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Zena Kaeda
Sometimes 25.
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Zena Kaeda
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Zena Kaeda
For the athletic I'm Zena Kaeda and this is the Athletic Women's Basketball show presented by Michelob Ultra. Welcome back to the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. Shout out to our sponsor Michelob Ultra for providing a space in which we can talk basketball. And today folks, I know we've been talking about it. We want more guests, we want more people that are in the space and we have an amazing one. Joining me today, the head coach of the California Golden Bears women's basketball team, Charmin Smith. Charman, welcome to the show.
Charmin Smith
Thank you. I'm really excited to be here, so thanks for having me.
Zena Kaeda
Of course. I mean, the second that we learned that we would have an opportunity to kind of talk about your journey and your career and your team, it was like, oh, 1000% when season gets going, we got to get her in. I think that there's a lot of people, especially in the Bay Area, probably very familiar with your play as a player. Right. You played for Stanford. You're a Bay Area person in that regard as far as like a personality in the Bay. But I really don't think people have an appreciation of like everything that you've done since playing for Stanford back in the day. So I want to give you a moment to kind of just like walk through your basketball experience. Coming from St. Louis originally as a native and then coming to play for Stanford, what happened in the time that you were there and then going forward?
Charmin Smith
Right. I mean, it has been a journey. You know, coming to Stanford really for me was about using basketball as a means to get the best education possible. I'm a nerd 100% and love it, you know, and I didn't know that basketball would be a part of my life in this way. Right. So I'm just trying to go to college and compete at the highest level and get the best education. And at that time, like, Stanford was the school where you could do both. It was really the only school at that time where you could have what we refer to as the best of both worlds. And so I went to Stanford plan on majoring in civil and environmental engineering, did that. And I was actually on a five year plan. And then the summer of my junior year, after my junior year is when the whole we got next thing happened and the WNBA popped up. And so I was like, wait a minute, you know, like, I can play basketball professionally and I don't have to go to Germany or somewhere to do that. So I really like accelerated my academic course load so that I could graduate in four years and then try this basketball journey or professional journey. And it was a challenge. You know, I played in the ABL with the Portland Power for a year, and then I spent several kind of like training camp opportunities trying to make a WNBA roster. And it wasn't until summer of 99 that I made the Minnesota Links. I made that team and was so honored to play with, you know, Katie Smith and coach by Brian Agler. And it was just cool. I'm like, oh, my goodness. I'm a professional basketball player.
Zena Kaeda
That's crazy.
Charmin Smith
Yeah, right? Making $25,000. That's all I made.
Zena Kaeda
But like, hey, it's money. It's money.
Charmin Smith
So, you know, I'm doing this, this wnb, and because I am a nerd, I was getting my master's at Stanford in the off season, like, going back and, you know, so I have my master's in civil and environmental engineering, because I'm still thinking I'm going to be an engineer. I'm going to build bridges. And after Minnesota, I got picked up by Seattle in the expansion draft and had the honor of playing with Lauren Jackson and Edna Campbell and so doing some fun things there. Then I get kind of comfortable. I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm going to be a WNBA player. Like, this is cool. I don't know, was it 2003 when Seattle Drafte this point guard, you know, because I was a tall point guard, right, Trying to get Johnson, but they drafted this point guard by the name of Sue Bird. And I'm like, cool, I get to play with Sue. And they're like, nah, you're cut. So, you know, quickly, it was kind of like, it was, like, over. And I was like, man, I really don't know what to do. I was actually, like, trying for some engineering positions and really good opportunities. And on those interviews, I was nauseous, dizzy, sweating. Like, get me up out of here. I am not ready to walk away from basketball. I just. I can't let go of the game yet. So I'm back at Stanford working basketball camps, and, you know, I was talking to Tara. I was like, I don't know what I want to do. Tara. Like, I can't play anymore. She's like, well, Charmaine, I think you'd be a really good coach. And I was like, what? Like, no way.
Zena Kaeda
I know.
