SOCCER & SERVICE LA PAZ - High School Summer Programs (800) 321-4353

Experience the true spirit, warm culture, and natural beauty of Costa Rica through a variety of rewarding community service projects, cultural adventures, and lots of soccer. You’ll be
warmly welcomed into the hearts and homes of the people here as you become a part of a traditional Tico village.

The Warm and Welcoming Village
The peaceful, rural town of La Paz is surrounded by dramatic, verdant valleys and spectacular mountains. It is a wonderful location to appreciate both the natural beauty and friendly culture that define Costa Rica. You’ll live with a local family and learn about the culture first hand as you cook Tico food, lend a hand on the farm, take dance lessons, and join in soccer games. The home stay is also an excellent opportunity to practice Spanish. There is no better way to learn a language than to live with it, speak it, and listen to it every single day.

Fun and Rewarding Community Service
Each morning you’ll rise to different cultural and community service projects in La Paz and the nearby villages. Tutoring English at local elementary schools, building drainage systems at community soccer fields, milking cows, and harvesting sugar cane are just a few of the service activities you might undertake while you’re here. Every day you’ll gear up and head out to one of several soccer fields in the area for scrimmages and practice with local youth and adult teams. Spend your evenings getting to know your home-stay family, practicing Spanish, dancing, and learning what life is like in rural Costa Rica.

Fantastic Futbol
Costa Ricans are crazy for the beautiful game, and their affection for the sport is infectious. This program is open to players of all levels and abilities. Whether you’re an Olympic hopeful or simply enjoy kicking a ball around, you are perfectly suited for this program. You’ll play soccer with everyone from elementary school children to club teams to seasoned adult players. And you’ll play everywhere from the dirt field at the elementary school, to La Paz’s own beautiful grass field, to the indoor arena in the lower village.

Come Have a Ball

The La Paz Soccer and Service program is designed for those students who love participating in rewarding community service projects, experiencing fascinating new cultures, and of course, playing soccer every day. The only prerequisites are a willingness to learn and use Spanish, a love of soccer, and an interest in using the sport to create bridges of friendship across linguistic and cultural barriers.

Questions? For more information please contact costarica@rusticpathways.com.

Day 01 (Tuesday) Depart United States for San Jose, Costa Rica
Upon arrival at the San Jose airport, you will be greeted by your Rustic Pathways Staff. From here you will head over to the hostel Rustic Pathways rents where you will meet the other students on your trip and spend your first night. Good luck and enjoy your stay in beautiful Costa Rica!

Day 02 (Wednesday)
Wake up for an early breakfast, before departing for your new home…the rural, farming community of La Paz. Meet your host family and enjoy your first taste of home-cooked Costa Rican food. Spend the afternoon getting to know the village of La Paz and playing soccer with your new teammates.

Day 03-04 (Thursday-Friday)
Enjoy a typical breakfast with your host family before joining your group to begin working on different community service projects. You might teach English in the local elementary school or help refurnish the town’s community center. After lunch with the group, practice Spanish with your host siblings or join our local guide for a horseback ride through the hillsides of La Paz. Later, get ready for soccer practice and games against the enthusiastic teams of La Paz.

Day 05 (Saturday)
This morning, the group will travel to the coastal town of Puntarenas for an opportunity to play soccer on a nice Costa Rican field-turf field. After an exciting game of soccer, travel to the nearby beach and hang out in the sun or shop for souvenirs in the lively center of Puntarenas before heading back home to La Paz.

Day 06-07 (Sunday-Monday)
In the morning, spend quality time with your host family before joining the group to continue work on one of the many service projects. Play soccer with the local school children or hang out with friends from the village before heading home for lunch. Before the afternoon soccer game, there might be opportunities to go fishing at a local river or enjoy a relaxing massage to sooth your muscles.

Day 08 (Tuesday)
Wake up early to finish the service projects and play one last soccer game with your friends from La Paz, before lunch with your host family. Then its time to say your goodbyes, and head back to the Rustic Pathways base in San Jose for your last night in Costa Rica

Day 09 (Wednesday)
Depart Costa Rica for the United States or go on to your next program with Rustic Pathways.

*** PLEASE NOTE: The itinerary above is not set in stone and may be changed by the staff running this program as they see fit. It is designed to give you a good idea of the day to day schedule and activities that the students will be participating in.***

Food and Accommodations
During the Soccer & Service La Paz program students will stay with host families in the village of La Paz. 2 Rustic Pathways students of the same gender stay with each family. The families have worked with Rustic Pathways for years and are a well known and loved component of the program. They will prepare typical Costa Rican home cooked meals for students. Students will eat breakfast and dinner with their families and lunch all together as a group.

