Beyond Sports Welcome Blog

Welcome to the Beyond Sports Blog!

With 15 years of experience in “connecting the world through sports”, Beyond Sports is a leader within the sports-travel industry. We’ve led thousands of travelers on trips around the globe, giving them a chance to play their sport against international competition while exploring foreign countries and experiencing new cultures. Are you a student-athlete interested in traveling abroad while pursuing your sport and building your leadership and confidence? Join a Beyond Sports tour to embark on a life-changing journey.

With this new blog, we’ll be publishing articles to answer all of your questions and to inspire future travel adventures! Whether you’re looking for information on specific tours and destinations, how Beyond Sports came to be, or tips for packing for an international trip, you’ll find your answers here.

Who is Beyond Sports?

Beyond Sports was founded in 2010 by two former collegiate student-athletes who recognized a serious problem facing student-athletes; a lack of study abroad opportunities. Traveling internationally and studying abroad allows young adults to see the world from a new perspective, experience and immerse themselves in new cultures, and create lasting memories. Due to packed schedules and intense training regimens, student-athletes are often unable to participate in traditional study abroad programs. Our founders, Josh Erickson and Grant Leslie, knew that student-athletes would benefit from study abroad experiences that enable them to travel while also remaining committed to their sport.

What started as a single study abroad program in Costa Rica has now evolved into something much bigger. Over the last 15 years, Beyond Sports has expanded its portfolio to include academic offerings, competition-based tours, leadership development programs, and service-learning experiences, all centered around sport.  In addition to our full slate of programs, we also coordinate custom foreign team trips for collegiate, high school, and club programs––providing players an unparalleled team-bonding experience. Along with Costa Rica, we’ve expanded to include destinations across four continents, including Spain, Greece, Japan, Italy, Portugal, Panama, South Africa, Northern Ireland, and more. 

As a team  of former collegiate athletes, our staff understands the needs of student-athletes, whether on a 10-day trip abroad or on a longer study abroad program. We also believe in the transformational power of international travel, and we support our student-athletes from enrollment to departure day.

Ready for your next adventure?

Interested in traveling with Beyond Sports? We are happy to assist you in all stages, from meeting with a tour coordinator to pre-departure calls to arriving in country! Our mission to “connect the world through sports” begins with our athletes. We hope you or your athlete join us on this mission, embarking on the trip of a lifetime!

If you were nominated for a tour by your coach, please click here to accept your invitation. 

If you would like to apply for a tour, please click here. 

If you would like to contact us or schedule a call with a tour coordinator for more information, please click here. 

More to Come! 

Stay tuned for our next article: “The Mission of Beyond Sports”.