Charmin Smith
Like, I'm not you. I don't want to coach. Like, no, no, you really need to give it a try. And so, you know, Tara made a phone call. And that September, I was at Boston College coaching with Kathy Inglese, who's an amazing coach, unfortunately passed away a couple years ago. But that first season of mine with Kathy, we went on to win the Big east tournament, upsetting Diana Tarazi's UConn Huskies, knackered Rutgers, you know, beat them, and we go on to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. And this is my first year. I'm like, oh, this coach is kind of Cool. And then that May Tara called and said, come back home. So I went to Stanford then as an assistant coach. You know, spent time back at my alma mater for three years as an assistant coaching Candace Wiggins, Brooke Smith, some really good players. Ras Golamude was my first group. How about.
Zena Kaeda
Yeah.
Charmin Smith
And then it was just kind of like, okay, I've been at Stanford. I know Stanford. I know, you know, the Stanford way of coaching. And I need to challenge myself to get outside my comfort zone and. And do something different. And it just so happened that the position that was the best for me was, you know, at the rivalry school right across the bay. And I've been at Cal, you know, for 16 years now since. Since that move. And I really love it. And it's different, it's really challenging, but I'm really set on making this work and being successful as the Cal women's basketball head coach.
Zena Kaeda
You know what's so crazy, folks? She just walked through, I mean, history, right? That journey just crosses over so much women's basketball history right there. Name dropped. A few people we may. May not know, right? But you left things out. You had other stops along the way in the business part of NBA, working with NBA Entertainment. You've worked in relations with the Seattle Storm. Like, you've had other roles. I want to go back and, like, go through this journey again from a mindset perspective, because it's very interesting to see you be kind of at the beginning of everything, right? Particularly when, like, the WNBA is launching. You're a player at Stanford. How did you know that you could be good enough to make it to this new league or, like, you know, going to the abl, even before the.
Charmin Smith
Wnba, you know, I'm not sure that I did know. You know, no one thought that I was good enough. I just want to do it. Like, basketball is my passion, and it's where I felt good. It's where I felt happy. The basketball court, in the classroom, you know, and I played on a Stanford team. We went to three Final Fours, you know, I started my junior and senior year, but I averaged, I don't know if you looked at it, maybe two, three points a game. So I was supposed to be an engineer, but on my senior team, we had nine players on that roster that played in the wnba, including myself. So think about that every day in practice, I'm going up against the K Starvers, the Jamila Wymans, Olympia Scotts, like, all of these players that if, you know, you know, right? And we were really, really good. And so When I got to training camp, I knew how to work and I knew how to compete because I had to earn my spot.
Zena Kaeda
This was your daily experience in college?
Charmin Smith
Yeah, I earned my starting spot. Nobody thought I was gonna, you know, play at Stanford even. There are times when like, oh, do. Do we register? You know, those types of things. And I was like, no, I'm going to figure this out. I'm going to find a way to do it. So when you get into training camp, and I'm not talking about taking Katie Smith's spot, I'm talking about even being like the 11th, 12th at that time, we had 13 players being that 13th player on the roster. It's not about you, and it's about making Katie better every day, making your teammates better, doing what the coach wants you to do, and being selfless in that role and really being able to push. So if that's like, I'm not letting this kid touch the ball. I'm not letting this young woman touch the ball all practice. That's my only job. That's all I get to do. I'm happy doing that. And I think out some people who may have been all Americans, all this, all that, because they don't know how to do that role. They don't know how to do that job. And so that's my spot on that WNBA roster. Right? You can fight for Katie's spot, you can fight for Sue Bird spot. But. But that's my spot right there. And, you know, I think that's why I was able to be successful in, you know, three years and some in the league. I'm proud of that.
Zena Kaeda
You should absolutely be proud of that. I think there is something about the way your brain is wired because number one, civil engineering. What Hard, okay people, seriously hard focus category, like career, type of thing to do, and then being able to say, you know, let me get my classes finished early so that I can make it to something that's going to be even more competitive. And then I want to fast forward to, like, when you had that conversation with Tara. And if you don't know who Tara is, it's okay. It's all right. This is a welcome space. Tara Vandiver, head coach of Stanford. Multiple, Multiple. Multiple champions and Olympians and WNBA players under her roster and tenure over the years. But when you had that conversation with Tara, someone that has seen excellence come through her program, someone that is an excellent coach, someone like her being like, you'd be a great coach, like, what does that feel like to have someone like her Kind of bestow that. Like, yes, you green check. You should go coach.
