Guanacaste Sports Center

Making Something Out of Nothing

Guanacaste Sports Center may look like little more than some thin carpets rolled out on a concrete gym floor.  But beyond the looks of it, those thin carpets have brought kids together to develop motor skills, build relationships, and create dreams of achievement.  

The Guanacaste Sports Center is a non-profit organization in Costa Rica accepting donations in order to purchase gymnastics equipment for trainings, provide scholarships for local children, and to build monetary savings in order to create a community sports complex for kids to develop skills, character, and perseverance.

Full Story:

Anytime I find myself living in a new area, the first thing I need to do, is to connect with my community.  So when I found myself fresh out of California and trying to live in Guanacaste, Costa Rica I knew I was going to need to find people I could connect with.  So of course for myself—having grown up as a gymnast and acrobat—the first place I chose to go to connect with my community was the local gym.  I began to frequent the small, concrete gym in order to get my “play” time in; this is where I met Chelsea.  

At first glance, I was honestly quite intimidated by Chelsea—tanned, toned, hair trimmed short, always very focused, and held her confidence seemingly effortlessly.  But when Chelsea found out that I used to be a gymnast, as well as a gymnastics coach, she approached me with an energy that I had not yet seen from her.  She was bright, wore a vibrant smile, and her English was amazing!  (For me, still learning Spanish, this is always a relief.)  She mentioned that she had been teaching gymnastics to kids for the last couple of years and asked if I would be interested in helping in her program as a coach.  This was a no-brainer for me.  So eventually, we met up so she could tell me about her project.  

This is what I learned: 

Chelsea had moved out to the Guanacaste region from the San Jose area just a few years before.  When she saw that there was no sports center in the area, she realized the opportunity to develop a space where kids can participate in an active lifestyle, and develop sports skills that could help them get collegiate scholarships.  She decided to start teaching kids the sport she was most familiar with, gymnastics.  But it wasn’t easy.  In small-town Costa Rica, word is slow to spread.  It takes consistency and patience to start a program because, in the beginning, no one comes…  And that’s how it began—with nothing but a gym floor, an old mattress, Coach Chelsea, and no students.  But then one would arrive, and then another, and then sometimes none again.  But Chelsea saw the potential and believed in the benefits that she could provide for the community and would still show up even when no one else did.  And through her persistence, Coast Athletes began.  Slowly, Chelsea was able to pull up the cash through donations and athletes’ tuition to purchase carpets to cover the concrete floors, a couple of mats, and some small foam squares to cushion the ground.  She would make do by using old couch cushions for mats, and built a small balance beam out of wood. By the end of 2020 she had around 30 athletes participating in the program.  

As we sat together with our coffee, she told me about the dreams she has of creating a sports center that would become one of Costa Rica’s top providers of skilled athletes.  She spoke of wanting to be able to provide scholarships to kids from low-income families so they could participate in sports as well.  She spoke of wanting to be able to develop a program strong enough so that athletes could receive collegiate athletic scholarships in order to have the option to further their education at Universities.  She spoke about creating a space to introduce sports such as diving, rhythmic gymnastics, baseball, etc. to the kids of the community to broaden their potential in athletics.  And on top of starting her own business and continuing to run a family business, she was just finishing up her degree in physical education, so she saw the importance of an active lifestyle and sharing that knowledge within her community.  And as her following grew, she needed more space for trainings and of course more money for equipment.  

But gymnastics equipment costs more than just a pocket full of cash and though athletes’ tuition could cover the costs of rent of the space, it is slow to save up for equipment.  Which is why Guanacaste Sport Center is always open to receive donations.  Previously blessed by a very generous anonymous donation, Coast Athletes was able to purchase a rhythmic gymnastics carpet, a foam roll-out gymnastics floor, and a practice gymnastics bar which has all just been received this year and we hosted our first in-house practice competition with the gymnasts!  This moment to witness what Coast Athletes has become after starting with nothing but an old mattress was inspiring.  To join in on a movement that brings effortless smiles to so many kids has turned into such a privilege. 

And to become a part of a growing community that shares so many similar values is something that I will continue to cherish.  

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The program is now up to around 60 athletes. In the coming year, the program is looking to begin participating in competitions, and has the goal of having 3 to 4 student-athletes with CEPIA scholarships.  Any financial contribution will help bring a better training environment for the gymnasts of Coast Athletes and eventually build the dreams of all that the Guanacaste Sports Center hopes to provide for the children of the Guanacaste community.