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On Monday August 23rd, members of the Switchbacks staff spent the afternoon volunteering at the Care and Share Distribution Center. Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado is a non-profit dedicated to helping bridge the gap between food hunger and food abundance in the Southern Colorado area. Their mission is to provide food, partnering opportunities, and education to fight hunger and food insecurity in Southern Colorado communities.

The Switchbacks make an effort to volunteer their times a few times a year, across lots of different disciplinaries. At Care and Share, they spent the afternoon sorting through produce from grocery stores to redistribute at their centers across the area, and also packed over 200 meal bags for families in El Paso County. Philanthropy is a big pillar of the values of the Switchbacks, and as a local business that likes to support their community, volunteering for groups that directly impact their neighbors is vital to the Switchbacks mission.

On Monday August 23rd, members of the Switchbacks staff spent the afternoon volunteering at the Care and Share Distribution Center. Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado is a non-profit dedicated to helping bridge the gap between food hunger and food abundance in the Southern Colorado area. Their mission is to provide food, partnering opportunities, and education to fight hunger and food insecurity in Southern Colorado communities.

The Switchbacks make an effort to volunteer their times a few times a year, across lots of different disciplinaries. At Care and Share, they spent the afternoon sorting through produce from grocery stores to redistribute at their centers across the area, and also packed over 200 meal bags for families in El Paso County. Philanthropy is a big pillar of the values of the Switchbacks, and as a local business that likes to support their community, volunteering for groups that directly impact their neighbors is vital to the Switchbacks mission.

Colorado Springs, CO (August 14, 2021) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC earned three important points on the road against Rio Grande Valley Toros with a final score of 2-5 for their second of three road trip games.

The Switchbacks drew a penalty in the 17th minute after Hadji Barry went down in the box. The kick was taken up by Deshane Beckford, whose low right side shot was ultimately saved by the Toros goalie, Colin Miller. 

Barry provided the Swithcbacks with their first goal of the night, and his 17th goal of the season, with eight to go in the first half to tie the game up. Off a cross shot from Amang, Barry was able to bury the ball deep into the right side of the net. 

The Switchbacks started picking up steam in the 55th minute after a big chance by Barry hit the top of the cross bar before going out of bounds. Thomas Amang capitalized on that momentum and two minutes later snagged his first franchise goal off a deep pass from Beckford down the left side of the field. 

Michee Ngalina put the Switchbacks in the lead with their third goal of the evening, on a free kick that winged around the penalty wall and into the left side of the net in the 69th minute, and with seventeen minutes to go Barry punched in his 18th goal of the season after taking advantage of a Toros collision. 

The fifth and final goal of the night occurred in the 89th minute, as Darren Yapi winged the ball into the net from the left side of the penalty area off a counterattack. 

The Switchbacks are on the road one more time against Charlotte Independence on August 21.

The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 28 to face Austin Bold FC with gates opening at 6pm for a 7pm kick off. The game is presented by Pikes Peak National Bank for Bucket Hat Night, with the first 500 fans in the gates receiving a free bucket hat. Tickets are available HERE.

Colorado Springs, CO (August 14, 2021) – The Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC earned three important points on the road against Rio Grande Valley Toros with a final score of 2-5 for their second of three road trip games.

The Switchbacks drew a penalty in the 17th minute after Hadji Barry went down in the box. The kick was taken up by Deshane Beckford, whose low right side shot was ultimately saved by the Toros goalie, Colin Miller. 

Barry provided the Swithcbacks with their first goal of the night, and his 17th goal of the season, with eight to go in the first half to tie the game up. Off a cross shot from Amang, Barry was able to bury the ball deep into the right side of the net. 

The Switchbacks started picking up steam in the 55th minute after a big chance by Barry hit the top of the cross bar before going out of bounds. Thomas Amang capitalized on that momentum and two minutes later snagged his first franchise goal off a deep pass from Beckford down the left side of the field. 

Michee Ngalina put the Switchbacks in the lead with their third goal of the evening, on a free kick that winged around the penalty wall and into the left side of the net in the 69th minute, and with seventeen minutes to go Barry punched in his 18th goal of the season after taking advantage of a Toros collision. 

The fifth and final goal of the night occurred in the 89th minute, as Darren Yapi winged the ball into the net from the left side of the penalty area off a counterattack. 

The Switchbacks are on the road one more time against Charlotte Independence on August 21.