Charmin Smith
Yeah. At that moment, I really wasn't feeling it. You know, I needed a job, income, but I didn't understand coaching. Right. So you say, like the civil environmental engineering piece. I wanted to build bridges, right?
Zena Kaeda
Yeah, yeah.
Charmin Smith
And it took me a long time to realize that as a basketball coach, and particularly as a head basketball coach, I am building bridges every day and how I impact the lives of young women. Right. So for me, like, growing up in a household, and it wasn't like my parents were on me about, you have to be doctor, lawyer, engineer. But, like, that was my mindset. Like, those are the professions. Right. Doctor, lawyer, engineer. And I was good at. So I'm going to be an engineer. I'm going to be an engineer. And it took me a long time, even, you know, years into being an assistant to understand the value of a coach and the impact that you have on that young person's life and really appreciating this role and understanding the importance. And since I've gotten that piece, then it's like, yes, I want to do this extremely well and be all that I can be for my student athletes.
Zena Kaeda
Oh, that is so special. And I do want to dive into particularly the pride that you take in your student athletes, who you recruit, how you recruit, what you encourage your student athletes to do. Because it is beautiful, I think, the standard that you set for your student athletes. But before we get back into that, I still want to talk about this mindset aspect, because outside of the world of basketball, you have shown that your mindset is one of grit and one of discipline, I would say, in a particular sport, Muay Thai. So tell me about this venture into this other space of Muay Thai and, like, what led you to wanting to practice that and do it really well?
Charmin Smith
Yeah, what, seven or eight years ago now? And I was, like, just searching for some things to occupy me. I stumbled into yoga for a little bit. I was taking guitar lessons, and I walked into this kickboxing gym, and I just really wanted to work out. Like, I wanted to sweat, you know.
Zena Kaeda
Yeah, yeah.
Charmin Smith
And so I'm, like, hitting the bag, doing stuff. And this guy kept coming over to me and trying to correct me and coach me. I was like, look, I'm just trying to work out. Like, let me be, you know, fast forward. Like, he's an amazing coach who's been my coach now for, you know, over seven years. And he's taught me not only the art of Muay Thai, he's taught me patience. He's allowed me to really feel good about the discipline aspect and how I'm invested in that. And you know, Muay Thai is scary. It's hard, it's extremely challenging. And it's another way for me to get outside of my comfort zone. Remember what it's like to be that student athlete and be challenged in ways that are fearful and to build confidence and strength. Right. Like, I walk differently since my Muay Thai training days, right. I. My shoulders are higher. Like I just have this, this strength and confidence about me now because I know that I can handle myself and I can conquer those fears. And it really has changed my life and I think it has made me a much better coach as well.
Zena Kaeda
So anyone out there, if you're thinking about looking into it clearly, there's some positives right there. I think that's beautiful. I also heard that a lot from women that take self defense classes or take some sort of like any sort of kickboxing or boxing classes, that they feel better about the way they walk through the world because they, like you said, you can handle yourself, you can defend yourself. And those disciplines have a lot of discipline to them, right? You do learn those elements. I imagine these things are things that you pass on to your, your student athletes as well. Being able to pass on the principles of Muay Thai for sure.
Charmin Smith
And you know, like the hard workouts that I have to do when I'm in fight camp and I'm going at 7am and then I go to work and I come back and go to the gym at 6:30pm and work out and you know, monitoring my diet and what eat so that I can make weight. Like all of those things are like reinforcing that discipline aspect. And then also like my first fight, like she beat up on me, you know, she beat up like experiencing, you know, even, even that failure and learning from things and adjusting and like where you need to be better and not being afraid to like get back up, right. I thought I would only do one and then, oh, this ain't so bad, you know, Now I'm ready to go again and like, it's like, I won't be defeated. I can keep fighting even if it doesn't go my way. Like, I'm going to keep coming back for more.
