Follow The Women's Basketball Team In Costa Rica

Follow the women's basketball team as senior Michel'le St. Pierre blogs from Costa Rica

Previous Posts - 12/28/13 - Welcome To Costa Rica | 12/29/13 - The Game of Basketball & Whitewater Rafting | 12/30/13 - Zip Lining & Basketball | 12/31/13 - Touring San Jose On New Years Eve | 1/1/14 - Alligators & Surfing | 1/2/14 - Walking In The Sand, ATVs & Horseback Riding |  1/3/14 - The National Park, Racoons & An Airplane Restaurant

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January 4, 2014 - Sea Turtles, Basketball & A Sad Goodbye

Sad to say this is our last day here in Costa Rica and it’s even more sad to think that tomorrow we will be facing the below freezing temperatures.

However, words can’t explain how happy I am to be heading back to Worcester. Its not only because I am home sick, but because second semester will be starting, which means MASCAC games will be starting. It’s the best part of the season and it’s what we’ve been preparing for. And of course Math Madness on Tuesday will be exciting with all the little kids.

Some of the group woke up at 5:30 AM to watch the baby turtles be put in the ocean. For those that went, they were given plastic gloves, you could pick up a turtle, face it towards them, turn it around and help it start its life in the ocean by placing it on the beach in the surf.

We started off the day with breakfast, packing our bags, checking out of the hotel, and loading the bus up. We were off to teach one last clinic, however, we quickly found out there wasn’t much teaching going on. These young boys were good basketball, so we put them through some shooting, defense, and passing drills. It was fun because they spoke English so we could interact with them and it was on an outdoor court.

After that we came back to the Tennis Club, we ate lunch as a whole group and then had some down time before our 7 PM tip off against the Costa Rican National team. Most of the girls took a nap and just relaxed.

The whole group came to support us at our game which we lost by seven and it was a better game then our first. The crowd we have was very into the game and it was great to have them there. We also interacted with the Costa Rican international team afterwards and gave them some t-shirts.

Following the game we came back to the hotel and had pizza, Josh  (our tour guide & founder of Beyond Basketball) gave us a heart warming good-bye speech, then Coach Tessmer responded and spoke on behalf of everyone. After that, Mr. Barrett, myself and one of the head nurses on the trip for  the nurses that traveled with us.

This trip was amazing, we did a lot, there was a lot of team bonding that happened and more importantly the experience. This certainly was a once in a lifetime opportunity for some of rest, I want to thank everyone that made this possible not only for me, but for the entire women's basketball team. Thank You.

We will be landing in Boston around 5:30 AM tomorrow and we can’t wait. I know we all will be happy to be able to start using our Iphones 24/7 and not worrying about where the Wifi locations are.

Good night!

Michel'le

Top Photo - Traveling Group Poses After Contest Against The Costa Rican National Team

Bottom Photo - View Of Sunset In Costa Rica From Yesterday's Visit To The Airplane Restaurant

January 3, 2014 - The National Park, Racoons & An Airplane Restaurant

Hello friends & families!

 We started off the day early because we had a fun fill day planned ahead of us, breakfast was at 7:30 AM. Once again we were all very happy because there was cereal, pancakes, and fresh fruit. We then loaded the bus up and headed to the National Park where we saw sloth’s, monkey’s, and raccoons.

We had a good fifteen minute walk and headed straight for the beach that was located in the National Park to cool down. The beach was nice, but there were rocks right when you entered the water, so we had to belly flop into the water and swim our way out because we did not have water shoes.

After being in the water for a bit, we got out and had this orange-brownish tint to us and it was from the water; it was gross! Walking up to our towels which, we located in the shade, we found a raccoon and a monkey in one of our bags who ran off with our food. They were smart enough to unzip our backpack, they ran off quickly with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos, plantain chips and Hersey Kisses. The raccoon even teased us and ate the bag of plantain chips right in front of us; Natasha (Gonzalez) was not a happy camper.

Once we left the National Park we headed for the main beach and it was the most beautiful beach at Costa Rica that we had been to. There were no rocks and the waves weren’t so big. We planned on going banana boating, but the float was down and we did not have enough time to wait. After spending a few hours on the beach, we showered at the beach to wash off the sand and headed to an Airplane restaurant to have a later lunch. It was the most beautiful view that we had seen up to this point, we then headed back and went back to the hotel.

On our walk back to the hotel there was a group of people surrounding around on the beach, so (of course) we had to stick our noses in it and see what was going on. Well we were happy we did because the police had an area blocked off where baby turtles were being born and they were showing people how small and adorable they really were. They were releasing them into the ocean the next morning at 5:30 AM.

