Dear Wildcat fans,
This column has been focused entirely on myself and I feel that I should shine a light on my amazing teammates and all the impactful work they do within the community. This week I have decided to focus the attention of this article on Izzy Pacho and Allie Skaggs. Izzy and Allie are valuable members of our team, as well as leaders on and off the field. They are both representatives of the Arizona student-athletics and are active community leaders. They frequently participate in community service and organize community leadership opportunities for our entire team to participate in. This interview is to shine a light on Izzy and Allie and all the amazing work they do, on the field and in the community.
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What is SAAC and how did you get involved?
Izzy: SAAC is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the purpose of it is to enhance the total student-athlete experience. All schools in the NCAA have SAAC at their schools and each sport has at least one representative. I got involved with SAAC my sophomore year. We needed a new representative because ours, Tamara Statman, had just graduated.
Skaggs: SAAC is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Schools across the country have SAAC representatives from each sport that get to voice concerns and suggestions to administration. This is my first year on SAAC, and I was encouraged by my teammate Izzy Pacho to join. I plan on remaining a SAAC representative for the next few years!
How did you become the community service representative? How do you involve Arizona Softball?
Izzy: I became the community service representative because after being in the subcommittee for 2 years I really wanted to make a difference. Being born and raised in Tucson, I want to try and give back to my community as much as I can while I am here. I try to involve our team as much as I can with different events. We have picked up trash a few times downtown with the Meet Me at Maynard’s group.
What are your goals in SAAC?
Skaggs: My goals are to work with members of the University of Arizona staff to make our student-athlete experience the best it can be. As a member of the community service subcommittee, I also have a goal of encouraging student-athletes to get out in the community and make Tucson a better place. Ultimately, the biggest goal I have is to have student-athletes meet and become closer with each other, and SAAC is the perfect place for that.
Are there any local organizations you have an interest in working with?
Izzy: I have interest in working with the Sunnyside Foundation because that was my old school district and they do so many good things for our community. They are all about providing opportunities for those that may not have the resources.
Skaggs: I would love to work with the Ben’s Bells Project. Their whole message is “Be Kind”, and that is something I live by. I wear their necklace every day as a reminder to stand by kindness and to spread it whenever I can. They are a nonprofit organization that has a mission to make the Tucson community more kind to one another.
What are your plans for after college?
Izzy: I plan to get my masters within the next 2 years and then I plan to teach in elementary school once I am done. I want to stay here in Tucson and teach at my old elementary school, Elvira Elementary.
Skaggs: After college, I would love to stay around softball as a coach or mentor, although I am not sure what age group I am interested in yet. As for my career, I am interested in becoming a video editor and producer for a professional sports team, as I love creating content
Last year Izzy, Allie, and I started SPS camps. We organize local camps for young softball players from Tucson, from middle school to high school. We help them develop skills from all aspects of the game: hitting, defense, and mindset. One of the things we emphasize in our camps is what type of mentality and work ethic it takes to become D1 athletes. We do a lot of on field drill work, but even more so focus on game mentality. We also do Q & As at camps so that we can get to know each other better and the girls can pick our brains. The goal of our camps is to make sure the girls enjoy themselves and learn something new. We bring special guests to hang out with the girls, we have lots of competitions, and give out prizes. Being local players, it is important for us to give back to young girls who are just like we were and help grow softball locally. We have lots of camps planned for this summer so be sure to follow us on Instagram @spscamps
Carlie Scupin is a standout first baseman with the Arizona Wildcats under new coach Caitlin Lowe. She is a native Tucsonan recruited by legendary coach Mike Candrea since she was in middle school. She is a 2020 graduate of Tucson High School. Last season as a freshman, Scupin was a Pac-12 All-Freshman selection and an NFCA All-West Region third-team pick. As a junior at Tucson High, she was named the 2019 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year. She was also selected to the USA Today All-America second team in 2019. She hit 44 home runs while hitting .623 during her high school career, which was cut short her senior season of 2020 due to COVID-19.
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