We spoke with Smith proper earlier than Thanksgiving – her pleasure for the season lighting up the room. Smith’s an athlete we love to observe and can’t wait to see assist lead her group again out on the ground this season able to show to everybody the GymDogs are again, and prepared for glory. There’s no if this 12 months in terms of her targets. There’s solely when.
“We all know that we’re able to a lot extra this 12 months, and we’ve totally different coaches and stronger freshmen that got here in and stronger transfers,” she stated. “It’s pushed us to work loads more durable, and simply know that we are able to accomplish much more this 12 months.”
Leaping again to postseason final 12 months, your group overcame such unbelievable adversity with accidents, and, I do know a whole lot of strain from so many individuals to do properly on so many ranges. Take me by way of that Regional since you have been so near the ultimate, and I don’t suppose lots of people anticipated that. How has it motivated you coming into 2025?
First, simply battling so many accidents final 12 months simply reveals how robust our group is. We needed to adapt, and we needed to prepare additional arduous and push ourselves every single day, maintain one another accountable. And we did that. We confirmed that by way of our season. Though we didn’t make it to the second day of Regionals, we have been so shut, actually, so shut. It was heartbreaking as a result of, I imply, it was the final time competing with that group. We had superb seniors, nevertheless it additionally motivated us and pushed us this 12 months, realizing how shut we have been final 12 months, with all of the struggles we had.
I do know you’ll have cherished to be in Fort Price at Nationals along with your group. How was the expertise competing as a person and what did you stroll away with as motivation shifting ahead?
Effectively, since I went alone, it’s nearly like I can train everybody else and provides them recommendation and tips about the best way to deal with that state of affairs and being there – if we make it – which we’re! However, I feel I’m capable of be there for my group this time round when we make it, and simply assist them by way of this, as a result of we’ve such a younger group. Clearly, I want my group was there with me final 12 months, however simply being there as a freshman was an ideal expertise, and I discovered a whole lot of classes and the best way to deal with myself in that state of affairs. For me, it was completely totally different from another meet. I didn’t have my teammates there, and the prep of who I’m going to comply with, what we are saying to one another within the lineup, and cheering one another on and all of that, so I undoubtedly needed to adapt, which I did. LSU was there cheering me on, which was nice. However, I did put a whole lot of strain on myself.
There was a whole lot of dialog about Georgia and what would occur, clearly, with the teaching change, which I’m positive was troublesome in so some ways for you. There was a lot social media hype and so many rumors. What was the ambiance among the many group throughout that point and main as much as the official announcement?
Effectively, to begin with, our group stayed actually collectively, which was actually good. We have been all right here for one another. We simply wished to know who it was. And, clearly we did learn all of the Twitter [X] feedback and all the pieces. We actually didn’t know what to anticipate, however our athletic director did a extremely good job of conserving us within the loop and reaching out and telling us, ‘we wish you guys to succeed. We’re going to do no matter it takes. We’re going to get you the perfect coaches.’
It was very nice realizing that they care about us, they need us to do properly. They wished our enter. It was undoubtedly a loopy time!
Have been you shocked about Ryan and Cécile being named co-head coaches and the way that developed?
Our athletic director reached out to me and requested, ‘What are your ideas about Ryan?’ And I gave him sincere enter and let him know that I like Ryan as coach. He’s superb. I work nice with him. I feel he can do a whole lot of nice issues for this group. So we had an concept that Ryan could be staying. However then after they stated he’s going to be co-head coach with Cécile, I used to be so excited as a result of I used to be like, ‘Oh, we’re going to be in the perfect fingers!’ This mixture is the 2 greatest coaches on the market, I really feel.
Discuss in regards to the dynamic now within the gymnasium, what these first few days have been like, and the way you’ve all settled into the teaching change…
Clearly, we’re all used to Ryan being our coach, and Cécile didn’t come till late August due to the Olympics. I put a whole lot of strain on myself, as a result of she’s the perfect on the market. So, I wished to be excellent for her. However then I really received to know her and discovered she’s very straightforward going, and desires the perfect for you. She cares about her athletes.
Cécile is extra, ‘let’s discuss by way of it. In case you’re struggling, let me know. I’ll discover a method that can assist you.’ And Ryan’s decided, like, ‘let’s get it carried out. Let’s get out and in. Let’s do what we do. Let’s do our job.’ That’s why they work so properly collectively, as a result of they stability one another out and are such totally different folks.
Are there specific focuses within the gymnasium in day by day assignments, both including problem or simply being extra constant, for instance, that you just all are actually zoned in on this 12 months?
Positively being extra constant every single day and elevating our averages. Our coaches observe our stuff and on bars we’ve to trace our sticks, what number of routines we hit out of what number of, simply so the coaches can see how everybody’s doing and put the perfect folks in lineup – who deserves to be in lineup — and who’s doing properly at apply. We’ve got to get our tumbling passes authorized on flooring. I feel it’s actually good, as a result of then they may give us extra corrections. I feel that’s going to essentially assist us in the long term, in order that’s superior.
