The First Tour: In the Summer of 2005 BIP decided to make a Nicaraguan volleyball tour a realization. Frequent tourgoer & BIP recruiter CJ Sherman sent 2 teams from Florida to tour with the Nicaraguan National Team, playing exhibition matches in different cities throughout the country. These two Floridian teams, anticipating what the country was lacking from a volleyball standpoint, brought down bags of equipment and apparel to donate to the National Team and local communities.
 
It was a unique opportunity for the youngsters to see a world so different from their own. This proved to be an eye opening experience as they realized that volleyball in Nicaragua, although played by the same rules, didn’t have much in common with what kids from the US are accustomed to.
 
Practices and competitions almost always take place on outdoor, cement courts that are inadequately lit. Balls are recycled for years and years. Other than the National Team, many teams compete without matching uniforms, kneepads, scoreboards, etc. It is refreshing, however, to see that their passion for the game and eagerness to learn and improve far exceeds many players who take for granted the chance to play a sport. In a country where kids are forbidden to go to school simply because they can’t afford a uniform, a small contribution goes a long way! That first tour really allowed BIP to see just how needy the teams are as well as the cities who are trying to build sports in their country. Foreseeing the time he would spend in Nicaragua in the future, Tim started spreading the word that he would be willing to bring down any donated volley gear in the future and see what BIP could do to help. The response we’ve had is amazing.