Several weeks ago, I traveled to Gandoca, Costa Rica for my ACE experience. I had expected a quiet town with some scattered groups. Instead, I found a family. The community was connected by shared values and activities, including soccer. One of the first things I learned was that nearly the entire town gathers every Sunday to watch and play in a community tournament. It was an amazing reminder of how sport can bring people together.
As a member of the Duke Women’s Soccer team, I was excited to discover that the locals played pickup nearly every day. However, I was still nervous to jump in. I didn’t know anyone, and I wasn’t fluent in Spanish. But once the game started, my nerves faded. I realized that we didn’t need to speak the same language; soccer was all we needed.
One of the things that surprised me most was how multigenerational the games were. Kids who were elementary school age played alongside older adults, all in the same game. Through these games, I made friendships with people of all ages. One moment I’ll never forget is scoring the game-winning goal off a perfect cross from a local teammate and celebrating like we’d played together for years. Our teamwork didn’t require words, only a shared passion for our sport.
Throughout the trip, there was constant exchange, both culturally and on the field. I picked up new skills and tricks from the Gandocan locals, and also shared my own experience and style. We laughed at mistakes, cheered each other on, heckled each other, and bonded over a shared love for the game. I felt like I was learning just as much from them as they were from me.
I left Costa Rica with a full heart and a bag of new soccer tricks. But more than that, I left with a renewed sense of why I love my sport. In Gandoca, people played because they loved it, not for pressure or performance. That reignited something in me. Sports really do connect the world, and during my time in Costa Rica, I got to live that truth every single day