A Next Level Kind of Guy

Former hoop star Shaquille Smith knows a lot about high performance, both as an athlete and community advocate

For Acadia alumnus Shaquille Smith (’16), it’s always next level. As a student, a star basketball player, community advocate or employee, one question persists: what’s the secret to success? What are others doing to get to the next level and how can I get there, too?

His determination to be better has allowed him to forge an enviable path in life. He works as a digital strategist at Colour, a creative agency in Halifax; is a board member and chair of marketing and fundraising for Veith House, which fosters vibrant communities; coaches high school basketball; and received in April a Harry Jerome Award from the Black Business and Professional Association. The awards, established in 1983 in memory of the late Olympian and social advocate Harry Jerome, recognize and honour achievements in the Canadian Black community.

He was the MVP of the men’s basketball team in 2015 and earned an AUS Community Service Award in 2016,

but not everything was so rosy way back when. There were challenges and Smith had to up his game to keep his edge and make good things happen.

He grew up in North Preston, Nova Scotia, a small, friendly community in the Halifax Regional Municipality. He played sports all day, every day and although he carved a reputation as a basketball player in high school and university, Smith’s first love was baseball. However, once he made the Canada Games for basketball, he channeled his talent into an enviable high school career that attracted scholarship offers from four universities: Manitoba, St. Francis Xavier, Cape Breton, and Acadia.

He met with then head hoops coach Steve Baur, current Athletic Director Kevin Dickie and current men’s coach Kevin Duffie during his campus visit and he liked the close-knit, community feel at Acadia. “They were super friendly and welcoming,” Smith says, and the campus felt like home. Coming to Acadia was “the best decision I ever made.”

Puzzling complacency

As excited as he was to attend Acadia, though, he experienced a puzzling complacency during the first two years of his tenure here that threatened his academic and athletic future. He had a 93 per cent average coming out of high school, but says he wasn’t really prepared for the rigour of being a student-athlete in university, with daily practices, a heavy course load, volunteer work, travel and games.

“It was my first time away from home, too,” he says, “and if you take your eye off the ball for just a second, things can creep up on you pretty fast. I almost failed in my first year, nearly lost my scholarship, and so I did some self-reflection and wondered what the people around me were doing to get to the next level. Complacency had started to slip in and I needed to figure out my next goal.”

He noticed eventually that some of the older guys on the team were hunched over laptops on the bus, doing reports, studying, trying to get ahead, and he suddenly realized that commitment and discipline were crucial.

“I saw their behaviour and tried to mimic what they were doing. I was on my high horse, but I turned it around and learned from my failure. That’s what I want to blast out to the younger guys now. I want to say, ‘Yes, university basketball is a goal, but how do you stay hungry to get to the next level, the next set of goals?’”

Outdoor court in North Preston

He preaches resiliency and resolve, and nowhere is that more evident than in his efforts to build a new $300,000 outdoor basketball court in North Preston.

At Acadia, Smith had to maintain a workout schedule during the summer as part of his training and most times when he went to the Community Centre in North Preston, it would be rented or busy and he would have to take a bus to Cole Harbour to get some court time.

Upon graduation, he knew how tired the local facility had become so he met with councillor David Hendsbee and others to discuss a top of the line court with new nets, bleachers, glass backboards and banners that would honour those from North Preston who had gone on to basketball distinction. A proposal was brought to council and the rest, as they say, is history. The nets and bleachers are in place and the first round of surface has been installed. This spring, another three-inch acrylic surface was applied and a grand opening was in the works.

Smith is also working on creating a non-profit organization for student-athletes to help prepare them for the different stages of their life during and beyond sport. He says his experiences at Acadia helped to unlock a passion to be in the community and make a difference. Key mentors off the court included former president of the Associated Alumni of Acadia University Bruce Phinney (’81) and fellow hoop sensation Savior (Saj) Joseph (’02).

Bruce is a huge basketball fan and Smith says Phinney “was instrumental in my university career. He took me under his wing. And once I graduated, he invited me to the Alumni Gala and showed me how to network. He shared his expertise and worked to connect me.”

One of the people to whom Smith was introduced that night was Joseph, then a VP at Colour. “He gave me his card,” Smith recalls, “and told me to reach out to him. He instantly took on that mentorship role.” Smith called Joseph about a week after receiving the invitation to get in touch and “the first thing Saj said to me was, ‘What took you so long to reach out? Why did you wait a week?’”

Joseph offered Smith an internship for a couple of months that turned into full-time employment and he has been with the agency ever since.

“Basketball took me to some great places,” Smith says, “but you can be consumed at a young age and not tap into your full potential or explore other interests. I want to wave a red flag and encourage young people to use sport to get a career, and plan to have a career long after sport. Definitely take advantage of all the opportunities presented to you and understand that being uncomfortable just means you’re growing.”

It’s pretty sound advice from a guy who has lived the dream and is only too willing to share its many benefits with others. He sees a need and takes action. If that isn’t next level, what is?