The Switchbacks are back at Weidner Field on August 28 to face Austin Bold FC with gates opening at 6pm for a 7pm kick off. The game is presented by Pikes Peak National Bank for Bucket Hat Night, with the first 500 fans in the gates receiving a free bucket hat. Tickets are available HERE.

On Saturday August 14th, Switchbacks staff members attended the 6th annual Feast of Saint Arnold at the Chapel of our Savior Episcopal Church. The event, marketed as “Colorado’s Family Friendly Beer Festival” showcases the best of Colorado’s craft brewers, winemakers, and emerging distillers.

The festival lasted from 11 am to 4 pm, and had a seemingly limitless list of events, some that began even before the day itself. Their “Pilgrimage of Pints” is a self-paced pub crawl that occurred from June 9th to August 13th, and provided guests with an opportunity to explore popular brews from the time of Saint Arnold. The day of the festival, guests could enjoy a kids zone – featuring activities for children of all ages, tours of the historic grounds of the church, a visit from Saint Arnold himself, plus tons of food, drink and merchandise opportunities.

The ticketed event (free for children and designated drivers), doubled as a fundraiser, with proceeds going to Westside CARES, a non-profit dedicated to helping underserved families in the Colorado Springs community. In 2019, The Feast of Saint Arnold raised over 25,000 dollars for Westside CARES, and with an approximate attendance of nearly 40,000 throughout the day, hosts of the event are hopeful to have an impactful donation to provide again this year.

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks will be hosting a brew fest of their own on September 24th: Deadman’s Brewfest. For tickets to that, or to any of other events and games, head to https://www.switchbacksfc.com/tickets for more information.

On Saturday August 14th, Switchbacks staff members attended the 6th annual Feast of Saint Arnold at the Chapel of our Savior Episcopal Church. The event, marketed as “Colorado’s Family Friendly Beer Festival” showcases the best of Colorado’s craft brewers, winemakers, and emerging distillers.

The festival lasted from 11 am to 4 pm, and had a seemingly limitless list of events, some that began even before the day itself. Their “Pilgrimage of Pints” is a self-paced pub crawl that occurred from June 9th to August 13th, and provided guests with an opportunity to explore popular brews from the time of Saint Arnold. The day of the festival, guests could enjoy a kids zone – featuring activities for children of all ages, tours of the historic grounds of the church, a visit from Saint Arnold himself, plus tons of food, drink and merchandise opportunities.

The ticketed event (free for children and designated drivers), doubled as a fundraiser, with proceeds going to Westside CARES, a non-profit dedicated to helping underserved families in the Colorado Springs community. In 2019, The Feast of Saint Arnold raised over 25,000 dollars for Westside CARES, and with an approximate attendance of nearly 40,000 throughout the day, hosts of the event are hopeful to have an impactful donation to provide again this year.

The Colorado Springs Switchbacks will be hosting a brew fest of their own on September 24th: Deadman’s Brewfest. For tickets to that, or to any of other events and games, head to https://www.switchbacksfc.com/tickets for more information.

On Saturday August 14th, members of the Switchbacks staff attended Phil Long Ford of Chapel Hills “Cars Under the Stars” community movie night held in the dealership’s parking lot.  

The event doubled as a ‘Back to School’ supplies night to benefit Academy District 20. Attendance to the event was free, but attendees were encouraged to bring a donation of supplies/money to help assist ASD20 as they start their school year this upcoming Monday. The supplies drive is still ongoing now, with drop boxes located around the dealership in their parking lot for people to drop by with supplies whenever they have the chance.

The event began at 6:30, with a dozen booths from local businesses offering a chance at prizes and rewards in exchange for a donation. The Switchbacks were raffling away four premium tickets, as well as a signed game ball from the team.

The culmination of the evening was a drive-in movie style showing of the popular Disney/Pixar movie Cars, fitting for a dealership setting. Nearly 50 families showed up to enjoy the atmosphere and the movie, and Pepsi and Takis provided refreshments as sponsors of the event. Phil Long hopes this event can become an annual one, with new and exciting elements happening each time.

The Switchbacks have two more months of home games, as well as a series of concerts and festivals in September. For more information or tickets, head to: https://www.switchbacksfc.com/2021season.

On Saturday August 14th, members of the Switchbacks staff attended Phil Long Ford of Chapel Hills “Cars Under the Stars” community movie night held in the dealership’s parking lot.  

