Metro FC Coraggio u15 Goalkeeper, Haley Gribler, is currently in Costa Rica playing for the Region II Olympic Development Program. Haley will be submitting a blog on her experiences during the trip. Congratulations to Haley and Metro FC is proud of her accomplishment!

Blog #4 March 27, 2010. Costa Rica

   Today we started off with a city tour. After taking a bus about fifteen
minutes away from our hotel, we toured the city. Glory showed us the cities
monuments, government buildings, and Costa Rica´s biggest parks. After the tour
we shopped in the market where we got to put our bargaining skills to use. After
buying gifts for friends, family, and ourselves, we returned to the bus and
headed back toward the hotel.
   After eating lunch, we prepared ourselves for our game agaisnt Flores. This
was the strongest and most physical team we had played yet. They were also our
best competition so far. Their style of play was to step into passing lanes to
win the ball, instead of stepping to someone who is dribbling up the feild. This
new style of play helped us learn how to beat different deffenseive systems and
also challenged us to excert all of the energy we had left for this 90 degree
game. After pulling out a three to two win, we knew that we had to focus
ourselves for our final, and most difficult game.
   For dinner, we had the privlege of eating at a Costa Rican restaraunt with
region one. Here, we recieved a traditional Costa Rican dish. For desert, we
were served a birthday cake. Even though it was embarassing, I enjoyed getting
sang happy birthday and I also enjoyed a big piece of cake!After finishing
dinner, we played games such as musical chairs and titanic. When leaving the
restaraunt we headed back to the hotel to get ready to go to bed. But, little
did I know i had another birthday suprise waiting for me. After about a half
hour of being back at the hotel, my teammates had set up a surprise party for me
in my room. They had the lights off, video cameras ready, and toilet paper
strung all across the room. Being totally oblivious as I am, i never even
suspected anything and that birthday surprise is something I will never forget!
Not only did we get a game winning result on my birthday,  I also got to spend
my birthday in a beautiful country with girls that I love. Today was one of my
favorite days of the week!

Blog #3, march 25, 2010-costa rica

This morning, instead of training, we visited the childrens center. When we got
there we were welcomed with a translated speech that thanked us for coming and
for giving them our time. They asked for anything we could give them from candy
to toys to money. The money that we gave them supported the children so that
they could go to a camp for Easter. I didn't see one girl on the team who gave
less then five dollars, and most of the girls gave twenty. The head of the
daycare center was very grateful of our donations. Then, with candy in our
hands, we walked through the doors that led us to the playground enclosed by
classrooms. The kids absolutely loved us. They were extrememly sweet and always
wanted to be held. Whether it was on your shoulders, your back, pushed on a
swing, or chased around the playground they loved the attention that we were
giving them. When we were leaving, the kids sang songs for us and prayed to
"Senor Cristo", thanking Him for bringing us there. Then we had to leave and we
thanked the children and the daycare workers for giving us an experience we will
never forget.
     Later in the day, at three thirty, we played San Jose. At the beginning of
the game, we started off a little slow and disorganized, but as the game
continued we fixed our shape, pace, and decision making and the game slowly
became ours. We tarted off with one goal, but as the half continued we began to
dominate. Before walking off the feild at halftime, we had put the game out of
reach at four to zero. After learning about what we need to change and improve
from our coaches Janet and Brad at halftime, we took the feild for the second
half. When the final whistle blew, we had held San Jose four to nothing. After
dinner, at seven, all of region two was proud of the day we had just lived.