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Students participating in this program will be asked to perform service work for the benefit of the communities they visit. There will still be times when the students will be asked to perform physically challenging work. Students may get muddy or wet performing the tasks asked of them but will be rewarded with the knowledge that their hard work was for a great cause. They can earn up to 32 service hours for the successful completion of the service work on their trip.

Spanish
Motivated students wishing to practice their Spanish will have opportunities to speak both with the Rustic Pathways guides and the villagers of La Paz and their homestay families. The amount of Spanish practice a student receives is directly related to the amount of effort they put in.

Soccer
Soccer experience and skill level of the players on this trip will vary greatly since it is a coed trip with students 14 to 18 years of age. Students are expected to be respectful of all participants on this program regardless of their playing ability and should expect to play with students, staff and Ticos of the opposite sex, all ages and all skill levels. Staff will split up the group at times according to skill level or sex in order to better improve the students’ soccer skills. Soccer is a large component of this trip and students should come prepared to play both indoors and outdoors.

Injuries
Rustic Pathways will not be responsible for any injuries sustained on this program. The staff will do their best to ensure the safety of all participants, however playing soccer can be a dangerous activity and at times injuries occur. Students are asked to take reasonable safety precautions such as wearing shin guards and proper footwear. There will be times when playing on the beach that students will be playing without shin guards or shoes and they are expected to play with extreme caution in these instances. In all cases, if injuries do occur, the students will have access to good quality medical care at hospitals or clinics nearby the various locations this program will visit.

In addition to the general Costa Rica packing list available at http://www.rusticpathways.com/2009/packing_lists/Costa_Rica.html all students should review the following information specific to the Soccer & Service La Paz program:

Spanish/English dictionary
Gift for your host family-- It is polite to bring a small gift to present to your host family. Below are a few suggested gifts for host families

A picture frame for a picture with your new Costa Rican Family
Picture of mom, dad, boyfriend/girlfriend, dog, pet fish, etc (the families love to see pictures of your family at home)
Something small and inexpensive which resembles your home state/town such as a college t-shirt, a Boston Red Sox hat, or a picture book.
Famous foods or treats from your area, like a jar of grandma’s jam.

SOCCER GEAR

1 pair of outdoor soccer cleats (no screw ins please) (well broken in to prevent blisters)
1 pair indoor soccer shoes (well broken in to prevent blisters)
Large Water Bottle to help you stay hydrated *Nalgene’s work well
1 pair shin guards
3-5 pairs of soccer socks
Several pairs of shorts for playing soccer
Soccer tape for shin guards, injuries, etc.
Soccer ball (optional)
Any knee or ankle braces or other items you need for playing soccer (please inform staff of any injuries, old or new, at the start of the program.
Cleats make a great donation. If you have old pairs of cleats or other soccer paraphernalia laying around at home you can bring this to Costa Rica to donate.
Small bag specifically for your soccer gear

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS-Latin America
SOCCER AND SERVICE LA PAZ

1 - How long is the flight to this country?
A – Direct flight from Newark to San Jose takes approximately 5.5 hours.
Direct flight from Houston to San Jose takes approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.

2 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
A – Yes. All flights between Costa Rica and the USA will have a flight leader starting in both Newark and Houston. Return flights to the USA will also have a flight leader as far as Newark and Houston. Flights between Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua are also escorted by a Rustic Pathways guide. Flights from Costa Rica to Peru and Mexico will not be escorted.

3 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
A – Students from the United States and Canada will be automatically issued a 90 day tourist visa upon entry into Costa Rica.

4 – What Costa Rican province(s) does this program pass through?
A- During the Soccer and Service La Paz Program students will spend the majority of their time in the Alajuela province near the city of San Ramon. Students will stay briefly at a base hotel in the Heredia province during arrival in country and departure from Costa Rica.

5 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
A – Rustic Pathways does not make recommendations regarding immunizations. We strongly suggest that you consult with a travel doctor or your family physician for medical recommendations based on the area where the student will be traveling (as listed above). You can also check the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov for more information. Yellow fever vaccinations may be required to enter Costa Rica if you have traveled to some international destinations including Peru prior to your trip to Costa Rica. Please check the Center for Disease control website for more information.

6 - How does this program connect to other programs?
A – On Tuesday afternoon students will depart from the La Paz village. They will stay that night in Heredia at a base hotel. Wednesday morning students will meet with their new group and guides at the same hotel where they stayed and go off to their new program.

