Team Sports as a Bridge Between Expats and Local Community
Written by 2024 apprentice Brooklyn
In my personal experience with international travel, I have time and time again come across the phenomenon of “Expat” communities separated both geographically and relationally from “Native” or “Natural Citizen” communities. We travel and migrate, often with the intention of immersing ourselves in a new culture, but remain “outsiders” “foreigners” etc. It can be challenging to integrate ourselves into our new homes and communities; to make friends, to really feel like a part of our new home. This is true even if we are collaborating with the locals in our work. This begs the question, how do we build real relationships with our new neighbors, colleagues, community?
I may not have a complete answer to this question yet, but I am watching something pretty remarkable taking place almost every day here in Mastatal, Costa Rica, and that is the magic of team sports.
In general, there are many benefits to participating in Team Sports – everything from morale, team building and physical fitness to self-esteem and mental health gains – but for the sake of this article, I will be looking at some of the benefits specific to blended native / expat communities.
Creating Common Ground
At first glance, we may not think we have a lot in common with the members of our new community, and/or maybe they feel that way about us. We come from different places, have totally different backgrounds and life experiences, maybe different religious and spiritual beliefs, different skillsets, different hobbies, likely different first languages- it can be challenging to know where to start in building relationships. The Campo here in Mastatal, from what I have seen so far, feels like the common thread that invites everyone together; puts us all on an even playing field, so to speak. It not only brings everyone to a central location, but also gives us something in common. Something to get excited about, to bond over.
Teamwork / Comradery
There are 3 main sports we play here: Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, and Soccer. There is a near-fixed schedule that repeats weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday – Ultimate Frisbee; Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday – Volleyball; Sundays are left open for whatever people are interested in playing, with some sort of pick-up soccer happening most days). Sports are scheduled for 4 pm every day, which around here means everyone shows up around 4:20-4:30 and we play until around 5:45-6 pm. No matter which day or which sport you join, everyone is invited and whoever shows up is split into teams as evenly as possible. You may or may not already know the members of your new team. They may be locals, longtime residents, new residents, long term guests or students, passers-through, you name it; it doesn’t matter. You are now working together to take your team to victory (in a friendly competition kind of spirit, of course). We get hyped together, we cheer each other on, we score, we drop passes, we win, we lose, we do it all as a team and it is an incredibly fast way to connect and bond with new friends.
**one caveat – that note about the friendly competitive spirit is CRUCIAL to this being a bonding experience. Egos and taking the game too seriously need to be left off the field. We try HARD around here, but there is no arguing over technicalities, or anything for that matter. Remember, we’re doing this for fun!**
Moves Relationships Beyond Work-Life
Speaking specifically of what I witness here at El Rancho Mastatal, participation in team sports makes a huge impact on working relationships. The Core Team at the ranch has cooperative working relationships with many locals. At this moment, we have a large structure being built on the property and it is a collective effort of our natural building team with local builders. The sheer size and scope of the project is grounds for accumulating tension. However, multiple times per week, everyone involved in the project makes their way to the field, runs hard, plays hard, laughs together, and lets off steam in a healthy way; and it shows in team morale and how well everyone continues to work together and stay on track.
Overcoming Language Barriers
We have a wide range of English / Spanish skill levels in this community. Spanish-only, Spanish / English, English only and every level in between. In sports here, you may be on a team with someone you aren’t able to have a proper conversation with, but you’re still able to work together toward a common goal, laugh together at mistakes and mishaps, and have a great time. It’s a starting point to making real connections.
Encouraging Intergenerational Bonds
Something I really felt was lacking in the communities I was familiar with back in the states is the connection between generations. There has been a loss of the passing down of wisdom and just generally spending time with people of different age groups. Here on el campo, there may be players who are 14 (occasionally even younger) and players in their 60s in the same game. Every age, gender, skill level, etc. is welcomed and encouraged to join. Everyone gets to play to the best of their ability and have an awesome experience.
Last Thoughts
I have written this article very much from a “new eyes” perspective. I am both new to Mastatal and pretty new to team sports in general. I didn’t even plan on getting involved in team sports before I came here. However, from what I can see, team sports are a powerful force here in this community. Joining in on the games has quickly become one of the aspects of living here that I value the most and has made me feel so much more connected to everyone around me.
