San Jose City College\u2019s softball coach Debbie Huntze-Rooney, who has instructed lady jags for the past three decades, reached 800 wins in March and has earned many awards.<\/p>\n
Some of the awards Huntze-Rooney has won are Coast Conference Coach of the Year and Northern California Coach of the Year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was excited to reach the milestone of 800 wins and when I think about it, it seems unreal. I know it is an exceptional goal to achieve during my career, but it is not only a milestone for me to celebrate but for my assistant coaches, SJCC softball teams, families and friends,\u201d Huntze-Rooney said.<\/p>\n
During Huntze-Rooney\u2019s career as head coach she has been able to work with exceptional, as she says, assistant coaches who have also paved the way for her success.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been with coach Huntze for a long time. She is a very special person in my heart. I\u2019ve worked with her since \u201897. She\u2019s always there on or off the field. She\u2019s constant and in your darkest time she\u2019s bright,\u201d assistant coach Terrell Jones said.<\/p>\n
Huntze-Rooney said her father and three brothers had a big part in influencing her interest in softball when she was around the age of 7.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father, he was a baseball coach. He was a coach and a teacher, so that was very influential for me. \u2026 I had to keep up with my brothers. \u2026 We were a sport minded family,\u201d Huntze-Rooney said.<\/p>\n
After transferring to Chico State from West Valley College, Huntze-Rooney realized she wanted to get to a college setting in her career because it would give her an opportunity to recruit locally in the community.<\/p>\n
Huntze-Rooney first started to teach middle schoolers and then high schoolers. While teaching, Huntze-Rooney worked on her master\u2019s in education administration at Azusa Pacific University.<\/p>\n
Huntze-Rooney made her way back to the Bay and decided to apply for the coaching job at SJCC, she was immediately hired in 1992.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has taught me to be humble. \u2026 To understand other people. She provided an example of someone I wish I would\u2019ve played for. She provides opportunity. \u2026 She makes me want to be better,\u201d coach Brittney Gutierrez said.<\/p>\n
Huntze-Rooney and her team were still in season when COVID-19 hit. The lady Jags were having a great season but they had to end it short in March. This was hard for the players and coaches because of all the dedication that was put in.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now I\u2019m just trying to stay as connected to my student athletes as I can. \u2026 They want to get back on the field, they want to get back to training,\u201d Huntze-Rooney said.<\/p>\n
Softball player Macy Wagner speaks highly of her head coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying under coach Rooney is probably one of the best experiences I\u2019ve ever had. She made a difference in the mental aspects of the game that I wasn\u2019t really aware of,\u201d softball player Macy Wagner said.<\/p>\n
Huntze-Rooney\u2019s message to her players is to look at the good things, stay healthy, look forward and to push through because they will be stronger individually and as a team.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
San Jose City College\u2019s softball coach Debbie Huntze-Rooney, who has instructed lady jags for the past three decades, reached 800 wins in March and has earned many awards. Some of the awards Huntze-Rooney has won are Coast Conference Coach of the Year and Northern California Coach of the Year. \u201cI was excited to reach the…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,5],"tags":[1330,85],"staff_name":[836],"class_list":["post-15214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-life","category-news","tag-sjccbrilliant","tag-sjcc","staff_name-patience-bixby"],"yoast_head":"\n