Lindsay Smith ’03 Serves Up Hall of Fame Career

Lindsay Smith '03 first picked up a tennis racket in Enid, Oklahoma, where her early passion for the sport quickly set her on a competitive path that would carry her far beyond her hometown.

Her prowess and commitment brought her to Trinity University, where she was a member of the highly successful Tiger women's tennis team from 1999 to 2003. Over those four seasons, she earned All-America recognition every year and was a key member of Trinity's 2000 NCAA Division III national championship team.

That legacy of excellence will be formally recognized on October 17, when Smith will be inducted into the Trinity Athletics Hall of Fame during Alumni Weekend.

"Being a member of the tennis team gave me a sense of pride and purpose," Smith says. "It gave me structure and the responsibility that a carefree 18-year-old needed! Coaches Butch Newman '65 and Ryan Takao '96 were such positive mentors who truly led by example. I also looked up to the upperclassmen on that team-players like Amanda Browne (Parrilli) '00 and Lizzie Yasser (Barnett) '02."

Smith spearheaded Trinity to four Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) championships and an equal number of NCAA appearances. A member of the SCAC 15th anniversary team, Smith also qualified for the NCAA singles championship four times and reached the quarterfinals in 2000. In 2001, the Tigers were NCAA team runners-up.

Newman, himself a member of the Trinity Athletics Hall of Fame, coached Trinity's men's tennis team from 1986 to 2009 and led Trinity's women's team from 1991 to 2008. He became director of tennis in 2009.

"What made Lindsay so special was twofold: her quick rise to the top of her potential as a person and as a player and her gritty competitiveness that could always find a way to win," Newman says of his former charge.

Newman referred to Smith as "Scrubby."

"It fit her playing style and she could always find a way to 'clean the clock,' so to speak, in beating her opponents," he says.

Smith earned a bachelor's degree from Trinity in communication in 2003. She went on to Logan University in St. Louis and obtained a master's in sports science and sports rehabilitation in 2013.

These days, Smith has multiple roles with Vetta Sports in St. Louis. Her main position is directing adult tennis programs out of two facilities. Smith teaches private lessons, runs numerous clinics, and is captain of the ladies interclub league. She is also the coordinator and scorekeeper for the entire interclub league in St. Louis.

Smith started her teaching career as an assistant pro at the San Antonio Country Club. She says she owes that opportunity to current Trinity men's coach Russell McMindes '02 , who was also a teaching pro at the club. She later served as an assistant men's and women's coach at Maryville University from 2017-2021.

"First and foremost," Smith says, "I attribute my preparation for these roles to the relationships that I built over my four years at Trinity. The long-lasting friendships, my coaches, and my professors really gave me the tools to survive the working world."