As I touched the ball for the first time during our opening match, I immediately felt at home even though I was on a different continent. I could feel myself gaining more confidence and control throughout the game, and when I scored my first goal, my adrenaline soared as people watching from the stands erupted into cheers. I couldn’t imagine a better moment to sum up my experience representing my country in Costa Rica.
My experience making the U.S. Youth Futsal National Team (made up of the best female futsal players from across the nation), and traveling to Costa Rica in the summer of 2016 was a remarkable milestone in my life. Futsal is similar to outdoor soccer, except we play with five players instead of eleven, and it is usually played on a basketball court. Representing my country internationally over my summer break was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that has shaped me into a more educated, cultured, and well-traveled individual. I had the opportunity to learn from different perspectives, create new friendships, and play the sport I love.
Flying to Costa Rica was my first experience traveling abroad, and I was nervous. I would be playing with some of the top futsal players in the country and flying far, far away from my home. To overcome nerves, I tried to focus on being in each moment: I knew I may not get this opportunity twice, so I tried to have an open mind to everything, from different styles of playing to eating new foods.
When we landed in Costa Rica, I noticed that the South American culture was vastly different from that of the States. The airport was much smaller and the crowds of people were much larger. The people who greeted us at our hotel only spoke Spanish. In the U.S., filtered water is an easy thing to come by, whereas in Costa Rica most people drank soft drinks because it was not worth risking drinking the bacteria in the unfiltered water. After just two hours in Costa Rica, my whole perspective shifted: I realized how extremely pampered my life was compared to some of the people in Costa Rica and other parts of the world.
This realization opened my eyes to the world and ignited my interest in different cultures. Ziplining through the rainforest and whitewater rafting in one of the rivers, I got to compare the climate and even the fruit of South America and the United States. I used to imagine what it would be like to live in Europe or Australia — how the culture would be different, what would change about my day to day life. I’d always been fascinated by new places and eager to see the world, but never thought I would enjoy the customs of South America so much.
I made a lot of different friends during this trip, most of whom I still talk to today, all of whom are so different yet still united by the common thread of Futsal. For example, one of my best friends, who is from California, shares many of my own ideas and lifestyles even though we live on opposite coasts. We were both homeschooled rising juniors that had an obsession with The Office and Friends. We both love coffee and love to read. It was wonderful to meet people who lived in different places but had the same values and interests as me; it really demonstrated the power of experiences that unify people and helped me learn about how people from different parts of the world can find common ground. I feel that as a result of this experience, I am a more worldly person who has respect for other people’s views, perspectives, and opinions.
I played with people not only of different cultures and nationalities but also of different ages, which was also a great learning experience. The fact that people of all ages can play is one of the reasons I love futsal so much. Age has very little to do with skill, focus, and hard work — something that is true of sports and learning.
Traveling to Costa Rica gave me a fresh perspective going into a new school year. I was more curious and open to venturing outside my comfort zone. I became more self-sufficient because of the responsibility that came from understanding your schedule in a foreign country; I developed more confidence in communicating with people of all ages who spoke a different language. This trip also made me realize that studying abroad in college is one of my biggest priorities when looking for a school to attend, which as important as I begin looking at colleges this fall. Every part of our lives, whether it is playing a sport or traveling or some combination of both, shifts how we learn and see the world.
Annie Stauffer is a high school student from Elizabethtown.
The opinions expressed on the Forum represent the individual students to whom they are attributed. They do not reflect the official position or opinion of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence or the Student Voice Team. Read about our policies.