After that we all were exhausted and headed to bed. I can’t believe tomorrow is going to be our last full day here, it’s certainly been the best trip I’ve been on so far. Very thankful that this was my last trip here at Worcester State, it’s a good trip to leave on.

Well that’s it for tonight, good night!

Michel'le

Top Photo - The Three Seniors Meaghan Burns, Emily Barrett and Michel'le St. Pierre Pose In Front Of Airplane At El Avion

Bottom Photo - Meaghan Burns And Michel'le St. Pierre Try To Drive An Airplane At El Avion

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January 2, 2014 - Walking In The Sand, ATVs & Horseback Riding

Wake up was at 7 AM because we were going on a team run at 7:30 AM. We didn’t run for distance, just for time. However, we quickly realized how hot the heat really is that early.

After the run there was a buffet style breakfast where they had pancakes & cornflakes. We were pumped! Once we were done with breakfast, we changed quickly into our suits and went straight for the water to cool down.

Meaghan (O'Keefe) and Kelli (McPherson) sun bathed for a while to get some color, while Meaghan (Burns) and I walked the whole beach. Ashley (Espinosa), Julie (Frankian), Olivia (Gardiner), Emily (Barrett) and Natasha (Gonzalez) hit up the local shops. We joined up after to all go into the pool together and made a group decision on what our plans for the day were going to be.

Ultimately, the team went to Pizza Hut for lunch and we shared three large pizzas before spliting up for horseback riding and ATV riding.

I went ATV riding and had a blast along with Kelli, Emily, Julie, Ashley, Beebs, Dale, Coach Meredith and Mr. & Mrs. Barrett, Coach Tessmer, Lily, Natasha, Olivia, Mark Wagner, Meg O'Keefe. My good freind and roommate, Meg Burns also went horseback riding. We all had fun.

Once again we all met up in the pool and Sylvia read off our dinner options for us while letting us know that dinner was at 8:00 PM. We decided to take a rest after because we have not only an early wake up tomorrow, but it will be a long day. Tomorrow we are heading to the National Park, where we were will walk for a bit to see some wild life, monkeys & sloths, and then be at the beach all day.

That’s all I have for now, goodnight!

Michel'le

Top Photo (Left To Right) - Julie Frankian, Ashley Espinosa, Kelli McPherson, Emily Barrett and Michel'le St. Pierre Pose In Front Of The Forest After Using Some All-Terrain Vehicles

Bottom Photo 1 (Left To Right) - Michel'le St. Pierre, Julie Frankian, Kelli McPherson, Emily Barrett and Ashley Espinosa Taking A Break While Hitting The ATV Trails In Costa Rica

Bottom Photo 2 - (Left To Right) Head Coach Karen Tessmer, Olivia Gardiner, Meaghan O'Keefe, Lilly Tessmer, Natasha Gonzalez, Meaghan Burns and Trainer Enjoy An Afternoon of Horseback Riding 

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January 1, 2014 - Alligators & Surfing

Boy does it feel weird typing up 2014, I can’t believe this is going to be my last trip as a Lancer. I also can’t believe that graduation is right around the corner for me, Meaghan (Burns) and Emily (Barrett).  

On Wednesday we had a 9 AM breakfast, checked out of the hotel and loaded up the bus to head to the beach! It was a two hour bus ride, but was well worth it because the new hotel we are in is right on the beach - literally right across the street. On the way to the beach we stopped on this bridge and it’s known for all the crocodiles that lay in the mud and water. There was more then twenty crocs there; it was awesome!

After we looked down for a bit, we loaded the bus again and then was off to lunch then the beach. We had an amazing lunch, it was at a local taco bar; The tacos were on point. After fueling up we hurried off to the hotel to check in, change into our suits, hit the pool, and then went to catch some waves at the beach.

We quickly realized that the waves were too big to surf, so we dodged the waves for a bit, then went back in. The water in the pool and the ocean was so warm, I couldn’t believe it. Josh (our tour guide & founder of Beyond Basketball) took us for ice cream since we had a later dinner, we were all very excited for some ice cream. After ice cream we hung out and went to dinner up the road for 8:45, it was well worth the wait. Some of us had shrimp & rice, white sauce, noodles and chicken. We also had a fruity drink to go along with it as you could chose: blackberry, pineapple, ice tea, or mixed fruit.

After dinner we had a quick meeting to go over what was going on tomorrow, we were not very excited to hear we had a run early in the AM.

