It’s April now, this trip was definitely a learning experience for everyone! We learned sooo much from Jimmy in the two clinics that he coached us. We tried to implement the changes he suggested, but couldn’t overcome the last team we played. They were a very good club team and we learned a lot from this as well. This trip has been absolutely amazing and I am so thankful that we had the chance to go to Brazil and experience their culture and their game of volleyball. Tonight we go to the SAMBA!

Hi this is Alex now! This trip to Rio was amazing! I’m so happy we got to come here for the experience, our team learned so much from Jimmy in the little time we had with him. Tonight we go back to the first restaurant we went to, and can’t wait to stuff our faces once again. Brazil was amazing but can’t wait to get home!

Alyssa (Stank)’s turn now. Brazil was amazing, and I am very grateful for the chance to come experience it. We got to play some great volleyball teams, work with Jimmy who taught us so much and learned many new things as a team. I can’t wait to go back to the restaurant that we went to the other night and eat some amazing food and then go out and learn how to Samba before being on a plane for twelve and a half hours. Even though I have loved Brazil I am ready to go home! See everyone soon J

HELLLLLOOO! Its Brittany, Brazil was awesome and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to come with my team. We met great friends here that we will never forget, ate delicious food (going to the meat restaurant tonight again J), and made memories that will live with us forever. I want to say thank you to everyone who made this experience possible and thank you to my team for making this a great trip!! Now I am preparing myself to stay up for the next 24 hours!

This was a great time. I had so much fun! Coach Paulo!

Our trip to Brazil is coming to an end. This experience has been life changing, both on the volleyball court and in our personal lives. Thank you to our new Brazilian friends and everyone back home for your support! Coach Lisa

The trip was a tremendous cultural experience. I was amazed at the Brazilian’s love of sports. The volleyball was terrific and extremely competitive. We held our own against the Brazilian teams. Playing against them helped us learn from them. This experience will give us a jump start on our season. I am really excited to get that started! Coach Fred

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This afternoon we had our second clinic with Jimmy in Niteroi. We learned a lot, implemented a new offense, and again, went over two hours in length. Jimmy is a great coach, has a lot of patience with us, and works us really hard. Iggy had a chance to show his soccer skills as we played soccer to warm-up. We had lunch in a local mall food court and drove to Sao Gocalo for our third match with Club Niteroi. Along the drive, we saw some interesting neighborhoods and experienced the local flavor of Rio de Janeiro. The team was waiting for us and they had some really freindly fans. We played four games, won one, and had a chance to use the offense we learned in addition to some new skills we learned from Jimmy. Back at Copacabana, we ate at a all-you-can-eat pizza restaurant. We finished with chocolate pizza; with M&M’s, with strawberries and plain! Now, off the markets to pick up some gifts for friends and families!

Our group headed back to the hotel for a quick breakfast and changed into our swimsuits for a trip to beach #2 of the day!

At Ipanema beach we were met with very nice people and very big waves. The swells were getting to be 10-15 feet high. Everytime they broke we were yanked and twisted toward the shore. One of the locals showed Lisa and I how to dive under and avoid mouthfuls of water. It worked almost every time! We got out after awhile and built some sand castles that were soon knocked over by waves.

Trying to lie on the beach was made difficult by the gusts of wind throwing sand all over us. However, the views were incredible and the sun was gorgeous so it made for an amazing experience.

Rachel and Coach Lisa (with Boots, Alanna, and Mo)

Today was a very busy day. The team ate breakfast at the hotel and headed off to finally do some shopping! Our tour guide, Iggy, told us about an enormous outdoor market only a few blocks away from our hotel that happens every Sunday here in Rio. It was a beautiful day and we soaked up the sun while we shopped.  There were many stands set up along the sidewalk, each one selling something different. We saw purses, dresses, bathing suits, jewelry, and little knick-knacks. The best part was, almost everything for sale had a negotiable price so many of the girls got a great deal on their purchases! After everyone bought what they wanted, we all headed back to the hotel to lay by the rooftop pool and enjoy the gorgeous day before we left for our first clinic, at the beach!

The beach we would be playing at, called Niterol, was about a 45 minute drive. When we arrived, we knew we would be in for a challenging learning experience! Our instructor for the clinic was Jimmy, a Brazilian national volleyball player. Although he spoke little English, he managed to get his point across through example. We started the clinic at 3:30 p.m. and by 5:30 p.m.; he showed no signs of stopping. The team quickly found out that playing beach volleyball is much more difficult than playing on a court. We played until dark and only stopped when Iggy mentioned the time to Jimmy, but then we found out we would be having another clinic tomorrow before our match… and Jimmy would be our instructor. Although playing in the sand was a challenge, Jimmy was patient and energetic and taught us everything he could in the short amount of time we had with him.

By the time the team got back to the hotel, we were very tired. We are looking forward to a relaxing morning on the beach tomorrow before our second clinic before the game. Miss you all! We’ll have more updates later!

Tchau!

Today we had our very first day at Cococabana Beach! The weather was sunny and the water was a lot warmer than what we are used to in Mass!!!!  We all went into the ocean and got knocked over by the HUGE waves. It was a lot of fun and we can’t wait to go back again another day! Some of the team actually played beach volleyball on one of the many nets that were set up. After the beach the team ate at Eclipse, which is a Brazilian restaurant a few blocks away from our hotel. The food was great, but ordering without Iggy (our translator and tour guide) was very frustrating for us and the waiter!

After lunch we headed back to our hotel to get ready for Match 2!  This was held at Marina Barra Club which was located in a very different setting than our first match. The coaches decided on playing 5 sets total no matter who won. We won 3 out of the 5 matches. After the game, each team exchanged gifts. We received medals from their club while we gave them WSU sweat towels.  Both teams appreciated the gifts. Following the game, we ate dinner with them at their club restaurant. We had the opportunity to meet the Brazilian coaches and players. We learned a lot about their lives here in Rio along with their culture. They were all very nice and friendly to us and were willing to teach us as much Portuguese as we were capable of pronouncing. This is a memory we will never forget and we took many pictures with our new friends to remember them. We were surprised to hear that Justin Beiber is as popular in Brazil as he is in the US! They knew a lot of the same songs as us and asked us to sing along with them. Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber were the big hits of the night! It was sad to leave our new friends because of how welcoming they were. We exchanged facebook names so we can keep in touch! We just arrived to our hotel and we will update you tomorrow!! Love and miss you all!

Tchau!!!

Last night we went to a fancy restaurant (Churrascaria Carretao) for dinner. They gave usClick to view slideshow. cards that were red on one side/green on the other to tell the servers when we were ready for our entrees. They came around with prepared meats and Poultney on skewers, serving us nonstop! It was exquisite!

Today, we began with a tour of Sugar Loaf Mountain. We took a cable car up and walked through a nature trail where we met some local primates. They were adorable monkeys running up the bamboo shoots, hopping up from tree to tree while we laughed and took pictures.

The second mountain we went to was Corcovado. We took a train ride to the top where we saw Cristo Redentor which stood approximately 200 feet tall. There were breathtaking panoramic views. After this we went to Confeitaria Colombo, a fancy restaurant which has served Queen Elizabeth of England, King Albert from Belgium, and almost all of the Presidents of Brazil.

We returned to our hotel and went for an adventurous walk through Ipanema and Copacabana to find the marketplace and get some food. We went to Bob’s, which was a Brazilian fast food chain. We walked back to our hotel and relaxed from the hectic day.

The Team

We are heading back to the hotel to get ready for our welcome dinner. We can’t wait to try the food here and then all go back and SLEEP!

Looking forward to a day of touring tomorrow!

Tchau!