Indiana-bound Elle Smith of Top Gun 18U National has established herself as one of the top outfielders in the country — currently ranked #47 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100 and the #23 Outfielder in the Class of 2022 — and she is growing as one of the top slapping/outfield coaches in the nation.
COACH PROFILE Q&A
Name: Elle Smith
Hometown: Blue Springs, MO
High School: Blue Springs South High
Club Team: Top Gun 18U National
Nickname: Elle, “E43”
Twitter: @esmith_43
Top Honors/Accomplishments/Coaching Highlights:
My top honor and accomplishment would definitely be receiving 1st Team All-State (Missouri) as an outfielder for my junior and senior year! An academic accomplishment would be scoring a 32 on my ACT. Education has always been my first priority and I take pride in my studies!
One of my coaching highlights would definitely be when I was given the opportunity to be a team member with “SlapHappy,” which is a growing online slapping community here in the KC Metro area with followers all around the US!
Club Highlights:
16U Fastest of the Fourth Champion (Colorado Sparkler), #47 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100, #23 Outfielder in the Class of 2022, two-time Class 5 state champion (2018 and 2019), two-time All-State Outfielder (2020 and 2021), All-Time record holder for hits in one season (58), All-Time record holder for runs Scored in one season (49) and batted .518 with a .575 OBP, 31 SBs, and 49 runs, Conference Champions, District Champions and Class 5 Missouri State third place as a senior.
How and why did you choose your college?
I chose Indiana University because the moment I stepped on campus, it felt like a home. Coach (Shonda) Stanton, Coach (Kendall) Fearn and Coach (Chanda) Bell and I all share the same fiery passion and intense drive for the game of softball. I knew it was an environment I would thrive in! My future teammates and the players I have been blessed to spend time with over the course of two years have already made me feel so included and like I am already a Hoosier! In all, Indiana has already given me a home away from home and a family that I get to look forward to for these last few months before I head off to Bloomington!
How do you approach the game?
Lion-mode mentality — you have to work to survive! Softball is a game that gives no breaks. You have to work for what you want and I try to instill that into all the athletes that I work with. If you want something, you must make sacrifices to make it happen. My father always taught me that champions are made when no one is watching … you have to put in the work!
The game of softball is tough, you are going to fail more often than you succeed. The important thing is what you do next — will you stay down on the ground or will you get up and keep working? The best athletes are the ones that keep getting up no matter how many times you get knocked down.
How did you get involved in coaching?
I was contacted by some younger athletes in our club and started giving private lessons in March of this year. Following that, my organization reached out to me to be an instructor for SlapHappy. Together with both, I was able to collaborate with some fellow slapping instructors and continue growing my private lessons and now I am coaching multiple slappers ages 7-16! I also recently started working together with our Top Gun Organization and several local indoor batting facilities to provide clinics on base running, infield, outfield and slapping during the winter months.
What’s your area of expertise?
I would definitely say slapping is the main skill that I work primarily with my slappers, but I also work on base running, outfield, and speed and agility. I have been a slapper myself for over 7 years and was instructed early on by another Division 1 athlete. I strive to teach all the athletes that I work with the proper mechanics of slapping, but also how to use their diversity and speed to create chaos in the game of softball.
What are some of your favorite training methods?
Breaking things down! I believe in working from your foundation up, especially in slapping. Your feet are your base and without a solid base you cannot put power behind your swing. I’ve found great success in breaking every part of the footwork, hands, feet and swing down. This creates the best understanding in athletes and allows them to be able to feel and be in tune with every part of their swing.
What is your schedule/routine?
My father owns a Fitness Center, so you could say that routines and consistent regiments have been instilled in me since I was in pigtails. For years, my alarm has gone off at 4:00 a.m. I do my devotionals and eat breakfast, then I am off to the gym to start my workout at 5 a.m. I do 60 minutes of strength training and 30 minutes of cardio, then I am off to school! After school, I hit from 3-4 p.m. I will usually have lessons afterwards, and then I head back home to study and do homework. I take a heavy course load of college and AP courses, so I always make sure I have time for my academics!
Outside of softball, I work two days a week at Chick-Fil-A and it’s a great working experience, getting to engage with leaders outside of the athletic world.
Between softball, school and work, I’m also a big part of my Church youth group! I serve a few Sundays a month on our youth team and you can also catch me working with the children’s or hospitality department!
Is coaching/softball your full-time or “day job”?
Softball is 100 percent my full-time job! Not only do I love it, but I work as hard as I can to be the best I can be in all aspects of the game. Whether that is waking up before school to get my workouts in, spending my afternoons hitting or studying my film to constantly find and fix my areas of weakness.
Coaching is something that comes along with all the work and time I put into softball. My lessons usually take place in the afternoons after school or on the weekends, as I try to get them in as much as possible. I would love the opportunity to work alongside a professional staff sometime in the future much like Gabbi Jenkins did at Indiana University. I aspire to be an Athletic Trainer, but that would be a great experience to have before I get my career started after my time playing softball is done. Or is it?
Did you have a coach or mentor that helped you get started?
Yes! Jenna Rangel, who was a Division 1 softball player at (University of Missouri-Kansas City) and played alongside phenom Kelsey Stewart. She taught me the basics of slapping and gave me my foundation. She showed me that your character is just as important as your athletic skills and how to be resilient through all the challenges and adversities you will face.
What is the best part of your job?
Definitely the relationships, but also seeing the growth and improvement of skills in real time, and knowing that I have made an impact on their mental and physical game of softball!
The worst?
Probably just not having enough times to take on more lessons or work more often with my current athletes!
Do you think softball is in a better place now than 10 years ago? Why or why not?
YES! The amount of support and popularity softball has reached in just the last few years is outstanding. With more and more travel teams arising, there are multiple new opportunities for young athletes to pursue the dream of playing in college. The introduction of leagues like Athletes Unlimited, National Pro Fastpitch, USA softball and the new Women’s Professional League kicking off next year, there is a whole new world of opportunity for college softball players to take their game even further into their prime. This is an exciting time for softball and women’s sports alike!
What other club/and or high school coaches do you admire and why?
1. Coach Traci Black (High School): Coach Black was our assistant and outfield coach for our varsity team at Blue Springs South, and I had the pleasure of working under her for the past four years of my high school softball career. She taught me so much about the game of softball, but also about life. She always reminded me that softball was supposed to be fun, and that I couldn’t be so hard on myself to the point where I was my own biggest obstacle. She showed me what it was like to be a fearless and a fierce competitor, but also how to uplift and encourage others. She was my biggest fan but also the one who pushed me the hardest. She saw the best in me from Day 1 and pushed me to my true potential!
2. Bob Turner (Top Gun — Club): Bob Turner has been my club ball coach since I was 11 years old. He first saw me when I was still hitting front the right side, but saw my defensive skills and had enough belief in me to offer me a spot on his team. Through the years, he has allowed me to discover my own special skill-set while simultaneously pushing me to get 1 percent better each day. He helped build me into the player and competitor I am now and has always worked nonstop for myself and my teammates to make sure we had the best opportunities for our futures. I don’t think I could ever repay him for all the high-fives at third after my triples, or our celebrations after a great catch. It’s amazing having a player’s coach. He’s been my go-to for front toss, work on my outfield angles or just to lend a ear when I’m working through obstacles. He has always been one of my biggest supporters on and off the field. I will forever be grateful for him!
—Carlos Arias, Extra Inning Softball (Follow Carlos on Twitter @Los_Stuff)