Photo Top - The Women's Basketball Team Views 30-Plus Alligators At A Park, Just Off The Beach In Costa Rica

Photo Bottom - View Of The Beach In Costa Rica From Hotel

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December 31, 2013 - Touring San Jose On New Years Eve

Goooooooood Morningggggg! The Lancers are well rested, having to get to sleep in for the first time on the trip!

We started off our morning with the typical breakfast we’ve been having for the past couple days. Right after breakfast we were on our way to a tour of San Jose. The tour consisted of some local churches and some shops, we were able to get some inexpensive souvenirs and was able to see more of the Costa Rican culture.

After the tour we came back for lunch and most of the girls suited up to be pool side of the hotel and catch some rays, Meaghan (Burns) and I took a little cat nap. Natasha (Gonzalez) & Kelli (McPherson) loved the rays because they want to be as tan as possible before they return back to Massachusetts. Olivia (Gardiner) slipped and fell into the pool. Julie (Frankian), on the other hand, was being studious and read her book for class. No wonder she got a 4.0 this semester.

At 5:30 PM, we had an hour and a half practice, worked off the chicken fingers we ate for lunch, headed our separate ways to get all jazzed up for dinner and to a local night club. No one was really crazy about the Caribbean food so we decided as a team to go to McDonald’s.

We went to a local night club for about an hour to celebrate the New Year, but we found out that here in Costa Rica they do not celebrate New Year’s like we do in the United States. They spend it with their families and don’t go out like we do. We came back to our rooms to watch the ball drop at midnight on ABC and well off to bed. 

Tomorrow will going to consist of the beach and a beautiful hotel on the water. Meaghan Burns and I cannot wait to hit the waves with some surf boards.

Good Night!

Michel'le

Top Photo - The Women's Basketball Team Poses In Front of Our Lady of The Angels Basilica In San Jose

Bottom Photo (Left) - The Team and Lilly Tessmer Takes In A Day In San Jose

Bottom Photo (Right) - The Three Seniors Emily Barrett, Meaghan Burns and Michel'le St. Pierre On New Years Eve

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December 30, 2013 - Zip Lining & Basketball

Hola!

The Lancers had an early start to the day again with a 7 AM breakfast and a 7:30 departure time, breakfast consisted of rice & beans, sweet plantains, some sort of mystery meat, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit. Our next adventure was to mentally prepare ourselves for zip lining and for what most people fear, heights.

Once we got to the mountains where we would zip lining, we were given a bracelet, signed a form, got our gear and loaded a bus to go up the mountain. We had a bit of a hike before we the instructors harnessed us up and then we were off to the first platform as there were twelve total zip line platforms. We started off with short distance, the longest one was very close to a mile and some we went so fast we didn’t have enough time to even enjoy the scenery.

Everyone had fun on the zip lines. It was nothing but smiles, laughter and pure happiness. Harry one of the men who traveled with us, is 81 years old and kicked butt on the lines; I’ve never seen a smile so contagious, it makes you appreciate the small things in life. Meaghan (O'Keefe) was scared to death on each and every zip line, but stuck it out until the end. Little Lily Tessmer rocked the lines even though she was with a guide, though, one time she was able to go alone. Julie (Frankian) and Kelli (McPherson) didn’t make all the way to the end because they braked so hard, so they got an arm work out by having to pull themselves to the end.

The scenery was absolutely mind blowing, there were beautiful waterfalls, trees, water, everything was just so peaceful. At the end of the last platform, there was an Indigenous Costa Rican tribe where they spoke about their culture and native language. We ate lunch at the base of the mountain where the start point was while preparing ourselves for the next two and half hours because we were coming back to the hotel where we started. The bus ride back was very curvy and slow with lots of hairpin turns.

Once we got back to the hotel we rested for a short bit and cleaned up for dinner at the hotel where we were able to see our pictures from white water rafting. Once Dinner was over and we changed into our uniforms and the basketball court is a part of the tennis club we are staying at. We quickly learned how different the style of International play. We our first game of the trip against the Costa Rican National team.

We are excited because we get to sleep in tomorrow because breakfast is at 9 AM.

Night!

Photo Above - Michel'le St. Pierre and Meagahan O'Keefe Taking Part In Yesterday's Youth Clinic

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December 29, 2013 -The Game Of Basketball & Whitewater Rafting

Buenos Dias!

Hope you all are staying warm, it’s shorts and tank top weather here, and we are loving every last moment of it!

We have quite a busy schedule today and words can't explain how excited I am to try and attempt to speak some Spanish to the kids at the clinic today. We started off the day very early, well at least for us college kids, but we were all eager to get out of bed and start our day. Breakfast, well at least what they call breakfast, was a tad bit different then what you would think of when you hear that word. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear breakfast? Eggs, pancakes, home fries, bacon, sausage ham, waffles, syrup, and the list could go on forever. However, that was not the case here, we had their breakfast style of rice & black beans, scrambled white & cheesy eggs and bread that let’s say a lot different then our bread back home, CULTURE SHOCK ALERT!!

