PLAYER TRIP BLOG

Surrounded by the culture of a Costa Rican beach town, I now have experienced the true essence of living a “pure life” or “Pura Vida.” Away from the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area, I was able to unplug and live life without a constant buzz on my phone or news story flashing on the television…(MORE)

Coming from a community as fortunate as mine, I cannot help but feel as if my blessings as well as my tight-nit and supporting family have blinded my outlook on the rest of the world. It is for this reason that I reached out to Matt Bond, my high school lacrosse coach after hearing about his annual service trip to Costa Rica…(MORE)

Today we spent most of the day traveling. Having just got off the red eye and a 2 hour drive (with a stop for ice cream and team pic next to an unusual statue…), everyone was pretty exhausted and ready to rest.  However, after consuming some quality arroz con pollo, everyone was feeling much better and happy to be on their feet....(MORE)

Waking up in the warm, Costa Rican weather on our first full day feels incredible. Also, knowing we get to start our day zip lining through the beauty of Costa Rica got me out of bed right away. This being my first time zip lining, I feel lucky to be able to have experienced it here…(MORE)

The day began with an early morning with breakfast at 7am. Fueled up, we headed to Carrillo Elementary to lead a lacrosse clinic for the students of the school. We began with throwing, catching, and practicing ground balls. Then we split into teams and scrimmaged, and the kids showed tremendous progress…(MORE)

Day 4 started out with some delicious rice and beans and eggs for breakfast starting at 9 o’clock. We then proceeded to clean up the left side of the beach where we found a lot of trash and even a puffer fish! Right after that amazing experience, we went straight into the warm water where we body surfed but also got smacked by the waves…(MORE)

Day 5 started with an amazing breakfast at 7:30 am. Next we went to the Carilo field to play lacrosse with the Costa Rican national team for the second time this trip. First we practiced with them and showed them some new drill and skills to practice. After the practice we scrimmaged them so they could work on the new skills they had learned from our practice earlier in the day. And it payed off…(MORE)

Today was our last day in Costa Rica. Many of us (myself included) could not believe that this trip was nearing its end. Even though we were sad about leaving we still had work we needed to complete. After everyone finished their breakfast, we all gathered an assortment of arts and crafts ranging from construction paper to face painting kits that we brought to Samara Elementary…(MORE)

A local youth sports company is combining an unusual pair of ideas — competitive high school sports and socially-conscious service projects. The service trip to Costa Rica this summer has grown out of Bond’s belief that athletic participation is are more than just playing a game but also crucial to the character development of young people.....(MORE)