About 20 high school lacrosse players will have the opportunity to represent the United States this summer during the 2023 American International Sports Teams UK Laxfest Tour.

Caitlin Becker, a junior attacker on the Highland girls’ lacrosse team will be one of them.

“It’s kind of crazy to think about,” Becker said. “It doesn’t even feel real that I’m going.”

It’s going to feel real enough from July 31 until Aug. 9 when she will spend eight days competing in games in England and Scotland, and will have an opportunity to be a tourist, too, while she’s there. There will also be time to go out to eat with other teams and stay in various hotels during the tour.

Becker didn’t even know there was such a tour until she got the invitation letter. The decision to accept the invitation was easy.

“It’s once-in-a-lifetime,” Becker said. “You don’t really get a chance to go to a different country and play.”

American International Sports Staff works with high school and club coaching contacts to indemnity the top high school athletes for two summer tours happening this summer.

“It feels pretty good being picked out of all these other people who play lacrosse,” Becker said. “They saw my videos and I guess they wanted me out of all the girls that they saw play.”

They’re getting an experienced player. Becker has been playing lacrosse since she was seven years old, and has been coached by her father, Ian, for almost her entire life.

“I’m excited,” said Ian Becker, who is taking over as head varsity coach for the Huskies this spring. “I never got a chance to play any sports outside of the U.S., so to just go and play there and see the sport at a different level (will be a great experience). There are slightly different rules. Who knows what they’re going to be doing out there. It’d be nice.”

Even though he coaches her, he won’t have an opportunity to go to Europe. His wife will go with Caitlin to Europe, while he stays home with their younger child.

“We’re going to have some fun on our own,” he said.

This spring will be her third season playing for the Huskies’ varsity and she plays club lacrosse for the Yellow Jackets Dutchess program.

She’s always working on her game.

“I practice in my backyard,” Becker said. “I have a goal and a rebounder, and over the summer, I usually go out there a lot, but I try to get to practice a little early, and work on shooting.”

She didn’t take advantage of the warmer winter to practice in the back yard, but she did go to weekly practices with her travel team on Sunday.

“She’s very dedicated to lacrosse,” Ian Becker said. “When the weather is nice and she’s got the time, she’s outside on the rebounder, taking shots on goal, trying to work on getting a little bit better every day. She has a positive, good, upbeat attitude. It doesn’t seem like it’s a chore or a job to go to. She enjoys it and has fun.”