My Costa Rica Experience
By Cate Parchinski

April 2, 2008
Day 1: Darcy Jerman, Molly Polletto, and I all traveled to the Denver International Airport for our 8:00 flight at night.  After the plane landed in Las Vegas, we met up with Indiana Mead, who is also on our regional team.  We waited for about an hour and then boarded the 45 minute long plane ride to LAX (Los Angeles).  There, we joyously met the remainder of our team, most of whom were from Southern California.  We had about a three hour layover in Los Angeles, and at 2:00 a.m., we were told that our plane had arrived.  We boarded and prepared for the 8 hour flight.
           
April 3, 2008
Day 2: Today, the plane landed at 9:30 a.m., due to time changes.  We were all exhausted from the turbulent plane ride and lack of sleep.  As we got off the plane, we all had to go through extensive security and fill out numerous forms.  Our administrator told us not to talk to anybody, because if they found out that we were American, we could get kidnapped. As a team, we boarded a Greyhound bus and left for the hotel.  It was about a 20 minute ride, but along the way we saw beautiful scenery, and tiny colorful houses on the side of the road.  When we got to the hotel, we were assigned to rooms and took our belongings up to them.  We simply hung out and relaxed by the pool for about an hour and later had lunch.  After lunch, we were told to get ready for a light practice.  We drove about a half an hour to the fields.  We were very pleased that the practice was light because none of us were accustomed to the extreme heat and humidity. After practice, we drove back to the hotel, had dinner, and went to bed. 

 

April 4, 2008:
Day 3: Regions I, II, and III arrived at about 1:00 in the morning today.  At 9 a.m., Regions III and IV had a hard two hour practice.  As we were leaving the fields, we saw construction workers that had been building and caring for the facility, playing a pick-up game on a patch of dirt surrounded by a retaining wall.  We all thought it was the coolest thing ever.

            When we returned to the hotel, we had a lunch consisting of rice and beans, and got ready for the opening ceremony.  The opening ceremony was held at a famous national park, which looked more like a rainforest that a recreational area.  There, Region I, II, III, and IV were introduced to the u20 Honduras and Chile national teams, and the u17 Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica national teams.  During the ceremony, we could barely understand anything because the translator had a very deep Spanish accent.  After that we had a delicious dinner with the other teams.  About half-way through, a steel drum band started playing complementary music which the Honduras team and some girls from Region IV had a dance-off to.  After a matter of minutes, almost everyone had joined into the circle as it started to turn into a mosh pit!  When it was all over, we were exhausted, went to the hotel and jumped straight into bed.
                       

April 5, 2008
Day 4: We woke up at 8:00 a.m. today and had a breakfast consisting of plantains and rice.  We later went on a slight run and stretched.  Then we prepared for our game later that day against Honduras. 

            When we arrived at the field for our match, we noticed how big the other team was.  They made us look really small!  However, we managed to get past that fact, and win 9-0.
Scorers: Cate Parchinski, Allie Bailey (2), Alexis Weaver, Vania Robles, Lo’eau Lobonta, Caroline, Sandra Ley,

 

April 6, 2008
Day 5: We had a very light training today because at 3:00 p.m. our game against Costa Rica was scheduled.  However, it was postponed until 4, due to a severe monsoon-like rainstorm.  While playing Costa Rica, we had our first experience involving referees in foreign countries.  J  The calls were outrageous!  The whole game we were given one free kick.  However, the game ended as our team received 7 yellow cards total, and one red.  (The red card was given to me for two consecutive yellow cards.J)  Yet against the enormous odds, we managed to pull out a victory of 1-0.
Scorers: Lo’eau Lobonta

            Later that night we went to a cultural ceremony in which the different countries performed their native dances and prepared native food to share.  We sat behind the Costa Rica team, but despite the conflicts we had faced against them just a few hours before, they were very kind.  They translated for us, told us jokes, and invited us to dance with them.  By the end of the night we had made many new good friends.

 

April 7, 2008
Day 6:  Today we left very early for the Tilijari Resort.  We drove in the bus for about 3 hours, but stopped at souvenir shops, and a really cute little park.  When we finally got to the Tilajari, we were amazed.  It was a five star resort with private condos and everything!   When we dropped our things off, we loaded the bus yet again and drove into town.  The area that we arrived in was kind of scary.  Stray dogs were everywhere, older men were yelling and whistling after us and the streets were covered in trash.  It was definitely an experience!

