It wouldn’t be a Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Media Luncheon without the news media. From left are longtime reporters and editors Dave Loveton, now with Santa Barbara City College; Mike Klan of KEYT News; Mark Patton of the Santa Barbara News-Press; Ron Smith, sports information director at Westmont College; Dennis Moran of the News-Press; Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal; and John Zant of the Santa Barbara Independent. 
Marc Gamberdella, representing the Micheel-Gamberdella Group at Merrill Lynch, each month announces the recipient of a Scholar Athlete of the Year Award from one of the local high schools. 
SBCC volleyball star Kaylene Ureno is all smiles after netting Athlete of the Week Award honors. 
San Marcos High volleyball coach Tina Brown and player Kelsey Warren. 
SBCC football in the house! 
From left, Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table board president Gene Deering; Santa Barbara High quarterback Frankie Gamberdella, a recent Athlete of the Week; and Cara Gamberdella (Frankie’s aunt) and Rich Hanna, both former SBART board presidents. 
San Marcos High junior Fiona Kuesis was honored with the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award in September. 
Retired San Marcos High football coach John Stoney, also the school’s retired athletic director, assists with Monday Media Luncheon registrations. 
Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal announces the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table athletes of the week. 
Mike Klan, KEYT News’ sports director, is ready for action. 
For the last eight years, former Carpinteria High football coach and longtime SBART board member Mike Warren has personally delivered fresh-baked cookies for the athlete raffle prizes at the Monday Media Luncheons. 
The lineup at the Harry’s Plaza Café buffet table brings everyone together — with smiles all around. 
Ethel Byers, a longtime SBART board member and volunteer, is one of the key reasons for the nonprofit organization’s enduring success. 
Softball star Michael Madrigal, second from left, receives the Special Olympian of the Month Award from coaches and staff. 
Former SBART board president Joe Howell, an attorney and partner at Howell, Moore & Gough, is always raising his hand to help others. 
Bishop Diego High associate athletic director Mike Cano knows the importance of staying lemonade hydrated. 
Dos Pueblos High tennis coach Liz Frech with some of her squad. 
The large crowd in the Ranchero Room at Harry’s Plaza Café is truly a melting pot of the local sports scene.
The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table is baaack!!
After summer vacay, Monday Media Luncheons have arrived!!
And like always, it’s a special reunion …
There are Dons. And Royals. Cardinals. Chargers. Warriors. Basically everybody.
Happens in the Ranchero Room at Harry’s Plaza Café nearly every Monday during the school year.
A high-octane noontime gathering with wonderful camaraderie … good-natured banter … a tasty buffet table that just doesn’t quit … and knuckle bumps all around!
It’s the brainchild of much-beloved Santa Barbara basketball icon Bill Bertka, also going strong at age 90 as special assistant and consultant for the Los Angeles Lakers, and celebrating his 44th year with the team and his NBA golden anniversary.
We caught up him before he was heading down for the Lakers’ Media Day — also Monday.
Bertka offered a healthy serving of local history.
“Back then, we only had two papers here in town,” he shared. “And it was a tremendous workload for the sports writers to cover all the schools. The thought was — at the end of the week or the beginning — is to bring everyone together.”
The nonprofit Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table had been established a couple of years earlier by two local business leaders and equally beloved icons, (the late) Jerry Harwin and (the late) Caesar Uyesaka. Bertka, then the city’s recreation director, was SBART’s inaugural president.
The stage was set for Monday Media Luncheons, although there were some early doubters.
“I just found the first luncheon program the other day and recall there were those who thought it would never work,” Bertka smiled.
“But, giving recognition to local athletes can be very motivating.”
John Zant, the recognized dean of Santa Barbara sports reporters and now the sports columnist at the Santa Barbara Independent, continues as a very active supporter, as he has since Day One.
That date?
Sept. 21, 1970.
“Another historic sports event made its debut on that date — ABC’s Monday Night Football,” Zant recalled. “The Cleveland Browns defeated the New York Jets, 31-21. That show lasted 36 years on ABC and then migrated to ESPN.”
Meanwhile …
“Monday luncheons are one of Santa Barbara’s unique and remarkably enduring institutions,” he added.
Yes, today, 47 years later and over a delicious lunch that’s gratis to coaches and athletes (a handful of sponsors mostly cover the meager $10 per person cost), SBART’s weekly showcase spotlights high school and college athletes in season. The day includes rapid-fire update reports from coaches, athletes of the week awards and special accolades for ethics (Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award). Scholar athletes of the year by school and Special Olympics honors are recent additions.
Coaches typically bring a couple of student-athletes who are recognized individually. Others in regular attendance are a wonderful VIP sampling of the local sports world, including athletic directors, both current and retired, like Gary Cunningham (retired from UC Santa Barbara), Bob Dinaberg (retired from Santa Barbara City College) and Rocco Constantino, SBCC’s newly appointed AD; beaming families; award-winning sports reporters; and the most humble board leadership on the planet — all totally focused on celebrating local kids and sports at its best.
A winning combination, indeed.
“Monday Press Luncheons create an environment that celebrates achievements and participation in high school and college sports,” offered Gene Deering, current SBART board president, senior vice president of Radius Commercial Real Estate & Investments and former UCSB Gaucho soccer star.
“You can see can the pride on each athlete’s face when they are recognized.”
And about these young players …
They’re smart (some with GPAs nearly stretching to the 5.0 stratosphere) … they’re excelling in courses such as Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus (like Ian MacFarlane, Cate School’s Scholar Athlete of the Year honoree) … and they’re leading school activities and launching nonprofit organizations in Third World countries.
Not to mention, these are incredible athletes from local venues to the world stage. They’re talented and acclaimed, perhaps none more than the incredible Special Olympians — such as Michael Madrigal, September’s Special Olympian of the Month).
Equally important, they’re just great — kind, considerate and concerned human beings with everyday displays of ethics, high moral character and sportsmanship (a la Fiona Kuesis of San Marcos High School and September’s Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award honoree).
And the media cover it all, doing an amazing job of quickly delivering this news and inspirational stories on their websites, in their publications and on the airways for the masses to enjoy.
What’s easy to see from attending these luncheons over the years is that they build and reinforce strong, healthy, vibrant and positive relationships that unite us through sport, with a true and very special community-wide spirit.
And when asked about the Monday Media Luncheons’ long-standing success, the amazing Bertka is quick to praise the stream of great SBART board presidents and other selfless volunteers who tirelessly make it all happen.
Like the timeless saying, “It takes a village …”
And what a special sports village Santa Barbara truly is.
Click here for more information about the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table. Click here to join SBART.
— WeissCrax columnist Randy Weiss is a longtime Noozhawk contributing writer. In the interest of full journalistic disclosure, he also works for a local financial institution that is a longtime sponsor of the SBART Monday Media Luncheons. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.