Purdue University Athletics will keep the community of Waldeck, Costa Rica in their hearts forever
Our journey to Costa Rica began in a conference room at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. During our first introduction to the trip, the group expressed their excitement, while also admitting to some nervous feelings. Over the course of our meetings, we learned more about the expectations and goals of the trip as well as the culture of Waldeck, Costa Rica.
Our flight landed in San Jose, which was bustling with people and traffic, in contrast to our final destination. When we arrived in Waldeck, we were greeted with warm smiles, waves, and American and Costa Rican flags. That night, the community board gave us a presentation on the different cultures of Costa Rica, such as Aboriginal, African, and Creole. Despite some initial shyness and the obvious language barrier, both us and the community found ways to build meaningful relationships.
On our first day of work, we were informed that some tragedies in the community had initially put the project behind schedule. However, with the combined hard work of the community and the group, we were able to adapt and work to set the groundwork for the court. We split up into teams of four each day, with smaller groups to complete challenges (Daily tasks given by Courts for Kids to get out of our comfort zone) that took us out of our comfort zone to learn more about the community and their way of life. While there was not always work available, this gave us the opportunity to begin to connect with the locals and complete our challenges. Throughout the morning, we found ourselves playing soccer, learning new card games from the kids, playing on the rope swing, and trying our best to learn Spanish during the games. Connecting with the kids was truly heartwarming, with both the members of our group and the locals eager to become closer.
To begin our evening work session, our groups alternated between carrying sand, rocks, and helping dump the buckets into the concrete mixer. With the cement we made, the contractor was able to lay cinder blocks around the perimeter of the court, which we learned was important to protect the court from heavy rainfall in the area. During this work session, the community played music and we were able to experience the true joy within the community, filled with intermittent dance parties while we worked. Our evening was filled with a game of soccer and learning all that we could from the community.
On day two, we returned to the court, ready to get back to mixing and pouring concrete. By the end of the day, we had finished 2 of the 8 sections of the court. On this day, our group caught the first glimpse of how connected the town of Waldeck truly is. Throughout the end of our work day, we witnessed a continuous stream of people arriving at the court; no plans had been set and there was no big event, but the entire community gathered together simply to spend time with one another and with us. We joined in on the evening soccer match, which started with random teams and eventually led to the local kids challenging our group to a game. After an evening filled with smiles and laughs, we were ready for day three.
The next day, we had a normal work session in the morning, but the evening session was cut short due to heavy rain. While this delayed our progress on the court, the rain showers gave us a glance into the Costa Rican way of life that we had heard so much about before our trip began. Nobody working on the court complained about the situation, instead everyone just adapted and found ways to make the best of the situation. Despite the downpour, a group of people started a wet and slippery game of soccer, which ran well past the point where we could see clearly. Soaked and exhausted, the group joined in the dance party with seemingly the entire community in attendance, singing and dancing together. During our nightly reflection time, it was brought up repeatedly how different the environment was compared to the United States. We discussed that as student athletes and as Americans, we believe we are more comfortable having a rigid plan and sticking to it, and for quickly replanning when setbacks occur. However, we saw nothing of the sort, with the community members having an unspoken confidence that things would work out.
Despite the rain delays, the extra time spent off the court allowed us to see the true value of community and hospitality. No matter the weather or situation, every member of Waldeck greeted us with a smile and a hug. One of the most notable things on this trip was the inability to know whose kids were whose because the same amount of love was shown to all. It was great to be immersed into an environment where love was shown with food, dancing was made for everyone, and play time had no end. Despite the multiple delays, a long work day on Thursday allowed us to complete the court. With the project done, the court was filled with dancing and laughter, along with a special inauguration and a donation of a sacrificial pig from the community.
After some bittersweet goodbyes, we ended the last day in Costa Rica with a hike and a peaceful waterfall swim. A huge thank you to Juan Carlos and Camilla for serving as a liaison for us and the community. They were very valuable throughout the trip, from translating to helping us dig deeper and cement ourselves into the community. This opportunity was a life-changing experience for everyone involved. The hard work and sweat put into the court has helped to bridge the gap between Purdue, Courts for Kids, and the community of Waldeck. We are all forever grateful for the memories made and friendships formed and will keep Waldeck, Costa Rica in our hearts forever.
