Hunter teaching opponents a lesson

If you combined the personal qualities of University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach… If you combined the personal qualities of University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, Mother Theresa, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Dr. Seuss into one, you could create an incredibly athletic and selfless individual with a passion for coaching and writing children’s books.

If you had to give that individual a name, it would probably be Christa Hunter.

A junior member of Pitt’s softball team, Hunter is experiencing the breakthrough season the Panthers had been looking for. Though she is a gifted athlete, she acknowledges that there is more to life than a softball diamond.

An English writing major at Pitt, Hunter is a perfect candidate for the latest NCAA promotional commercials: She is one of the many NCAA athletes who will be going pro in something other than sports, and she could not be more excited.

Hunter would love nothing more than to be a high school English teacher in the inner city, coaching softball and writing children’s books in her free time. Though she has very little space in her schedule, she has already written a few children’s books and, when she can devote more time to it, would like to have them published. She plans on authoring a book series with a sports theme in the future.

Her attraction to teaching in an inner-city environment stems from a strong desire to give back to the community that has supported her, while making a difference on a personal level.

“Teachers everywhere have great influence, but particularly in the inner city, where they can really change the direction of a student’s life,” she said.

Hunter said that she is aware that many students will not listen, and that it will be a great challenge to work there, but she is not discouraged.

“If I teach for 20 years and change the life of only one student, it’s all worth it,” Hunter says.

Challenges in life are all part of the game, something Hunter knows all too well after coming back from two knee injuries.

When Hunter, a native of Sacramento, Calif., arrived at Pitt, she made an immediate impact for the Panthers, playing as an outfielder and a pitcher. However, in the late fall of her freshman year, she suffered a devastating knee injury. The following season, her other knee suffered the same fate. In the time she was injured, she was limited to a few relief appearances.

Now she is healthy and is playing a star role on head coach Michelle Phalen’s squad.

“A healthy Hunter has been wonderful for our team,” Phalen said. “She is carrying quite a load and has done extremely well on the mound as well as at the plate.”

The teacher within Hunter has not gone unnoticed by her coach, either.

“Hunter acts as a mentor for the other girls,” Phalen said. “She is a great supporter of her teammates, is very approachable and is definitely one of our team leaders.”

Last month, Hunter was named to the James Madison University Invitational All-Tournament Team. She also improved her batting average to a team-best .323, leading not only the Panthers, but also the Big East in many statistical categories. She is first in doubles, walks, games started as a pitcher and innings pitched. She is also at the top of the list in RBIs, on-base percentage, wins and complete games.

Her recent success is not a surprise, however. At Hiram Johnson West High School, she led her softball team to three league championships, batted .497 and held a 0.57 career ERA. Although she is an extremely competitive athlete, she tends to shy away from taking credit.

“The individual awards are not important,” she said. “If I can help even one teammate be the best that they can be, then I have achieved my goals.”

Hunter’s goals are that everyone give 110 percent while playing, winning and losing as a team.

“We are now realizing winning isn’t something that just happens,” Hunter said. “We’re talented enough, but have to put forth our best efforts everyday.”

The Panthers are also realizing how lucky they are to have Hunter on their squad, considering the circumstances. Most wouldn’t expect a Californian to travel more than 2,500 miles to rainy Pittsburgh to play softball, but Hunter did.

“I was recruited early in high school by Pitt but really fell in love with the school when I visited,” she said.

She noted that the changing of the seasons, and specifically the beauty of fall, appealed greatly to her. An avid college football fan, western Pennsylvania’s obsession with football was a perfect fit for her as well. She also wanted to go to a school that supported its student athletes both athletically and academically, something on which Pitt puts a lot of emphasis.

While it may be unexpected, Hunter is all about the unexpected because it can be hard to envision a person like her, a young and lively softball player, teaching in an under-funded, run-down, inner-city school.

But that’s what she wants to do, and no one can keep her in the dugout when it comes to her career goals.

Her desire to become a teacher can be traced back to high school, where she discovered the joy of volunteer work. There, she was involved in many volunteer endeavors, specifically giving much of her time to a Sacramento battered women’s shelter. She encourages all to get involved in volunteer work and regrets that her sports schedule does not allow her much time to volunteer at Pitt. The enjoyment derived from helping others through volunteering elucidated her decision to become a teacher.

“It is another way I can give back,” she said. “I feel like people have done so much for me that I want do anything possible to give back. It is not enough to say thank you. I want to show people through my actions that I am truly thankful.”