Jan. 22, 2010
Feature by Student Assistant Brian Elser (BE)
Bronco senior Megan Smith (MS) is gearing up for the Santa Clara softball season. Smith is coming off a year where she received All-PCSC honorable mention honors. She hit two home runs, one triple and five doubles with 23 hits, 18 runs and 10 RBI's last season. The Salinas, Calif. is expected to be a team leader on and off the field this season. Smith talks about some team goals this season and what sport she would play other than softball.
BE: So you transferred here from West Valley College last season. What made you want to come to Santa Clara?
MS: The two things that I knew while at West Valley were that I wanted to stay in Northern California and I wanted to play softball. Santa Clara gave me the chance to do both and get an incredible education at the same time. After attending UCLA my freshman year, I also knew that I wanted to go to a small school where I could get a more one-on-one experience with my professors, and also receive a top-notch education in business.
BE: What have you been doing this off-season to prepare for the spring?
MS: What off-season? Ha. We worked incredibly hard as a team during the fall, practicing five days a week with weights or condition in the mornings, and games on the weekends. I'm extremely proud of all the hard work we have put in and can definitely say that there is not one person on our team that is out of shape.
BE: How is the team looking this year? What do you feel are the team's biggest strengths and weaknesses?
MS: I have high expectations for this team. We've really come together and perfected our games, not only as individuals but also as a unit. I believe our biggest strengths will come from the depth of our pitching staff and the overall drive of this team to be successful.
Our biggest weakness is the fact that we do not have the same facilities as the teams we are playing against. We have to work even harder to make due with the facilities we are given, which are not maintained at the level of other colleges. Another factor is that it's not as easy for students to come support us since we don't play on campus. In the year and a half I have been at SCU we, as a team, have gone to numerous soccer, basketball and baseball games due to the fact that they are located on campus and easy to get to. I'm sure our coaching staff has struggled to attract prospects due to absence of a home field.
BE: What are some of your team goals this season? Any individual goals?
MS: My team goal for this season is to compete in every game we play. Whether we're playing Fresno State or someone else, I want to give them the best possible game we can and make them respect us. I also want us to improve each game and walk away knowing what we did well and excited to go back and improve on the things we didn't. I know that this team is capable of whatever we set our minds to; it's just a matter of doing the work in practice and then executing in games. With the confidence we've gained during the fall and with all of the hard work we've put in, I know that this is the year we're going to be successful.
Individually I want to have no regrets. This is my last year playing softball at this level and I do not want to look back and wish that I had worked harder or done anything differently. "No regrets" for me is going to mean giving 100% in practice, during conditioning and weights, and also during games. My biggest hurdle has always been the mental part of the game and keeping up my confidence even when I'm struggling at the plate or on defense. This year I want to overcome that and make the mental game my strong point.
BE: If you could play any other sport at the collegiate level, what would it be and why?
MS: Honestly, I think it would have to be golf. Out of all the sports I played in high school, besides softball of course, it was the most fun and challenging. I still love to go play every chance I get. Not only is it fun but you also get to play at incredible courses (for free!) and travel to places like Hawaii.