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Smith a True Leader as Dedicated Rower and Captain for Guilford Crew

Generally speaking, Addison Smith was on the same plane as her peers when she started rowing. It’s a tough sport to pick up, and it takes a lot of precision, focus, and physical strength to succeed in it. Having no youth opportunities to get involved in it, and not knowing a lot about the art of steering a boat for a long period of time, can be a challenge for some when they first begin their journey in the sport. However, Addison accepted that hurdle head-on and has since made quite the mark in the water.

“No one really comes in with background experience since it's such a unique sport,” Addison says. “Everyone starts with a blank slate. You can really build yourself from nothing.”

For Addison, rowing didn't come naturally. So much of it was unique. But over time, she grew more comfortable, as she gained more knowledge and learned of different strategies to help succeed in the races.

“Now it's really muscle memory,” Addison says. “It feels natural. Rising to varsity, I learned to concentrate on my technique.”

Addison's skills developed to a point in which she is now one of the most accomplished rowers Guilford High School has to offer. She's a captain of the girls' team, and she is a vital contributor both in terms of leadership and representation as a rising senior.

Just like with any sport, it has taken a lot of commitment and dedication to get to where she is. Addison competes as a rower from September through October, then again from March through May. In between, she trains extensively indoors.

“Spring is the season where all of our hard work from the past year accumulates,” Addison says. “It's the most official season; our rowing has a purpose. We have a common goal of competing at the regatta.”

Addison loves the camaraderie that comes with competing. In an eight-person boat, so much is dependent on each individual rower. One person can be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful race, and it further highlights the importance of teamwork and having constant communication.

“All seats play a crucial role,” Addison says. “Each person relies on certain skills. It takes everyone's set of skills coming together in a unique way to make a successful boat. It relies on everybody being in sync. I definitely feel a lot of responsibility for myself and for my teammates. You need to be individually motivated, but once you get on the boat, you have to put all individualism aside.”

Addison's introduction to the sport of crew came the summer before her freshman year of high school via the Learn to Row program. She'd been doing gymnastics, but the commitment was becoming too much. In her mind, rowing offered a better balance, and it gave her an excuse to have beautiful days on the water while getting great exercise in the process.

Once she got to high school, it didn't take Addison long to acclimate to the boat. Guilord rowing Head Coach Matthew Wilson admired her eagerness to grow and improve from day one, and it’s something that’s helped tremendously in her overall development. This go-to attitude she’s displayed in her entire tenure helped her to quickly gain the trust of her peers and Wilson, and she was able to rise up the ranks instantly.

“As a freshman, Addi wanted to learn every aspect of rowing,” Wilson says. “She listened and learned the various techniques and methods needed to be a productive rower. She quickly understood the commitment, dedication, and hard work needed to contribute to the success of the boat she was rowing in. As a result, she was the team's most improved rower as a sophomore and made the first varsity boat.”

From there, Addison’s only continued to improve. As a junior, she helped Guilford to a sixth-place finish at the spring regatta. Her contributions as a captain haven't gone unnoticed, as Wilson believes she served as a role model to her peers by keeping her head on a swivel and always challenging herself to reach new heights in the water.

“She is verbal when she needs to be and leads by example in all aspects of the program,” Wilson says. “She is always one of the first rowers to every practice and team activity. She worked extremely hard during winter training and set stretch goals for herself, both in workouts and in the boat.”

A majority of Addison's time is spent, of course, between in the water and in the gym. Typically, training consists of rowing on erg machines. She is constantly thinking about what she can do to put herself in the best position possible to succeed.

As she starts to think about the future, Addison enjoys the sport of rowing enough to continue it in college, even if just on the club level. She already has a few schools in mind, such as Duke, North Carolina, UConn, UMass and Dartmouth, but she isn't quite ready to make a decision. That will come in time.

For now, Addison - who is interested in majoring in environmental science - is focused on finishing high school on a high note. Given the projected age of Guilford's roster, she is bullish on the team's chances next spring.

“We are looking to push ourselves really hard (next season),” she says. “We feel a lot of potential from ourselves. We were happy with sixth place, but we also see a lot of improvement.”