Lead a Youth Soccer Clinic in Costa Rica

GLA students on the premiere session of the Costa Rica Sports Service Adventure program in 2014 enjoy a game in the middle of the day.  Getting to know one another on the program is just as important as becoming immersed with locals, as cooperation and collaboration make for the best service projects.

Engaging Costa Rican children in play is a way to forge bonds and build trust – a powerful tool for guiding kids during sports and other high-energy activities.

Costa Rica is renowned around the world for its commitment to incredible environmental preservation measures, unprecedented in much of Central and South America.  GLA students from the June 26th session clearly got to experience this magnificent tree cover first-hand, and learn to appreciate what the care of these resources means to the people living here.  The extra shade also makes for more pleasant afternoon soccer games with the kids!

Running around with the kids and leading them on soccer exercises can be exhausting, even if it is rewarding!  Fortunately, proximity to pristine beaches means cooling off in the water is always a great backup plan.  Still, GLA students on Sports Service Adventure love sports enough that even a dip in the ocean won’t stop them from playing a game or two.

“While the school kids were out at break we talked to them, and then as we got to know them we played soccer [or football, as the World Cup fans would chime in]! … The kids were touched that we spent time with them, and after our time together we didn’t want to say good-bye.”

– Maimouna Diallo, Helen Craig, Savannah Carson, Elizabeth Porter, and Kayla O’Brien

2 GLA students from the June 14th Sports Service Adventure session are learning a powerful life lesson:  hard work pays off, especially when it’s done with a good cause in mind.

“One mentor group paired up with another team and drove to La Cruz to work on a mural. Once we got there,a group sifted through dirt to smooth the wall, another group painted, and a final group took down cement blocks with sledgehammers. We got to interact with the locals and actively see that we were making a difference by covering up graffiti and preserving the town history of La Cruz by painting a mural showing historical events in the town.”

– Maimouna Diallo, Helen Craig, Savannah Carson, Elizabeth Porter, and Kayla O’Brien

The road to doing good in the world is often rough, but those who wake the long and winding road often end up at the best places.