Smith signs with Birmingham-Southern

Chelsea Smith (center) signs her scholarship to play at Birmingham-Southern College. (RECORD PHOTO/ALDO AMATO)

By Aldo Amato

Staff Reporter

MADISON — Though the Lady Patriots basketball team only had forward Chelsea Smith for one year, they reminded the young star that once a Bob Jones Patriot, always a Bob Jones Patriot.

Family and friends gathered at the school on May 14 to honor the senior forward as she signed her letter of intent to play at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham.

“What a great school and they are lucky to get you Chelsea,” Principal Robby Parker said. “You are going to do great there and we are very excited and very proud for you.”

Head Coach Danny Petty thanked Smith’s family for raising the talented forward the right way adding that her upbringing is what made her a wonderful teammate.

“You all did a tremendous job raising her and she is a very sweet girl,” Petty said. “She’s almost too nice for basketball. She’s a great team player and teammate and she represented her family and Bob Jones really well.”

Smith thanked everyone involved in her long road to a college scholarship but singled out one very special man who sat to the right of her at her emotional press conference, her father Terry.

“He’s my right hand man and he’s meant so much to me and that’s why he’s sitting to the right of me,” she said. “He believed and trusted me when I didn’t trust myself, lifted me up when I hit rock bottom and pushing me to be everything I’ve wanted to become.”

“It means a lot because she’s been through a lot,” Smith said. “Being able to help her when she was down means a lot and watching her signing this scholarship for not only athletics but academics as well means so much.”

Smith said Chelsea plans to major in nursing and that he is not finished giving her tips on life and her game.