For the first time in 23 years, the Ute Mountain Recreation Center will be under the direction of someone other than Robert Roybal, who retired on March 31.
Replacing Roybal will be tribal member Cedric Lang, who grew up in the Four Corners area and graduated from Montezuma-Cortez High School in 1998.
An accomplished basketball player, Lang became known for his slick ball handling and pinpoint shooting while playing for former M-CHS head coach Wade Mortensen.
The point guard’s 16 assists during a game in 1996 still rank as the ninth-highest total in state history.
After graduating, Lang enrolled at Mesa State University, but dropped out after less than a year due to partying.
Returning to Towaoc, Lang said he drank heavily for two years. A chance to play basketball arose at Trinidad State Junior College however, and he completed a successful year in school and on the court.
“I had the experience of being on top of the world and then hitting rock bottom and then bringing myself back up,” said Lang. “The year of playing basketball at Trinidad allowed me to build up my self-confidence.”
After departing Trinidad State, Lang moved to Albuquerque and enrolled at New Mexico Highlands University where he graduated in 2009 with a degree in criminal justice.
Lang returned to Towaoc and began tutoring and mentoring youths while organizing classes at the Ute Mountain Recreation Center and preaching the importance of a college degree.
“I would have never though of having a college degree,” said Lang. “I hope that our youth today look at me and say, ‘Hey, Cedric has done bad things, but he’s also done good things. I can do that.’”
When Roybal decided to step down as the rec center’s director this year, Lang applied for the job. After expressing appreciation for the Tribal Council’s decision to hire him, Lang said he is hopes to use his position to make a difference.
“I hope that my presence here will lead our youth to say, ‘OK, I need to get a degree, get good grades and stay away from alcohol and drugs.’ I struggled with many of the issues that our youth face and I hope that because of my experiences, I can make a difference.”
Lang said that despite recent budget cuts, he hopes create activities that will bring members of the Towaoc community together.
He also hopes to expand the rec center hours to include Saturdays, host more youth nights and hire staff members.
“I’m looking to bring the parent and child relationship back to our recreation center,” he said. “I want to make this more of a family and community center. It’s not going to happen overnight, but I have high hopes.”