April 3, 2012
The next morning Gunner (Jeremy Gunn) decided to have training on the beach. After a good warm-up the guys were split into teams and put through their paces in a series of lively exercises/competitions. A final dip in the ocean closed the Flamingo chapter of our trip, and shortly thereafter we were on the bus and en route to the rainforest, and the city of La Fortuna. The journey took us about four hours and our time traveling was filled mainly with the movie Annapolis (which the boys loved mainly for the cute girl, and the incredibly corny pick up lines), and our adopted Costa Rican theme song 'Adeel' by 'Infernal.'
Upon our arrival in La Fortuna we changed quickly into our swim gear and headed to the hot springs, which were basically a series of pools and steam areas filled with natural hot water from the volcano known as Arenál. The pools were amazing, and although we didn't want the boys to get dehydrated in the hot springs, they managed to have an absolute blast on some of the fastest slides they had ever seen, within the hour we spent there. A good dinner followed the hot springs, and sleep wasn't too far behind, as we prepared to play our final game the following evening.
One of the things I will say is that the rainforest produced some of the most spectacular images of the trip. Our two days in La Fortuna saw us breakfast surrounded by iguana's, and some of the most colorful birds and wildlife any of us had ever seen. Both Earl and Garrett did an amazing job capturing these moments on film. After breakfast, Gunner went through the pre game, making sure everyone knew exactly what was expected of them in the game, and the rest of the day was spent resting and getting minds and bodies prepped for the game.
The game against San Carlos, of the Costa Rican First Division, was played on a fantastic field at our hotel complex. The 6pm kick off time meant we had avoided the extreme heat of the day, and the nice breeze accompanying us throughout the night created really good soccer playing conditions. Over the course of the 90 minutes the boys played some really attractive soccer, and were extremely effective with and without the ball. The 3-0 scoreline in favor of The Cardinal was no more than what was deserved for a very impressive performance. Two own goals on the back of great work from Zach Batteer and Eric Anderson, sandwiched a great free kick strike from JJ Koval, to round off the scoring. It was the most impressive passing display to date, with the team really working well off each other creating good chances. Meanwhile, as a defensive unit, much of the organization Gunner had been preaching was obviously beginning to take shape, as San Carlos were very much limited to shots from distance.
The win ensured a happy ending to the La Fortuna part of our journey, and after some good food, everyone rested up for the final leg of the trip. The next morning we awoke, ate breakfast, then jumped on the bus making our way to a part of the rainforest known for amazing whitewater rafting. Gerald, our rafting guide covered all the do's and don't's of rafting over the course of our 45 minute trip to the river known for its level 3-4 rapids. Once there, coaches and players split up into teams of five or six, put on life jackets and helmets, and accompanied one of the guides into a raft. The next two and a half hours were filled with some of the most intense, exhilarating, challenging, exciting moments we have all ever experienced. Each raft had to demonstrate an ability to listen to instructions being yelled out from the guides, and, as a team, it was necessary to work hard for each other in order to prevent capsizing. My raft, however, was filled with six of the most edgy, adrenaline junky players/rafters who were always wanting to go faster, and secretly had a passion to feel what it would be like to go under. Well, lets just call this group 'overachievers' because we actually went in twice. I can honestly say, the feeling of floating down the rapids without the safety of a raft beneath you was one of the strangest, and yet most exciting things I have ever done. It was, however, a huge relief to be fished out by the boys from another raft down river. All in all, with the assistance of some brilliant guides, the whitewater rafting experience was one I know all of us will remember fondly for the rest of our lives.
The bus journey back to our initial hotel in San Jose was filled with 27 tired and satisfied people. As the Costa Rica trip was coming to its close, Earl, Mike, Gunner and I couldn't help but reflect on what had been a thrilling adventure. Logistically, everything had run smoothly, and from a soccer standpoint, the team had grown significantly over the course of eight days. There had also been a huge emotional growth amongst the group, and it had become quite clear Gunner's belief, and desire was beginning to rub off on the whole squad. Yep, that's right 'Gunners Army' was beginning to form in a nation which had abolished the military in 1948....Go figure!!!
Thanks for reading,
For one last time,
Pura Vida.