Congratulations to this year's Winners of the Taos Turkey Trot 5k!

Female 18 & Under: Hannah Varela
Male 18 & Under: Roy Madrid

Female Over 18: Sarah Drenning
Male Over 18: Hernando Chavez

Female Overall Winner: Hannah Varela
Male Overall Winner: Hernando Chavez

For a complete list of results click here.

TAOS SPORTS ALLIANCE

Taos Sports Alliance (TSA) serves the community of Northern New Mexico by programming, promoting and operating special events, tournaments, camps, and clinics, benefiting youth participation in organized sports and recreation.

TAOS SPORTS ALLIANCE MEMBERS

New Mexico Youth Soccer Association
New Mexico Sports Authority
Taos Eco Park
Taos Hockey
Taos Lacrosse
Taos Municipal Schools
Taos Soccer
Taos Youth & Family Center
Taos Youth Soccer League
Town of Taos
University of New Mexico Men's Soccer
University of Wisconsin Men's Soccer

EVENTS

Taos Sports Alliance (TSA) programs and promotes events that benefit youth sports organizations and special events in northern New Mexico.

Special events are often planned in collaboration with the Town of Taos, TSA Members, Partners, Sponsors and Donors.

Taos Sports Alliance plans special events for all types of organized sports and recreation. We also support organized sports leagues in northern New Mexico by providing equipment and financial grants.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Taos Turkey Trot – 5k Road Race & Fun Run/Walk - Saturday, November 19, 2011
NCAA Spring Season Soccer Showdown - April, 2012
Western College Development Association (WCDA) Regular Season Soccer - April, 2012
Taos Mountain Classic, Enchanted Circle Cycling Road Race - Saturday, August 25, 2012
Taos Mountain Marathon, Full Marathon & 30k Trail Run - Saturday, September 1, 2012

TAOS ECO PARK

ABOUT US

Taos Sports Alliance serves the Northern New Mexico community by programming, promoting and operating sports and recreation events benefiting youth participation in organized activities.

Taos Sports Alliance collaborates volunteers, private companies and municipal resources to create avenues for students to participate in organized sports and recreation activities as healthy mechanisms towards personal life development.

The core services of Taos Sports Alliance include programming, scheduling, marketing, operations and maintenance of sports and recreation events and park grounds. Working in tandem with Town of Taos and New Mexico municipalities, Taos Sports Alliance serves the youth of Taos.

MISSION STATEMENT

The primary goals of Taos Sports Alliance are maximizing student participation in organized sports and recreation activities in northern New Mexico, while simultaneously contributing to the economic development of the community.

The Taos Sports Alliance identifies individual and team sports, athletic events, and extracurricular activities as a solid foundation for children to grow into successful adults who contribute to a positive future.

It is the mission of Taos Sports Alliance to expose the youth of the community to the world around them through organized sports and recreation, to help them reach their capabilities and grow as individuals.

TSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Justin Lea
Vice President: Brian Greer
Treasurer: Hank Friedman
Secretary: Mark Yaravitz
Director: Elen Archuleta
Director: Peter French
Director: Gerald Nichols
Director: Kelley Shull Tredwin
Executive Director: Joel Israel

GET INVOLVED

To get involved with Taos Sports Alliance we encourage you to attend our Board meetings held monthly at local business to support our local community.

Taos Sports Alliance also welcomes its Members, Partners, Sponsors, Donors and prospective affiliates to join in our monthly Board Meetings.