7 – How long is the drive from San Jose to this program?
A—The drive from San Jose to the La Paz village is approximately2 hours depending on weather and other driving conditions.

8 – What is the climate in the region where this program takes place?
A—The Soccer and Service program takes place in an agricultural village located in the mountains outside of San Jose. Students should be prepared for a mild climate with warm days in the 70s and cooler evenings. Students should also expect daily rain showers.

9 - Is this a good program for students interested in practicing their Spanish?
A— Yes! While the Soccer and Service program does not include formal language training, the students will be staying with Costa Rican host families which can be a great advantage for individuals wishing to practice their language skills.   Students will also have multiple opportunities to practice Spanish with people from the village. Children at the local schools are especially eager to help Rustic Pathways students with their conversational Spanish.

10- What service projects will I work on and how are the projects identified?
A- Rustic Pathways works with local community leaders to identify and prioritize the needs of each community. In La Paz and other nearby villages, students will work on small scale construction projects that will help improve community and school infrastructure. Students will also be working with the local sports committee on landscape and maintanence projects that will keep up the soccer field and other sports facilities of the community.   Students will also facilitate educational and cultural projects with local children and youth, with a concentration on Teaching English. During the first two weeks of July, Costa Rican school children are on vacation, so students should expect to work with students in more informal environments.

11 – How physically strenuous is this program?
A- The Soccer and Service program is designed for athletic students that enjoy playing soccer and want to work hard on service projects that will involve some manual labor and moderate physical ability.

12- What costs are not included on this trip?
A—The majority of costs associated with the program are included on this trip. Students should have extra allowance money if they wish to buy additional souvenirs or snacks and sodas from local convenience stores. They will need spending money to pay for optional activities described below.

13 – What are the optional activities available at an additional cost on this program?
A- The following activities are optional and come at an additional cost:

Horseback ride- $35
Massage- $35

Occasionally Rustic Pathways staff identify new opportunities throughout the summer that we feel will enhance the students overall experience and will offer students the opportunity to participate at an additional cost. Optional or included activities may also be canceled at the staff’s discretion.

14 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
A—Students will be eating traditional Costa Rican food prepared by local community members. Breakfast and dinner will be prepared and enjoyed with their host families Lunch will be prepared by local community organizations and served at the community center to the group. Costa Rican food consists of rice, beans, a variety of fruits and vegetables and different meat dishes.

15 - Can we cater to specific diets?
A-Rustic Pathways can cater to most dietary needs on this program. There will be ample access to fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, and grains for those who are vegetarian. Vegan diets can be accommodated, but with a little more foresight and planning as this is not a diet commonly encountered in Costa Rica. Please know that while we are happy to accommodate alternative diets, many of the special diets common in the United States are not common in other parts of the world and travelers must be patient and understanding in having these needs be met. Please contact costarica@rusticpathways.com with any questions regarding special diets or allergies
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16 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
A—Tap water in Costa Rica is potable and students should feel comfortable drinking water in La Paz unless otherwise advised. Bottled water is also available for purchase at local supermarkets and grocery stores.

17 - What will the accommodations on this trip be like?
A— Students will be staying with host families in typical Costa Rican homes. Two or more students of the same gender will stay with each family. From years of experience these home stay families have long been a favorite of our students.

18. What are the bathroom facilities?
A- All host families have appropriate bathroom facilities available to the students. The number of bathrooms per household varies by family. All have running water, American style toilets and showers, although hot water may not always be available.

19 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
A – There are typically more girls than boys however the exact numbers vary from week to week.

20- What is the ratio of guides to students?
A- Rustic Pathways generally strives to maintain a ratio of approximately 1 guide for every 5 students. Our guides go through a rigorous selection process including interviews with our program managers and a full background check.

21-Is your staff qualified in First Aid?
A- Because safety is our number one priority, all of our programs have guides that are certified with First Aid and CPR training. Many of our guides are also qualified Wilderness First Responders, EMTs, Wilderness EMTs, or Life Guards.

22 - How often (if at all) will students be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost?
A—Students should pack enough clothes and personal items to last through the end of the Soccer and Service program. Laundry is not available in the La Paz village, however, if students are connecting to another Rustic Pathways program, they will have the opportunity to do laundry in San Jose for approximately $10-$15 (depending on the amount of clothes)

23 - How often will they have access to phone and internet?
A-Students will have limited access to internet during the program. They will make one trip to the port town of Puntarenas where they will be able to visit internet cafes. Students can purchase international calling cards in Costa Rica which can be used to call the United States from public phones in La Paz.