SOPHIE SMITH… ALL THESE THINGS AND HARVARD:)

SOPHIE SMITH, will play basketball at arguably the best school in America. It has taken real will power and lots sweat and tears to get there. But she also had the right people that believed in her to make this all happen. This journey was not filled with all candy and popcorn. Sophie Smith has had many roadblocks along the way. It would have been real easy for her to turn away and go another direction. Instead she join to dream big, play big and do what seemed to be impossible every step of the way. She has earned her way to HARVARD UNIVERSITY.

RBC is a very special play. There are D1 basketball players up and down the roster. There are no promises and guarantees. So when Sophie Smith decided to attend RBC she making an investment into her future. She could have gone to many other schools and been a star from day one. She would have scored 1000 points bu now and have won phony, meaningless awards. But she stayed at RBC. She stayed because of the practices and the competition. She stayed because she wanted to get better. She wanted to win big Chips. She wanted to prove she could play with the best. If not for these hard decisions, Sophie Smith would not be on her way to Harvard. She took the long hard road to arrive at Harvard. That road many kids avoid and can’t walk… SOPHIE HAS TAKEN THE LONG WALK AND MADE IT HOME!

Sophie Smith saw limited minutes as a freshman and Sophomore. But Joe Montano, believed in Sophia Smith. So he seemed to always find minutes for her in games. It a good thing because as a sophomore it was she that stole the show against SJV and knocking down the biggest shot in 10 years for RBC. It was she that made the biggest defensive play of the game as well. Sophie Smith rewarded Joe Montano for his trust in her, it not for Sophie Smith there is no RBC, state title or SCT Chip. It was her will to play confident in the biggest of moments. Rather than hang her head, she rose to the occasion. But it was truly the trust and love she found in her trainer James Young that helped her soar to levels she couldn’t believe. It was James Young that helped create one of the sweetest jumpers in the shore for a forward. It’s why this past year she once again stole the show in RBC’s win over SJV. Sophie Smith just plays her best when the stakes are the highest. Together she and James Young have become the perfect team. Two people who believe and trust in each other. Now together they have made a dream come true.

Sophia Smith’s development has been magical to watch over the years. I remember as a 4th grader the entire gym clapping for a tall skinny kid. A kid that lacked confidence and was shy. Now she confident, talented, skilled with model like looks. She is a true TRIPLE “B” threat. She is a Beauty and BALLER with Brains. She has seen her game soar in the last two years. But it was the confident building years with the ShoreShots, the trust of Joe Montano, the love of James Young and the decision to join the Philly Rise. All this has got us where are today. A 6’2” talented player filling her potential. A player that runs the floor like the wind. A player that is now one of the most versatile defensive players in the Shore Conference. A player that is a proven big shot maker on the biggest of stages. A player that Harvard thinks can help them win a IVY CHIP.

SOPHIA SMITH parents are risk takers and believe in their daughter. They could have walked out the door when Sophie was not getting big minutes. Instead Chris and Linda believed in Sophie, they wiped away her tears. They encouraged her to be strong and to work hard. When Sophia left to join the Philly Rise most believed it was a mistake. I personally thought she needed playing time. Her dad thought she needed competition and to be challenged. He was right because she went to the RISE and by the end of the summer was starting. Sophia Smith was arriving. She can thank her parents for their strong belief in her journey. They never let Sophie settle or feel anyone else was better. Maybe that’s why Sophie is not the first Ivy League student in the household, her older brother played football at Yale. Chris Smith and his wife know the secret recipe to success. Sophie is more than just a basketball player. She has friends outside the basketball world. She has traveled the world. She has tired different things like Modeling. She is a well rounded kid in some many ways. She has also has matured and become a wonderful person, that everyone loves and respects. Chris and Linda have taught Sophie how to fight and grow. Sophie’s parents are the #1 reason that she is when she is today… HARVARD!

The Harvard Coaching staff are good people. They have built something vs Special. They have had some monster wins in recent the years. Like beating Top 25 teams, getting a NCAA at large bid and being National ranked. These are things that are not supposed to to happen at a IVY LEAGUE TEAM. But when your Coach is Carrie Moore, a master teacher and a rock star at building relationships. Great things can happen. When your assistant Coach is a recruiting wizard like Ali Sanders, you can dream big. Sophia Smith had many options. She had military schools, Patriot school and other IVY schools that wanted her services. But it really hard to say “NO” to Harvard… that’s why Sophie Smith told her parents… mom, dad, IT’S HARVARD!

Now the real work will begin for Sophie. She will start preparing for her senior year. She and her trainer James Young will get back in the gym and try to take her game to another level. She has an excellent chance to be a starter, win a SCT and STATE CHIP at RBC. She has earned all this by standing tall during the rough times. This summer she played for the GEMZ and if how she played this summer is sign of what is coming, we’re about to see greatness from Sophie at a whole different level. It’s hard not to be proud of Sophie Smith. I’ve watched her go from being a player with potential. To a player fulfilling that potential. She gone from gonna be good to a full blown impact player and one of the best. Now it’s time for HARVARD AND THE IVY LEAGUE TO FIND OUT…. Congratulations to a great kid and a great family.