Canarsie native and former St. John’s University women’s basketball standout Shenneika Smith is learning a lot from her move from the court to the sideline as assistant coach at South Shore.
The experience has given her a new perspective on the lessons she learned from her former coaches Apache Paschall, Kim Barnes Arico, and Joe Tartamella.
“I now understand why Apache used to yell at me in high school,” she said. “You see things differently.”
Smith had wanted to try coaching at some point and was offered the chance when he ran into South Shore head coach Anwar Gladden at the St. John’s tip-off event in October. He jokingly told her to come down and help — but once she did, it quickly became serious.
“When I got here and it worked out, I was like, this is something I can do,” Smith said.
Smith is just the second female coach Gladden has had in his 13 seasons at the helm, but the role of assistant coach is a good fit for her and she has meshed well with the team, according to Gladden, who has known Smith since her high school days at the now-closed St. Michael Academy and the Exodus travel program.
Smith was one of the best players ever at St. John’s. She averaged 13.5 points per game in her career. She helped lead St. John’s to four-straight NCAA tournaments and its first-ever Sweet Sixteen. Smith hit the most memorable shot in program history as a junior — a three-pointer to end the University of Connecticut’s 99-game home winning streak. Her professional career saw her drafted by the New York Liberty, and she later played overseas in Spain and Portugal and she competes with the Jamaican national team.
Gladden said that Smith’s career makes her a powerful role model for his players.
“There is not a young lady on the team that can say they don’t want to do what she has accomplished with her career,” Gladden said. “The young ladies are getting advice from someone who has been where they want to be.”
Her experience as a young, female player has also allowed her to help her own young players grow on the court.
“She’s brought this team together more,” said McDonald’s All-American forward Brianna Fraser. “She’s taught us how to communicate with one another, how to trust one another.”
Smith’s affable and confident personality has brought a new calm to the usually high-strung Gladden.
“She’s calmed Anwar down a lot,” said senior guard Amanda Cruz. “If we make a mistake we are not nervous anymore. We have it under control now.”
South Shore is 16–4 and in the running for the top seed in the upcoming Public School Athletic League playoffs.
Smith hasn’t completely given up on her professional playing career, saying she is open to going overseas again after a year off, but for now, she is enjoying being Coach Smith. The experience has already been rewarding — and bringing home a city title in the process would make it that much sweeter.
“That’s the icing on the cake, being able to be with a team that can win a city title,” Smith said. “I never won a city title. It could kind of be cool to become a coach and win a title.”
