Fox, Buckley, Lipscomb Selected to Team AIST Softball

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CHICOPEE, Mass. – Elms College softball players Sarah Buckley (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Jenna Lipscomb (Cambridge, Mass.) were selected along with assistant coach Allie Fox to compete on Team American International Sports Travel (AIST) Softball in June of 2012.

"This is a wonderful honor for these three to be selected to participate abroad and represent Elms College," said Elms head softball coach Cheryl Condon who is entering her 26^th season at the helm. "This is not only a great recognition for these three women, but for our Blazers softball program."

Coaches and players are invited to participate by AIST and rosters are comprised of NCAA Division I, II and III as well as NAIA and Junior College athletes and coaches and selection criteria is based on a player's statistical performance. Third baseman Rachel Butt (Agawam, Mass.) was also selected to participate but cannot because of a season-ending knee injury.

"This is a pretty nice honor to be selected out of thousands of players in the United States," said Lipscomb who graduates this winter. "This is a great chance for me to play some softball one last time."

Buckley, Lipscomb and Coach Fox will be traveling to Italy in early June and will visit such places as Rome, Florence, Vatican City and Tuscany providing for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Coach Fox, who has had the experience of playing with players from across the country and Canada, will get her first opportunity to play in a completely different place.

"Being an assistant coach for this team is an incredible opportunity," Coach Fox commented. "Any time I can work with new athletes and coaches is great as it gives me other perspectives both about softball and in general. I am thrilled to be working with these dedicated student athletes from all collegiate levels. In order to be chosen for this team you have to be a dedicated, hardworking player, and as a coach there is nothing more rewarding than working with student athletes like that."

Coach Fox is not the only one who is excited to gain a perception of the game from beyond the borders of the United States.

"I have never even left the country," noted Buckley. "So this is kind of a huge deal for me to be able to go play overseas and be able to see the new competition.

"When I first got the notification, I didn't really pay attention to it because I didn't think it was the real deal, but it's turned into something kind of huge."

Buckley started all 37 games for the Blazers behind the dish during the 2011 season and recorded a .343 batting average. She was tied for second on the team in hits (36), and drove in a team-best 20 runs. For her career, Buckley has recorded 76 hits, scored 44 runs, driven in 52 runs and amassed 29 walks in addition to batting .360. Buckley was named 2010 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Rookie of the Year and registered Second Team All-NECC honors during both the 2010 and 2011 seasons. 

"It'll be interesting to see the different methods of teaching and learning, and what aspects of the game they view as important," Buckley added. "This is a great excuse to see the world and to be able to have that USA across the chest is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

After transferring from NCAA Division I George Mason University for the 2010 season, Lipscomb registered 76 hits, scored 42 runs, drove in 39 runs and accumulated a .353 batting average in two seasons with the Blazers and was named First Team All-NECC in consecutive campaigns. Lipscomb, who recorded a stellar .933 fielding percentage as Elms' shortstop, batted .303 during the 2011 season, connecting for 30 hits in 99 at-bats. She also delivered 17 RBI and was 12 for 14 in stolen base attempts.

"This is a great opportunity to understand the different styles of how people play, especially overseas," Lipscomb stated.

AIST has been doing international sports tours for teams and individuals since 2002 and has expanded into more than 22 different countries around the world. The program has established partnerships with several major tour operating companies in many different countries allowing for the ultimate athlete experience.

AIST receives invitations to participate in tournaments from around the world. Most of the tournaments have national teams competing as well as local club teams. Exhibition games are also scheduled when possible before tournaments to give athletes more opportunities to compete. Most teams will compete in five to seven games during a 10 day period, while the rest of the tour involves sightseeing and cultural education. Past softball tour destinations have included Prague, Italy, the Dominican Republic, Robur and Sweden.

The AIST sports programs are categorized as collegiate, high school, club and adult, and are designed to give individuals the freedom to explore their surroundings on their own or join one of the many planned events during the tour. This kind of flexibility allows each individual to experience the tour at their own pace and create a unique experience.

"I hope that they get a lot out of playing with other softball players who are as dedicated and talented as they are," Coach Fox remarked of Buckley and Lipscomb. "I think any chance you have to work with people from different places and backgrounds is an amazing opportunity.

"This is also a unique experience in that they will not meet their teammates until close to the first game.  I think learning how to quickly work with others in a team setting is not only a softball skill, but a life skill as well and something I know they will achieve with ease on this trip."

Until the adventure in June, the focus is still on the Blazers' upcoming season which starts in March of 2012.

"I'm not even thinking about Italy at this point," Buckley stated. "I'm focused on what I need to do to get ready for this season and how our team is going to fit together especially with the loss of some amazing players like Jenna. It's going to be a good year, I have some very good feelings about it."