.006 Matthew LeBaron

Matt, or as some call him, “LeBaron,” is someone who you can always count on, trust, and believe in. Introduced to me as the president/leader of our gay men’s soccer league here in NYC, Matt is indeed that leader, and so much more. He quite perfectly strikes the balance between taking charge and ownership when it’s needed, and not taking life too seriously and enjoying himself. He practices what he preaches, and he wouldn’t ask anyone to do something that he wouldn’t do himself.

LeBaron is someone i look up to. He’s incredibly self-driven and independent and matches that with a extremely contagious sense of humor and personality. He listens to you attentively and makes a point to check up on you, always at the right time. He connects people to each other, provides space for connections to be made, and makes you feel good about yourself. On top of all of this, he’s a wonderful soccer player who is so much fun to play with, be competitive with, and occasionally play pool with (watch out for nicknames :)

Matt, I’m so grateful that we crossed paths through the Ramblers and that you’re in my life. Thank you for always being encouraging and for always making me laugh. Thank you for being a mentor to myself and so many others, and for genuinely looking out for what’s best for those in your life. Thank you for our moments of vulnerable conversations that have helped me think through things differently in incredibly positive ways. Thank you for being the leader the Ramblers (sometimes desperately) need at practice, games, and potentially most importantly, off the field. Thank you for being a truly good person. Thank you for being you.

-BD