Feb. 24, 2011
When student-athletes arrive on campus they can face a variety of struggles. From being in a new place with different people to learning how to balance practice times with study halls and upper-division academic classes.
Gabby Smith is not one of those people. From what she learned during her upbringing she was able to come to Nashville with an idea of how to adapt to a new environment and thrive both on and off the court.
Smith hails from a family of athletes who have played a variety of sports at the collegiate level. It began with her father, James, who played football at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. Unlike many parents who want their son to win the Heisman Trophy, James and Julie Smith did not go over-the-top to push their children into sports. Sure, they were encouraging and helpful, but they did not make Gabby sit outside until she could make 100 free throws. They focused on instilling good character and teaching respect of the game.
“I think I benefited because our parents were not the types to drive sports into us and make it a top priority,” said Gabby. “I think the parents who push their kids too hard end up driving them away from the game instead of bringing them closer. My parents just wanted us to do well and let the coaches do their job. They taught me how to work hard and stay focused.”
Smith is quick to use words such as “us” and “we” in reference to her siblings and makes it clear how tight-knit the six of them are. She has two older brothers, Zach and Shane, an older sister, Julianne, and two younger brothers, Blake and A.J., and they all grew up competing against each other.
Growing up in Cincinnati, Smith has fond memories of playing sports with family members and developing her competitive nature. Her childhood consisted of playing football with her older siblings while her dad played all-time quarterback. The teams would be split up with one girl and one boy on each team–Smith was fast to note that she always won, regardless of who was on her team.
Each of her older siblings helped teach her something different and bring out a different side in Smith. Her oldest brother, Zach, went to Purdue to play offensive line for the Boilermakers. While in West Lafayette, Zach was a top scholar-athlete who was preparing for med school while competing in the Big 10. After graduating from Purdue, Zach has gone on to the University of Illinois College of Medicine and has helped teach Gabby about how to handle the pressure of being a student-athlete.
“Zach taught me that I can balance schoolwork and athletics,” Smith said. “He made me realize that I can succeed on the field and in the classroom. He was able to earn the highest GPA on the football team at Purdue, and it made me feel that I could do the same.”
Smith’s other older brother, Shane, chose to play lacrosse in the latter part of his high school career and moved on to play long-stick midfielder at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. His path was different than those of Zach and Gabby. Shane was not heavily recruited and had to work hard and appreciate the opportunities he was given. Gabby learned to stay grounded and put in the time and effort to her craft.
“Not everyone gets this chance,” Gabby said. “From Shane, I learned to be thankful when coaches called instead of being annoyed. Not everyone is given the opportunity that I was, so when a coach called I was courteous because I know there are people out there who would do anything to play college athletics.”
Smith’s brothers helped build toughness over the years and taught her how to handle herself off the court, but her sister Julianne helped hone her skills on it. The two basketball players went after each other, pushing one another to improve. Smith remembers times when she would look out the window and see Julianne shooting free throws, which would motivate Smith to jump up and shoot even more. There were one-on-one games and small competitions, but it was always an enjoyable time. Julianne is currently a senior forward for the University of Charleston in West Virginia, but the two still stay close.
“She benefited from having older siblings who have succeeded as collegiate athletes,” Gabby’s father, James, said. “They helped her create a competitive spirit that shows on the court and in the classroom.”
Despite the four being in different places and playing a variety of sports, Gabby has learned the importance of family and keeping in touch. One of the reasons she chose Vanderbilt was because it was so close to home. Her family is able to come to Nashville to watch games, and she has the opportunity to witness her younger brothers grow up playing sports.
Even though Gabby is in her second year at Vanderbilt, she has not slowed down competing against her older siblings. They still push each other and play pickup games in the backyard of their Ohio home.
“A few summers ago I beat both of my brothers in one-on-one for the first time,” Smith said. “They couldn’t believe it. They both stood there trying to figure out what happened and went back into the house humbled.”
Smith states it is all in good fun and it still helps improve her game, but she still reminds her older brothers about the occasion. This drive to succeed and improve is showing on the court this yea. During the preconference schedule, Smith started seven games for the Commodores. She has improved her points-per-game, rebounds-per-game and assists-per-game stats from last season. Aside from excelling on the court, Smith is double majoring in cognitive studies and sociology.
When asked about the challenge of double majoring and playing basketball at the SEC level, Smith gives a small laugh, a shrug of the shoulders and says: “I’ve learned a lot from my family. They taught me that hard work pays off. If I put in the time I can succeed and balance different aspects of playing college athletics.”
There is no doubt that Gabby Smith has absorbed the lessons taught during her upbringing. Whether it is shooting 100 free throws on her own or hitting the books after practice, Smith looks to take her Vanderbilt experience to the next level. n