The Olympic Hostel of Puerto Rico: Fulfilling Dreams and Fostering Athlete Development

37 years have elapsed since the fulfillment of a dream longed for by Mr. Germán Rieckehoff Sampayo, in his defense for the development and training of Puerto Rican athletes, through an institution that promotes sports in all its dimensions.

It is through the foundation of the Olympic Hostel of Puerto Rico, in 1986, that this visionary and defender of sports autonomy, facilitated the teaching of multiple disciplines for free, to thousands of children and young people throughout the island.

Nestled in 1,500 acres located in the “town of the island mojo”, this monumental national project has managed to overcome many challenges and maintain its mission of “building positive and educated minds in healthy bodies with the ability to create new life expectations”.

The space is also a center for recreation and fun. (Xavier Garcia)

“Germán Rieckehoff’s dream was to provide the tools that athletes who have that dream from a young age need, to develop and reach the Olympics or, at least, learn the basic skills of the sport that interests them,” said Yaritza Díaz Figueroa. , Director of Marketing and Technology.

Among the opportunities offered by the Hostel, there is the Specialized Sports School of the Eugenio Guerra Cruz Olympic Hostel (Ecedao) which, “has disciplines such as fencing, basketball, middle distance, speed, triathlon, shooting, taekwondo, Olympic wrestling, throwing, judo weightlifting and boxing.

The services of this residential school are free of charge, for students from sixth to twelfth grade, in collaboration with the Department of Education, which is in charge of recruiting teachers for the academic curriculum.

“They go through some ‘tryouts’ on Wednesdays in February, their skills are evaluated and according to what they demonstrate. There is a sports rotation program and those students who are not performing well in one sport, try them in other disciplines”, he explained.

While, “for children who are younger, we have community programs: gymnastics, swimming and combat, and we take them from the age of four.”

“In 2020, we inaugurated the Olympic Hostel Sports Academy (ADAO), which runs parallel to the public school. It is private, but with affordable costs for the community and has two complementary disciplines: baseball and men’s basketball,” he said.

“We also provide the community program, three days a week, starting at 5:00 in the afternoon. But they are extracurricular (activities) so that (students) can complete their classes and we have Saturday courses from 10:00 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon. We have running gymnastics and swimming, ”he explained.

For athletes affiliated with the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee federations, access to sports facilities is also free, where they can use the areas of the shooting range, bow and arrow, ball parks, athletic track and gym, among others. .

The Hostel also offers a tour of its Olympic Museum, which consists of three rooms; one of these contains the exhibition of 90 years of Puerto Rican Olympism.

“There we cover the participation of our athletes throughout the Olympic cycle. It is a very beautiful, emotional exhibition. The tennis player and champion of the 2016 Olympic Games. Monica Puig, donated the clothing that she wore when she won the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, ”she said.

Another of the rooms is dedicated to the participation of Puerto Rican athletes in the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Pan American Games.

Image of the entrance to the Albergue Olímpico. (Xavier Garcia)

Recreation for the whole family

In the recreational area, the institution has modern parks that open in the summer season, between May and August.

This is the Olimpia Water Park, one of the water facilities preferred by Puerto Rican families who visit attractions such as the Ola Marina, with interesting frills and a buzz of fun.

While, Campo Chico, “is a golf game that has 18 holes. There is also ‘Villa Enchumbá’ which has an area for ‘racers’ called Jungla Chica. It is for racing among the children, it has four lanes and the first one to get to the bottom wins,” he said.

Other attractions are: Isla Chiquitines, ideal for young children, and Piedra Chiquita, which is a fascinating area for climbing.

On the other hand, the Shelter cultivates a direct relationship with the neighboring communities and becomes a meeting point in case of disasters.

“We want to contribute further and take advantage of the facilities so that, in the event of a hurricane, we can be a collection and shelter center to serve the surrounding communities. We are getting together with the Seismic Network, the meteorologist Ada Monzón and the Red Cross so that they establish a command center here”, she revealed.

“The greatest contribution (of the Hostel) is to have this space available for high-performance athletes. Many athletes who have made it to the Olympics have passed through here, and the athletes who leave here fulfill the mission of the Hostel: they are productive people for society”, he concluded.

For details: albergueolimpico.com or 787-824-2200.

2023-08-04 04:05:04
#Solid #community #commitment #Albergue #Olímpico #Salinas