ALBUQUERQUE, NM – New Mexico UnitedAcademy is excited to announce the addition of six new players to their 2023 roster. These players - representing a wide swath of local clubs and high schools - will be terrific additions to the UnitedAcademy community, and will participate in all training, travel, competition, and education completely free of charge, thanks to the generous support of the Somos Unidos Foundation from New Mexicans and New Mexican businesses who believe in their mission of building access to the game of soccer.

The first home game time of the year is slated for this Friday, August 18 at 7 p.m. at the Port of the Pirates.

GRANTS, N.M. - The Grants High School Pirates have just completed summer workouts and are preparing for the upcoming season.

To help minimize the risk of heat illness and/or stroke to student-athletes, the New Mexico Activities Association suggests the following: • Not restricting intake of fluids, • Frequent water breaks, • Practicing in cooler parts of the day, • Removing protective equipment, • Preparations in place for suspected heat illness/stroke – cold tub, tarp, etc Here are other resources to help avoid heat illness: • NMAA Heat Illness Policy – https://www.nmact.org/fil e/Heat_Illness_Prevention_ Protocol.pdf • Tarp Assisted Cooling with Oscillation (Cold Tub Alternative) – https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=vonrI4IQOFM Especially in football, it is crucial that heat acclimatizing guidelines are strictly followed with extra vigilance during the first 3-4 days of any transition or acclimatization period..

During the offseason, the New Mexico Activities Association updated the sportsmanship bylaws to include specific penalties for “egregious” acts of unsportsmanlike conduct. The updated bylaw now specifies the possibility of suspension of a team/fan from athletic activities for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

New Mexico United Announces Nicky Hernandez Contract Extension Hernandez won USL Championship title with San Antonio FC last season ALBUQUERQUE, NM - New Mexico United is excited to announce that they have extended the contract of midfielder Nicky Hernandez, following his successful 25-day stint with the club. The new contract will see Hernandez stay with the club through at least the remainder of the 2023 USL Championship season.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Meow Wolf, the innovative and immersive arts and entertainment company, has joined forces with New Mexico United, the beloved professional soccer team, in a groundbreaking lifetime partnership that will redefine the boundaries of creativity and sports collaboration. Announced at United’s electrifying victory over Sacramento last Saturday, this historic collaboration brings together two powerhouses in their respective industries - Meow Wolf renowned for its awe-inspiring and interactive art experiences, and New Mexico United known for its passionate fanbase and commitment to community engagement.

The New Mexico Activities Association membership recently voted in favor of a proposed update to sportsmanship bylaws. NMAA high schools voted by nearly 80% in favor of Bylaw 7.7.4 – Crowd Control & Unsportsmanlike Conduct. The new policy will be enacted beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.“ We are glad to see our member schools approve this updated bylaw which coincides with our Compete with Class initiative and hope this will help eliminate much of the growing bad behavior,” said NMAA Executive Director Sally Marquez.

The use of a one-way communication device between a coach in the dugout and a team’s catcher for the purposes of calling pitches will be permitted in high school baseball beginning in 2024. This change to Rules 1-6-2 and 3-2-5 was one of five rules revisions approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee at its June 4-6 meeting in Indianapolis.

A Battle of the Badges softball game was held on Saturday July 22 at Kearns Field. The teams were Corrections Departments V. Police and Fire Departments. Village of Milan Mayor Felix Gonzales threw the first pitch to start off the game. The game ended 0-44 with the police and fire departments taking the trophy. The agencies that took part in the game were Milan Police Department, Laguna Police Department, Grants Fire Department, New Mexico State Police and Cibola County Correctional Center.