#ForSmith

Boys basketball reaches state final motivated by passing of assistant coach Terrence Smith

by Lathan Levy health & sports staff

Coaches, to many athletes, are more than just another authority figure or someone always telling them what to do. Coaches are role models and leaders; they also aid athletes in their journey of becoming the best versions of themselves. Coaches are there to support the needs of athletes — to help them strive to be positive members of their communities. Coach Terrence Smith was one of those coaches.

Led by head coach Chad Anderson, the Ladue boys basketball team made it all the way to the state semifinals against Jefferson City, then the state finals, falling short to Cardinal Ritter.

Although the team was hopeful for the season, many talented seniors graduated last year, and some players were apprehensive about how their season would unfold.

“Fischer Thompson and I talked about what our record would be before the season, and we both thought we were gonna go 20-6 in the regular season, and we were actually pretty close to that,” senior Jack Steinbach said. “And then we thought we had a good chance at winning districts, but after that, we weren't too sure. We made it way further than everybody else thought.”

2022-2023 season

1,990 26-6 points scored this season

Season record

Although there was drive for success from the players, the motivation fueled by the passing of Smith pushed the team even further. Smith passed away Nov. 27 after a heart attack in his home.

“Coach Smith worked in the building and about seven years ago, he came up to me in the gym one day in practice and kept hanging around,” head coach Chad Anderson said. “Finally, I asked him if he wanted to be a part of the program. We didn't have a paid spot, but I told him he could be a volunteer and the next day he was there and we never turned back."

Coach Smith was an extremely reliable member of the program, and always made time to be there

ABOVE: Coach Terrence Smith gives senior Zion Hamption a celebratory high fve after a win at the pre-season jamboree. This was one of the last times the players got to see Smith. “I think these [are] times that the kids will never forget; the things we accomplished and how much fun we had doing it,” head coach Chad Anderson said. (Photo by Gabby Shafman)

LEFT: The team huddles before a game against MICDS Dec. 16. They wore shirts that read, "I'm proud of you all. - Coach Smith." “He always did the stuff behind the scenes and he would always be at practice early,” sophomore Trisiah Edwards said. (Photo by Vincent Hsiao)

TOP LEFT: The scoreboard displays a "#ForSmith" graphic before a game starts. The season was very diffcult for all involved, but it brought the team much closer. “Smith would give us constructive criticism, but he'd never yell at us,” senior Jack Steinbach said. (Photo by Vincent Hsiao) for the team. He was always the positive coach who never had anything bad to say about anyone.

"Coach Smith was just a great, kind soul who made everybody else around him happy," Anderson said. "He would always tell the kids he was proud of them, no matter what. He really helped keep all of the kids' heads up and focused on learning from their mistakes and moving forward.”

Smith was an extremely kind hearted person who treated everyone with compassion. He was very important to both the program and to all the players on the team, especially Steinbach.

“Smith was a great guy,” Steinbach said. “He would give us constructive criticism, but he would never yell at us. He would always keep us under control and give us the best advice.”

The passing of Smith affected all members of the team, including Chad Anderson, who has been a coach in the program for 23 years, 15 of them as head coach. Although the passing of the coach was extremely tragic, it allowed the team to bond on a different level which helped them throughout the season.

“It was definitely something I never imagined that I would have to deal with,” Anderson said. “It was very, very tough for the first three or four weeks after. It was tough all season, but I think once we had some conversations about how to deal with it, we were going to commit to making our season for coach Smith, so I think it motivated our kids.”

Coach Smith was an influental person in many of the players' lives. The death was a huge surprise to the entire team, as they had seen him at practice just the week prior.

“When we heard [Smith] passed, it was very shocking because it came out of nowhere,” senior Jaylen Swinney said. “We got the phone call from our team saying that he had passed away. We all got on a Zoom and everybody was very shocked and sad.”

The passing of such an integral member of the team served as a powerful driving force to propel the team towards victory. With one of the best seasons ever recorded in Ladue history, it is clear that the motivation from the passing of a member of the team served as a instrumental factor to the team's unprecedented success.

“I feel like it made me play for him,” sophomore Trisiah Edwards said. “It made me play harder knowing that he wasn't here, and we had started off the season with him dying so it felt like we were playing the season for him.” P