A Former AIST Participant – Would like to Share Her Story With you…
September 2, 2009
Hello Everyone,
My name is Louise Arseneault I am 20 years old, I go to school in Alabama but am from Canada. Last year, I was in Maine playing soccer when I received an email from AIST. At first I thought it was just a telemarketer or something because I had never heard of the organization called “American International Sports Tour”. I was curious to see what this was all about. So I sat down and read through it and to my big surprise, I was invited to play soccer Internationally in Costa Rica!!
The email gave me a phone number to call for more information. Well of course I had multiple questions about this subject so I called right away and was able to immediately speak with one of the AIST members which were able to answer my question properly. I kept in touch with them and within a few months there I was on a flight to Miami where I would meet my teammates. This part for me was pretty cool because I personally love traveling and meeting new people and I knew that the girls I was about to meet were different simply because they were all in it for the same reason I was; soccer!
From Miami, we all gathered together and boarded our next flight to Costa Rica. Once Arrived in San Jose, we had a guide waiting for us at the airport along with a bus to take us to our hotel. It was quite funny because the first night, well everybody knew at least a little about everybody else, but we were all still kind of shy and went to bed pretty early. Well, needless to say that this factor soon changed. The next day we had one short practice and then it was game time!
The first game was the most challenging because we played a University Team, which were pretty skilful, and it was our first time playing together as a team. I mean, I don’t know how many times you heard us say “Hey You, BALL” or something of the sort! haha. But by the end of that game, we pretty much all knew each other; At least everybody’s name. Little did we know that this experience was going to be the beginning of a lasting friendship for most of us. We ended up losing that game but were able to redeem ourselves in the two next. Fortunately, along with playing soccer, we were able to do a lot of outdoor activities and we had a schedule full of activities planned for us. That, along with our great local tour guides, enabled us to learn a lot about the Costa Ricans, also known as Ticos, and to experience some of their culture.
Some of the many activities included Zip lining across part of the rain forest (see group photo), spending the afternoon in the hot springs(see photo), hiking to a volcano lookout point (which is still active to this day), swimming in a pristine waterfall, and even going horseback riding at the base of another active volcano!
My overall Costa Rica experience with AIST was outstanding. This trip enabled me to see a side of another country that I probably wouldn’t have seen had I gone by myself. It also gave me the opportunity to meet great girls from across the USA that have the same passion I have for soccer and share that awesome experience with them whom I now call my friends.
Thanks to AIST, all of us now share a memorable experience that will last us a lifetime. To this day, most of us keep in touch with each other and we even had a little gathering at one of the girl’s house before school started! Again, thank you so much AIST for this great opportunity, and for those of you who are debating whether or not you should go, the answer is simple…GO!! Take pride in the sport that you play as well as who you represent, experience international competition, make new friends and most of all have and experience of a lifetime!!
Sincerely,
Louise Arseneault – University of Mobile
(AIST Select Team – Costa Rica soccer trip ’09)
Popularity: 6%