All high school girls, only girls welcome at Summit from all Ross, SJCC sports
Fremont is Noah's Ark for athletes Sunday.
"Every sport in history under the same roof, for girls," Fremont Ross varsity girls soccer coach Jason Smith said.
He might have been exaggerating just a bit. He wasn't kidding that half the athletes have to find another boat.
No boys at the Lady Giant Athletic Summit from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ross. Smith hopes enthusiastic girls arrive Monday for the first mandatory day of practice for fall sports and never stop throughout the school year.
"Girls from bowling," Smith said. "Cheerleaders. The swimmers swim in the morning. You see them trying to get snacks. They're hungry. I see the wrestlers. The camaraderie from 40 hours in the gym together in three weeks.
"They build bonds. It's cool to see tennis, golf. All these groups I see individually, for one night, on one stage, all the groups together. Talking. There's competitive edge there, no matter the sport. They're all trying to make themselves better for the team or individually.
"No boys to steal the spotlight, for once. Just girls."
Smith plans to greet visitors but make himself scarce during the event. This is the second summit.
"[Gymnast] Simone Biles publicly announced she was taking a break from high-level competition," Smith said. "What a great example for young girls to see. A decorated athlete like that. Everyone should have been proud she took a break.
"How hard would that have been? It's OK not to be OK. Focus on yourself as an individual, athlete and student. Our motto is mind, body, soul. Nutrition, yoga, mental health. Of course, we want to win. Put that all together, hopefully it makes for better athletes.
"Athletes who are independent, resilient, strong young people."
High school girls from Ross and St. Joseph Central Catholic are welcome.
"All the girls in Fremont," Smith said. "Girls want to know how to get better. Find a competitive edge. They want to be better, they're willing to do it and they're willing to talk about their feelings. Like Biles. She's coming back.
"How cool is that? She wasn't done. It was a solution. Another cool example the world around us is showing."
There are many.
"It's positive change," Smith said. "It's been slow. Females are being heard. These girls are able to fulfill their dreams. Turn on the TV and there's girls basketball on. The World Cup at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, I bet more will be watching than 10 years ago.
"It's a sign of positive change."
With girls basketball at Ross buzzing, Ohio Dominican women's coach Melanie Balcomb is keynote speaker Sunday. She coached at Vanderbilt as well. Ross mental health counselor Carmen Curry will be there.
Jen Long and Susan Smith will instruct yoga. Ross offers yoga as an elective course with Long.
"Many of them said, 'We've seen yoga, but this was the first time we tried it,'" Smith said.
Smith was girls varsity soccer assistant the last three years and coached middle school track.
"I watched nutrition and I wish I'd have had better conversations," he said. "We talked to people in Fremont, they were happy to talk and help. Bring girls together and let's provide community resources and professionals to talk about mental health, nutrition and preventative injury.
"Coaching girls as a male coach, there are limits to discussions, specifically nutrition. And mental health. I wanted to teach those more with my girls and what better way than professionals in the field. Community members with kids who play sports.
"Bring them together and let them teach what they do."
How did Smith end up gathering as many girls sports as he could?
"I've been with the school 17 years," he said. "I've been a licensed social worker for 23 years. I have two daughters who are athletes. It's important as I coach and as a parent, God gave me two girls so that's my focus.
"I'm a father of two girls and as a social worker I want to put that together and make strong, athletic females."
He knows the athlete isn't the only part of the equation.
"After track, we'd run through Wendy's," he said. "We were tired and hungry. 'I need some snacks and do better with nutrition.' As a coach I love to see them eat bananas and chocolate milk. I need to check myself and preach what I'm doing.
"It's parents and coaches helping these young ladies be the best they can."
There were about 60 athletes last year. Smith hopes for as many as 120 girls this year and is already thinking about future summits.
"We got good feedback," Smith said. "It's not that they're not learning nutrition. Doc Hershey teaches this. We have food class, but when you're surrounded by athletes just like you, asking specific questions, the girls were comfortable.
"The girls were empowered they had a night of their own. Everybody there was female and an athlete. They felt pride in their community."
New sports are joining the group, such as Ross girls varsity wrestling. Offseason programs for girls continue to grow in several sports.
"With the increase in AAU and travel sports, the competition for girls at the high school level is as high as it's been," Smith said. "Girls are paying more attention to how to get better."
That's why the summit is Sunday. Smith hopes it's a day off from practice.
Many athletes have no offseason from sports, regardless of how many they play.
"They're at a cognitive level learning high school sports," Smith said. "I want them to be able to talk and hear questions. They're not alone. They have these worries. Will I perform? What happens when I make a mistake?
"They can freely talk about calories. Postgame meal. Pregame meal. It was important to me to exclude boys, I want this to be about girls goals."
How do I earn a college opportunity? How do I hit more jump shots? How do I develop stamina?
How do I collect more pins. How do I shake off mistakes from me or my team? How do I maintain a consistent mindset or motivation?
What should I eat and when should I sleep? How do I earn more playing time or find satisfaction in a role? What if I'm confused, frustrated or disappointed?
"It's trickling to small towns, there are more resources for kids," Smith said.
Stigma and fear remain, but communication is changing for young people in society in so many ways. Why not have as many of them with similar concerns together as possible?
"This generation is a more open generation," Smith said. "We're at a point where we're able to talk about things we couldn't talk about in the past. Our generation is still stuck there. This generation, I listen to the girls talk and it's amazing.
"They don't think, 'We can't talk about that.' They're talking about it. It's a good thing."
mhorn@gannett.com
419-307-4892
Twitter: @dsoergelhewHornNH
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Ross Summit provides stage for Fremont girls athletes to learn, grow
