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Dec. 10—Pisgah senior softball player Jaiden Smith will be able to focus on her play on the field this spring, after signing with Caldwell Community College to continue her academic and athletic careers next year.
"I'm feeling all the emotions," Smith said. "It's really bittersweet to say goodbye to what's become my family here, but I'm really excited to see what the next chapter wants."
While she will be saying goodbye to the Bears at the end of the school year, she'll be plenty comfortable with the Cobras.
She'll be joining a pair of her former Pisgah teammates, Mac Jones and Sadie Messer, who graduated last spring and are in the Caldwell program right now.
"I've played with several of the girls that play there now," Smith said. "It just felt like a very tight-knit family, which is what I'm used to. I feel like it just felt very welcoming."
Smith has been a key leader for the Bears the last couple of seasons, serving as Pisgah's leadoff hitter and consistently helping her team get the game started off in a good way.
"She is an excellent teammate, but her work ethic, dedication, attention to detail, leadership and the leadership for our younger group that's coming through is so important," Pisgah Coach Heidi Morgan said. "She's been lead off for us for the last two or three seasons, and just her mental toughness to be able to go up there first pitch and get the job done has been exceptional for us. She's been a difference maker, and the legacy that she's going to leave on Pisgah softball will be remembered."
Smith's skillset features a solid bat and a good eye, racking up 24 hits and 13 walks last season. She also has a good bit of speed in the leadoff spot, scoring 24 runs last season, the second-most of any Bear.
Now, she's put those skills towards a spot on a collegiate roster.
"Since Jaiden was a freshman, she always set out to have a goal to play in college. That's the first thing she told me. She has definitely put the work in over the last three years to achieve that goal, and we are extremely proud of her," Morgan said.
Smith has been playing softball ever since she fell in love with the sport during her tee-ball days.
"It's just kind of a place where you can reflect on yourself," she said. "No matter what happened off the field, when you come to the field, it's just you and the ball and your glove and your bat. It blocks everything out."
Over the last three years, she's made quite a few memories at Pisgah — from wild upsets to playoff runs.
"These past three years have meant everything to me," Smith said. "The relationships that I've built and the people that I will talk to for years to come, they are everything to me, and they have treated me with such love and compassion, and I know I'll always have a home here."
She's also faced hardship during her high school years.
"Jayden has overcome so much adversity," Smith said. "When she was a freshman, she had shoulder surgery. She battled back to do her therapy, really persevered through that. I'm just so proud of her, to see her push forward through that and continue to do something that she loves."
Last fall, as a junior, she faced another challenge, losing her mentor, Coach Jody Ward, who died after a battle with cancer. Smith gave an emotional and tearful speech during her signing, getting particularly choked up when remembering the coach.
"He was the strongest person I've ever met, and I strive every day to be like him and keep his legacy going. Thank you for everything, J Ward. I love you always," Smith said.
Now, Smith prepares to head off to college, but she still does have one more season of high school softball. The senior has a little bit of pressure taken off of her this season with her college decision behind her, but it's not all gone.
"At the same time, it's also more pressure, because I have to build off of what I've had so far, and I can't keep thinking about next year," Smith said. "I have to go out there with my girls and just get it done."
And once she's in college, she'll still have some supporters in the stands.
"I don't think I've missed a game since she was, I don't know, four years old. I'm sure that I'll end up missing some, but it's nice to have her close to home so we can go take those trips," said Smith's dad, Steven Smith.
Smith plans to major in cardiovascular sonography.
Continue reading...
"I'm feeling all the emotions," Smith said. "It's really bittersweet to say goodbye to what's become my family here, but I'm really excited to see what the next chapter wants."
While she will be saying goodbye to the Bears at the end of the school year, she'll be plenty comfortable with the Cobras.
She'll be joining a pair of her former Pisgah teammates, Mac Jones and Sadie Messer, who graduated last spring and are in the Caldwell program right now.
"I've played with several of the girls that play there now," Smith said. "It just felt like a very tight-knit family, which is what I'm used to. I feel like it just felt very welcoming."
Smith has been a key leader for the Bears the last couple of seasons, serving as Pisgah's leadoff hitter and consistently helping her team get the game started off in a good way.
"She is an excellent teammate, but her work ethic, dedication, attention to detail, leadership and the leadership for our younger group that's coming through is so important," Pisgah Coach Heidi Morgan said. "She's been lead off for us for the last two or three seasons, and just her mental toughness to be able to go up there first pitch and get the job done has been exceptional for us. She's been a difference maker, and the legacy that she's going to leave on Pisgah softball will be remembered."
Smith's skillset features a solid bat and a good eye, racking up 24 hits and 13 walks last season. She also has a good bit of speed in the leadoff spot, scoring 24 runs last season, the second-most of any Bear.
Now, she's put those skills towards a spot on a collegiate roster.
"Since Jaiden was a freshman, she always set out to have a goal to play in college. That's the first thing she told me. She has definitely put the work in over the last three years to achieve that goal, and we are extremely proud of her," Morgan said.
Smith has been playing softball ever since she fell in love with the sport during her tee-ball days.
"It's just kind of a place where you can reflect on yourself," she said. "No matter what happened off the field, when you come to the field, it's just you and the ball and your glove and your bat. It blocks everything out."
Over the last three years, she's made quite a few memories at Pisgah — from wild upsets to playoff runs.
"These past three years have meant everything to me," Smith said. "The relationships that I've built and the people that I will talk to for years to come, they are everything to me, and they have treated me with such love and compassion, and I know I'll always have a home here."
She's also faced hardship during her high school years.
"Jayden has overcome so much adversity," Smith said. "When she was a freshman, she had shoulder surgery. She battled back to do her therapy, really persevered through that. I'm just so proud of her, to see her push forward through that and continue to do something that she loves."
Last fall, as a junior, she faced another challenge, losing her mentor, Coach Jody Ward, who died after a battle with cancer. Smith gave an emotional and tearful speech during her signing, getting particularly choked up when remembering the coach.
"He was the strongest person I've ever met, and I strive every day to be like him and keep his legacy going. Thank you for everything, J Ward. I love you always," Smith said.
Now, Smith prepares to head off to college, but she still does have one more season of high school softball. The senior has a little bit of pressure taken off of her this season with her college decision behind her, but it's not all gone.
"At the same time, it's also more pressure, because I have to build off of what I've had so far, and I can't keep thinking about next year," Smith said. "I have to go out there with my girls and just get it done."
And once she's in college, she'll still have some supporters in the stands.
"I don't think I've missed a game since she was, I don't know, four years old. I'm sure that I'll end up missing some, but it's nice to have her close to home so we can go take those trips," said Smith's dad, Steven Smith.
Smith plans to major in cardiovascular sonography.
Continue reading...
