Varela’s support for youth sports resonates

Many thanks to the Marin Independent Journal for honoring Jose Varela in the editorial published March 26 with the headline “Retiring public defender leaves positive mark.”

Varela has made a positive mark beyond the public defender’s office. With his ethics, warmth and eloquence, he promotes fairness for all. He’s spoken on behalf of several nonprofits promoting equity, such as the Canal Alliance, pro bono legal-aid organizations, First 5 Marin and NovatoSpirit.

As executive director of NovatoSpirit, I can say he is a strong proponent of mentorship, especially of youth. Varela supports NovatoSpirit’s mission to strengthen kids through sports.

When asked why he boosts athletics, he suggested that leadership skills are often fostered on fields of play.

“I will share a sport story with you,” he said before recalling his law school admissions interview. “They wanted to know how a kid from a single-mother home and in a low-economic setting was able to make his way to a top-tier law school. They were surprised when I spontaneously said, ‘I played football.’

“One member of the panel was wondering whether I was being facetious. When I explained that, in my hometown of Martinez, football coaches and counselors guided me to sport instead of what some of my friends were doing — selling drugs and so forth — they understood that sport was my entryway to mentoring. If it wasn’t for sport, I would not be who I am.”

Varela added a final thought:

“There are boys and girls like me out there.”

— Marian Huntington, Novato