Taos Youth Basketball League wraps second season with action-packed tournament
The Taos Youth Basketball League wrapped up the 2023-24 season with championship games in all divisions played at Otero Gymnasium March 24. The all-day event was full of fanfare and a steady flow of large crowds throughout the day.
“These kids have come a long way,” league organizer Chris Baca said after the final game of the tournament concluded. “The work they put into learning the game really showed now at the end.”
Baca was referring to how well players adjusted to the enforcement of regular rules over the course of an entire season — even for some of the younger ones who were trying out the sport for the first time.
“Our coaches and officials are strict, within reason of course, and call out violations so that kids understand how to play by the rules,” Baca told the Taos News in the middle of the season. “And the response is amazing, because [the players] figure out pretty quick how things work.”
Understanding there is a learning curve in basketball, Baca reiterated the philosophy behind the goals of the league: Games are designed to give kids a fun experience, as well as an opportunity to learn new skills that can serve them on and off the court.
The 2023-24 season was the league’s second, but the organization already experienced an expansion this year with the addition of first- and sixth-grade divisions. With half of the games being played at
Taos Charter School, this meant the heights of the baskets could be adjusted and brought down to accommodate the younger shooters.
“We’re building for the future,” Baca said, hinting at the positive outcomes of having kids play organized basketball at such a young age. “The more game situations they encounter, the more they will improve as they transition into the upper grades.”
Baca added that the league is also striving to emphasize diversity by bringing kids from different parts of the Taos County community together.
“Our players come from different schools and communities and are mixed together to form new friendships,” Baca added. “Hopefully we can create some bonds that might give us an advantage when they get older.”
The league also incentivizes coaches to elevate all their players on their respective rosters by managing equitable playing time. In instances where teams are formed based on their classrooms and they enter elementary tournaments, the better teams will ultimately play more games, while the weaker teams could end up playing significantly fewer games in a season. Taos Youth Basketball League, on the other hand, offers 12 guaranteed games over the course of two months.
With a vast number of staff and volunteers, the weekly games and subsequent tournament were well run and often resembled a high school varsity game — except the players were wearing professional (NBA) and collegiate (NCAA) team uniforms. The all-girls’ teams incorporate the women’s professional basketball teams, as well, borrowing professional team names like the Aces, Sparks, Fever, Lynx, Liberty, Comets, Storm, and Wings.
This year’s championship day included high school sports announcer Chris Alcala, the Taos Tigers mascot and a trio of certified referees, who were on hand to further elevate the experience for the teams.
In Division 1, the favored Huskies defeated the Jayhawks. In Division 2, the Wolverines triumphed over the number one seed Red
Raiders. The Rockets capped a perfect season in Division 3 with a win over the formidable 76ers.
On the girls’ side of the league, the Sparks also went undefeated and conquered their closest nemesis, the Aces, to secure the Division 4 title. The combined Division 6 league saw the Fever maintain their position at the top with a victory over the second-seeded Lynx.
And in the nightcap, the thirdseeded Nets emerged as the dark horse, holding off the fifth-ranked Celtics to claim the Division 5 trophy.
“I really like basketball,” a member of the Sparks team declared after the D5 game concluded. “It feels great to score lots of baskets.”
“I thought the season went well,” a 76ers player said. “I was on the championship team last year, but this year my team came in second. But I’m OK with that.”
Baca gave a heartfelt speech at the end of the long day and thanked the league’s many sponsors, supporters, volunteers and parents, all of whom helped make the season a success. Sponsors included Aura Fitness, Camille Rivera, Working on Wellness, Taos Charter School, Taos High School, Swinehart CPA, Taos Hunting Company, Daniel Barela, XL Sports Photography, and Red Dawg Design and Apparel.
LOR Foundation sponsored the 2024 end-of-season tournament and all team and individual awards.