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2023 Year in Review - Sports

Participation in our after school youth sports programs and summer sports camps was up from 2022. We added a new event, the Home Run Derby, and continued to time more non-VRD events. The Sports Department added another full-time, year-round position in 2023, which was very much needed considering how much the department has grown.

Among other events, we partnered with Beaver Creek Resort Company to time their 2023 Snowshoe Series.

In other big news, our Sports Director, Joel Rabinowitz helped coach the Battle Mountain Huskies soccer team all the way to the 2023 4A State Championship! Congratulations Huskies!

 

A baseball player poised to swing the bat with an American flag in the background.
Participants in the inaugural Home Run Derby had a great time! We hope to grow this event in 2024.
Children playing in a mud pit, laughing and enjoying a messy outdoor activity.
The Kids Adventure Games Family Mud Run had 225 participants (32% Eagle County, 56% other parts of CO, 12% out of state/international).
Three people river rafting in a blue raft, smiling, under a wooden bridge on a sunny day.
The Eagle River Water & Sanitation District Vail Whitewater Series again saw record participation since its inception in 2011, with 398 participants (up from 339 in 2022).
Two people in winter clothing smiling, one wearing a festive sweater, in a snowy setting.
Two children running on a trail through wildflowers, wearing race bibs.
In 2023, the Mighty Marmot Kids Trail Races expanded to three events (up from two in 2022), with 75+ children per race.
A baseball player poised to swing the bat with an American flag in the background.
Children playing in a mud pit, laughing and enjoying a messy outdoor activity.
Three people river rafting in a blue raft, smiling, under a wooden bridge on a sunny day.
Two people in winter clothing smiling, one wearing a festive sweater, in a snowy setting.
Two children running on a trail through wildflowers, wearing race bibs.
Black divider line
Two people in winter clothing smiling, one wearing a festive sweater, in a snowy setting.
We had 150 participants in the 2023 Ugly Sweater Run, up from 136 in 2022. 92% of participants were from Eagle County; 8% from other parts of the state. This event raised $900 for the Community Market, plus we collected over 600 lbs. of food. We also bought $900 worth of toys in addition to a healthy amount of toy donations!
Three hikers with tools on a sunny mountain trail with autumn foliage.
The VRD partnered with the Vail Valley Mountain Trails Alliance for two trail workdays in the summer and fall of 2023. Our adopted trail is the North Trail, and staff volunteers worked to clear debris and overgrown brush, fix drainages and complete other tasks as directed by the VVMTA staff.

 

MORE NUMBERS:

  • 2023 Races
    • Winter Races: 330 participants | 64% Eagle County, 33% other parts of CO, 3% out of state
    • Whitewater Series: 398 participants (record number!) | 59% Eagle County, 35.2% other parts of CO, 5.8% out of state/international
    • Mountain Bike Series: 1,205 participants | 78% Eagle County, 22% other parts of CO
    • Trail Running Series: 1,538 participants | 49% Eagle County, 38% other parts of CO, 11% out of state, 2% international
    • Mighty Marmot Kids Trail Races: 194 participants | 100% Eagle County
  • Adult Sports Participation
    • 1,600 total participants in adult leagues
    • Approximately 1,025 participants in two nights/week of open gym volleyball and basketball for eight months of the year
  • Youth Sports Programs and Camps
    • 559 youths enjoyed our after school youth sports programs, a 13.6% increase from 2022
    • 848 local and visiting children enjoyed our summer sports camp offerings, a 30% increase from 2022
Logo of "Vail Recreation District 2023 Year in Review" with trees and mountain graphics.