Physical education is an important component of the Yaxche experience. Throughout the course of the school day, visitors to Yaxche see students engaged in vigorous outdoor physical activity—also known as play!

Students in Kindergarten to level 8 experience the emotional, mental, and physical benefits of maintaining an active life-style and acquire self-awareness concerning their own health and well-being.

Through exposure to as many forms of exercise as possible, Yaxche students develop abilities both as individual athletes and as team players. In all athletic activities, Yaxche encourages students to have positive attitudes toward themselves, their teammates, and their opponents. In individual sports, Yaxche emphasizes students’ rising to challenge their physical strength; in team sports, students study the structure of game rules, positions, strategies, and the principles of sportsmanship.

Team games at Yaxche consist of soccer, basketball, baseball, flag tag, flag football, kickball, dodge ball, indoor hockey, lacrosse, relay races, and tennis.

Individual challenges include Presidential fitness training and test, yoga, Pilates, sprint running, jump rope, sit-ups, push-ups, ¼- to 1-mile timed run, snowboarding, skiing, archery, dancing, and martial arts.

Thanks to small class sizes, an entire class can easily fit into a van, and Yaxche’s PE instructor drives students to the Taos Youth and Family Center for skateboarding, rollerblading, and skootering. Students also walk to a nearby town gym for basketball.

October: World Play Day. Yaxche hosts a Costume Dodgeball tournament, inviting parents and the community.

November: Turkey Trot. Each grade level runs a 50-meter sprint, with every student winning a feast food to share with his or her family. The first-place boy and girl from each grade level have first choice from a variety of foods set up in a haystack “store.” Foods include turkeys, pies, squash, cranberries, and cider. Parents and teachers often abandon their work shoes—or come prepared, wearing sneakers—and join in the sprint.

January–February: Skiing or Snowboarding. Students and family choose from skiing at Taos Ski Valley with Jean Mayer or skiing and snowboarding at Angel Fire mountain and terrain park.

February 14: Jump for Joy. Yaxche’s much-anticipated all-school jump rope event costs $1.00 per student. Staff and parents swing ropes and count the number of consecutive jumps. All students receive a small prize and a smoothie. The student with the most jumps takes the pot of money from entry fees to buy something his or her family needs or to donate to the nonprofit organization of the student’s choice.

March: Meet Some of Taos’ Elite Athletes. Six elite athletes from the community give a short video demonstration of their sport. Students rotate through stations, where the athletes talk about their physical training commitment and nutrition.

May: Triathlon for Taos Youth. This event is an individual and team age-appropriate swim, run, and bike course for ages 4–18. Parents are encouraged to participate in the 18+ division. Every participant receives prizes donated from local businesses, and monies raised go toward a local competing athlete and Yaxche scholarships.

At Yaxche, we believe that the awareness of a healthy body is vital to the well-being of mind and spirit. We encourage children to set personal goals and strive for personal improvement, and we expose children to as many sports as possible. We make sure that students never lose the key element in sports—having fun while engaging body, mind, and spirit in physical education.