Having the opportunity to travel outside the country and go on an excursion to a unique location is a rare experience for many people. However, MSJ’s women’s volleyball team has that opportunity.
This summer, the team will travel to Costa Rica for a week-long trip, from May 14 through May 21. The experience is a volleyball trip for the athletes. In Costa Rica, they will get to sight-see, participate in adventurous activities, and play their sport in a place they have never been before. In addition, they will perform service at a community center/school for children. It promises to be a wonderful experience, especially for those on the team who stay local.
The idea for the women’s volleyball team to travel to Costa Rica arose from head coach John Spinney, along with assistant coach, Peyton McCarthy. They believe that the volleyball trip will help to expand the horizons of the players. Traveling from Cincinnati to a diverse country such as Costa Rica will allow the players to become more aware of the richness of the culture, traditions, and people that live there. The experience will be an eye-opening one, and will create positive memories that last a lifetime, even after the players graduate.
To prepare for the trip, the women’s volleyball team has been working hard for many months, raising money that will go to cover the cost. Recently, one fundraiser was held at Dewey’s Pizza on Harrison Avenue, where with each order 20% of the proceeds were given to MSJ women’s volleyball. They have held camps and clinic fundraisers as well as a blitz texting campaign, where monetary donations were received. There will be another texting campaign in August for catch-up fundraising. Due to the diligence of the women’s volleyball team’s efforts, they have successfully raised the necessary $39,000 to take the whole team to Costa Rica.
In the United States, women’s volleyball teams are given the opportunity to play outside of the country every three or four years. So, Coach Spinney and Assistant Coach McCarthy thought there was no better time than the present to make this happen for their players’ benefit. The volleyball players will get to take part in many exciting activities while in Costa Rica. Some of these include hiking, surfing, and getting to zipline near the base of a volcano. They will also get to play volleyball in a local gymnasium.
While the trip is a team-bonding experience, the players will get to volunteer at a half-day community center/school for children. Doing community service is rooted in the culture of the women’s volleyball team and they have volunteered at several important organizations in the past. One experience they have been a part of was volunteering at Bayley Place. The team members spent quality time with the residents in the multi-purpose room for their weekly Music Monday event. They also got to volunteer once at Matthew 25: Ministries. From these insightful opportunities, the team members felt a greater sense of gratitude for what they have been given. For their trip to Costa Rica, the team hopes to experience that same feeling of gratitude, to be blessed with the chance to see new places.