 

April 8, 2008
Day 7:  Today we had a very light tactical session and then had lunch at about 11:00 a.m..  After that, we left for the rainforest canopy.  There we were hooked up to harnesses and went on an hour-long ride across a zip line.  After the zip line, we walked up a little ways to a ride called the Tarzan Swing.  This was a giant rope that you were attached to and pushed off of a platform about 85 feet of the ground.  You fell with such force that as you swung you could reach out and grab the very top of the canopy.  It was the most terrifying thing that I have ever done!  After this, we went to a hot springs.  With over 200 pools, ranging from hot to cold, it was very relaxing.  You could climb up a giant hill and walk into waterfalls.  Also, there were giant water slides!   After one ride, my friends and I came to the conclusion that these slides were definitely NOT checked out by the local health department.  As you traveled down, you started slow, but as you went around a corner, you shot through the air, landed on your back, then, fell face first into the water. OW!

            After about 2 hours, we gathered at the banquet room there and had a delicious dinner, again, consisting of beans and rice.
                                   
April 9, 2008
Day 8: Today we had a pool work out in the cool water.  Then, had lunch, and got packed.  We got on the bus and prepared for our ride back.  When we got back, we got dressed and went downstairs for a surprise.  We were told that we were going to a professional game!  We were so excited.  We had seen Spanish games on TV and the craziness in the stands. The game would star Costa Rica league champions Saprisa FC and MLS champs FC Dallas.  We were told not to bring anything: money, phones, or cameras because of pick pockets.

            When we got to the stadium, we had to park a few blocks away because of how crowded it was.  We had to hold hands to avoid getting lost, so as a team we snaked our way to the entrance. Scalpers were everywhere and people were pushing trying to get through the small cement entrance.  It was first come, first serve.  We pushed past people so that we could get in before the game ended. J As we walked up the entrance we were booed by those that were behind us.  When we entered the stadium, we heard chanting.  It was like the way you see it on TV!  Toilet paper was all over the field, flares were lit, and police were on guard.  It was awesome.  As the game began, we saw the citizens’ love for soccer.  They started screaming chants, and as a unit, the whole stadium began jumping in rhythm.  We did not know any of the words, so we just screamed and jumped.  The Chile team sat behind us and chanted with us.  They laughed as we tried to figure out what the other people were singing!  It was such a great experience!  The game ended 2-0 to Saprisa, and after every goal the stadium broke into chaos.  People tried to rush the field and some of the Police had to use batons and pepper spray!!! 

 

April 10, 2008
Day 9:  We played Chile today.  Unfortunately, I was out with my red card so I could not play.  However, Region IV played well, but the older Chileans controlled the tempo.  The game ended 5-1, as we lost our only game.  It was a major bummer, but we did the best that we could.  After the game, we returned to the hotel and washed up.  We then got on the bus and traveled to our next destination: a Child Welfare Center.  The kids there were ages 2-12 and were considered to be at serious risk.  They lived in extreme poverty and spent every day there from 6 in the morning to 8 at night.  It was a Christian facility and it was there that they were safe, learned morals and were cared for.  We brought candy with us.  When we entered the gates, they started cheering and clapping.  We were given two hours to play with them.  As we handed a few kids some candy, others began to gather and plead for some as well.  My friend and I started a game of ring-around-the-rosy, and within a minute about 25 little girls and boys were participating.  When we were about to leave, little girls came up and hugged us and little boys did the handshakes that we had taught them. It was really life changing and definetly a HUGE highlight of my trip.

April 11, 2008
Day 10: Today was our last full day.  We played Trinidad and Tobago.  They were really fast and athletic, but we were able to beat them technically.  It was over 100◦ F and was extremely humid.  A few girls actually got heat exhaustion and had to lie down for the rest of the day.  The final score was 10-0.  We won and managed to snag a 2nd place in the tournament. 
            Later that night we had a closing ceremony.  All the teams attended and it was really a big deal.  We sat near our friends from Costa Rica and talked before the director of the tournament began his speech.  He named off the order in which the teams finished.  As follows: 1st= Chile, 2nd= Region IV, 3rd= Region I, 4th= Costa Rica, 5th=Region III, 6th=Region II, 7th= Honduras, 8th= Trinidad and Tobago.  When Chile was announced as the winners, they broke into a chorus of chants and wild dancing.  After several minutes, the chanting showed no signs of stopping, so the other teams congratulated Chile and left to go outside and talk amongst each other.  We took pictures with our friends from the other countries and said our good-byes.  As we drove back to the hotel we talked about the AMAZING time that we had and all the things that we had learned.

 

I was very blessed to have been given this opportunity and will definitely always remember the total blast that I had, the things I did, and the friends I made.

 

Cate with kids at the orphanage they visited.

 

Cate with Darcy and two others on the Rainforest Canopy

 

Cate with a member of the Chile National team.

 

Cate with a member of the Chile National team.