Zena Kaeda
Y'all just snaps. You can't see me, but I'm just snapping because dropping gems right now I'm in my mind, I'm just thinking like, I can't imagine who I would be if I would have Gotten an opportunity to play for you because I had a similar experience of like being a student athlete that was a student first. I was a nerd. Any big time school that recruited me 1000% was recruiting me for the purpose of balancing out their GPAs. That was like, it was that, okay, I was on the Dr. Route, you know, I was pre med type of thing. And so I definitely understand wanting to have a balance. I think now in comparison to the time when you were going school, there are more of those best of both worlds schools. Right? There are schools that value academics as much as they value athletics and see how both can help propel the school. So it's cool to be able to see you kind of being one of the very few from back then of being at a program like that. And now when you look at where you are now, you're at Cal and there's so much around that, right? Obviously, best public school in the country, like amazing public academic institution and also really, really good athletic institution within a very good athletic conference. And we're going to talk about where that's going to go in a little bit. But you are also in the hotbed and the birthplace of resistance when you think about the Bay Area and what it represents in terms of various movements throughout the course of history. And I see in the work that you do and the things that you advocate for in the way that you recruit not only your players, but even your coaches, this means a lot to you as well, in the way that you, you move about as a coach and instilling that concept of caring for others, being mindful of how others move through the world. I want to ask you to like, kind of talk a little bit about how your activism and your just knowledge of you as a human being in this world, you've been able to use this platform as a head coach, how that has been able to kind of, I guess, come to life, you know, come to fruition through your coaching work.
Charmin Smith
Yeah, it's definitely one of the things that I feel obligated to take advantage of as a head coach. Like, I must use my platform in the ways that I can. And again, some lessons I learned back at Stanford. The year that we had Hurricane Katrina, I was. Was very frustrated and disappointed with our government's response. And I came to work every day and complained about it. And like, I don't understand. This is ridiculous. They wouldn't let this happen in Beverly Hills. Why don't we care about these people? I can't stand, like, this country's really Pissing me off, right? Like, I was angry and, like, hurt, and I just kept complaining about it and. And Tara said to me, well, Sharman, what are you going to do about it? Yeah. And yeah, I was like, what? Like, what do you mean, what am I gonna do about it? Like, I'm just pissed off. She's like, well, what are you gonna do about it? And that hit me and it has stuck with me ever since. And at that point, me as an assistant coach at Stanford, I got some help to organize the Katrina Assist pledge program. And for that season, we raised money. For every assist that we had, people would pledge a certain dollar amount. And we raised $18,000 that went to Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild a home there in that Katrina area.
Zena Kaeda
Amazing.
Charmin Smith
And, you know, $18,000, like, it's not enough to help with everything that was happening, but it was what I could do as an assistant coach at the time, right?
Zena Kaeda
It's something. It's something. And that's what matters. That's amazing.
Charmin Smith
And so, you know, moving forward, that has been what I ask myself every single time, right? Murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor. What are we going to do about it? What are we going to do about it? And I remember being on the Zoom call with my players because of COVID and we were supposed to be talking about basketball or something and like, I couldn't, I couldn't. And I was like, I'm sorry, guys, I just don't have it. And they were like, we don't have it either. And it was like a big cry fest. And, you know, we were just really emotional. And then I said to them, what do you guys want to do about it? And I said, hey, if it's nothing, I understand, but I got to ask this question, right? I will support you if you want to do something. And two days later, I had a six page Google document from our team. Kylan Crocker and Sierra Richie took the lead. And in addition to a list of requests for our administration, it also started the Racial Justice Council, a student athlete organization that was to basically educate and have difficult conversations within our athletics community. And a lot of other things came out of that that I'm extremely proud of.
Zena Kaeda
Right?
Charmin Smith
Didn't just say, oh, this sucks, right? We tried to do something. And even moving forward from that, we still have our Race for Change, an annual 5K that we walk around Lake Merritt and raise money for our DIBJ office that's run by Dr. Ty Douglas. We've raised over 20,000 DOL. His department this year, John Carlos was a special guest for the walk. That was so hard. Yeah. Like, I got to meet John Carlos. And, you know, from the 68 Olympics, standing on the floor.
Zena Kaeda
Yeah. Oh, I'm putting my fist up right now. That's crazy.
Charmin Smith
And to me, like, I'm getting chills now. Like, meeting John Carlos, that's like. You think about civil rights, you know, he embodies it. Yeah.
Zena Kaeda
From a sports perspective, especially. I mean, as soon as you said that, I was like, like, yeah.
Charmin Smith
So that type of acting. Right. Yeah. You know, think of, like, Colin Kaepernick, like, people who have really sacrificed and put everything on the line. Right. You know, I just have a lot of admiration and respect for that and trying to do my part in whatever I can to. To enact change. So we have the race change. I then rebranded the Cal Classic, which is our tournament that's been around for decades, and it is now the Raising the Bar Invitational. And that tournament features four black female head coaches every year.
