The first Tuesday of each month, we interview someone from Charlotte Latin Athletics with twenty questions to help the CLS community get to know some of our athletes, coaches, and supporters a bit better.
 
This month, get to know Patty Hunter, who is in her twelfth season as the assistant coach of the varsity girls' lacrosse team. Her longevity in the role is a rarity, especially given her "day job" with the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. Read on to get to know how Patty found Latin, and how the CRVA has made her dedication to the team possible. 
 
1. Where did you grow up and what was it like?   
I grew up outside of DC in Rockville, MD where I went to private Catholic school through twelfth grade. My parents divorced when I was in second grade, so I split time between two homes and I have two younger siblings from my dad's second marriage and an older sister. My dad worked at Georgetown University, where he still works as the golf coach, so I spent a lot of time on that campus. We went to a lot of their basketball games and I tagged along on some golf tournaments.
 
2. Was your family pretty sports-oriented?
Yes. My mom played ice hockey and tennis and when I was growing up she managed a facility with an ice rink and a tennis bubble. My dad played basketball, baseball, and football growing up and went on to play baseball in college. My older sister danced and played volleyball and our family supported the Washington Redskins, now the Washington Commanders, and the Nationals.
 
3. What sports did you gravitate to growing up?
I tried a lot of different things. I did ice skating and tennis camps where my mom worked. I played field hockey and basketball. I was terrible at basketball but I loved field hockey. One of my earliest sports memories was running track and field. My dad was a big runner and I have always loved running and doing races with him. Then I started lacrosse in seventh grade, which was later than most in our area because it was a huge sport there.
 
4. At what point did you decide to focus on lacrosse?
It happened pretty quickly. One of my best friend's moms had played lacrosse at Loyola, so she signed up her daughter and rallied a bunch of us who played field hockey and soccer to join the team. Soccer is in the fall up there, so girls could do both. She coached us for 7^th and 8^th grades. Then I joined a club team and played for my high school, and by sophomore year I was pretty sure I wanted to play in college.
 
5. What was your recruitment like and how is it different now?
It's totally different now. It starts so early and there are so many potential ways of communicating. Back then, the coaches had to just call your home land line. My club coach really helped me make connections and I took official visits to Georgetown, Mount Saint Mary's, and Pfeiffer. I knew I likely wouldn't get to play until maybe junior year at Georgetown and it would be really tough for me, academically. School did not come naturally for me and I had to work really hard and get support from tutors, so I didn't think that would be a good fit. Mount Saint Mary's was a little too close to home and, at the time, the team seemed more party-oriented than I wanted. When I visited Pfeiffer, I just kind of knew. I really connected with the team and the coaches. It wasn't where I had envisioned myself, but it felt right. When I talk to the girls now, I always tell them to just be open minded. Where you start the recruiting process is not necessarily where you are meant to be.
 
6. Did Pfeiffer end up being a good fit?
I loved my time in college. Pfeiffer is such a small piece of the world, but it's such a special place. My experience on the lacrosse team was great. We won our conference my sophomore year, so obviously that was incredible. But I got involved in a lot of ways on campus that were not related to lacrosse and was really lucky to have the support of my coaches.
 
7. Can you share an example?
My aunt had done the Susan G. Komen 5k to raise breast cancer awareness and hearing about her experience with it made an impression on me. I talked to my coach about whether we could put on a fundraising event at Pfeiffer and my coach helped me take the idea to the university's president. We held a 5k walk/run along with a 24-mile bike ride (because the president and his wife were big cyclists) and called it "Pfeiffer Pfights" to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Carolina Breast Friends. It became an annual event and I was really proud of it.  
 