Before we left for the day, Josh gave us a brief orientation regarding the “do’s & don’ts” of the trip and we were off for an hour bus ride to where we would be practicing and teaching at the clinic. Practice went well and the kids came piling in right when we were done with practice.

Two kids spoke English, but the rest were only fluent in Spanish. We might not of had the language in common, but we certainly all had the love of basketball in common. The kids were great and we all enjoyed teaching the game of the game we love. Once the clinic was over we quickly loaded the bus because we had an hour ride to where we were whitewater rafting. We had lunch on the go, turkey and ham sandwiches.

 Whitewater rafting was a blast! We all had so much fun and will forever have memories about how amazing it was. I must say we had a solid rafting team: (Meaghan) Burns, (Julie) Frankian, Kelli (McPherson), Emily (Barrett), myself, and our instructor, Captain Jack. Mr. & Mrs. Barrett and Mark Wagner hit some tumultuous rapids and went over board, but our raft rescued Mr. Barrett. No injuries occurred luckily.

After a long rafting experience we were all very exhausted, but had another bus ride to the hotel where we were staying at tonight. It wasn’t your average hotel, they are little huts. We cleaned up and was off to The Baldi Resorts for a night in the hot springs. We had a buffet style dinner and we were very excited because we could go up for seconds and even thirds.

After a big dinner we were very tired, but we changed into our bathing suits and hit the different pools, there were thirty of them in all different temperatures and there was even water slides! We even convinced Coach Tessmer and Coach Merri to go down a slide!

We are wiped and are ready for bed, we have another early wake up tomorrow because we are spending the morning zip lining.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s fun! Night.

Michel'le

Top Photo - Meaghan Burns, Natasha Gonzalez and Lilly Tessmer Pose For The Basketball Clinic That The Team Hosted This Afternoon

Middle Photo - Group Photo From A Clinic The Women's Basketball Team Put On In Costa Rica

Bottom Photo (Left) - Emily Barrett and Julie Frankian With Some Students, Representing The Blog During The Basketball Clinic

Bottom Photo (Right) - The Women's Basketball Players & Students Huddle At Center Court During the Clinic

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Saturday, December 28, 2013 - Welcome To Costa Rica

Hola Family & Friends,

Being at school for 5:15 in the morning was a struggle, but once we loaded up, we were off to Logan and quickly went through the security check point.

After boarding the plane and settling into our seats, Meaghan (Burns) was looking out of her window seat at the conveyer belt that was loading our luggage onto the plane. She suddenly noticed her sandal just sitting on the side of the conveyer belt out of her suitcase. After alerting a flight attendant, he stared at her, laughed and walked away. Coach Tessmer then came to the rescue and immediately sprinted to the front of the cabin, demanding someone retrieve the flip flop! After successful recovery and identification, the sandal was safely back in Megs possession. Phew!

The only good part about the five and a half hour plane ride was the meal that we were served, most had waffles, fruit, and yogurt, some had enchiladas. We were very happy to land in Panama City for a short layover of little over an hour and we quickly realized how not being able to speak Spanish was going to put a damper on many things. We went to Subway for lunch and the lady making the sandwiches barely spoke English. Luckily for us, one of our fellow Lady Lancers is Spanish speaking, Natasha (Gonzalez). I felt bad she had to translate for all of us and couldn’t enjoy her sandwich until we were done ordering.

Following a short fifty-five minute flight from Panama City to San Jose, we were met by one of the members of Beyond Basketball. Marshall and Josh were our two tour guides for the next seven days in Costa Rica; they were very friendly. After loading the bus, Josh took our orders for dinner so the food would be ready as soon as we cleaned up and got to the restaurant. We quickly learned that the portion sizes were very small and we were still hungry after a nice dinner, Marshall led us to a local convenient store where we could get snacks.

After a quick stop at the store, we had a shoot around on the court that we’d be playing on against the Costa Rican National team. The court was totally different; its longer, wider, not hardwood and the balls bounced a little too much.

Time for bed since we have an early start to our day tomorrow. Goodnight!

Michel'le

Pictured Top: The Women's Basketball Team At The Airport

Pictured Below (Left To Right): Michel'le St. Pierre, Olivia Gardiner, Ashley Espinosa, Natasha Gonzalez Pose For A Quick Photo Upon Arrival At San Jose

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