Phone: (575) 224-0199
Email: info@taossportsalliance.com

MEDIA

Taos Recreation Video

NEWS

Rwanda, Taos and the World to Come
Taos News, July 2011

Junior Wasps End Taos Camp in Style
AllAfrica.com, June 2011

Rwanda, Taos and the World to Come
Northern NM News Room, June 2011

Taos training reveals Rwanda's best 21-man team
Taos News, June 2011

Taos training reveals Rwanda's best 21-man team
KOAT Channel 7, May 2011

Taos' Eco Park targets athletes, tourism
New Mexico Business Weekly, April 2011

Taos Eco Park kicks off with April 16 grand opening, including Lobos game
Taos News, April 2011

Eco Park Field Gets Highest FIFA Field Rating
Taos News, December 2010

Taos Eco Park Gets FIFA Certification
Summit County Citizens Voice, December 2010

Taos Ski Valley Leads the Sporting Life
Family Travel Forum, December 2010

PRESS RELEASES

Taos Eco Park Receives FIFA Certification
Highest Altitude FIFA 2 Star Training Facility in the World

Taos, New Mexico (USA) - December 8, 2010 - The Taos (NM) Eco Park has received a FIFA 2 Star Field Certification from the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the world’s governing body for the sport of soccer. The Taos Eco Park is now the fourth FIFA 2 Star field installed in the United States, and the highest altitude FIFA 2 Star training facility in the world. Taos has long been known for its world class skiing, hiking and biking and now adds soccer to the list of outdoor opportunities. Located 7,000 feet above sea level, Taos Eco Park adds the unique attribute of high altitude training as a sports destination for soccer and many other sports including, but not limited to, American football, rugby and lacrosse, with Taos Mountain providing an incredible backdrop.

"This means teams from all over the world will be able to train at high altitude, on a FIFA certified field, in preparation for tournaments and to improve their team’s abilities," said Joel Israel, Executive Director of the Taos Sports Alliance. "If a team has a game in Mexico City, they'll be able to come to Taos and train at 7,000 feet for two weeks of high altitude conditioning for their competition. This is a huge opportunity for soccer teams worldwide and for the Town of Taos, NM."

FIFA is often considered the "United Nations of Soccer" with 208 affiliated countries. The designation of a FIFA 2 Star Field Certification guarantees premium performance, consistency and safety of play based on the FIFA Quality Concept, respected internationally as the industry standard for artificial turf fields. This rating is designed specifically to mirror the playing characteristics of professional soccer. The new designation and the high altitude training component will make the field an attractive destination for teams regionally, nationally and even internationally.

Taos Eco Park is part of a multi-fold initiative by the Town of Taos to increase quality of life, while creating an economic driver for the region. The FIFA 2 Star Field Certification compliments the vision by Taos's elected officials to become known as a sports and recreation destination, with a focus on youth sports participation to keep its region’s children healthy, happy and safe, in a world-class environment.

"The Taos Eco Park's positive impact will be shared by the community for generations to come in northern New Mexico", said Darren Cordova, Mayor of Taos. "Our children will learn important life lessons through their involvement in sports. These lessons include self-discipline, teamwork, dedication and perseverance. Additionally, local businesses will see an increase in activity, with people coming to Taos, because it is a sports destination."

"I am thrilled that the Taos Eco Park has become a reality and is now being recognized by FIFA, which puts Taos on the map once again as a world class destination," said Taos Counci lmember Gene Sanchez - a major proponent of the Eco Park since its inception. "Thanks to the combined efforts of the Town, School Board and community, the Eco Park fosters recreation and education while utilizing alternative energy, so it has very little impact on our environment."

Taos Eco Park's artificial turf system, manufactured by Shaw Sportexe, is constructed using a blend of grass-like fibers, special backing and a mix of sand and rubber infill, installed over compacted base and drainage layers. The end result of these system components mirrors the playing characteristics of a natural grass surface, allowing for Taos Eco Park to be used as a multi-sport training facility.

Programming for high altitude training at Taos Eco Park has already met the expectations of the Town for 2011. Reservations for use of the Taos Eco Park are quickly filling the master calendar with team training, sports camps and sports leagues from a wide variety of field sports, from youth programs up through the collegiate level of competition.

