The Leader by Example Kristina Burkhardt

In the 42-year history of the North Carolina softball program, many teams have won more games and possessed more talent than the 2019 squad.

That, however, didn’t keep the Tar Heels from making history last season.

Of their 38 victories, nine came against ranked opponents, three more than they’d beaten in any season before. Two such wins even came on the same day, when UNC swept a doubleheader against

No. 3 Florida State to notch its first-ever wins over a top-5 team. A month later, Carolina’s season ended with a loss to Tennessee in the Knoxville Regional. But its three

NCAA Tournament wins also set a school record.

None of that would’ve happened without the leadership of seniors

Destiny DeBerry, Berlynne Delamora,

Leah Murray and Kiani Ramsey.

Knowing she and her teammates would soon be without them, though,

Kristina Burkhardt spent much of last season studying them in preparation for a larger leadership role this spring.

“I just started soaking in what they were doing,” Burkhardt said. “I was like, ‘What are the leadership strengths that they have that I can take with me the following year?’ So, halfway through last year, I tried to be more vocal and get my presence out there.”

Heading into this season, Burkhardt said that certainly helped. But even then, that way of leading isn’t what the redshirt junior outfielder is accustomed to.

Ever since she started playing sports, Burkhardt has considered herself a leader by example. That falls in line with her easygoing personality. It’s also something she shares in common with her older sister, Ashley, who played professional softball for the Dallas Charge in 2015 after a four-year career at Purdue (2012-15). Ashley is currently a volunteer assistant at Notre Dame.

“I would say Ashley and I are pretty similar in the way we lead,”

Burkhardt said. “Start with leading by example and then as seniors would graduate or older girls who had vocal leadership positions would leave, you’re like, ‘OK, I have the ability, so it’s a matter of

stepping up.’ “Ashley has become more of a leader in her job now, and I’ve been always looking up to her, like, ‘I have the same potential.’” In some ways, Burkhardt started realizing that potential as a freshman. Six games and just as many starts into her Tar Heel career, Burkhardt suffered a wrist injury that ultimately sidelined her for the remainder of the 2017 season. Forced to be a spectator, she could’ve sulked. But instead, she used her vantage point from the dugout to pick up on things her teammates on the field might not have noticed, then relayed that information to them. She didn’t have that same “ “SHE’S JUST BEEN SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN VERY TRUSTWORTHY, EVEN-KEEL. SHE’S perspective for the majority of the 2018 and 2019 seasons; she played in all but three of UNC’s 114 games, starting 108. That experience as a freshman has helped her, though, JUST CONSTANT. EVERY DAY YOU KNOW WHAT making it easier for her to stray

YOU’RE GETTING WITH KRISTINA. A LOT OF from her comfort zone and give her teammates advice. PEOPLE KIND OF FLUCTUATE AT PRACTICE, BUT “What I love about Carolina Softball

SHE’S JUST A VERY CONSISTENT PERSON. SHE DOESN’T HAVE HER UPS AND DOWNS; is everyone respects each other,” she said. “So, I didn’t feel like I was overstepping at all. I’ve never really

NO MATTER WHAT’S GOING ON IN HER LIFE, felt that way. As the years go on, you EVERY DAY SHE BRINGS HER 100 PERCENT TO PRACTICE.” kind of develop more confidence and more respect for one another. Everyone receives things well here. It’s not like if I say something to you, it’s not out of disrespect or I’m better than you. Everyone kind of takes it as, ‘We all care for each other and want each other to improve.’” Burkhardt has had to remind herself of that now that she’s speaking up more often. When practices started last fall, Burkhardt said no one knew for sure who was going to fill the team’s leadership void. But eventually, the coaches turned to her, junior Megan Dray and sophomore Abby Settlemyre, none of whom had been in prominent leadership positions before. Burkhardt called the fall a “trial-and-error period” for them. They’ve grown more comfortable, though, to the point that Burkhardt said she’s surprised herself with how vocal she’s been. “I think I’ve caught a few girls off guard,” she said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, wow, that came from Kristina?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah.’ But they know.

They’re like, ‘We know it’s from a place of love and you know we all want each other to improve.’ They’ve been great. If I didn’t have this group of girls to come at this with, then I don’t know where I’d be.”

Donna Papa and the rest of the coaching staff have been just as important.

Burkhardt said Papa regularly sends her, Dray and Settlemyre quotes, some of which they’ve shared with the team and others that have been intended specifically for them as they’ve adjusted to their new roles. They’ve also met with the coaches weekly to discuss leadership.

“We usually reflect on ourselves,” said Burkhardt of the weekly meetings. “We’ll say, ‘What things did you do well as a leader this week? What did you not do so well? Were there opportunities where you could have said something but didn’t?’

“Then the coaches will say things they may have seen. And then we kind of just talk about how the team is doing. Is there anything that we should look out for? Or is there a struggle that someone is going through that we wouldn’t know?’ (We do that) kind of to keep the team moving forward at all times and just keep each other accountable.”

Although Burkhardt, a career .293 hitter entering this season, is doing that more with her voice now, her actions still speak loudly.

“She’s just been someone who has been very trustworthy, evenkeel,” senior Campbell Hutcherson said. “She’s just constant. Every day you know what you’re getting with Kristina. A lot of people kind of fluctuate at practice, but she’s just a very consistent person. She doesn’t have her ups and downs; no matter what’s going on in her life, every day she brings her 100 percent to practice.

“She’s someone who whenever she gets up to the plate or whenever she’s playing in the field, you can rely on her because she’s going to be someone who is going to pull through in tough situations. She’s going to be someone you want to have up in that pressure situation, for sure.”

Hutcherson has good reason to think that given Burkhardt’s play in the Knoxville Regional last season. After Carolina dropped its opening game against Ohio State, Burkhardt went 3-for-11 with two home runs and four RBIs as UNC fought through three elimination games, defeating the Buckeyes, Longwood and 11th-seeded Tennessee. Her solo home run accounted for the only run scored in the Tar Heels’ win over the Volunteers.

Unfortunately, Burkhardt couldn’t do quite enough to get Carolina to its first NCAA super regional. But if anything, last season gave her and her returning teammates more confidence that they are capable of getting that far. And in her new leadership role, Burkhardt is going to do everything she can to ensure they do.

“Every year it’s always been, ‘Let’s win the ACC Tournament and get to a regional,’” Burkhardt said. “Now I feel like it’s shifted to, ‘Alright, we’re winning the ACC Tournament because we’ve been there too many times and not gone out on top. And let’s win regionals, get to a super regional.’ We’re definitely switching the standard here, and I’m really excited for it.”

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