ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: Danielle Smith

EAST PEORIA — Some researchers have tried to make an argument that starting organized sports at a young age is a bad idea. They believe that the child will either get tired of playing the sport or be prone to injuries. Well for Illinois Central College’s sophomore softball catcher and first baseman Danielle Smith, she disproved that argument.

When Smith was just four years old, her parents signed her up to play in a recreational tee-ball league. Little did she know that this tee-ball league would just be the starting block of her softball career.

Smith was born and raised in Pekin, Ill where she attended Georgetowne Middle School before graduating and heading to Pekin High School. It didn’t take long for the varsity softball coaches at Pekin to recognize Smith’s talent. Her freshman year at Pekin she was moved up to the varsity squad and received her first varsity letterman.

Her accolades that were earned her last three years at Pekin speak for themselves. She is a three-time Mid-Illini First Team All-Conference player, super 60 participant and was Third Team All- State her senior year. But Smith’s accomplishments didn’t stop there, not only did she excel on the softball diamond but also in the classroom. She presented the perfect student-athlete image by making the honor roll every semester, and by being a member of the National Honor Society her junior and senior year.

Another sport that Smith participates in is a little more violent than her main sport. Outside of school, Smith has been playing on a travel hockey team for 15 years and is very passionate about it. So passionate that she almost chose to play college hockey instead of softball. But after visiting ICC and feeling the emotional connections, she couldn’t say no.

“What set ICC apart from other colleges for me was how during my visit my soon to be team was so welcoming and already made me feel like part of the family. It took me awhile to come to the decision between ICC and some other schools that were offering me a hockey scholarship, but ICC felt like a family and was also a lot closer to home,” said Smith.

Smith is in her final semester at ICC studying nursing and plans on transferring to a four-year school next fall.  She is also getting good on the job experience by working as a home health care certified nursing assistant for Aging Care Management in Peoria.

Smith does plan on taking her softball talents to the next collegiate level by playing at a four-year school. She has had a few scholarship offers that she prefers to keep disclosed, and plans on making a decision based on which would be the right fit for her.

As far as improvements she plans to make this season, one is that she sometimes can be her biggest critic and wants to limit that. She went on to say “perfection is a fantasy, not a reality.” There are still many more mountains for Smith to climb in her life, and will continue to work hard towards her goals. One person inspiring her deep integral drive is her mother or as Smith would refer to her as “best friend.”

“My biggest role model and hero would have to be my mom. She is one of the hardest working people I have ever met and the fact that she’s so ambitious really pushes me to follow my dreams. She inspires me by her humbleness and the fact that she is honest and knows the right way to criticize without belittling someone. She knows how to push people in the right direction and she has guided me on a pretty great path,” said Smith.