biggest surprises of his life. At the Dec. 5 event, Steve Jones, president of NYS, presented the 2003 Dick Piland Sportsmanship Award to Warren, who retired from the NYS board in 2002. In 1998, the NYS board of directors created the award to honor the contributions made by umpire Dick Piland and to recognize other NYS volunteers’ commitment of time and sportmanship.

Past recipients include Mike Ratliff, Jon Bartley, Susan Warren, Phil Garcia and Vicki Maurer. According to Jones, Warren was chosen as the 2003 recipient because, “He’s been more important in the lives of the children of NYS than anyone I’ve been involved with. NYS is what it is because of Biff. Biff is Niwot Youth Sports.” The Sportsmanship award wasn’t the big surprise. Jones announced that the ball field complex on Left Hand Water District property at 6800 Nimbus Road, previously known as Nimbus Fields, would be renamed the “Biff Warren Baseball Complex.” The site consists of three baseball fields: Greg Hagen Field, Kevin Ritz Field and Columbine Field. Hagen Field was built as a memorial to Greg Hagen, a NYS parent volunteer who died in an auto accident in 1993. Ritz Field was built with funds donated by the Colorado Rockies and pitcher Kevin Ritz.

Columbine Field was built with a donation from an anonymous donor to complete the complex. Several speakers recounted Warren’s contributions to NYS. Long time board member and coach Gregg Hangge said, “Biff will ensure that no one gets left out. He goes out of his way to make sure everyone in included.” Hangge and Warren coached together when their sons, Joe and Michael, played NYS baseball.

Gregg Hangge presents the Dick Piland Award to Biff Warren in honor of Warren's outstanding service to Niwot Youth Sports. - Photo by Allison Forke

“His integrity is of the highest standards.” Hangge said. “He is the voice of reason that I turn to when I am faced with a challenge. If it weren’t for people like him, I would not be as involved in NYS as I have been for the past 14 years.” IBM Site Manager Larry Longseth, who servedas equipment manager for the NYS baseball program, recalled the old Johnson Fields at 83rd Street and Neva Road, where goathead sandburs had to be raked from the fields. Former NYS and current NHS softball player Dana Breyer remembered playing with Warren’s daughter, Katie. Breyer said, “Biff coached our first competitive team when we were 12 and taught us the fundamentals. We still use a lot of the drills he taught us.” Warren recalled that Breyer was one of his favorite players, “Maybe because we’re both catchers,” he said. NYS Basketball Commissioner Megan Roth remembered growing up with the Warren family, playing softball with his eldest daughter, Randi, including the first NHS “club” team.

She thanked Warren for being a great coach. “His cool demeanor carried over to his coaching style,” Roth said. “He taught us strong fundamentals and helped each player develop their own talents.” Roth told Warren, “My dad (Dennis Roth) helped start this program and you were always there to step in and keep it going.

You were always willing to do what no one else wanted to do.” Sue Prahl, former executive director of NYS, spoke about Warren’s contributions to NYS. She said, “Biff could be a rich man in terms of money, but chooses instead to invest his time in the community.” Warren began coaching NYS teams in 1977, before he had children playing in the organization.

He served a total of 15 years as president of the organization between 1983 and 2001, and served as baseball director from 1987 to 1996. He negotiated with developers and Boulder County for the Left Hand Valley Grange Field at 83rd Street and Niwot Road, as well as the Monarch Park Ballfields located off Highway 52 in the early 1980′s. When the Johnson Fields were lost to development, he worked with Jim Martinsen, Dan Knollenberg and the Left Hand Water District to build the complex on Nimbus Road in the early 1990′s. He continues to work with the county concerning improvements to the Monarch Ballfields. When asked how he felt receiving the honor, Warren said, “I was very honored to receive the Dick Piland Sportsmanship Award because I know the people who have received it before me, including my wife, Susan, have made important contributions to NYS. And Dick Piland, who supports the organization financially and as an umpire, is one of my favorite people.

“When they told me they were going to put my name on the ball field complex on Nimbus Road, I was in shock,” Warren said. “This is such a nice thing for the NYS board members to do. I’m honored that they would even consider it. “There are lots of people I’d like to thank, starting with my wife, Susan, and my kids, Randi, Michael and Katie, who have supported my involvement in NYS,” Warren said. “I started coaching before I was married, and before I had kids. My family knew it was something I loved to do, and they allowed me to continue, even though it took up a fair amount of time, because we all thought it was important that kids have a place to play locally.” He continued, “I would also like to thank the people in my law office for their support. My partner, Rich Carlson, has been supportive of my efforts in NYS for a long time. We used the office on many occasions for meetings, registration and fund-raising. My paralegal, Vicki Maurer, also served on the NYS board and spent many hours doing NYS work at the office, after hours and at home. Nancy Mercer, our receptionist, has also helped with NYS administration over the years. And Tom Moore, an attorney in our office, has been a baseball coach for NYS for the past several years.” Warren added, “I grew up in a small town in Nebraska where my parents were, and still are, very active in the community. I learned from their example the value of community service. The people I’ve met through NYS over the years are the finest people I’ve known. When you don’t have a city to provide youth sports programs, the only way it gets done is by doing it yourself. I hope the Niwot and Gunbarrel community will continue to support the NYS board and make sure the programs we’ve enjoyed for over 25 years continue.” Warren is a partner with the law firm of Warren & Carlson, LLP, located in Cottonwood Square in Niwot. He has practiced law in Niwot since 1975. When asked what he was going to do next, he replied, “I’m still hoping to go to Wrigley Field to see the Cubs in the World Series.” Until then (which could be a very long time) we’ll likely see him on the ball fields in Niwot.