Zena Kaeda
Wow.
Charmin Smith
And I really want this thing to blow up.
Zena Kaeda
Right.
Charmin Smith
We got to do our part in helping to, you know, elevate the basketball part, because the bar stands for basketball activism and representation.
Zena Kaeda
Yep.
Charmin Smith
And this is a big thing for me. And, you know, we're hoping we can get more sponsorship and such to where raising the bar becomes a huge thing. But that's just some examples of some things that. That I've tried to do at Cal to just bring more awareness and continue having the conversations surrounding social justice.
Zena Kaeda
I absolutely am in awe of everything that you've been able to galvanize, produce, generate as just a result of just you being authentic to who you are and your emotions and being in touch with. I don't like this. From all the way back to the Hurricane Katrina to the moment now with, you know, with your. I'm imagining you, your players. I think about the James Baldwin quote where, you know, he says he loves it. I'm gonna botch this. But the general just says, like, I love America more than any other country in this world. And for that reason, I insist on the right to perpetually criticize her and be able to make her better. And I think that you are instilling a positive way in which your team can look at the situations around them if they're dissatisfied with it. Not just be dissatisfied, but do what Tara told you. Do something about it. Right. Don't just complain. Do something about it. Help your country be better. Help your communities be better. And it's really, really cool that you've Been able to instill this, raising the bar. That is super dope. We definitely want to highlight that and make sure that we talk about that as it happens. And when is that actually.
Charmin Smith
So it is the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving this year, coming up soon.
Zena Kaeda
Okay, cool. I'm very, very excited for that. I just think that that's necessary in the space. You know, women's basketball is just growing right now. The visibility is growing right now. And so being able to get a visibility on something like this is awesome and really, really cool. So now we've talked about all of this amazing stuff that, you know, being a head coach and being a basketball player to now being a head coach has been able to kind of platform you and be able to give you opportunities to inspire others. Let's actually talk about your team who are off to a great start. Right. And I want to ask you about last year. In coming into this year. Last year, you guys had a tough record and it wasn't probably the finish that you wanted. And I'm curious how your team that was coming back decided to approach this year and their off season, their training, you know, what's the mentality going into this year that have you guys starting out with some wins?
Charmin Smith
You know, we have seven returners, six newcomers. And the number one thing is that this team wanted it to feel good. And I'll get into why that's important. Right. Last year was rough. It did not feel good. I don't know that everyone enjoyed being around everyone all the time. I think this summer, as we were even thinking about who we're bringing in, the returners were like, but, like, are they going to be good culture kids? Like. Like, those are the questions I was getting. I was like, look, I'm gonna bring them here and then you gonna feel it out, right? You're gonna feel it out and you're gonna tell me. And I think we just really hit it on the head with having really good people who want to be here at Cal, who want to be coached by me, who want to be a part of something that is building and not all the way established. And so we have that in the people that we brought in. And then we have veterans who are extremely hungry and want to get it right as they end their career, right? So it's a great blend. You know, Mikayla and Marta coming from Tennessee and Gonzaga, like winning programs, like they are dogs. They bring a winning mentality. Ioana Kremele, coming from usf, being one of the best shooters in the country has filled a scoring void that we would have had. We've got a freshman in Lulu Twidel from Australia who's just amazing energy and you know, a great shooter. So we've got some really, really good pieces that we've added into, you know, what we had with Leilani McIntosh, the fifth year senior who's running the point for the fifth year in a row and Michelle, you know, who's been a presence on the low block. So really good pieces that, that fit well together from a chemistry standpoint. And now we're just working on the basketball piece and like who likes the ball well and who should shoot when and those types of things.
Zena Kaeda
And that's what I think that you know and just looking at how your team has performed and also looking at your roster, I do like the balance of having players that have some consistency throughout the program, that know your system, that know, you know how to set the tone, but then also being able to add some three point shooters. I mean Mikayla had what like in her last game, like seven three pointers or something. It was like insane the amount or maybe I think it was total as a team. You guys had that, but she was like three for three. That's huge. Especially when you think about, you know, your performance last year and your numbers from last year. Being able to have that from an offensive perspective but then also again being able to have someone that's like, this is how we do things here. This is our, this is our, you know, our standard and this is how, you know, Coach Smith wants us to run and how, you know, we want things to go. I'm curious like when you think about like your schedule and particularly as you get ready for Pac12, that is packed, I mean like no pun intended, but packed with talent this year. Interestingly enough, right before this conference is supposed to disband and go to these different places, it's kind of like one last final showing. What do you make of your preseason schedule and in preparation for the Pac12 tournament?
