BUFORD — When freshman Carsyn Hunter learned she would make her first varsity start for Buford, the excitement came with another feeling — responsibility.
Hunter found out a few days before she would take the circle against Kell during the GADC Leadoff Classic.
“I was worried about showing up for the team,” Hunter said. “In big moments, I have to show up as a varsity player, not just a freshman.”
That mindset has helped Hunter make the transition into one of the state’s most competitive softball programs while earning opportunities in the circle for the Wolves.
Buford coach Trent Adams said Hunter has shown the competitiveness he expects from the Wolves’ pitching staff.
“Carsyn is a competitor like all of our pitchers,” Adams said. “She has done a good job of getting in there and competing in the circle.”
Hunter began playing softball when she was 6 years old and said she quickly developed a love for the game. Long before her first varsity appearance, she spent the summer preparing for the possibility of contributing as a freshman.
“I pitched frequently in the summer and put in the work with my pitching coach,” Hunter said.
Adams said that work is evident in her pitching.
“She has a great work ethic and spins the ball very well,” he said.
Hunter is one of two freshmen on Buford’s varsity roster this season, along with Ella Rackley. Joining a team filled with experienced upperclassmen could have been intimidating, but Hunter said the veteran players made the transition easier.
“The older girls have done nothing less than show kindness and support in welcoming me to the team,” Hunter said. “I love the program so much, and I’ll miss this senior class even more.”
Her first varsity start provided an early glimpse of what competing for Buford would feel like.
“The crowd was very energetic,” Hunter said of the game against Kell.
It also reinforced the standard she believes comes with wearing a Buford uniform.
Rather than viewing expectations as pressure, Hunter said she tries to use them as motivation.
“It motivates me to try and hold myself to a higher standard and constantly compete,” Hunter said. “I manage the expectations by striving to be a better athletic version of myself every game.”
For Adams, Hunter does not need to do anything extraordinary to establish herself within the program. Her willingness to take the ball and compete is already an important step.
Asked how Hunter can continue making an impact for the Wolves, Adams kept his answer simple.
“Just by going out and competing for us in the circle,” he said.
For a freshman beginning what she hopes will be a four-year varsity career at Buford, Hunter is learning that earning opportunities begins with preparation and what happens once she steps into the circle.
In those moments, Hunter no longer thinks of herself simply as a freshman.
She expects herself to compete like a varsity player.
