Most people associate winter break with a nip in the air that can only be kept at bay by the warm embrace of a tacky Christmas sweater. However, this winter break in Costa Rica, the only ones left out in the cold were the opponents of the Ouachita Lady Tigers Soccer team. In three games, they only had one point scored against them and chalked down the number two semi-professional women’s team in the world.
“We got to play three semi-professional teams, which was really cool,” said mid-fielder Kelsey Fink, a sophomore art education major. “All three of the games were in really neat places. One was literally on the side of a mountain, we were playing in the clouds, while another was in the middle of a city.”
Although the team did win every game, the Costa Rican teams’ play style and the atmosphere of the games was different from what they were used to.
“I really didn’t know what to expect beforehand,” said defender Carrie Lieblong, a junior biology major. “They just play a different style of soccer over there. I wasn’t used to it, but we still managed to pull out three wins.”
On top of the differences in play style and location, the language barrier was also a new obstacle for the girls to deal with.
“The games were very different because of the language barrier,” said mid-fielder Abby Emanuel, a freshman biology major. “After the game, we always took a picture with them and both of us would try to talk with the three or four words we knew. The atmosphere of the game was always different too. They love soccer down there, so we always had a crowd gather.”
Aside from playing soccer, the girls also got to enjoy the tropical environment of Costa Rica, which included an active volcano.
“My favorite place we stayed at had to be the volcano in La Fortuna,” said defender/mid-fielder/forward Allison Drobena, a freshman dietetics and nutrition major. “I don’t think there could have been a more beautiful sight than when the clouds rolled away from the volcano while I was laying out by the pool soaking in some rays.”
The team got to see some of the cities, including some of the rougher parts of the country.
“We traveled quite a bit during the nine days we were there,” said mid-fielder Lauren Hatch, a junior English major. “The quality of the towns made me realize how lucky we are to be in the States and how many conveniences we have.”
The girls got to get their hands dirty off the soccer field as well and went on several excursions.
“We went on so many adventures,” Fink said. “Waterfall repelling was terrifying and exhilarating. We went white water rafting and zip lining through the rainforest as well. Our tour guides kept everything fun and informative.”
The girls also got to interact with the local wildlife.
“The most amazing things we saw were the animals there,” Drobena said. “We saw sloths in trees, the most beautiful macaws flew over the beach we were at and the monkeys ate right out of our hands.”
The girls agree that the trip to Costa Rica was a great experience.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better group to go with,” said defender Cara Smith, a sophomore pre-physical studies major. “Our soccer team is so unique in how well we get along. We bonded together through things as different as laughing when somebody had a lizard on their face, to dropping off of a 300 ft. waterfall.”
The team represented the school as best they could during their time in Costa Rica with their skill as well as their behavior.
“Our student athletes were perfect,” said Dr. Wesley Kluck, vice president for institutional advancement. “They were great representatives for our campus and our nation. They were complimented everywhere they went.”
The women’s soccer team was given a unique opportunity both to play soccer against semi-professional teams and to experience a different part of the world.
“On top of it all, they’re undefeated international champions,” Kluck said.
Picture courtesy of Dr. Wesley Kluck.
