By: Todd Lindenmuth
LongwoodLancers.com

FARMVILLE, Va. – Earlier this summer, Longwood senior pitcher Sydney Gay's talent on the mound led her to the opportunity of a lifetime.
 
A three-time All-Big South honoree, Gay has pitched in big games throughout her three seasons at Longwood, whether it has been in the NCAA Regional Championship, in Longwood's first-ever home nationally broadcast game last season on ESPNU, or during one of her two Big South Championship runs.
 
But those endeavors paled in comparison to the world-opening opportunity she embarked on when she represented the United States on international soil as part of the USA Athletes International (USAAI) program.
 
"It was definitely really cool to wear a jersey that had USA written on it and have an opportunity to do what I love in another country," Gay said.
 
In June, the right-hander embarked on a journey to the Netherlands through the organization USA Athletes International (USAAI) where she played in five games spanning across a 10-day period from June 4-13. But the trip wasn't just about softball – there was plenty of time to experience the culture in the Netherlands, a place Gay had previously never visited.
 
"I had the chance to visit the city of Amsterdam, and that was appealing to me," Gay said. "I had heard that it was a really cool city with a number of things to do. I saw on the itinerary to the Netherlands that we would go to Germany as well, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to go to two different places on one trip."
 
Gay went on the experience through the USAAI program, which is a nonprofit organization that has been participating in international competition since 1992. The organization is dedicated to giving amateur athletes and coaches the opportunity to participate in international Olympic-style sporting events throughout the world. Based in Olathe, Kansas, USAAI supports a total of 15 different sports that compete in 25 different countries throughout the world.
 
The organization hand picks student-athletes for its experiences and student-athletes raise their own funds through donations. Gay is the latest Longwood student-athlete to go on an experience, as rising senior Jessica Smith was invited to go to Australia last summer.
 
On the experience, Gay teamed up with various softball student-athletes from school across the country. To no surprise, Gay emerged as a star for her team, pitching in three of the five games they played.
 
Off the diamond, Gay and her teammates received a hands-on experience interacting with local youth, sharing their knowledge and expertise during various sports camps.
 
"We actually worked a camp while we were there too," Gay said. "Some of the kids learn English but trying to teach the kids while they didn't really understand much of what we were saying."
According to Gay, the United States faced competition in professional women's leagues in the Netherlands, taking on teams made up of players from across the world. After the games, Gay and her teammates had the opportunity to speak with their opponents to learn about the Dutch culture.
 
Being one of the only Division I student-athletes on the experience and from a small, tight-knit community such as Longwood, Gay took it upon herself to be a team leader. That meant being a prominent voice within team and leading team activities before and after games – something she wants to carry over into her senior season at Longwood where she hopes to lead the Lancers back to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in her four years in Farmville.
 
"Longwood provided me an opportunity to play collegiate softball," Gay said. "Longwood is similar to my hometown, so going from a small town where everyone knows each other and helpful. I just took that and tried to use it in the Netherlands in terms of helping other people."
 
Being immersed into a different culture and environment can be a challenge adjustment at times – something Gay and her teammates were able to experience first-hand.
 
That experience spanned the past and present of Europe, as Gay and her USAAI teammates visited numerous destinations, including a former concentration camp from the World War II era, the famed Heineken Brewery, a Dutch cheese factory and a castle in Germany.
 
The biggest thrill for Gay, however, came on the canal tour around Amsterdam. It provided a close-up look of the historic city, allowing Gay and her teammates to gain a perspective of the culture they had been living in.
 
As Gay and her teammates returned to American soil, the senior had gained a new perspective.
 
"Experiencing some of the cultural stuff was eye-opening for me," Gay said. "I'm able to understand a different culture and a different way of life. It helped me become a little more open-minded."
 
Back with the Lancers as she begins the final chapter of her decorated Longwood career, Gay wants to bring back what she learned from her experience and apply it for her senior season in being a leader for a young, talented pitching staff.
 
"Going to a different country to play the sport that I love was a chance of a lifetime," Gay said.

It was an opportunity made possible by the game of softball and one that she won't soon forget.
 
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