Charmin Smith
Yeah, you know, we've got some matchups coming up in our non conference schedule that, that are going to be very challenging and what I want is to see us continuing to progress right into the team that we need to be. It can't happen overnight. I wish it could. You know, I've said that we're not where we want to be in terms of accomplishing our goals, but we're where we need to be and that we are three and oh, and that's really important. We can play better. We can definitely play better. And I think this team has the potential to be much better. Now you talk about our record last year, right? 13 and 17. It's not a great record. But if I were to tell you that 15 of those 17 losses were to top 25 ranked opponents.
Zena Kaeda
Right.
Charmin Smith
So we weren't a bad team. We just weren't a top 25 team yet. And I think is us getting over the hump and winning some of those close games that we didn't pull off last year against some really good teams, some top teams in the country. Right. We've got to have those go our way. And you know, it's just building and building and stacking the habits and getting ready for what we know will be a really challenging conference play.
Zena Kaeda
Yeah, you got Auburn coming into the building. I thought it was very interesting you scheduled Gonzaga as well. I'm like, okay, I see the revenge game. I see that. Let me play my old school. Like, you know, there's. I like that. I like that energy. I had that happen even my, my freshman year. I originally signed to play at Delaware and I eventually went to Yale after I found out I got in. And we definitely played Delaware two years in a row. We got our butts beat because they had someone named Elena Deldon. But that's, you know, just like casually showing up and we were like, you were supposed to be at UConn, but I like that. I like, like the little competition there. But I am very excited for the strong start that you guys have had. I love the vibes, being good on the team. I think that's a wonderful thing to have, being able to mesh these two groups together. And I would say, you know, my last question to you, when you think about what looks like a winning season to you and there's obvious question is like winning the NCAA tournament, you know, or maybe it's just getting to the Pac12 tournament or whatever it is. I'll say winning tournaments is out. Let's not make that the basic answer. What's a winning season like for you outside of winning those big time titles?
Charmin Smith
Yeah, we want to get back to the NCAA tournament. This team wants post season play. We want postseason play beyond the Pac12 tournament. That's our goal. And you've got to work really, really hard to accomplish it in a very challenging conference, you know, so we got work cut out for us. Need to stay healthy and we all know what we're striving for. We want to be back dancing.
Zena Kaeda
Dancing right before Pac12 breaks it up and goes. It's different ways man, Charmin. Hell, I want to play for you right now with my bad knees. I have enjoyed this conversation so much. I'm so grateful that you were able to join us. I wish you all of the luck, all the great luck this season. We will be watching, supporting you guys and hoping that you guys continue to just keep growing as you mentioned, and get back to dancing in March. Thank you for taking the time. Good luck at your game and we appreciate you joining the Athletic Women's Basketball show.
Charmin Smith
Thank you. It was great. Appreciate it.
Zena Kaeda
No problem. All right folks, that is all from us today. Thanks for tuning in. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast. We'll be having another show coming up. We're just having one show for Thanksgiving week by the way, so just putting that out there on the radar. But appreciate you guys tuning in again for the Athletic. I'm Zena Kaeda encouraging you to keep listening, keep learning and keep loving the game because that's the only way we're going to keep growing it. Until next time.
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Podcast Summary: Charmin Smith, A Woman of Many Talents
Podcast Information
Timestamp: 04:55
In this episode, host Zena Keita welcomes Charmin Smith, the head coach of the California Golden Bears women's basketball team. Charmin shares her excitement about joining the show and dives into a comprehensive discussion about her extensive career in women's basketball, both as a player and as a coach.
Timestamp: 05:39 – 13:43
Charmin recounts her journey from being a native of St. Louis to playing collegiate basketball at Stanford. She emphasized the importance of education alongside athletics, stating, “Coming to Stanford really for me was about using basketball as a means to get the best education possible” (06:29). Despite her academic pursuits in civil and environmental engineering, Charmin accelerated her coursework to graduate earlier and pursue a career in professional basketball.
