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For Chrystal Starling 02, ’03, sports have played a starring role in her life.
She grew up in Syracuse, New York, playing multiple sports, and carried that drive into high school and college athletics. From her time as a student athlete on Virginia Tech's women's basketball team to playing professionally in Europe, and later coaching at the high school and college levels, sports have remained an integral pillar in her life, even as her career has shifted. Today, Starling is the director of youth development and assistant principal at Urban Dove Team Charter School in New York City.
“I know where I’m supposed to be,” she said. “So, it’s not by accident that I left Division 1 college coaching to come back into the underserved community to help make an impact. It’s not by accident. I’m supposed to be here.”
Why study English?
In high school, Starling discovered the poetry of the late Nikki Giovanni, who was a professor in the Department of English. She said it changed the course of her life.
“Originally, I wanted to study psychology, but then I started reading her poetry when I was a sophomore,” Starling said. “When my soon-to-be college coaches found out that she was one of my favorite writers, they set up a meeting with Nikki on my recruiting visit. When I was in her office, to this day, I don’t know what she said. I was just in awe.”
Writing helped Starling express and uncover her true self. Putting words to paper also strengthened her public speaking skills, allowing her to communicate her thoughts clearly.
Starling graduated from Virginia Tech with her bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in health and physical education. She chose the program because of her love of coaching and her desire to gain skills that would prepare her for a career developing the minds of young people.
After Virginia Tech, Starling had an extensive professional basketball career throughout Europe. She also was a member of the United States Pro-Am Women's Team and a WNBA practice player for the Sacramento Monarchs. After playing professionally, she coached at numerous middle and high schools, and she worked with young basketball players at combines and international showcases. She also was an assistant women's basketball coach at Radford University.
Urban Dove: Sports and education
Urban Dove is a charter school in New York City with schools in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan. Starling was drawn by the school’s unique sports-based model where sports are used to encourage wellness, engagement, and social and emotional development. She said Urban Dove empowers students who were previously struggling in other academic environments, providing a chance for them to reach their fullest potential.
Starling finds her work at Urban Dove fulfilling, having worked there since 2020. She gives back to her community by helping the youth, meeting them where they are, and encouraging problem solving in the most adverse situations. She started as a sports-based youth development coach, and was promoted to instructional coach before becoming the director of youth development and assistant principal.
“We have robust resources that can reframe the scholars' thinking that their life is not over,” she said. “They’re just getting started and they can utilize these supports. That’s the impact that we all make every single day.”
Advice for Virginia Tech athletes
Starling recalls her time at Virginia Tech fondly. Being at the university built her up and taught her many lessons.
“When I attended Virginia Tech, I learned what it meant to be responsible, a good teammate, accountable, committed to being disciplined, and a good woman of character that my teammates and coaches can depend on,” she said.
College presented its own learning curves. She learned many of these lessons through her struggles.
“At least my first year, I struggled,” she said. “Because I wasn’t disciplined enough, I tried to fight and go against the grain. Like ‘Hey, no, I usually do this last minute.’ I was a long-term procrastinator.”
A piece of advice that Starling wants to give to Virginia Tech students is to take advantage of the people and resources available.
“I really wish that when I was transitioning out that I used my resources on campus more,” she said. “That I talked to people, that I let people know what my goals were. I think so many times we keep our goals and our dreams to ourselves, and we don’t let people know what we’re doing. We don’t let people know what our passions are. You have to believe that your voice matters.”
By Kristine Carper, a double major in professional and technical writing and creative writing.
