Embark on a transformative journey by joining us in an exciting opportunity to volunteer at a local Fútbol academy in Costa Rica. Your valuable time and dedication will have a profound positive impact on the development of children and youth, both in their soccer skills and their personal growth.
What sets this project apart is the remarkable chance to make a long-term impact in the short-term. We have been faithfully working in this project for almost 5 years (July 2018 we began) and what started with 18 kids has now grown to over 140 kids from the community! We reinforce and teach values like: respect, team work, responsibility to our community, discipline, and much more both on and off the pitch. Many of our kids face an array of challenges in their families, school, and the socio-economic challenges that lie within. Despite this, we are teaching them to be conquerors and not a product of their surroundings through fútbol. Be part of the solution and join us as we create the next generation of leaders in our community.
Each training session (see our detailed schedule) you will join our team of certified Costa Rican coaches in addition to weekly/daily face-to-face interactions with your hosts Jason & Sarah. Here you will help them setup trainings, assist during the drills, help cleanup after each session, and as needed work 1-on-1 with some players that need more help. Occasionally we ask volunteers who have more experience to even run a training, but this is done on a case to case basis. Our weekday trainings all happen under roof as we rent a local synthetic field. Our weekends are outdoors and optional for you as we know many enjoy exploring on the weekends. We can always accommodate you if you want to do more or less than what is laid out in the schedule. During the onboarding process you can let us know what best suits your time and desires.
Both during your onboarding process (virtual) and in person orientation with our team you can expect a clear and professional outline of your time here. During this process we will detail a “day in the life of a volunteer” and be glad to answer any additional questions. Upon arrival you will receive our welcome packet that has info of our area and program. We do our job with excellence and believe that your time and investment is valuable and deserves our attention. You can expect to be able to quickly get in touch with us in the event of an emergency as we live minutes away from the volunteer house. If you don’t already have WhatsApp please consider getting it, our team manages a volunteer only WhatsApp group to communicate among us in the event of any changes to the schedule or questions you may have. In the 5 years we have been doing this our schedule has changed very little, but from time to time we have to make adjustments due to outlying factors. But we say 99.9999% of the time the schedule stands as is!
We will provide you a suggested packing list before your trip. Obviously don’t forget your boots! We can also give you some guidance in terms of medical care and availability to medicines and medical facilities. From time to time volunteers ask us if we need more equipment, and the answer is always yes. The most simple thing that we always need are quality balls. With so many kids and so many repetitions happening each week they simply don’t last very long. This is not mandatory so you are not under any obligations. Size 3, 4, 5 balls are the ones we use the most.
Time off? No problem. We understand your mission and time here. We simply ask that you communicate when you will not be joining us. We understand the dynamics of international living and furthermore we understand that sometimes you want to just go to the beach! We simply ask to give us a 7 day lead time to let us know of your absence in this way we can make sure our drills and setup needs are covered by others on our team.
You are going to love your new home. Our volunteer house is owned and operated by an amazing Costa Rican couple. You will find it to be your new home away from home in comfort, esthetics, and surrounded in nature . Minutes from one of the most iconic waterfalls in the area and just a hop, skip, and jump away from night life, grocery, medical & pharmacy, restaurants, and of course the pitches we rent for the program. Included in our pictures of this program are a few pictures of our volunteer house.
Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Costa Rica. With pristine beaches, verdant jungles, and awe-inspiring waterfalls at your doorstep, adventure awaits at every turn. Whether it's exploring hidden gems or engaging in thrilling outdoor activities, this is an experience like no other.
We sincerely hope you'll consider becoming a part of this extraordinary project, and we eagerly await your response. Together, let's create lasting memories and make a difference in the lives of young individuals in this captivating corner of the world.