The event doubled as a ‘Back to School’ supplies night to benefit Academy District 20. Attendance to the event was free, but attendees were encouraged to bring a donation of supplies/money to help assist ASD20 as they start their school year this upcoming Monday. The supplies drive is still ongoing now, with drop boxes located around the dealership in their parking lot for people to drop by with supplies whenever they have the chance.

The event began at 6:30, with a dozen booths from local businesses offering a chance at prizes and rewards in exchange for a donation. The Switchbacks were raffling away four premium tickets, as well as a signed game ball from the team.

The culmination of the evening was a drive-in movie style showing of the popular Disney/Pixar movie Cars, fitting for a dealership setting. Nearly 50 families showed up to enjoy the atmosphere and the movie, and Pepsi and Takis provided refreshments as sponsors of the event. Phil Long hopes this event can become an annual one, with new and exciting elements happening each time.

The Switchbacks have two more months of home games, as well as a series of concerts and festivals in September. For more information or tickets, head to: https://www.switchbacksfc.com/2021season.

The first week of August 2021 marked the first Switchbacks Soccer Summer Camp since moving to the new Weidner Field. Children between the ages of 5 and 18 could sign up for three days of instructional camp taught by certified members of the Switchbacks staff.

The clinic, lasting for three days between August 3rd and 5th, took place from 9 to 11 am every day and included lessons, practices, and some small-scale scrimmages. Ages varied from 5 up to 14, and the almost fifty athletes who attended were sorted into ‘teams’ based on their age and previous experiences with soccer.  

On the last day of the clinic, campers were surprised by a few members of the Switchbacks FC team. Rony Argueta and Dillon Serna both showed up to give some advice and playing techniques, as well as playing in a few short scrimmages. The kids had an absolute blast and it was so fun getting to see our players interacting with the young players.

The Switchbacks are currently planning on having the soccer camp be an annual thing, and the hope is that for next season the clinic itself will be able to be held at our very own Weidner Field.

The Switchbacks are halfway through their season! For your chance to see them in action, head to: https://www.switchbacksfc.com/2021season. Make sure to check out our fall concerts and brew fests while you’re there!

The first week of August 2021 marked the first Switchbacks Soccer Summer Camp since moving to the new Weidner Field. Children between the ages of 5 and 18 could sign up for three days of instructional camp taught by certified members of the Switchbacks staff.

The clinic, lasting for three days between August 3rd and 5th, took place from 9 to 11 am every day and included lessons, practices, and some small-scale scrimmages. Ages varied from 5 up to 14, and the almost fifty athletes who attended were sorted into ‘teams’ based on their age and previous experiences with soccer.  

On the last day of the clinic, campers were surprised by a few members of the Switchbacks FC team. Rony Argueta and Dillon Serna both showed up to give some advice and playing techniques, as well as playing in a few short scrimmages. The kids had an absolute blast and it was so fun getting to see our players interacting with the young players.

The Switchbacks are currently planning on having the soccer camp be an annual thing, and the hope is that for next season the clinic itself will be able to be held at our very own Weidner Field.

The Switchbacks are halfway through their season! For your chance to see them in action, head to: https://www.switchbacksfc.com/2021season. Make sure to check out our fall concerts and brew fests while you’re there!

The weekend of August 6-8th 2021, found members of the Switchbacks staff at the annual Pride of the Rockies Classic and Showcase. This year the showcase was held at the Air Force Academy, which has 17 different fields that were used for simultaneous play, as well as at the Pride Soccer Complex.

The tournament featured (insert number) teams from all over the state of Colorado, with the athletes ranging in age from (blank to blank). Boys’ soccer featured three flights with winners in Premier/Gold, Silver, and Bronze, across the age categories U11 to U14, while the much larger girls’ division held competitions in Premier, Gold, Silver, and Bronze from ages U11 to U19.  

With the soccer season beginning in the last few weeks, Pride of the Rockies was considered a ‘tune-up’ for many of the players and teams, who used the tournament to evaluate players in an active play scenario, as well as familiarizing themselves with other teams they may come up against during the season.  

