Fort Campbell's Elite: Fort Campbell athletes prepare to go All-Army

By Heather Clark, Fort Campbell CourierAugust 4, 2014

Fort Campbell's Elite
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Nikki Higgins, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, sends the ball flying while at bat during an Armed Forces softball tournament game. An eight-year veteran with the All-Army team, Higgi... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Fort Campbell's Elite
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Across the country, the Army's best athletes are preparing themselves for their respective trial camps, hoping to secure spots on the rosters of this year's Morale, Welfare and Recreation All Army Sports teams and compete in the Armed Forces tournaments. Among the camps scheduled to begin next month are men's rugby and women's softball -- and once again, two of Fort Campbell's finest will be in attendance.

Softball

Last year, veteran team member Nikki Flory (whose last name became Higgins after a Monday afternoon wedding ceremony) was ready to help her team win a back-to-back gold medal against the Air Force team, a long-standing rival. In the middle of the trial camp, the outfielder suffered a knee injury that put her out of commission. Though unable to play, she accompanied her teammates to the championship as the team's officer in charge and was able to see their goal come to fruition.

This year, Higgins made a leap. After spending eight years as a player, she decided to apply for a coaching position for the All Army team -- and was happy to discover that she'd gotten the job.

"It's definitely going to be a complete 180 since I'm so used to being a player," said Higgins. "But this is the next step for me. I'll be the assistant coach this year; hopefully in another year or two I can move through the ranks and take on a head coaching position."

Since being offered the position, Higgins and the rest of the coaching staff have been busy selecting applicants to attend trial camp, which is set to begin Aug. 13 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.

"Once camp starts, it's go time," she said. "We'll see what all of these athletes bring to the table and hopefully pick a team that will bring home another gold medal."

With six veteran players returning to the program, the primary focus will be selecting newcomers that will gel with the team and bring their A-game to the field.

"That way, when it comes time for Armed Forces [tournament], we're not going 'Oh my goodness, I hope we win this game,' -- we're walking in there going 'I'm going to dominate this team because we have the best of the best,'" said Higgins.

The schedule ahead is busy. Once camp is completed, the team will go into a tournament the same weekend, with two games scheduled per night.

From there, it's on to Fort Sill, Okla. for the Armed Forces tournament with two games scheduled per day for a five-day period. Higgins says she wouldn't have it any other way.

"You're going out there to play ball, and you have to make the most of your time," she said. "We're ready to go up against Air Force. I always expect a tough team no matter where I go, but if we give it everything we've got, we'll have gold medals around our necks."

Rugby

Men's Army rugby players will be arriving in Glendale, Colo. Aug. 10 to begin trial camp. Among the hopefuls vying for a chance to protect last-year's Armed Forces championship title is 1st Lt. David Geib, 2nd Troop, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. The eight-year veteran player was part of the group that defended the 2013 title against the Air Force team.

Though no stranger to the game (he began playing while at West Point), last year marked Geib's first appearance as a member of the All Army rugby team. Helping to bring home the gold at the Aug. 17, 2013 tournament was a pivotal moment.

"Not everyone is able to go out and do this, so to be able to represent and win for the Army, that's big," Geib said last year following the championship.

If chosen to represent the Army at this year's Armed Forces tournament, it will be an opportunity to win his own back-to-back gold medals and affirm Fort Campbell as a strong presence in the Armed Forces sports arena.

Related Links:

Fort Campbell

Fort Campbell on Facebook

Fort Campbell Courier on Facebook

Fort Campbell Courier