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  History and Development of the Ranchos Elementary School Soccer Complex 

 
The soccer fields at Ranchos elementary school are a recreation facility that originally included three Olympic-size soccer fields with an automated irrigation system, perimeter fencing, bleachers and storage buildings, landscaping and parking for 250 vehicles. It is a premiere location because of the beautiful views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, its large size allowing it to accommodate tournaments as well as use by local teams in local programs, and easy access for most of our community.

 
Spring and early summer 1999

• The land has been stripped and graded.

• The irrigation system has been installed under all areas of the playing fields.

• Water mains are installed.

• Electrical lines for the control panel are in place.

• High quality, 9 gauge perimeter fencing with 12 ft. access gates for vehicles and 4 ft. personnel gates are installed plus lanes for trucks around the perimeter for maintenance and transport of equipment.

• The fields were cultivated in preparation for seeding and a 10,000 gallon water tank has been set beside the supply well.

• Volunteers from the Taos Youth Soccer League and the varsity and junior varsity boys and girls teams from the Taos High School helped clean the fields of stones after they were cultivated in preparation for seeding.

 

Summer 1999

Despite contracted agreements with the Taos Municipal Schools to mow the fields, it was not done throughout the summer resulting in an overgrowth of weeds and the problem of weeds seeding themselves in, requiring repeated re-cultivation the following autumn and spring.

 
August 1999

Water rights were transferred through the Office of the State Engineer of New Mexico to meet the requirements of the fields. Due to an oversight by that office which oversaw the transfers, the water could not be used until the spring of 2000 because of additional requirements for water rights amounting to 1.6 acre feet which was obtained through a transfer from the Town of Taos in the winter of 1999-2000.

 

March 2000

Final transfer of water rights through the Office of the State Engineer of New Mexico to meet the requirements of the fields is completed and approved.

 
Spring of 2000

The fields were cultivated and seeded.  The whole area inside the fencing, almost nine acres was green and looking beautiful.  The irrigation system was working well.

 
On a weekend before school ends for the summer, a leak occurs inside Ranchos Elementary School and the water is shut off to the school and the fields.  When the leak is fixed, the water is turned on to the school but not to the fields and the newly seeded grass dies throughout the nine acres.

 
Early summer 2000

The fields are cultivated and seeded again.

 
Summer 2000

Despite contractual agreements between the Taos Municipal Schools and the Taos Youth Soccer League, the fields are not mowed.  In the contract, the Taos Municipal Schools agreed to maintain the fields, including mowing and watering, in exchange for a $50,000 grant used for development of the fields on school property as well as giving the Taos Youth Soccer League five years of usage.  Because of the lack of mowing, the grass (Scott’s Sport Turf) is choked out by weeds and prairie dogs are allowed to infest the fields despite many conversations involving verbal as well as contractual agreements between the administrations of Taos Youth Soccer League and the Taos Municipal Schools.

 

2001-2005.  The TYSL (all age groups) were to begin play at the Ranchos Soccer Complex beginning in the autumn of 2000’

• In the spring of 2001 TYSL attempted to play on Ranchos with U6, U8, & U10 but were forced to move after (2) Saturday's because the fields were not in playable condition.

• In the autumn of 2002 U12 & U14 used Ranchos on (8) Saturdays.

• In the spring of 2003 U12 & U14 used Ranchos on (5) Saturdays.

• In the autumn of 2003 U12 used Ranchos on (7) Saturdays.

• In the spring of 2005 U12 & U14 used Ranchos on (6) Saturdays.

It is important to note: 

• The most the TYSL has played on the Ranchos fields in one calendar year is (12) out of (365) days.

• Since the spring of 2001 the TYSL have used the Ranchos Soccer Complex a total of (28) times.

• The age groups that have used the Ranchos fields play 7V7 and as such there are never more than (14) players on the field at any given time during the course of a game. It is also important to note that most of the athletes at this age are of small stature and as such would do very little if any damage to the surface.

• The TYSL has never practiced on the Ranchos fields at any time.

More than 1,200 youth from Taos County were planned to use this facility in its first year of use including the following programs at the time the fields were established:

• Taos High School junior varsity and varsity soccer programs which have approximately 140 high school students enrolled annually.

• The Taos Youth Soccer League, the largest youth recreational organization in Taos County with participation by approximately 600 youths in 1999.

• Summer soccer programs and camps run and hosted by the Taos Youth Soccer League for youth from Taos County.  Enrollment in these programs exceeds 200 participants annually.

• Ranchos Elementary School has an enrollment of 360 students this year.  Currently, there are no outdoor playing fields at Ranchos Elementary School for physical education programs.

• The Taos Soccer Club, an organization for adult men and women with approximately 70 members, needs designated soccer fields.

These programs still have no designated soccer facilities!!

This facility was to be of great benefit to our community.  It was planned in size and scale to allow Taos Municipal Schools and the Taos Youth Soccer League access to fields for school and recreational programs as well as having the capacity to host soccer tournaments, thereby producing income for its own maintenance, for our community and soccer programs in Taos.

 
As documented by Thomas B. French & the TYSL Board

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