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Heart Of A Coach
Charlotte Smith
Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach
University of North Carolina
Selected Struggle: WORRY
Dictionary definition: “To torment with cares, anxieties, etc: trouble, plague.”
My definition: “Not trusting God completely.”
What has helped me not to worry? The book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren.
Favorite Scripture that deals with worry: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” – Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Why I chose this verse: “One of the things I worry about the most is the future. So, I remind myself of Jeremiah 29:11. I have to trust and believe that even though my circumstances might suggest otherwise, God does have a perfect plan for my life—a future and a hope. Many times we get so consumed with our lives and trying to figure it out ourselves that we fail to realize we have to commune with Him in order to know the plans He has for us.”
How I handle worry in my life: “I like to write a lot. Last year when I was playing for the Indiana Fever, my dad was sick with cancer; and I remember being in my apartment and feeling like I was about to break down. I released my worries and expressed what God had spoken to me by writing a song. The first couple of verses say, ‘Lord, every time I take my eyes off of You, I am like the disciple Peter; I sink into a sea of despair. Sometimes circumstances overwhelm me. A delusional perspective to the point of not knowing You are there. The pressure’s mounting and the water is rising to my knees. I am trembling from the fear of all my unfulfilled needs. And just when I was drowning in my failure to believe, You stretched out Your hand and offered Your grace to me.’
| “Sometimes we get so consumed and worried about the success of the team when really we need to be teaching them how to live successfully.” | “So, when I feel like I am being overwhelmed and am worried, I go back to this song where it says ‘I gotta keep my eyes on You, the One who gives me sight. Keep me grounded in my faith and remind me it is all right.’”
How I handle worry within coaching: “We have become so anxious to know what is in store for us and God’s plans for our lives that when it is not unfolding, when we are walking in the dark, we start to worry. And in coaching, everybody’s goal is to hopefully win a national championship; and when you fall short of that, you sometimes feel defeated.
“I think one of the greatest quotes is from Kay Yow, who said, ‘Living successfully beats becoming successful.’ Sometimes we get so consumed and worried about the success of the team when really we need to be teaching them how to live successfully. That is the most important thing, and it glorifies God.”
About the Coach: Charlotte Smith is in her sixth season as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina. In 2006, she helped lead the Lady Tar Heels to their eighth Atlantic Coast Conference championship and an NCAA Final Four appearance.
Widely known for her roll as a star player at UNC from 1992-95, Smith is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Tar Heel women’s basketball. The 6-foot forward was named the National Player of the Year by ESPN in 1995 following a 2,094 point/1,200 rebound career. After graduating, Smith played eight seasons in the WNBA before retiring in 2006.
FCA has been part of Smith’s life since she was in high school. She continued her involvement through college and the WNBA by attending and speaking at area Huddles and Game Day rallies, and she currently helps with the UNC FCA Huddle. “FCA helps me, as a coach, to keep things in perspective,” Smith says. “It helps me to remember that the most important thing is that we are making an impact in the lives of these players for the Kingdom.” 
*For more stories about faith and sport, visit www.sharingthevictory.com, the official magazine of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Photo courtesy of Jeffery A. Camarati/UNC Athletic Communications
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