Activity: from workouts to soccer games!

This summer break, staying active was one of my main goals since the beginning due to the fact that I had returned to soccer practice once again, meaning that I was active during school. However, I do find it very challenging to do this on my own. I started vacation with lots of motivation to continue being active. I would wake up everyday and do a routine with different exercises that would help me feel ready for the day. I did this for a few weeks, but then I found it hard to continue this since I would get lazy some days, others I didn’t have the time or motivation to do it. Thankfully we have been blessed to have such caring coaches this year, that they decided to reward us with a trip to San Jose due to our hard work and love towards each other. This team has made me realize what La Paz had been missing in previous years, because we did have a girls soccer team at one point, but we didn’t have that empowerment and motivation as a team as we do now. This is mostly thanks to Paola and Francis for believing in us and taking this initiative. Going on to this magnificent trip we had, it started off with Francis driving 12 teenage girls all the way to San Jose, trust me, that’s not an easy task which is why we made sure she was aware of how thankful we were with her. Once we got to San Jose, Paola and her family gave us a warm welcome by inviting us to their family restaurant which was amazing. We then went to her house and got to know the house. That first day was very chill, we went to the mall got home, ate some delicious food and watched a movie. The following day was probably one of the best ones. We started off the day early in the morning, going to soccer practice with a few other girls from a highschool in Heredia, along with a collage girls soccer team from the States. We got to meet a lot of girls and at the end of the practice, they talked to us about their path as soccer players and how soccer has changed the lives of many of them in a completely different and positive way. For me this was the moment that made me realize how much I love this sport even if its a hobby for me, but it has definitely given me many opportunities that I am grateful for. At the same time it has helped me have a healthier lifestyle and it has helped me grow as a person and as a player. We then went back home and got ready for the afternoon as we had a soccer game scheduled against Saprissa. Unfortunately, it was raining with thunder and lighting which didn’t let us start the game, along with the fact that we got there around an hour late due to traffic. This was one of the moments that definitely tested our patience but we accepted this happening, even though we were all really looking forward to playing with an amazing team like Saprissa. However, because of this we got the opportunity to go bowling as a team and with some girls from another high school which was nice meeting them. Even though we weren’t able to play our first game, the next day we had scheduled two games to which we were extremely excited to attend. I didn’t mention this before but since we are not used to the cold, playing and practicing in this climate was definitely a challenge for some of us, but we put that to the side and focused mainly on getting a win for the team. Another factor was the altitude that we were in. Forgetting about this, we successfully won both of the games which I was really happy about. A teammate and I were the ones that gave the win to the team in our last soccer game when we went to penalties, which I felt really proud of. Not just because we won, but because I proved to myself that I am stronger and capable of achieving something even if I don’t believe it. It was the first time for me doing a penalty in a soccer game and I was sure that I was going to miss it, however since I had been practicing for several months my kicks, I got to reflect that in that moment. The last activity that we did on the last day was visit the National Stadium which showed me how important this soccer is for our country and how it can change many people’s lives. During this trip we got to meet many women who had and still have a big role in this sport and in our country, proving to society that soccer is not just for men and that women have an equal role in any kind of sport. During this entire week I got to feel very healthy as we were very active all the days and we got to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. Along with eating good is what definitely made me feel good about myself. For this trip is that I am always going to be thankful with my coaches and teammates as it has motivated me even more to continue playing soccer, no matter what. Another factor that motivated me was getting a uniform only for the girls where we each have our own with our names on it, making me feel more professional and identified.