What started with a dad filming his sons’ flag football games has transformed into one of Maricopa’s most talked-about grassroots sports media ventures.

A year ago, Roberto Ruiz, known locally as the man behind Ruiz Sports Videos, was just another parent on the sidelines with a camera. Now, he’s a go-to name for sports coverage across the city and beyond, with more than 1,000 highlight reels, growing partnerships and a mission to spotlight young athletes who might otherwise go unseen.

Ruiz, a Santa Rosa Springs resident who works full-time in education, began filming games simply to preserve memories for his family.

“Both my boys play flag football. They’ve been playing for nine seasons,” Ruiz, 35, said today. “One day, a parent asked if I could film their kid too and it just kind of snowballed from there.”

That snowball is now a full-blown avalanche of shooting and requests. Ruiz has covered everything from high school showdowns to citywide exhibitions, most recently the spirited Maricopa Police vs. Fire game. His Instagram feed, @RuizSportsVideos, boasts more than 1,100 highlight clips.

Remarkably, he hasn’t charged a dime for any of it. Yet.

“I love watching athletes play. I love watching my own boys,” Ruiz said. “Maricopa didn’t have a place to highlight its athletes, and there’s so much talent here. They deserve to be seen.”

His work is getting noticed. Scouts have already picked up on some of the girls’ flag football clips Ruiz has posted, resulting in scholarship offers for at least two local athletes. Tournaments like Southwest Showdown in Phoenix have come calling, with a partnership in the works.

“I’ve been getting invited to more tournaments and games than I can handle,” Ruiz laughed. “Some days I have adult leagues in Tempe, high school games in Maricopa and youth tournaments on the weekend. It’s hard to keep up. There’s only one of me.”

Ruiz also coaches flag football. He is proud that his 11- to 15-year-old Falcons have won league titles the last five season back-to-back.

Despite the mounting workload, Ruiz edits every clip himself, often well into the night. He’s added graphics, scoreboards and animations, all self-taught.

“I had no formal training. I started learning just to make my kids’ games look better. Now I’m editing 90-minute full games and posting them on YouTube.”

Ruiz uploads both full-length games and shorter highlight reels, building a library of footage that gives players, coaches and families a resource they never had before. Community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, though Ruiz is quick to note that even online success comes with a few trolls.

“There are always going to be some negative comments, especially with girls’ flag football, which is wild because it’s incredibly competitive and fun to watch,” Ruiz said. “But the support from the community far outweighs that.”

Local recognition is growing too.

“People stop me at Walmart now,” Ruiz said with quick chuckle. “It’s a little surreal.”

Looking ahead, Ruiz has big dreams for year two. With his upcoming Southwest Showdown partnership, he expects to be filming tournaments across state lines, including in Nevada and Florida. But no matter how big Ruiz Sports gets, he insists Maricopa will always be home base.

“This all started here. Maricopa High, Desert Sunrise, the middle schools, they gave me a chance,” he said. “I’ll always make time for them.”

For now, Ruiz is still a one-man show. He does the filming, editing, scheduling and social media. But he hopes to expand and bring on more help in the future.

“I’d love to make this my full-time gig one day. Maybe get a second camera guy,” he said. “But until then, I just want to keep showing people that Maricopa athletes are worth watching.”

Those looking to connect with Ruiz or inquire about game coverage can find him on Instagram at @RuizSportsVideos.