Kathleen Ocampo and the varsity moms are quick to rally when they are needed by the football team.
Russell Huffman | El Defensor Chieftain

Team dinners are just a part of Socorro football coach Damien Ocampo’s program-building process, and when the call goes out for help to the varsity moms, there’s a quick response.

For example, here’s a group text of the moms organizing the team’s first dinner at the drop of a hat.

Kathleen Ocampo: Hi guys! Do you think we can pull together to get a pasta dinner done tomorrow (Wednesday) evening? We’ll need main dishes, salad, bread, dessert, drinks, plates, utensils, and a few people to help serve/ clean up.

Adriana Arellano: Yes. I’ll take a pasta.

Adriana Arellano: I also have the bag with decorations in it.

Tenia: I can make something and bring it

Tanya Robinson: I can take a pasta!

Elena: I’ll bring salad, utensils and drinks. I can also be there to help out.

Jill Madrid: I can help serve and clean up, I’ll see what everyone is bringing and decide what to bring

Samantha Childs: I can bring dessert.

Lisa Valles: I will bring bread and help serve/clean up.

@ Melissa: Thank you everyone! I am bummed I will have to miss. I work on Weds. What time will it start? I will send something.

Jill Madrid, Do you know where the pasta dinner box is? It should be full of plates, bowls, utensils and napkins.

Jill Madrid: @Meliss it should have been with all the stuff that they asked coach Lee to move, I can grab it, I just don’t know where it was all moved.

Kathleen Ocampo: Damien said, this Wed practice will end at 545. Dinner will immediately follow in the common’s area. We can plan on being there at 530 to set up. Thanks everyone!

MELISSA AMARO: Spaghetti, macaroni with hb meat and tomato sauce?

Lynn Boykin: I’m out of town for work, but I can send something too!

Rose Belmontez: I work out of town, but I can buy a couple of cases of water and Gatorade if I can hand them to a parent to take over there.

The efforts aren’t lost on the Warrior football players like senior Shane Bustamante.

“It shows us that they have that Warrior pride, and we football players really appreciate what they do,” Bustamante said.

As Bustamante scoops up another forkful of spaghetti, he points toward his fellow players Dominic Anaya and Diego Chavez, who both nodded in agreement as they enjoyed their food.

Much of the organizational efforts for the dinners fall into the hands of Kathleen Ocampo, who has become quite adaptable at making her husband’s team-building wishes come true.

“We’ve been doing it since Damien’s been coaching here, and like it’s become a tradition. It always seems every year it seems to like a sneak up on us,” Ocampo said. But there’s a group of parents that always pull together and somehow someway make it happen, which is cool. We have other businesses who are going to sponsor the meals.”

It takes a village to make it all happen each season.

“Mauro Portillo at La Pasadita, Linda and Mario Rosales at Rosales Produce, Ariane and Eric Williams (SHS Alumni and parents of 2 players on the team) Sysco Foods, Sofia’s restaurant, the Jaramillo Brothers – Gary, John, Stuart, Noah Jaramillo, Carlos Vega and Presbyterian Hospital, Melissa Amaro and the Amaro Family, Peter Trujillo (longtime supporter of Warrior Football),” Ocampo said. “We usually eat in the commons area at the high school, but, this season, we will go off campus for a few of the meals. Football parents serve the food, offer encouragement and positive words and fill in when needed. And a huge thank you to Christine Peguero, Joni Mauldin and custodians, parents for serving and providing the extras we need for every meal. It’s a beautiful weekly group effort, and the players, managers and coaches appreciate it.”

Russell Huffman | Assistant Editor