Lehigh University Athletics
Linsk excels in pursuit of personal 'triple crown'
4/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Three is the magic number in softball. Probably no one knows this better than junior Ali Linsk, who is juggling three major commitments in her life. Linsk is a member of the softball team, a percussionist in the philharmonic orchestra and last but certainly not least, a behavioral neuroscience major. And while most people would be overwhelmed, Linsk is successful at what she does – she has an impressive 3.84 GPA. “I’m not quite sure how Ali does it all, but she not only does it, she does it exceptionally well,” said Lehigh head softball coach Fran Troyan. Linsk’s strategy starts with studying her schedules well in advance to see when she will be the busiest. She then carefully plans how long it will take her to finish assignments and works ahead whenever she gets a chance. “Playing a sport at Lehigh while also being a serious student is definitely not easy,” Linsk said. “I basically approach it by thinking that being disciplined with my time and my work ethic is the way to get everything accomplished.” Linsk, however, finds that the rigors of softball compliment her academic work nicely. “Softball is motivation for me and helps me as a student and I think the combination of my own personal drive and desire to succeed both on the field as a player and off the field as a student go hand in hand,” she said. Time management hasn’t always been easy, though. Linsk said there are always certain weeks where she doesn’t think she’ll be able to finish assignments on time or study properly for tests. She has learned, however, to not dwell on the lack of time because that only wastes more of it. But not getting things done is hardly a problem for Linsk. What troubles her the most is the feeling that she can’t give more of herself to everything in which she is involved. “There really isn’t enough time in each day to do everything that I’d like to do,” she said. “I just do the best that I can do and find a way to make it all fit in and work out.” For Linsk, the rigorous time management is well worth it. She can’t imagine her life without softball or music– both of which are closely rooted in her past. Linsk started playing softball when she was eight years old and fell in love with the game from the beginning. In little league, she played shortstop, but was moved to the outfield in high school while still maintaining some infield duties at first base. During her senior year, Linsk chose not to go through the recruiting process, but quickly regretted the decision once she got to Lehigh. With the mindset that she had nothing to lose, she contacted coach Troyan. “I wanted to do everything I could to try to keep softball in my life, and I knew that I had the ability to contribute to the team,” she said. Linsk took part in a few short practices with the team in the fall, but it wasn’t easy. At times, she felt far behind the other players because they had been recruited and had been playing together for some time. Meanwhile, Troyan received a phone call that would help decide Linsk’s fate. Ray Perri, the former head coach at By January, Linsk’s tryout was over and at the first team meeting of the spring semester; Troyan announced that Linsk had made the team as a walk-on. “The try-out was a long process that ended up paying off, and I’m really happy that I stuck with it,” Linsk said. She is now an outfielder for the team and enjoys the position. Linsk has been a solid contribuotr to the team for three seasons, and Troyan hasn’t regretted his decision. “When Coach Perri had said that we wouldn’t be disappointed with Ali, he was only partially right – in all honesty, all of us, players and coaches, are absolutely thrilled with Ali,” Troyan said. Linsk has made the Patriot League Academic Honor roll the past two seasons, but her biggest highlight came last year when Lehigh defeated Army to win the Patriot League Tournament. “It was an incredible game and we just had that feeling that we were going to win and we made it happen,” she said. As for her love of music, Linsk has been playing the violin and percussion instruments since grade school. While she continues to play the violin on her own time, she is a full time percussionist with the orchestra and percussion ensemble at Lehigh. She can play just about any percussion instrument, including the xylophone, marimba bells and vibraphone. “It is hard to commit to music at Lehigh in addition to sports and academics, but it is definitely worthwhile, and I am so happy that I have continued to pursue music at Lehigh,” she said. In December 2003, Linsk experienced the pinnacle of her music career when the orchestra went on tour in “It was great to be able to make a difference like that while being able to tour a beautiful country and play great music for new people,” Linsk said. As Linsk finishes her junior year, her goal is to help the softball team win the Patriot League Championship again. She also still has a percussion ensemble to perform before the semester is over and plans to begin searching for medical schools to which she can apply. She will take the MCATs this summer. Next year, as a senior, Linsk plans to use her experience to inspire other players to stay focused and stride toward their goals. If there is anyone who can serve as a model for student athletes it’s certainly her. “Pushing yourself, basically maxing out all your abilities and using time management builds character and will make you a stronger person for the future,” Linsk said. “Just remember why you’re working so hard. If it’s for the right reasons then it will all fall into place.” Story by Robert Schwarz, Lehigh Sports Media Relations
