Mr. Soto day returns

On Thursday another annual event that was canceled last year due to COVID-19 was held at the Elk Mountain Town Park.

Dario Soto, the physical education teacher at Elk Mountain Elementary and Medicine Bow Elementary brought back his field day he has been doing for many years.

Soto, a Medicine Bow resident, is a revered teacher north Carbon County. He has been teaching for over 50 years.

Soto grew up in Pine Bluffs, where he was born, and after graduating high school joined the U.S. Navy. Upon leaving the navy, he went to University of Wyoming, graduated with a teaching degree for social studies and a minor in physical education. He started his teaching career at Ft. Laramie for three years before he came to Medicine Bow.

Soto taught kindergarten to seniors in high school in northern Carbon County from 1967 to present. He had winning teams in basketball and football at Bow Basin High School and adult residents who grew up in the three communities of Elk Mountain, Hanna and Medicine Bow speak reverently of this Physical Education teacher.

Soto retired in 1993 but after two years he found himself coming back to help Medicine Bow Elementary School as a substitute. The next thing Soto knew, Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow elementary schools needed a P.E. teacher and Carbon County School No. 2 (CCSD2) district asked him to take the position. He has been teaching the schools since.

Bad weather has canceled outdoor activities before, but Soto was able to move his field day indoors. Last year he didn't have that option.

"Last year was tough on the kids," Soto said. "Not being able to have the field day was another example of how different it was last year."

Soto created the field day to give the students a chance to combine physical activity and fun. He said it is about letting children feel improvement and gain confidence while working on their coordination.

"We spend a lot of time in P.E. in teaching eye to hand coordination, I really believe in it," Soto said. "So field day does the same thing."

It was a beautiful day as Soto set up his cones and put down the hula hoops.

The children would first run the gambit of hoops on the ground in one area, then run around the cones.

As the children started their run, Soto shouted out encouragement. When one boy fell down, Soto came over and pulled him. He brushed the student off and the boy got back into the run.

At 86, Soto is a marvel to watch. He moves around with the kids and is as active as they are.

"If I wasn't teaching and moving around with the kids, I would probably be lying on a sofa," Soto said. "That would not be really any good."

Soto acknowledges he has always been an athlete going back to his high school days in Pine Bluffs.

"I wasn't large to say the least at 5' 9" and 109 pounds," Soto said. "But when I played football, I tackled some big guys which would bring applause from my teammates. I liked the feeling of what confidence sports gave and that is what I try do with the kids whether it is in P.E., this field day or when I am coaching basketball."

Soto is the junior high head basketball coach at Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (H.E.M.).

"I have watched a lot boys go through my program," Soto said. "The most important thing I stress besides the fundamentals of basketball, is that they need to have fun. Sports gives confidence to a young person because they enjoy it. That is why I believe that having P.E. in elementary school is important because the sooner they learn to be active with their bodies, the better."

As Soto moves around the field changing the positions of cones, it is clear to see this man has lots of energy. The kids see it too and it seems to infect them. They are soon running a new course with enthusiasm.

Soto said he isn't as agile as he used to be, but he still is the man who will get on balance beam in P.E. to show kids what he wants them to do.

"Of course I am not able to do what I could when I younger, but I believe being active is key to being happy and healthy," Soto said. "I just don't know how to be any other way."

Soto sees his field day being another indication that school life is returning to normal after a trying year.

"I hate it hurt the kids the way it did this past year," Soto said. "Basketball games had to limit how many fans could attend and there was just so much concern about being able to have a full season. I am glad things are starting to feel like normal again."

The elementary students after participating in Soto field day activities finish up with a lunch at the Elk Mountain Elementary School.

"It is our traditional chili hot dogs," Courtney Priest, secretary at Medicine Bow elementary said. "It is what we have every year after the activities are over."

Another sign things are returning to normal.