The immersive program combines competition with education as student-athletes learn about a different culture while competing against competitors from another country and offering guidance to young athletes.
Elon University’s football team traveled to Costa Rica for the 2025 Spring Break, part of the university’s commitment to providing student-athletes with the opportunity to participate in a global experience during their time at Elon.
The team is blogging their experience daily, including leading a clinic with Costa Rican football players.
“All of the Costa Rican football players were very coachable, which made it so enjoyable to be out there with them,” wrote players Ethan Grace and Brandon Smiley. “It was also fun because we would coach them a technique, and then they would have one of their friends translate it to Spanish.
The team also has the opportunity to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of Costa Rican culture in San Jose.
“I loved learning that Costa Ricans eat Boca’s when supporting their favorite sports teams, it was cool to see how that’s different from what we typically eat while watching sports in America,” wrote players Ian Westbrook and Cannon Turner. “After lunch, we had some time to free-roam around the city. We finished the day off with a tour of San Jose, courtesy of our tour guide Lucy. Learning about the beautiful history of Costa Rica truly left an impact on me and the rest of the team. The most impactful part for me personally was going inside the cathedral, and getting to take all of that in was a powerful and emotional experience.”