Our Story
Chasen Brokaw and a group of friends founded Breaking Borders in 2013 because they had personally experienced how transformative being on a sports team could be and wanted to see what that impact could look like among Nicaraguan youth. God opened the doors and in 2015, a new ministry project began - Breaking Borders in Nicaragua. Breaking Borders exists to disciple the next generation for Christ.
Many of our students come from tough backgrounds and communities. Participating in their Breaking Borders Ultimate Frisbee team is their safe space where they can experience healthy community and the love of God. Our dream is to see more youth transformed by that love. Using the sport of Ultimate frisbee, we are able to connect with hundreds of youth in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic through our ever-expanding team of coaches and volunteers. God has called each of us to make disciples. For our Breaking Borders community, making disciples happens on the field as students learn to work through different areas of life, as coaches share the Gospel at practices, and when their team rallies around them in the hard moments that life brings. God is transforming lives in each of these teams and communities. A simple sport is the connection, but God uses these relationships to bring about eternal transformation for His glory.
Our Programs
Our youth programs currently serve students in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Through these programs, students learn to work as a team, hear the Gospel, and develop life-long leadership skills. The youth programs seem like normal Ultimate Frisbee practices, but are led by Breaking Borders coaches who have been specifically trained to disciple their students and share the Gospel with them through Breaking Borders’ Bible-based curriculum, THE DISC. Each letter in the pneumonic stands for a different characteristic of biblical leadership that can be seen on the field while playing Ultimate Frisbee. At Breaking Borders, the impact is not achieved by just sharing Bible studies or leadership classes. The greatest impact is made by doing life side by side with our students and extending Christ’s love to them in every situation.
Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, we currently have 7 youth programs with approximately 120 kids participating weekly. Each of these programs serve unique communities and have weekly practices, monthly hangouts, and participate in two competitive leagues each year. Our vision is that these students can come to know Jesus through the relationships they form on these teams and as their lives are impacted by Jesus then they become the future leaders and coaches of BB programs.
Dominican Republic
The BB office in the Dominican Republic is led by Danilo Balaguer and consists of two youth programs of roughly 45 kids. One of our programs comes from a private school where Danilo has been coaching for 6 years. The other program is a neighborhood outreach. Danilo’s vision for BB DR is to grow their community from kids on both ends of the economic spectrum coming together to learn about Jesus and play ultimate.
International Staff
CHasen
Chasen Brokaw is one of the original three founders and the Executive Director of Breaking Borders. He has helped guide the growth of BB since the beginning. He loves being able to use his position as a way to spiritually invest in the lives of youth and young adults. He is grateful for the opportunity to serve with his wife in Nicaragua, but also facilitate the growth of all of BB's programs. He believes Ultimate is the greatest sport ever and that everyone should travel if they have the means to do so.
Katie
Katie Brokaw volunteers as the Chief Operating Officer. Through her role, she primarily focuses on fundraising, curriculum development, and strategic planning. On a typical day, you'll find her drinking black coffee and listening to the soundtracks from classic Disney movies.