8. That seems to fit well with the degrees you were pursuing in sports management and business. Did that experience help you find work after graduating?  
I did an internship in the athletic department with the AD my senior year, and I was really fortunate to have that kind of access. I really wanted to plan events and all I really knew, mostly, was sporting events. I had the common misconception that if you want to work in the sports world, you have to work for a sports team. I loved the Charlotte area so I just applied with all the sports teams here and ended up taking a position as a part time front office manager with the Knights, which quickly became full time. My role kept expanding but the schedule was grueling and after awhile, I started looking for other jobs that had more opportunity for growth. I interviewed with the CRVA (Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority) for a partnership coordinator position and now, nearly twelve years later, I'm still there, leading the department.
 
9. What does your department do and what do you like about the role?
I bring companies together to do business with one another. Our program supports businesses in making connections, bringing exposure to their place of business, and providing information that helps them run their business. I love it. No day is the same and I get to experience Charlotte in a different way than most people. I've been really fortunate. I love the people that I work with and the CRVA has supported me in coaching, which is super unusual and I'm really lucky in that aspect.
 
10. So how did you start coaching at Charlotte Latin?    
I met Nikki (Williams, the girls' lacrosse head of program) through mutual friends in the lacrosse world. Nikki hadn't even moved here yet, but she had a plan to first start coaching with a high school team and then start her own lacrosse club. She needed an assistant coach and when she asked me, I was like, "Okay, we just met, but I'm in." But I warned her I would need support from the CRVA to make it happen. Thankfully, it did.
 
11. How would you describe your relationship with Nikki now?
She's one of my closest friends. She's been a confidante and a mentor and a parent figure at times too when I was in my twenties. I've learned so much from her as a coach and a role model when it comes to kids, and I know all her quirks now. I think we balance each other out well.
 
12. What do you enjoy the most about coaching? 
It's so much more than the field, the games, the wins or the losses. It's about who you are as a human. We build relationships with these girls and watch them develop and then they graduate and it's so hard. I remember our third year, we had Catherine Crigler and Grayce Anderson and they were the leaders of the team. We watched them grow up and went through a lot together, then they left and it was so sad, but now it's so cool because they're back! (Editor's note: Catherine Crigler and Grayce Anderson have been coaching the JV girls' lacrosse team since 2021.) I always love championship weekend because the alumni come back to support the team and that energy is so great.
 
13. What's your proudest moment as a coach?
That's really tough to nail down, but I love the point when it really clicks with the draw-taker. It usually happens in sophomore year, when they hone in on what they're able to do. Then they develop it throughout junior year, and then it's really fun to watch them senior year. Seeing Ardyn (Henry) as a freshman and now through to her senior year…being part of that development is really rewarding.
 
14. The draw is your specialty. When did that develop?
In high school. I love it. It's my favorite part of the game. Being a midfielder is tough, but I love the running aspect. The draw itself has changed so much since I played that I really had to study and do a lot of research to coach it better for the girls. It's a little bit more exciting now because there are so many elements that go into it and you have to think about a lot of different things at once.
 
15. Alright, let's finish up with some fun questions. Do you like to cook? 
I love cooking. I make a really good homemade chicken noodle soup.
 
16. What's your favorite form of exercise?
Running. I'm still doing races and working with a running coach. I love the half marathon, that's my max distance, but I did a ten-miler recently and loved it more than I thought I would. My ultimate goal is a 1:40 in a half marathon. My PR is a 1:47 so I know I can get there.
 
17. What's something most people don't know about you?
I was a Girl Scout for a long time. I have my Gold and Silver Awards in Girl Scouts.  
 
18.  If you could have a talent or ability that you don't currently, what would it be?
To improve my golf game or something with finances. To be better at math.
 
19. When you were in kindergarten, what did you want to be when you grew up? 
I wanted to be a teacher. I remember playing school in my room, which is funny because I was not great at school.
 
20. What has been your most memorable Latin lacrosse moment so far?
Winning our first state championship in 2019, because it was so much more than just winning. I was so grateful that Nikki had chosen me to go on this journey with her and I will never forget our embrace at that game because it was about so much more than just a win.