For more information or to reserve programming at Taos Eco Park, please contact: Joel Israel, Executive Director, Taos Sports Alliance, (954) 567-8942 or email: joel@taossportsalliance.com

About Town of Taos, New Mexico (USA)
Taos has long been sought after for its outdoor recreation, training opportunities and competitive sports - from skiing to mountain biking from hockey to swimming to running and fishing. Additionally, Taos is a leading tourism destination in the region. For more information on the Town of Taos, New Mexico (USA) visit www.taosvacationguide.com

THE ONLY FIFA 2-STAR FIELD OF ITS KIND
Taos Eco-Park Becomes the Highest Altitude FIFA 2-Star Training Facility in the World

Dalton, GA - December 9, 2010 - The Taos Eco-Park featuring Shaw Sportexe synthetic turf, located in Taos, New Mexico, has become among the elite four fields in the U.S. to achieve FIFA 2-star recommended status. It is currently the highest altitude FIFA 2-Star training facility in the world. Located 7,000 feet above sea level, Taos Eco-Park will be used to aid professional and international soccer teams and players with training in high altitude environments, in addition to youth and community events in various sports including, but not limited to, American football, rugby and lacrosse.

"The Shaw Sportexe team helped transform the vision of Taos Eco Park into a world class football pitch," said Joel Israel, Executive Director of the Taos Sports Alliance. "Players and coaches from New Mexico and around the world can utilize Taos Eco Park’s high altitude training location at 7,000 feet, with the benefit of a FIFA 2 Star Field Certification."

The FIFA 2-star certification process requires a stringent series of testing for performance criteria such as ball roll, vertical ball rebound, force reduction, rotational resistance and several additional tests designed to mirror the playing characteristics of professional soccer. The testing is performed by a FIFA approved lab and consists of both on-field and lab tests.

The Taos Eco-Park field features Shaw Sportexe's PowerBlade HP turf system which consists of a 2.5" monofilament fiber and a mixture of sand and rubber infill. The new surface will provide both consistency and durability for years to come.

"Credit for the FIFA 2-Star Field Certification goes to the entire Shaw Sportexe team," says Israel. "The Town of Taos received excellent service from our territory manager Craig Edwards to Phil Stricklen in R&D, and of course, the boots on the ground that installed the field."

Shaw Sportexe R&D Director, Phil Stricklen commented after hearing of the news last Friday from FIFA. "Achieving the FIFA 2-star certification is no easy task. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our company. By conducting these rigorous tests, we can ensure that both athlete-surface and ball-surface interactions are mirroring the surface of natural grass. It just continues to showcase our ability to create turf systems that meet the highest performance levels in the industry."

"We are very proud of our entire team," said Shaw Sportexe Divisional Vice President, Tom Enright. "I think this just solidifies the commitment we have towards engineering and installing fields with the best combination of durability, playability and safety. While all of our fields have not been tested for the FIFA 2-Star designation, we hold these same standards to every field we do. Our systems are designed around the same criteria and ultimately strive for the same performance level."

Enright commented further, "We congratulate the City of Taos for this outstanding accomplishment. Their commitment to build a first-class facility with international recognition shows the commitment they have for their families and community."

Taos Eco-Park is a multi-field initiative by the Town of Taos to increase the quality of life, while creating an economic drive for the region. The facility will feature the use of a solar power lighting system to house night events. Other features will include restroom and locker room facilities and stadium seating capacity for 1,500 people. The city plans to unveil the facility in a grand opening celebration in the spring. During the event, the new Shaw Sportexe field will endure its first usage as a FIFA 2-star field as the University of New Mexico men's soccer team takes the stage during an exhibition game. Programming for high altitude training is already underway for 2011. The city reports it has already met expectations from team training, sports camps and sport leagues scheduled events.

About Shaw Sportexe
A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Shaw Sportexe is one of the leading synthetic turf companies in North America. Shaw Sportexe has demonstrated industry leadership in both quality and innovation for more than two decades with over 700 successful installations, including an impressive list of high-profile field installations such as the Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, LSU, University of Arkansas, and many others. For more information on Shaw Sportexe, visit www.shawsportexe.com.