With the soccer teams taking a winter pre-season trip to Costa Rica, many parents, faculty, and student peers envy the opportunity the players and coaches are granted. The coaches stressed that it was a ‘business trip’ as both teams would be playing games against some of the best teams in the country, including the U17 and U20 national teams. Outside of the pitch is a spotlight for the trip, as Costa Rica is a tropical island where the weather is much different from the current Lake Placid weather. This allows the boys to do things that they have never done or have not done in a while because of the climate at the school. So, the boys are embracing the trip in every aspect.
Soccer players on the beach in Costa Rica. Photo provided.
One of the main things the players must balance is their schoolwork. They know that whilst having a fun time they cannot afford to fall behind in class. “Although it is tough to stay caught up, I have made good use of the mandatory team study halls and have kept myself disciplined to do some work on my own time,” said Leo Doyle ’25. When the players have a block of free time, the coaches usually dedicate that period to their studies. Every player is reminded daily that they are students first, so they must prioritize their work.
Outside of being a student-athlete, the experience of being in Costa Rica is one that the players are fully taking advantage of. Everyone on the trip embraces a new culture from what they are used to whilst staying in high-quality resorts/hotels. “The resorts and the food have been amazing. Everything is quite different from the infrastructure and the culture at Northwood,” added Diego Green ’25. Each day the boys are given opportunities to embrace the whole experience: they went zip lining over the jungles, for example.
Everyone on the trip is incredibly grateful for the opportunity and glad they did their part to make it happen by doing endless fundraising. They know this is an experience of a lifetime, but they also know that they are still representing Northwood School. This means that the same rules at school are being applied on the trip to prevent anyone from getting complacent and keeping everyone in good habits.
