U17 soccer girls head to Costa Rica

A group of girl soccer players is looking forward to a trip of a lifetime – nine days in Costa Rica playing and teaching soccer, from July 25 to Aug. 3.

But there’s a rub. About a $50,000 rub.

That’s about what it’ll cost for 14 U17 girls and 14 adults to make the trip.

The girls, with Sonoma SC Riot, are holding fundraisers to help pay for the trip, but they’re still looking for help.

“They started their fundraising efforts about six weeks ago,” said Lisa Bell, the mother of one of the girls. Bell said the girls are hosting a date night at the Valley of the Moon Nursery School on Friday, May 20, and again on Friday, June 10. And there are other events still in the hopper.

In addition to donations, the group is also looking for sponsorships. Sponsors will get their logos on shirts the group will be giving to the players and the kids in the clinics and will get mentioned on the team website and will receive photos from the trek and a photo plaque.

The girls are from three different high schools. Most are from Sonoma Valley High but there are also two from Justin Sienna and one from St. Vincent.

The trip to Costa Rica for the girls was the idea of Jeff Pearce, the assistant coach for the Sonoma Riot team. Pearce visited Costa Rica with his family last year.

Pearce said everywhere he travels, he looks for opportunities to take a soccer team on a return trip. He said it took about a year to put the tour together, and he started talking to the girls after the soccer season last fall and got a great reaction.

He’s working with a Seattle-based nonprofit organization, Beyond Sport which is putting the whole trip together including all of the games, clinics and side trips for the group. Beyond Sport is based on the belief that sport can play an active role in sustainable social change. It has organized almost 1,900 projects spanning 37 sports in 145 countries.

The group is also working with Woza Soccer, also Seattle-based, as a nonprofit partner so that any donations they receive are tax-deductible. Woza Soccer primarily arranges soccer service trips to Costa Rica and South Africa.

“Woza has really been very helpful,” Pearce said. “Woza offers international summer service trips for eighth through 12th grade soccer players, using the game to connect across cultures and support inspiring sport for development organizations abroad.”

While they’re in Costa Rica, the girls, who range from in-coming freshmen to in-coming seniors, will play three games and put on two soccer clinics.

And they’ll visit a number of sites including Punta Leona Beach, the Manuel Antonio National Park, the Baldi Resort Hot Springs and Water Park, and Avenida Central in San Jose to visit the National Church, National Theater and the Central Market.

Donations may be mailed to Pierce at 17359 Hillside Ave., Sonoma, CA 95476.

“The girls are really excited,” Pearce said. “And the parents are excited too.”