Playing in other parts of the country is not something every athlete gets the opportunity to say they’ve had the privilege to do, and this year, three of Pace’s sports athletic teams have been able to do so.

It started off late in the Fall semester, when the Women’s basketball team flew down to the Bahamas for a basketball tournament just before their season started. Then during spring break, both the Women’s Softball team and the Women’s Lacrosse team took trips of their own as well.

The Women’s’ Lacrosse team took a trip down to Florida for two games and ended up leaving with a .500 record, while the Women’s Softball team flew cross-country to play their first seven games of the season in four different California cities.

Exposure is something that is truly incredible and great for athletes to experience. Whatever the athletics department did to coordinate these trips is something that needs to happen often. When athletes get a chance to compete against other athletes from across the country it gives them a chance to evaluate their level of play and improve from there.

Even though there is plenty of competition right here in the Northeast, there is nothing like showing other states what your program can do and being exposed to how other programs are facilitated. We all know that when you go against people from different areas and different traditions, it tells you about yourself.

That’s what athletes need and want, and that’s what Pace is providing for them. When you take a look at Division One athletic programs and high Division two, they are traveling around the country on a daily basis and that’s what athletes like to do.

They want to see the competition out there, and they want to see how well they can compete with athletes that come from highly recruited areas, and that are considered the best in the country. This drives self-motivation and enhances the level of competition for any program at any level.

This isn’t the first time Pace has allowed its athletic teams to compete nationally either. Last year the Men’s Baseball team and the Men’s Basketball team both flew down to Florida to compete in tournaments- just another way Pace is getting its athletes exposed to the competition out there.

Traveling not only betters the athletes, but its draws attention as well. Knowing that the program takes trips across the country, athletes would want to be a part of that, and that’s where growth in the program comes from. Pace is on track to build up their athletics department.