Today we’d like to introduce you to TC Smith.
Hi TC, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Since I was five and got handed a basketball, I loved it! The game, the crowds, the lessons it taught and the fulfillment it gave me. I grew up in many different cities but was born in Chicago, Illinois. My eldest cousin, Big Ben, may he rest in peace, was a general in the Chicago gangs and he would have me on his shoulders as he delegated jobs but most importantly he wanted to show me that this wasn’t the life to lead, that there was always grit to go along with the polish of life. So because of him, at eight years old I was playing street ball with grown men. It embedded a drive for the game and with that, I wanted to play all the time no matter what; I’d rollerblade and dribble, I’d go outside and shoot for hours. Nothing could get in between me and my ball. Fast forward to 6th grade; I was the top-ranked player in Atlanta, GA with the goals to play college and pro basketball. But, due to some unfortunate circumstances we suddenly moved to CA. I was mad , because I missed out on multiple opportunities to play with high-ranked teams and train for the Junior Olympics.
Although I still got placed on high-ranking AAU teams in Northern California, it was much different as I found myself facing a different type of adversity and jealousy for my talent. Heading into high school was where my passion and drive got tested and where I was no longer the big fish. I had to push through the negativity and jealousy that surrounded me from not only my teammates but my coaches; refocusing my energies to working harder at Alameda High School. My high school career wasn’t what I wanted, but my love for the game and the goal of playing college didn’t change. After high school, I attended Texas University but shortly after transferred to Levelland, Texas to a JC called South Plains. The very school Sheryl Swoops played for and where I went through some of my darkest times. Physical fights with teammates, harsher and more derogatory discrimination from my coaches; all I wanted was to play ball but had to throw in the towel since it was no longer safe for me to do so. I left Texas and came back to Northern California to play at San Francisco City College. There again my love and passion was tested but I kept pushing through and we were the runner-ups in the CCAA State Finals. But there too was rough and abusive like the other schools. I always had coaches that tore me down, so after playing two years in SF and the amounting of pressure over the years, I had enough of the abuse, jealousy, favoritism and politics; I quit. Passion gone, drive gone, I was pissed. The game I loved so much let me down.
But wait this is where it gets good…
I moved to LA to start film school, a much different direction than basketball, but low and behold life had its own plans for me. In 2014 I got hired as the Head Varsity Coach at Reseda High School and had the first opportunity to change their varsity girls’ program. Little did I know that I’d get a team full of bad attitudes, high tempers, fighting, and headcases. But this wasn’t because they were bad kids, but kids who were told they wouldn’t amount to anything more than a bad apple. So something just clicked between me and those girls and I started to fall in love with the game again. As a coach, teaching these young women how to behave, how to handle themselves and adversity; I became a mentor, a relatable, reliable figure in their minds that they could count on. I’d tell my kids, and still do, all the time we are family and this court is a safe place. I knew I didn’t want to be the type of coach that I grew up with. I wanted to be better, a dependable positive light that would help shape them to be more than they ever expected. In 2018 we won our first CIF Championship, something no one ever believed these ladies could accomplish, and from that Cobras El1te was born.
In 2019, I created an LLC that focused on All male and female student-athletes that not only lacked confidence but lacked the ability to see the possibility of what this game could give them outside of the sport. I wanted to create a program that focused on building better players on and off the court, leaders of tomorrow. After leaving my mark at Reseda, I accepted an offer to help change the Athletics Program by being the Head Varsity Coach at Ramona Convent Secondary School, a private all-girls Catholic school. I’m entering my 4th year and I am fired up more then ever to coach at this school and be a part of this community. Alhambra is where the school and Cobras run out of; here has strong Asian and Mexican American communities and I not only want my Cobras program to be influential, I too want Ramona to be a school that not only has stellar academics but a very competitive basketball program.
As a POC woman and both my programs being right in the middle of this area, I am certain to make a change. One thing I want to share, as my journey within basketball has had many ups and downs, it has been my greatest honor to have an impact on the many children I’ve coached/mentored over the years via my high school teams, my travel teams or my clinics. As I get to see the beautiful and impactful individuals they are in this world; and I am honored to say that every child that has played under me has gone to college to strive for a better future. My life’s mission is to use my failures and successes to create lessons that help the youth one dribble at a time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s never been an easy road, with home life unstable at times and the Constant moving from city-state, never staying in one spot. The constant abuse, jealousy, favoritism and politics; within the basketball world things weren’t easy.
Currently getting the word out to people about who I am and what I represent is a challenge as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Cobras El1te is a training and travel basketball company. Cobras stands for Creating opportunities by readying athletic and personal stability.
I want your readers to know that this program isn’t about stats or having your child as just a number; this program is about family and helping nurture your child’s strength and confidence in whatever sport or academics they strive for. Cobras El1te provides a competitive and safe environment where children can learn and compete without the scrutiny they may find in life.
One of the things I am most proud of is that I have the opportunity to mentor so many amazing kids who are all different in personalities, learning styles, likes and dislikes, but I have been entrusted by their families to play an important role in their lives and development. I am honored that both kids and parents have found me and my organization a place that they consider family.
The second most proudest thing I can say with pride is that all of my kids play on their respective school teams and they not only excel on the court but excel academically! All of my kids work extremely hard to be academic scholars; they all understand that as their coach and mentor, I do not play when it comes to their school work.
So to go with that my third most proudest thing that comes from my organization and mentorships is that all of my high school graduates graduate with honors, awards, scholarships and go to college. This is something that truly makes me smile and beam with immense pride!
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters the most is that I’m helping the next generation be more well-rounded and helping them strive to be the best versions of themselves on and off the playing field.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cobraselite.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/cobrasel1te
