Baretta attended Eastern Illinois University where he was a 1978 All American soccer player.
[1] John was regarded as one of the all-time best at the collegiate level by renowned college coach Schellas Hyndman.
At the end of April 1988, the Force activated Baretta as a player after a series of injuries decimated the team's goalkeeper corps.
In the early 1990s, he returned to the Pacific Northwest where he coaches youth and high school soccer.
On March 1, 2018, Baretta was hit by a car while walking home from Gray, suffering a traumatic brain injury and a broken left tibia.