She discusses her tenure in the American Basketball League (ABL) with the Portland Power and her eventual entry into the WNBA in the summer of 1999 with the Minnesota Lynx. Charmin shares her humility about her earnings in the league, noting, “Making $25,000. That's all I made” (08:01), yet she expresses pride in her role and contributions on the court.
Timestamp: 14:39 – 25:44
After her playing career, Charmin transitioned into coaching, influenced by mentor Tara Vandiver, the esteemed head coach of Stanford's women’s basketball team. Initially hesitant, Charmin realized the profound impact coaching could have, both on her and her players. She reflects, “As a basketball coach, and particularly as a head basketball coach, I am building bridges every day and how I impact the lives of young women” (14:52).
Charmin details her early coaching experiences at Boston College under Coach Kathy Inglese, where they achieved significant success, including winning the Big East tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. This success led her back to Stanford as an assistant coach before eventually taking the helm at Cal, where she has been leading the Golden Bears for 16 years.
Timestamp: 21:11 – 25:26
Charmin passionately discusses her commitment to activism and social justice within the realm of athletics. Inspired by events such as Hurricane Katrina and the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, she emphasizes the importance of taking actionable steps rather than merely expressing frustration.
She shares, “We tried to do something. And even moving forward from that, we still have our Race for Change, an annual 5K...” (21:11). Charmin highlights initiatives like the Katrina Assist pledge program, which raised $18,000 for Habitat for Humanity, and the creation of the Racial Justice Council at Cal to foster education and dialogue within the athletics community.
One of her notable projects is the rebranding of the Cal Classic to the Raising the Bar Invitational, an event that features four Black female head coaches annually. Charmin states, “The bar stands for basketball activism and representation” (25:13), underscoring her dedication to elevating both the sport and social consciousness.
Timestamp: 16:26 – 19:07
Beyond her professional commitments, Charmin delves into her personal pursuit of Muay Thai. Initially seeking a means to stay fit, she discovered a passion for the martial art that has significantly influenced her coaching philosophy. Charmin explains, “Muay Thai is scary. It's hard, it's extremely challenging. And it's another way for me to get outside of my comfort zone” (16:44).
Through rigorous training, Charmin has developed greater confidence and discipline, traits she seamlessly integrates into her coaching. She remarks, “Just one stick and 16 ounces of water hydrates better than water alone because Liquid IV is powered by LIV Hydroscience...” (18:20), illustrating how her personal growth translates into her professional role.
Timestamp: 27:51 – 33:09
Charmin provides an insightful overview of the California Golden Bears' current team dynamics and strategic approach. With seven returners and six newcomers, she emphasizes the importance of fostering a positive and cohesive team culture. “Last year was rough. It did not feel good,” she admits (27:51), highlighting the team's focus on rebuilding and enhancing their collective morale.
She discusses the blend of experienced players and fresh talent, such as Mikayla and Marta from successful programs, and Ioana Kremele, an exceptional shooter from USF. This strategic recruitment aims to balance continuity with new energy, ensuring the team is well-equipped to compete in the challenging Pac-12 conference.
Charmin also addresses the upcoming Pac-12 tournament, acknowledging the high level of competition and the team's aspiration to advance to the NCAA tournament. “We weren't a bad team. We just weren't a top 25 team yet,” she reflects (31:35), expressing confidence in the team's potential to overcome obstacles and achieve postseason success.
Timestamp: 33:09 – 34:04
Wrapping up the conversation, Zena Keita commends Charmin for her multifaceted contributions to basketball and social justice. Charmin reiterates her commitment to leading the team towards achieving their goals, emphasizing resilience and continuous improvement. “We want to get back to the NCAA tournament. This team wants post season play,” she affirms (33:09).
Zena expresses her admiration for Charmin’s authenticity and drive, concluding with well-wishes for the team's ongoing success and impact both on and off the court.
Conclusion
Charmin Smith's journey from a dedicated student-athlete to a passionate coach and activist exemplifies the profound impact one individual can have both in sports and the broader community. Her commitment to excellence, social justice, and personal growth serves as an inspiring model for aspiring athletes and leaders alike.