According to Wikipedia, passion is when someone “denotes strong and intractable or barely controllable emotion or inclination with respect to a particular person or thing”. Passion is key to making connections and inspiring people no matter who they are. Jake smith might as well put passion in his name because his passion for educating and inspiring not only students, but also young basketball players in our community is out of this world.  

Although I don’t play any sports, sports are a big part of my life. I’ve met and seen many different kinds of coaches and players, but Smith has been one of the only ones who truly has the passion and loves what he does. 

Smith is a former UWS basketball guard, setting records and inspiring while being there. He then moved on to become Head coach of the varsity Basketball team for nine years. After leaving the varsity team as head coach, Smith decided he wasn’t done with his coaching career quite yet.

“Basketball has been such a big part of my life, so the moment my playing career was over i realized i still wanted to stay apart of the game somehow.” said Smith 

So Smith decided to start coaching a young Superior basketball team, along with a Playmakers north team, both teams with some of the same players. 

Smith is not only an inspiring coach but also an inspiring teacher. He teaches ninth grade math, where he also uses coaching tactics in the classroom which helps him build the relationships with kids that will last forever 

“It’s been a breath of fresh air coaching these young kids after my playing days were over, it’s a way to still stay connected to basketball while helping out these kids,” said Smith.

The first time I met Smith he was coaching my brother and his team at a basketball tournament. In Between games the player, coaches, and parents all hangout before the next game. Jake instantly welcomed me to talk to him, and not only talked sports with me, but also how other things in my life were going. 

When Smith interacts with people, whether it’s a player, student, or other adult, he is always making them excited to come back and talk to him the next day. 

“The relationships with the players, there’s nothing better than that, getting to know guys and being around them.” said Smith 

My dad Ed Schultz, has been coaching with Smith Since 2021. They have turned into the best coaching buddies that go to each other for everything. My brother Nate Schultz has been playing under their wing since they started coaching.  

“He has a very big passion towards the game of basketball and teaching these young kids, and that’s inspiring for everyone.” said Ed Schultz 

Everytime my dad and my brother come home from practice or a game, they instantly start talking about Smith. They usually are saying something about how enjoyable the game was with him after a big win or a new drill they love that he showed at practice. 

“He’s a very caring person, who cares about every single kid. He enjoys every kid and is always trying to make them better.” said Nate Schultz.

But not only is Smith impacting his players, but also his former students and his current students. Those kids leave his class feeling cared about because Smith makes sure to go above and beyond for them. 

“He always went the extra mile, and worked with you, and worked with you to understand the content to the best of your ability. But he was also interested in learning about every student’s life. He made the class fun and enjoyable as a first year high schooler.” said junior Nolan Bird, Smith’s former student. 

Whether it’s smiths players or students he wants them to feel like they are a part of something, to make them feel welcome. Relationships with these kids are a key part of how he connects so well with them. 

“Just talking to the kids at practice, like when we get there I try to make a point to go over to each kid, give them a high five, put my arm around them, ask them about their school day, how their weekend went as if we didn’t have a tournament. But just going above and beyond for the kids whether it’s my students or players.” Said Smith 

The impact that he has not only made on the young generation but also the superior community is something we will all remember forever.