Copyright Left Hand Valley Courier – Used by permission.

Groundbreaking at Monarch Park - Photo courtesy of Niwot Youth Sports

Momentum is building for the Dream of Fields Festival to be held July 14 at Niwot High School. The all-day event will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is expected to draw young and old alike for a day of fun, food and entertainment.

Niwot Youth Sports, Inc., which provides baseball, softball, basketball and volleyball programs for youth in the Niwot-Gunbarrel area, will be the recipient of all funds raised. The proceeds are earmarked for the development and completion of ballfields at Monarch Park.

Organizers have lined up sponsors for most of the activities in hopes of making all proceeds from the event 100% profit. Baseball and softball players are already out in the neighborhoods selling tickets. The tickets, which cost $10 each, can be exchanged the day of the event for 20 coupons, good for food, activities and games.

Representatives of the Colorado Rockies will be on hand to conduct a mini-clinic for players. Top name entertainment, including Pete and Joan Wernick, Live 5, and Girls On Top have agreed to perform. Activities will include batting and pitching, a dunk tank and inflatables.

First National Bank-Niwot and the Longmont Daily Times-Call have become “Grand Slam” sponsors of the festival, but they are not alone. The Niwot Business Association passed a resolution in support of the event, urging its members to participate to the extent possible.
The Niwot Community Association will publicize the event in its next newsletter. The Courier will publish a schedule of events in the July issue.

Several other sponsors and donors have come forward, including Hillside Egg Farm, Warren & Carlson Attorneys, Markel Homes, Terry Johnson of ReMax of Boulder, Colorado “Pure” H2O, McDonald’s of Longmont, Abo’s Pizza of Niwot, Satir DeMarco of Zenith Realty, Girls On Top, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Heritage Bank, Pete & Joan Wernick, Niwot Liquor, Falcon Supply, Gordon Moore of State Farm, Bob & Lynn Uhler, John Arnold of Edward Jones, Steele’s Market, Niwot Real Estate, A-1 Plumbing & Heating, Crall & Bowes, Nixcavating, Niwot Rental & Feed, Rose Bud Coffee, Niwot Sanitation District, Wise Buys Antiques, Phillips 66, Longmont Dairy Farm, Haystack Mountain Golf Course, Communtiy First National Bank, Niwot Optimists, Chris Finger Pianos, King Soopers and the Left Hand Valley Courier.

Area churches are also invited to participate, with the Niwot United Methodist Church the first to come forward with volunteers to work the day of the event.

The Monarch Park Ballfield complex was the first permanent field site acquired by Niwot Youth Sports. The organization began back in 1968 when the Left Hand Men’s Club, with help from the Kiwanis and Lions Clubs, organized local baseball players to play against Hygiene and Lyons teams. Dick Hicks, Mike Holubec and Howard Conilogue coached the team, which practiced and played on the old Niwot School field, which is where the southbound lane of the Diagonal Highway now lies.

When more players joined, Gunbarrel Left Hand Valley Boys Baseball was incorporated in 1972 by John A. “Tony” Dageenakis, the late Jima Lea Folker, and the late Dennis L. Roth. Except for occasional use of the new high school field by the older players, and the new elementary school field by the very young players, all of the ballfields were on borrowed land, and on “borrowed” time. By 1978, Girls Softball and a Basketball League had been added, and the organization became known as Gunbarrel Lefthand Valley Recreation Association, or GLVRA.

Old timers will recall the Ball Brothers Fields at 71st and Lookout Road (now the Homestead), Gunbarrel Estates Field (now the Park), and Johnson Fields at 83rd and Neva Road (now Christopher Court). All were temporary places to play, made available by the landowners until development occurred.

In 1984, the owner Ben House and developer Columbine Land Resources proposed a plan to Boulder County which would provide 100 acres of Open Space to the county and 8 acres for ballfields to the community in exchange for rezoning the southwest corner of the House property to light industrial. House owned 160 acres between Monarch Road and Highway 52 lying west of 79th Street.

After much discussion in the community, the County Commissioners approved the plan on a 2-1 vote. Not everyone was happy as some felt the proposal set a bad precedent. But others, including commissioners Jack Murphy and Buzz Smith, felt the acquisition of the open space buffer and the ballfield site were important. This was at a time when the county had very little money for open space.

The proposal required the developer to build two ballfields, but the need was so great that GLVRA worked with the developer to build four backstops through the use of volunteer labor. In 1991 GLVRA became known as Niwot Youth Sports and by 1993 had raised enough money to put sod and an irrigation system in on three of the four fields. The watering system, however, relies upon tap water which has become very costly.

Working with Boulder County and Community Food Share, NYS has obtained approval for a plan
to build an irrigation pond southeast of the ballfields which can irrigate both the ballfields and a CFS garden. The ditch water will also allow NYS to build two additional fields on property just west of the existing fields, which was granted to NYS in 1995 when the Boulder Tech Center was replatted.

NYS has planned a groundbreaking ceremony for June 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the fields. Access is off highway 52 at Monarch Park.

Copyright Left Hand Valley Courier – Used by permission.