Over fifty teams registered to be a part of the tournament, and hundreds of games were played over the three-day tournament period. Thousands of families came out to support their players in the games, and took advantage of the weather and location to explored the idyllic area of Colorado Springs. In addition to the teams and their families, many local businesses, the Switchbacks included, showed up with booths and interactive activities, capitalizing on the opportunity to network and connect with the people in the Colorado Springs and greater Colorado community. Everyone’s favorite mascot Ziggy was also there, delighting the crowds and being his usual energetic self.

The weekend of August 6-8th 2021, found members of the Switchbacks staff at the annual Pride of the Rockies Classic and Showcase. This year the showcase was held at the Air Force Academy, which has 17 different fields that were used for simultaneous play, as well as at the Pride Soccer Complex.

The tournament featured (insert number) teams from all over the state of Colorado, with the athletes ranging in age from (blank to blank). Boys’ soccer featured three flights with winners in Premier/Gold, Silver, and Bronze, across the age categories U11 to U14, while the much larger girls’ division held competitions in Premier, Gold, Silver, and Bronze from ages U11 to U19.  

With the soccer season beginning in the last few weeks, Pride of the Rockies was considered a ‘tune-up’ for many of the players and teams, who used the tournament to evaluate players in an active play scenario, as well as familiarizing themselves with other teams they may come up against during the season.  

Over fifty teams registered to be a part of the tournament, and hundreds of games were played over the three-day tournament period. Thousands of families came out to support their players in the games, and took advantage of the weather and location to explored the idyllic area of Colorado Springs. In addition to the teams and their families, many local businesses, the Switchbacks included, showed up with booths and interactive activities, capitalizing on the opportunity to network and connect with the people in the Colorado Springs and greater Colorado community. Everyone’s favorite mascot Ziggy was also there, delighting the crowds and being his usual energetic self.

The Switchbacks FC mascot attended the offices of T Rowe Price to help them celebrate their staff’s first day back in the office after COVID. Ziggy wandered throughout the offices, surprising their staff with sweet photos and fun interactions.

The Switchbacks are also proud to announce a new partnership with T Rowe Price, a national investment management firm. Starting August 28th, T Rowe Price will join the Switchbacks family of partners.

For information about that game, or to get tickets to any of our home games, please visit us as https://www.switchbacksfc.com/tickets

The Switchbacks FC mascot attended the offices of T Rowe Price to help them celebrate their staff’s first day back in the office after COVID. Ziggy wandered throughout the offices, surprising their staff with sweet photos and fun interactions.

The Switchbacks are also proud to announce a new partnership with T Rowe Price, a national investment management firm. Starting August 28th, T Rowe Price will join the Switchbacks family of partners.

For information about that game, or to get tickets to any of our home games, please visit us as https://www.switchbacksfc.com/tickets

Wednesday August 4th the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC hosted the Americas Competitiveness Exchange (A.C.E) at Weidner Field as a part of their tour through Colorado in their bi-annual event.

A.C.E is the premier economic development, innovation, and entrepreneurial network of the Americas and is one of the leading High – Level events of the Organization of American States. The goal of A.C.E is to build cooperation networks throughout the Americas in regards to economic projects and trade.

Over fifty members of A.C.E (high-ranking government, business, and economic leaders from around the Americas and beyond) were selected to participate in this year’s A.C.E tour, which took place in the state of Colorado. Weidner Field was one of their stops through Colorado Springs, in addition to the developing Robson Arena and the newly opened Olympic and Paralympic Museum.

The hope for Weidner Field, the Switchbacks, and beyond is to foster relationships with these officials and their cities and to one day provide opportunities for education of developing staffers, or even to host an international team on our field for an exhibition game.

Wednesday August 4th the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC hosted the Americas Competitiveness Exchange (A.C.E) at Weidner Field as a part of their tour through Colorado in their bi-annual event.

A.C.E is the premier economic development, innovation, and entrepreneurial network of the Americas and is one of the leading High – Level events of the Organization of American States. The goal of A.C.E is to build cooperation networks throughout the Americas in regards to economic projects and trade.

Over fifty members of A.C.E (high-ranking government, business, and economic leaders from around the Americas and beyond) were selected to participate in this year’s A.C.E tour, which took place in the state of Colorado. Weidner Field was one of their stops through Colorado Springs, in addition to the developing Robson Arena and the newly opened Olympic and Paralympic Museum.

The hope for Weidner Field, the Switchbacks, and beyond is to foster relationships with these officials and their cities and to one day provide opportunities for education of developing staffers, or even to host an international team on our field for an exhibition game.