Basketball means many things to senior forward Amy Hitz.
It's about self esteem and self respect, it's about making friends and being a friend, it's about belonging to something special.
It is not, however, about statistics and records, two areas in which Hitz has excelled during her four-year career at Union. Just the third player to score 1,000 points in the
twenty-one year history of women's basketball at Union, Hitz also has a shot at becoming the College's all-time rebounding leader.
“I haven't been worrying about scoring 1,000 points,”
Hitz says about the first half of the season. “I've been worrying about getting into grad school.”
A psychology major with a sociology minor, Hitz has a 3.6 grade point average and is looking forward to graduate school in hopes of becoming a school guidance counselor and basketball coach.
“I like going to class,” Hitz says. “I enjoy discussing things, applying things I've learned in class to what's going on in my life. If I should get an A it's not because I'm working my tail off, but because I enjoy academics. I enjoy learning.”
Hitz says that basketball has helped her budget her time so that she can give all aspects of her life the attention they deserve.
A member of Delta Gamma sorority, Hitz has held several offices in the organization. She is a member of the psychology national honor society, a volunteer tutor for preschool and middle age children, a member of the Athletic Department's gender equity committee, and has started a peer group that deals with rape victims and survivors of sexual assault called Safe Space Group. In the spring, she runs outdoor track.
The Dutchwomen's leading rebounder each of the last three years, and leading scorer and rebounder the last two seasons, Hitz is again leading the team by averaging 13.9 points and 10.6 rebounds as of early February.
“Scoring and rebounding are part of the game,” Hitz says. “Those are things you are supposed to be doing. To me, it doesn't seem like that big a thing. Playing, being part of the game, being with my friends, being on the team, hanging out with my teammates on road trips are more important than 1,000 points or a rebounding record.”
Basketball at Union has also taught Hitz some of life's hard lessons. The Dutchwomen, who have had only four winning seasons in their history, are 24-62
the last three and a half years.
“It is disappointing that the won-lost record isn't better,” Hitz says. “But I don't think that I would be the person that I am today if we had won every game and won a championship. The struggle, the hard work, has added a lot of character to everyone on the team, including myself. It is easy to be at practice when you're a winner, but it's harder to show up every day when things aren't going your way.
“Coach (Mary Ellen) Burt has taught us that regardless of what happens, good or bad, a positive attitude can make the worst day into a good one,” she continues. “Having faced the struggle, the losses, has given me more drive, more self confidence, and the ability to excel when life is really hard. Knowing the ups and downs of basketball and school gives me the foundation to face whatever I might face in the future.”
While the Dutchwomen still aren't winning regularly, Hitz does feel that the team and the program have improved.
“We are a much better team than we were in my freshman
year,” she says. “We've narrowed the gap against teams that were beating us by twenty and thirty points. Our record still isn't where I had hoped it would be, but we're a stronger unit in terms of competitiveness. Teams have to be prepared for us; they can't take us for granted anymore.”
The Dutchwomen's “Most Valuable Player” after last season, Hitz was selected to the Upstate College Athletic Association's first team by the league's coaches and received Union's ECAC Medal of Merit as the College's “Outstanding Junior Female Athlete.” This year she was elected to the
All-Tournament team for the Union Invitational after setting the event's rebounding record.
Hitz admits that her place in Union's basketball history book will probably mean more to her later in life. For now, she's happy for the many life lessons the game has taught her.
“I've been able to play, to contribute, and to share a great many experiences with my teammates and friends,” Hitz says. “Maybe someday, when I'm looking back, 1,000 points will seem like a big deal, but not in respect to the experiences and relationships that are so much a part of who I am.”