Winning is not everything

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The San Jose City College softball team ranks among the nation’s top 30 teams in academics.

The Lady Jags were rewarded for their 3.016 team GPA with a spot on the All-Academic Team selected by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Debbie Huntze-Rooney has been coaching the Lady Jags for 22 years and has led the team to eight Coast Conference Championships. She has accomplished other great things such as taking her team to the state regional playoffs for 19 consecutive years in a row.

Her philosophy is not just about winning games.

“Respect people, respect the players. Yes winning is important but at the same time we have to learn how to work as a team. Academics is huge for us,” Huntze-Rooney said.

She went on to say that players who find themselves struggling in the classroom sometimes don’t ask for help.

“The tutoring centers here on campus are excellent,” Huntze-Rooney said. “ We do the reading and writing centers, the math labs and study hours. So those are things we bring for our team, and the student athletes there to help them.”

Coach Huntze-Rooney said she thinks the student-athletes she has coached would describe her as tough but fair.

“I’m very competitive,” Huntze-Rooney said. “I want us to have a successful program here, but they also know I’m tough when it comes to school, doing the right thing and making the right decisions.”

The Lady Jags will play their first game of the season Friday Jan. 31.