An Adventure in Puerto Rico!

After a ride on a propeller plane and a layover in Miami, the Rox staff was very grateful to have landed in San Juan Puerto Rico on Monday January 17th. 

Getting the rental car was a breeze but finding the hotel was quite another story!  Although the hotel was only 15 minutes away, we managed to make it in only an hour and a half. In Spanish the word street is spelled Calle, pronounced Cayay.  Our GPS didn’t have a translator so it kept telling us to call Diana while trying to find the hotel!

Rox Volleyball is a sponsor for the Superior League Team Pinkin de Corozal (English translation of a Pro Women’s Team), so day two on the island included a very exciting press conference introducing the team and sponsors to the press and public of Puerto Rico.

What a joy to see this life infused into an already high intensity sport!

After an exhilarating NBA-style introduction the VP of Rox, Troy Olsen, was asked to say a few words.  The speech was limited to “Hola” and a concise speech thanking Pinkin de Corozal for allowing Rox to be part of such a passionate representation of volleyball.  Presentation of the jerseys to the team Captain, Daranjelyss Yantin, wrapped up the press conference.

Juan Berrios and Evelyn Caldero, the owners of Pinkin, were very gracious and hospitable while we spent the rest of the day with them. They took us exploring to the 2011 playing facility in Morovis, visited Dorado and ate at a delicious seafood restaurant on the beach.

The rest of the week included preparing for and finalizing the AAU Grand Prix Tournament hosted by us, Rox Volleyball, for juniors in the San Juan Convention Center.  What wonderful craziness!

If you haven’t ever tried meeting critical deadlines for an event when you’re in a place where your contacts and language are inadequate, we highly recommend it.  Unless of course, you’re not the type who is exhilarated by high levels of energy with a curve ball of stress thrown in to the mix!  A huge thanks here to the friendly people and helpful nature everyone showed Rox Volleyball during this week long visit, without them we definitely wouldn’t have been as successful as we were!

Watching the parents play horns and drums to a salsa, cheering rhythm showed us a different way to celebrate the life of volleyball.  As we all know this is not allowed back home, but what a joy to see this life infused into an already high intensity sport!  We can bet you that next year’s events will be even more grandiose with Rox Volleyball leading the way in Puerto Rico!