Volunteer Quotes:
“I was able to learn from the community to enjoy the simplest things in life like people. As Americans, we tend to be so on the go and forward thinking, instead of being where our feet are.” ~ Kyndall Bailey
“ I can now appreciate the work that goes into things that I think are simple. In all, I've learned to be thankful for what I have and to look up and make connections with people because those bonds are what matter.” ~ Haleigh Kolosso
“ My favorite memory of this trip was the night we finished the court. Everyone was dancing to the music and having a good time. This night was so rewarding as it exemplified all of our hard work throughout the whole week. I got emotional that night.”
~ Kiersen George
“I really envy the sense of community that I felt this week, I love the fact that I didn't know whose kids were whose, based on how close everyone was. I loved how dancing and music were such big elements of their lives. I need to let go of the embarrassment that comes with dancing in the US because it really is fun.” ~ Mary Bea Sowinski
“I often feel like I struggle to build meaningful relationships, even with some people I feel close to. During this trip, it feels like I built so many of these relationships, both with the community and with this group. So, one of the hard parts of leaving is leaving those relationships behind.” ~ Logan Sandlin
“This trip was truly life-altering and will forever be in my heart. The connections I made with the community alone would be enough to recommend this trip to another. Going out of my comfort zone while serving others was the best part of the trip.” ~ Sabrina Blount
“I would highly recommend a Courts for Kids project for any group. It is an extremely rewarding experience. You can see first-hand the massive impact you can make in a community before the 1st day is even done. I believe anyone that takes part in a Courts for Kids project will walk away with a better perspective in life”. ~ Teddy Feracho
“What I understand less clearly is how there can be such a huge gap. I know, politics and government are a huge part in that, but I don't know how someone can see what we saw and not want to help and give more resources and money. I don't understand why we could possibly have so much and they don't have nearly as much. I don't understand how people could be so greedy.” ~ Amiyah Reynolds
Community Quotes:
“We would like to thank Courts For Kids for the construction of the court in our community, every volunteer and the community who together with them achieved the goal. It was a week of hard work, you could see the effort and tiredness of everyone. One of the good things during the week was meeting this group of people, for our community it was a very nice experience, I shared for the first time with a group of people who came from another country and who we didn't know and in the end we got attached to them and we didn't want them to leave. This project was a very nice experience and will be of great benefit to all the children in our community and we hope that Courts For Kids will be able to make the dreams of many children come true, thank you for your contribution to our community in Waldeck.” ~ Alejandra Godinez
“I found the visit of the guys from Purdue University pleasant🤗. Polite people, helpful with the work that needed to be done for the basketball court. It was beautiful! We appreciate the visit of the students and support staff for the community of Waldeck in Costa Rica. Thanks to the group Courts for Kids for their great help and for collaborating with more communities. Thank you very much ☺️.” ~ Clari Mora
“I thank God and thank you very much to the person or people who formed this organization to help small communities I never imagined that a group of volunteers from a university in the United States would come to be here for eight days in Waldeck working hard together with us something so important for the children and youth of the communit. Thanks to Camilla, thanks to Derek and Juan Carlos and everyone. It was very important for us to share every day with you. We will never forget it was a very nice experience. Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to make this court in my community pura vida thank you very much.” ~ Xinia Godinez
“I think it's a very good activity because it's a way for the children to distract themselves so they don't think about vices like drugs and alcoholism. Now, when the children come home from school, they have a place to have fun, and this way they can grow up healthy, without vices. I am very grateful for the group that came to help us build the court with us. For me, this is an excellent group to work with. I am very grateful for all their work.” ~ Nino Gomez Perez
“I think it's good because it revives and unites the communities. Too bad there are fewer communities that have lost the sense of community. Now there is more focus on the use of cell phones. This is a good incentive for the new generations. We can all do our bit to create a better future. I congratulate you for the initiative, it shows that there are still people who have the initiative to do things right.” ~ Luis Alberto Hernandez Sanchez , Contractor
