BusinessReport.com

Gary Buete must see soccer balls in his sleep.

He spends his days as executive director of the Baton Rouge Soccer Association. After work, he heads to practices and matches for the various youth teams that he coaches.

But this former college soccer player is a soccer dad as well. He and his wife, Fain, have three young children who also play, so they spend plenty of time shuttling their kids to and from soccer.

For most people that would be enough soccer.

Not Buete.

He still loves playing the game—albeit on a much less competitive level than his college days—so he and Fain play in the association’s adult league, including on a co-ed team where they play together.

It’s that kind of passion for the sport—and for community recreation in general—that has helped Buete lead the local soccer association to unprecedented growth during his eight years here: Today, there are nearly 4,000 youth players and another 2,000 adults who play soccer in Baton Rouge.

Buete also reorganized the association’s top-level premier program. Today, BRSA fields teams in 72 age groups with an average of 10 a year qualifying for the statewide tournament.

During Buete’s tenure, BRSA teams have brought home 24 state championships, and 10 local players have gone on to play college soccer, some earning scholarships, and a few reaching the pros.

BRSA remains active in the YMCA and The Arc Baton Rouge by helping bring soccer to youths who don’t typically have opportunities to play soccer. Following Hurricane Katrina, Buete led the association’s effort to create a relief shelter and then to provide soccer equipment, training and coaching opportunities for clubs, players and coaches.

If he was busy before, he’ll be even busier next year: Buete helped Baton Rouge snag the 2010 Youth Soccer Regional Championships, a massive tournament that will bring hundreds of the region’s soccer teams to the expanded Burbank Soccer Complex, resulting in an estimated economic impact of $12 million to $15 million.

Age: 39

If you could have a job other than your own, what would it be? “I’m really doing what I’ve always wanted to do. If anything, maybe general 
manager of a professional sports team.”

Click here for the complete list of 2009's Forty Under 40 winners.