Sports buff appreciates teachers

Name: Charles L. Abbott (goes to Chuck)

Occupation: Owner of Big League Sports in Portales.

Age (birth date): 47 (April 22, 1956).

Hometown: Albuquerque

Family: Married August 2, 1987 to Jeannie Yvette Dodson (goes by Yvette); one daughter, Brittany Noel, Born Dec. 17, 1987 (16), a sophomore at Portales High School.

Do you have any hobbies, or conduct any volunteer work?

“I’m the chapter advisor to Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at Eastern New Mexico University. Board Member of the ENMU Athletic Bench Club. I enjoy supporting youth sports programs in Portales. I also enjoy studying and researching the local history of Portales, Roosevelt County and eastern New Mexico.”

What do you think of Portales?

“I thoroughly enjoy living and working in Portales. I’m glad I’m able to live where I went to school at Eastern New Mexico University. I love being able to stay connected on almost a daily basis with ENMU through my various business and alumni connections and activities. I also enjoy working with so many good people in the business and university communities that are completely committed and dedicated to making Portales and Roosevelt County a better place to live.”

What do you envision your life being like in 10 years?

Hopefully, pretty much the same thing I’m doing right now.

Tell us about your parents:

“My mom and dad live in Albuquerque in my great grandparents original residence, built before New Mexico was admitted to the Union in 1912. My father is a native New Mexican born in 1930. My mother was born in Stockbridge, Mass. in 1932. My dad spent the majority of his professional life in banking, retiring in the early-90s as executive vice president of operations at Sunwest Bank (Bank of America, now). My mom grew up on a dairy farm in Western Massachusetts before coming to New Mexico in 1950. Her hometown, Stockbridge, is also where world famous American artist Norman Rockwell lived and painted.”

Who is your hero and why?

“Today’s parents and teachers. Any parent who completely dedicates themselves to the positive growth and development of their children is my hero. Anyone who makes a career decision to dedicate themselves to today’s young people by becoming a teacher, coach, advisor, etc. is a hero to me. It’s a tough job and only truly committed individuals are up to the task.”

What is your greatest hope?

That the number of my heroes continues to grow! When you continue to raise future generations of quality young people, the future has a way of taking care of itself.

It money was no object, what would you do to make the world a better place?

I would do my best to help reduce the amount of sickness and poverty in the world. These are the two largest destroyers of hope on the planet.

What is your greatest accomplishment?

“Completing my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in business and using what I’ve learned to create and build an ongoing business. Also, helping my wife, Yvette, raise our daughter, Brittany. Both are works in progress, but I feel very good about both so far.”

When you were a kid, what did you think you’d be doing as an adult?

“I was always attracted to sports in just about every area, so a career in a sports field was something I hoped I would be able to do. I’m happy to be working in the sports-apparel field.”

If you could do anything it would be:

“I would find a way to have seats right behind home plate when the Boston Red Sox win the World Series.”

Tell us about a happy time:

“Anytime the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees. A close second happy time would be when the Denver Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders. Right up there, anytime the Greyhounds, Zias or Rams win.”

What’s your favorite TV show, past and present?

“The World Series and the Super Bowl every year.”

What’s your favorite smell?

“The tall cool pines of a New Mexico mountain top after a short summer rain.”

What’s your theme song?

“‘This is it’ by Kenny Loggins.”

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

“First, I would nail down the team sports apparel contract of my career during the day and later that evening I would go to Fenway Park. I would sit in my box seats behind home plate and cheer on my Red Sox to their first World Series title since 1918. Now that’s what I call a ‘perfect’ day.”

What do you like about your job?

“When I can help someone get exactly what they never thought they could get (especially in a small town like Portales) by completely exceeding their expectations. I love to see that look on a customers face when I say, ‘sure I can do that.’”

Tell us about your spouse:

“Yvette, she’s my partner in every way — at home, at work and in life.”

Tell us about a time when you’re nervous:

Every time the Red Sox, Broncos, Greyhounds, Zias or Rams are in a tight contest and the outcome is in doubt.

What can we (people of Portales) do together to make our community the best small town in New Mexico?

“Community leaders need to come together from a variety of areas (government, business, education and others) to develop a comprehensive game plan that takes advantage of our human-resource strengths and put us all on the same page with regards to the continued growth and development of our town and area.”