Visit to American Nicaraguan School

Last Friday, October 8th, a group of 21 grandes and five coaches including Larkin and I, went on a field trip to American Nicaraguan School in Managua. The school run's kindergarten through high school is run completely in English and has quite the international population. Former TEAM Granada volunteer Hailey McCarthy teaches science and math there, and in her spare time has started a Soccer Without Borders Club! In an effort to bring the club and the organization together, American Nicaraguan School invited us to their campus for a friendly tournament / diversity day celebration.

We left the office at 6:45 and after overcoming a few transportation glitches, headed to Managua on a public bus. Our group more or less took over the bus except for a few unfortunate souls that were subject to the girls shrieking at every curve and practicing a new SWB cheer. As soon as we arrived at the school we immediately split up into four mixed teams (half TEAM Granada and half club SWB) and starting playing fútbol sala games. Each team played each team, and as the games progressed the two groups started talking amongst each other and getting to know each other.

Once the soccer portion of the day ended, we watched an assembly put on by the middle school that celebrated diversity. The program ranged from poetry readings, to a band to a singing of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror."

All in all, the day was great. The field trip itself was very fun for the girls and it was great to see our kids and the kids from American Nicaraguan School getting to know each other. We hope it's the first in many events we do with American Nicaraguan School.