Adria Smith

University of California, Santa Cruz

Title

Volunteer Assistant Coach
Email

aasmith55@ucsc.edu

Adria Smith joined the Banana Slug coaching staff as a Volunteer Assistant Coach in November 2020. She joins the Women's Tennis program to contribute as a Sports Psychology Consultant Intern. Growing up participating in several different types of sports throughout her youth (swimming, soccer, gymnastics, equestrian, dance), she became aware performance was not only about the physical skills, but that there was a very important mental side as well.

Beginning her education with an undergraduate degree in Psychology from John F. Kennedy University, and coaching snowboarding competitively for several years, Coach Smith realized her passion was both in Psychology as well as in Coaching. Sport Psychology was the perfect combination that gave her the missing piece to understanding the mental piece of performance more fully. Now finishing up her Master Degree in Sport Psychology and moving into her third internship position, she has gained a richer understanding and knowledge into effective approaches to helping athletes overcome mental obstacles and enhance their performance, positioning them to becoming closer to achieving their optimal best.

"We are thrilled to have Adria on board this year," said head coach Amy Jensen. "Adria's knowledge and experience affords our players a unique chance to challenge themselves and continue to develop as athletes and as people, despite the restrictions placed on us during this pandemic."

"In addition, coach Jack Ventura-Cruess and I are excited for the opportunity to learn and grow as coaches with Adria joining our coaching staff. We aim to be holistic in how we approach the game of tennis, and Adria's skills are a powerful piece of the puzzle for our program."