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.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/a64f4abf-3307-4035-87ff-0d45bad3c1cc/20230702-VRD-HRDerby-14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=005897c70b46026c042a5665a5c33b65)
![Children playing in a mud pit, laughing and enjoying a messy outdoor activity.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/eabef644-8afc-4ff2-99e7-5a960e0dd871/20230812-VRD-MudRun-56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=53c232171eb7c61cde7f8b574ba2feaf)
![Three people river rafting in a blue raft, smiling, under a wooden bridge on a sunny day.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/10285504-f825-48a6-b50e-a168625da6d0/20230606-VRD-WhitewaterSeries5-45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=87f38b767465b1720761e63fe6fa8073)
![Two people in winter clothing smiling, one wearing a festive sweater, in a snowy setting.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/4753a843-2780-4024-8b72-3c4aca91765c/20231210-UglySweateRun-061.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=402443b995bdfef922db507160f40c87)
![Two children running on a trail through wildflowers, wearing race bibs.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/6eb6a665-112d-4d84-8bfd-9eb54061318d/20230915-VRD-MightyMarmot-64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=2344619aebf7f2ac20d11b7fecf63219)
![A baseball player poised to swing the bat with an American flag in the background.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/a64f4abf-3307-4035-87ff-0d45bad3c1cc/20230702-VRD-HRDerby-14.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=005897c70b46026c042a5665a5c33b65)
![Children playing in a mud pit, laughing and enjoying a messy outdoor activity.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/eabef644-8afc-4ff2-99e7-5a960e0dd871/20230812-VRD-MudRun-56.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=53c232171eb7c61cde7f8b574ba2feaf)
![Three people river rafting in a blue raft, smiling, under a wooden bridge on a sunny day.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/10285504-f825-48a6-b50e-a168625da6d0/20230606-VRD-WhitewaterSeries5-45.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=87f38b767465b1720761e63fe6fa8073)
![Two people in winter clothing smiling, one wearing a festive sweater, in a snowy setting.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/4753a843-2780-4024-8b72-3c4aca91765c/20231210-UglySweateRun-061.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=402443b995bdfef922db507160f40c87)
![Two children running on a trail through wildflowers, wearing race bibs.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/6eb6a665-112d-4d84-8bfd-9eb54061318d/20230915-VRD-MightyMarmot-64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=2344619aebf7f2ac20d11b7fecf63219)
![Black divider line](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/891acf11-0860-4adf-9a3b-1614cb0a971a/Divider%203.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=dff9db44f5858ee9494efcf4c646d11c)
![Two people in winter clothing smiling, one wearing a festive sweater, in a snowy setting.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/4753a843-2780-4024-8b72-3c4aca91765c/20231210-UglySweateRun-061.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=402443b995bdfef922db507160f40c87)
![Three hikers with tools on a sunny mountain trail with autumn foliage.](https://streamline.imgix.net/e4641fc7-6eeb-44f7-81bd-b9257c4ba19b/5cc952d3-f9c1-49f6-8e9d-2e98acd05724/Adopt%20a%20Trail.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=b19fad6cb32a2283b9ec21a1bb8abdbe)
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