Sept. 22, 2015
The KWOB trailer is out! This wonderful video by Drew Perlmutter gives a great overview of our work in Costa Rica. A full documentary will be released at a later date. Until then, cue the trailer!
Day 6: August 14, 2015
THE COURT IS FINISHED!
Kayla Thieken (rowing):
"What a rewarding day. This project is a lot harder than I expected. The court is huge and it's going to look great once it's finished.
The first thing we did today was put the basketball hoops up. It was neat to see them go up and actually see a court form. We poured a lot of cement today but not nearly as much that we are about to pour over the next couple of days. The court usually takes four days to complete but all of us are determined to get it done in three. Joseph said a court this big hasn't been done in three so it would be a record.
We picked up the pace a lot in the afternoon after we had a feat at lunch. It must have been the beans and rice. It was cool to see all of us assemble and take control on our own. We knew what needed to be done. All the kids from the school came out and watched us when they had a break. They were so curious and interested in us and what we were doing. They were all so friendly and were able to understand the broken Spanish I know."
Reece Acree (men's tennis):
"We went to the court site and I was instructed, along with others, to dig a hole one meter deep. We weren't sure how deep that was because we're Americans, but Leonie knew with her Irish self. We all began to start digging and I ended up taking quite a while. But after we were finished, it was time to put the goals up. Unfortunately, while putting up the goals I got a big gash on my knee, but fortunately athletic trainer John Lee was there to save my leg! After I was patched up, I got back in the action to finish putting up the goals and start to put the concrete down. This ended up being way harder than I anticipated. The hardest part was wheeling the cement up the hill through the mud. We all worked together though to make it through.
During our work day, we had several breaks where we got to interact with the kids and eat lunch. This was one of the more entertaining parts of the day. The school was quite different from what I am used to. The classrooms were only covered but still outside and not in a fully enclosed space. When we passed by, all the kids looked at us amazed and wouldn't pay attention to anything else. At the end of the work day, I got to go with a local lady to watch Arjun milk a cow at someone's house (he was a natural).
Arjun and I put our stuff up and then went to play soccer with the local kids (I scored four goals!). This was one of my favorite moments of the day and I had a blast. After I showered and ate dinner, a few of us danced to the "Nae Nae" song. I also salsa danced with a local woman. I didn't know how but I tried and we still had fun. Throughout the day I met many local people and group members. Everyone is so friendly and nice (even though the locals and I couldn't communicate through words we still enjoyed each other's company and had a good time)."
Day 1: August 9, 2015
Mary Mulcahy (women's golf):
"Today we left Orlando to come to Costa Rica. Leading up to the trip, I was really excited, but when it got time to leave, I was pretty nervous. I was nervous because I have never gone on a trip like this before, and I was going with none of my teammates. The flight wasn't so bad getting here. I sat next to Brooks, who was nervous to fly, just like me. Once we landed, we though we only had a two hours bus ride, but then we were informed it was actually more like four hours. I thought a ride that long on a school bus was going to be torture. However, my half of the bus started playing a game that we kept playing for most of the ride. It was a great way for some of us to come together and bond prior to doing any of the volunteer work.
Although we are all student-athletes, many of us do not know each other that well. The bus ride was a great way for us to get comfortable with each other. The scenery on the way to this little town was incredible. From the second we stepped off the plane, we were all mesmerized by the beauty of the landscape here. The views we saw sitting on a bus were spectacular. I cannot even imagine what it will be like when we really start to explore the land.
Our leaders from Courts for Kids brought us to our dinner place, which was cooked by locals. Everyone in the town seems really excited to have us here, and we as a group are really excited to help give them a court where kids can learn how to play sports. I have always been so incredibly grateful for all the opportunities I have been given and all the friendships I've created through sports. I can't wait to give the kids of this town those same opportunities."
August 8, 2015
For the next week, 26 student-athletes and staff will work with Courts for Kids in Canalete, Costa Rica. Courts for Kids is a nonprofit organization that takes teams to economically disadvantaged areas to partner with local organizations and communities to build multi-purpose courts that provide kids with the opportunities to play sports.
This is the fifth trip of Knights Without Borders, which has also visited Panama, Ireland and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Track and Field
Amy Ankli
Allison Lampert
Ashley Jocelyn
Christal Peterson
Kalen Hambrick
Men's Tennis
Arjun Watane
Reece Acree
Rowing
Brianne Addison
Jasmine Blais
Leonie Hamel
Olivia Hecimovich
Olivia Staples
Kayla Thieken
Softball
Brittany Solis
Kaitlyn Steckel
Maddy Schroeder
Taylor Wagner
Baseball
Brooks Morgan
Ryan Meyer
Volleyball
Jade Hayes
Women's Golf
Mary Mulcahy
Spirit
Stephen Hood