From Team USA to Northwestern University, Hofstra Pride women’s lacrosse head coach Shannon Smith has experienced success at every level. As she looks ahead to the 2021 season, her wealth of knowledge in the sport will be key to the team’s overall success.
Smith has been an athlete since her earliest years, using sports as her primary social outlet. She played basketball, soccer, roller hockey and baseball across several different leagues. Lacrosse was a sport she leaned on in her teen years, but it quickly took center stage in her life.
“When I was getting into middle school … one of our family friends [coached lacrosse],” Smith said. “And he needed an extra player for a lacrosse game … He gave me a stick. From that point, I never looked back.”
That success quickly grew as she began playing travel lacrosse and competing for her high school team. After being invited to the Team USA Under-19 roster, her dreams truly took flight.
“Throughout my entire career, something my parents have instilled in me and my siblings is hard work,” Smith said. “Whether that’s playing sports or in the classroom, your job is always to work hard. Nothing is ever given to you. You have to earn everything.”
She worked her way to the collegiate level, accepting a Division I scholarship to play lacrosse at Northwestern. One of the benefits of her time was the ability to work with the team’s head coach, Kelly Hiller.
“[Hiller] would push you individually and constantly raise the standards,” Smith said. “She would motivate you and inspire you in all different ways. She would know what makes you tick to work harder.”
Smith made the most of her time as a Wildcat, winning the NCAA Most Outstanding Player award and three NCAA championship titles. She finished second all-time in NCAA tournament points.
“Those experiences that you have as a player, you can take that into coaching, understanding what it takes to get to that level,” Smith said.
After graduating with a degree in economics, she was unsure where she wanted to take her career. But two of the directions she considered included attending graduate school or pursuing a job on Wall Street.
She decided to begin looking for jobs as a graduate assistant coach to pay for a master’s degree. That changed when she realized that Hofstra was looking for a head coach and agreed to accept the job.
“Looking back on it, it was truly a grand slam,” Smith said. “I get to coach kids on Long Island and give back to the community where I was given so many opportunities.”
Under Smith’s watch, the team grew into a top 20 ranked program. Some of the players she coached left a permanent mark on her life.
“Brittain Altomare had an unbelievable career, finishing out being an All-American, [Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)] Player of the Year,” Smith said. “I started coaching her when she was a sophomore along with April Iannetta, two-time CAA defender of the year. I think they did a great job being leaders and had a phenomenal senior year.”
Today, the Hofstra Pride still boasts a roster loaded with talent, including key returning players Darcie Smith, Alexa Mattera and Alyssa Parrella.
“We are super excited to have them back,” Smith said. “We gave them the mission of changing the culture and setting new expectations. They have gone above and beyond that.”
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team dealt with many setbacks, including the cancellation of the previous season and the inability to practice together for an extended period of time. However, this phase did some good for the returning cast.
“Quite frankly, I am seeing them play some of their best lacrosse,” Smith said. “Their bodies are just reenergized, having those six or seven months off, from when COVID ended the season in March to when we started back up in the fall. They are just fresh.”
Today’s society is filled with uncertainty, so the team is just grateful for the time they have together.
“It’s been a strange fall, and we talk about it every day,” Smith said. “Part of why you love coaching is just being around the kids. They are a really great group. I love the team. But things have changed with COVID. There are certain restrictions. We tell the kids every day that we are lucky to be able to practice.”
Those practices have given a lot of confidence to the team as a whole, giving them a first look at the incoming wave of talent.
“We have a great freshman class coming up, five players who are stepping in and making an impact,” Smith said. “They don’t look like freshmen, so that is super exciting. We knew they were good, but it is especially impressive because of how long it’s been since they last played lacrosse.”
Looking back at it all, Smith would not change a thing.
“[You have to have] patience, for all the good things you have to be patient for it,” Smith said. “Things don’t happen as quickly as you want them. You learn it as you go.”
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
