Two Years in Nica

by Daniel Lewis, Senior Program Director (Nicaragua)

Two years is a long time. When our Executive Director, Javier, asked me to write about my last two years with Lacrosse the Nations (LtN), I really had no idea even where to start. LtN has impacted me so much and in such different ways that I can’t do it justice in a short blog, but I’ll try to hit the main points.
 
First, I would like to say a sincere thank you to everyone who supported me, donated, or volunteered with LtN in the past two years. For me LtN is a special kind of organization because of the people involved. From the chairman of the board down to a volunteer who could only come to a practice or two, every single person I’ve met through LtN has bought in to our mission and culture as an organization. That’s a community that I’m proud and thankful to be a part of.
 
I probably have a story about almost every LtN student-athlete in Nicaragua, so I can’t pick just one for this blog. I will say that it has been a privilege to teach and coach these young people. I truly hope that lacrosse has brought them the same joy it has given me, and that my coaching has taught some of the same lessons that I learned while playing.

I have changed immensely as a person in the past two years, but the two most important lessons I’ve learned are to keep perspective and how to let go. I sometimes lost sight of the long term goals and progress we were making in the day to day grind. I could find myself focusing on the fact that today’s practice wasn’t really better than yesterday’s and forgetting to see how far we’d come. Working with LtN has helped me to look past one bad day or missed expectation. I also learned that sometimes you have to give up control. Training and shifting responsibility to lead practice to our coaches and LtN Scholars was one of the biggest and most lasting impacts I’ve had, but I’d be lying if I said it was easy to step aside and watch.
 
Finally, I’d like to leave you with a story. A couple of months ago I started going to Club Hope early before practice to play a little goalie (poorly), so some of the kids could practice shooting. That first day Juan Carlos was one of the players. He has, probably, the best shot of anyone on the team, but he still only managed to score on me twice in about fifty shots. Afterwards, I gave Juan a few tips on shooting on a goalie, especially to work on his aim. Bounce shots, shoot low, and aim for corners. When I showed up the following Monday Juan Carlos was waiting, ready to go. I lost track of how many times Juan scored. I’m proud of Juan going home, deliberately practicing without me looking over his shoulder, and coming back measurable improved, but some small part of me feels left behind. I think this embodies my experience these last few weeks in Nicaragua. I’ve spent my time coaching, and now I’m incredibly excited to come back to visit and see how far behind all of Lacrosse the Nations has left me.

A Mother's Day Special

By Brooke Wilson

In honor of Mother’s Day, we wanted to introduce one of our lax moms here in Nicaragua, Doña Bojorge! Doña Bojorge is an extremely involved LtN mother. Not only does she work at LtN’s partner school, Club Hope, she also has six children who play lacrosse in our programs. Doña Bojorge has worked with Club Hope for 11 years. Cooking arguably some of the best food in Villa Guadalupe, Doña Bojorge helps provide meals for the students of the Club as well as for our LtN players before or after practice. This past week, we asked her some questions to get a little more insight into her LtN experience.

How long have your children been involved in LtN?
“We have been with LtN since the beginning,” Doña Bojorge reflected. 

Maria, her third oldest, started playing lacrosse in 2010, Maycol, Roxana, Jonathan and Mauriel started a year later. Allison, her youngest started 2 years ago. After Maycol’s involvement, he became one of LtN’s first scholars. Maycol has been coaching since 2015 in addition to attending school on the weekends to finish his high school degree. 

Do you think lacrosse has had any influence on your children?
“Yes definitely. I have noticed a difference in them around school and in the house, as well. Lacrosse has made them more disciplined, and they have more responsibility now.”

As an LtN mother, what would you say to other mothers with children considering playing lacrosse?
“I would tell others that it is great. It instills discipline in the kids and gives them something to work for.”

Doña Bojorge takes on a motherly role for many members of our LtN family. She is a mother to LtN coaches, veteran players, and beginners. Doña Bojorge has been with LtN since its start, and because of this, has a deep understanding of LtN’s programs and mission. From cooking meals after practice to allowing her children to throw the lacrosse ball around in the front yard with make shift goals and ice cold waters, she is the epitome of a dedicated mother.

As our programs continue building, we have had the chance to involve parents of players more and more. They are an essential part of the sustainability of our programs. Mothers like Doña Bojorge have supported our programs from the ground up and made it possible to expand LtN’s impact and reach. From our LtN families across all our sites, we wish all mothers a Happy Mothers’ Day and thank you for all you do!
 

International Day of Happiness

Today (Monday, March 20) is the International Day of Happiness. I feel like this is the perfect day for me to write about my experience working in Costa Rica so far, because if there was one word I would use to sum it up it would be: happy. Not to sound too cheesy, but there is something about this country, the people who live here and the environment in which they live, that captivated me since the second I stepped foot on Costa Rican soil. I have become completely drawn to the “Pura Vida” lifestyle that Ticos, as Costa Ricans call themselves, live by. Though Pura Vida is used to mean many things, my understanding of it reflects the simple sense of happiness that people decide to live by. By focusing on the positives of life, they refuse to allow any sense of worry occupy their minds. I find this perspective to be incredibly inspiring, since sometimes it is easy to allow negativity to weigh us down and distract us from what is truly important. Everywhere I go, I am greeted with a smile. I can’t walk down the street without seeing families and friends talking and laughing, simply enjoying each other’s company. I may have only gotten to Costa Rica two months ago, but everyday I find myself more aware of the beauty that surrounds me and more interested in forming human connections that ever. I wake up with a smile on my face knowing that everyday in this country is an adventure.

One of the greatest sources of joy for me has undoubtedly been the children I work with! The amount of happiness these children bring to me is unparalleled. Their enthusiasm, determination, and positivity toward lacrosse reminds me of the simple joy that participating in a sport can bring. It is the exact sense of joy that had me hooked on lacrosse since the age of five. One thing I am certain of: I may be teaching the children lacrosse, but I am learning so much about life from them. Most importantly, they are teaching me not to take life too seriously and to enjoy every moment. For example, though I have seen plenty of beginners struggle to catch and throw, I have not observed a single ounce of frustration as a result. The look of triumph on their faces when they do finally manage to catch the ball if proof of the magic that this sport can have. It is this exact enthusiasm to learn and grow that motivates me everyday to give my very best to these children. And it is that exact enthusiasm that makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world to have the opportunity to work with LtN in Costa Rica.

With all of that being said, the Lacrosse the Nations team is thrilled to announce that we are seeking enthusiastic, dedicated volunteers to join our programs in 2017! With their help, we are looking forward to boosting our programs and making them stronger and more impactful than ever. By volunteering with LtN, you would not only be helping LtN grow, but volunteering has been proven to have a positive impact on personal happiness as well! Recent studies have found that volunteering is highly associated with greater health and happiness, and just a few hours of volunteer work can make a difference in happiness and mood. The experience of helping others has also been found to provide meaning, a sense of self worth, and health enhancement. Statistics also show that of people who volunteer, 96% say it enriches their sense of purpose, 78% say it lowers their stress levels, and 94% say it improves their mood. Living in a beautiful country, being surrounded by incredible people, growing the game, AND significantly increasing your personal level of happiness?! It doesn’t get much better than that!

“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.” — Helen Keller

Celebrate International Day of Happiness by checking out our 2017 volunteer openings in Costa Rica and Nicaragua to learn more about how to get involved!  

http://www.idealist.org/view/org/6zCZSwmKC3H4/