There are 25 sports teams at Carlmont across three different seasons. Hundreds of Carlmont students represent the Scots as athletes. Behind the operation is one man running the show: Carlmont’s athletic director, Patrick Smith.
In January 2009, Smith took the job as Carlmont’s athletic director, in which he oversees and manages all of Carlmont’s sports teams.
“As athletic director, I do a number of different things, but I am basically overseeing all sports and everything related to sports and Carlmont High School. I meet with coaches, hire coaches, oversee sports clearances along with Ms. Eggli, work with the athletic trainer with sports injuries, confirm our schedules, make sure we have officials, and ensure field space is utilized by different teams equally,” Smith said.
Sports have been a part of Smith’s life since his childhood. He attributes his lifelong interest to the rest of his family’s dedication to athletics.
“I had older brothers and an older sister that played sports and it was a sports-focused family, so I played of course,” Smith said. “As a kid, I played pretty much everything in organized teams: football, basketball, tennis, baseball.”
Since he left the field as an athlete, Smith has found his place on the team as a coach and director. At Carlmont, he coached football, basketball, badminton, and golf before accepting the role of athletic director. Before his time with the Scots, he worked at Richmond High School as a basketball and football coach.
Not only does Smith act as director for the athletic department, but he also teaches sports leadership. Smith’s sports leadership class aims to help students hone their leadership skills in the context of athletics.
“In class, we read stories about different leaders and find how that can apply to us becoming better leaders,” said sophomore sports leadership student Riya Ohri.
While leadership is the main focus of the class, Smith’s curriculum also allows students to pursue their own passions in athletics and gain hands-on experience toward their goals.
I had older brothers and an older sister that played sports, and it was kind of a sports-focused family… I just continued to stay involved after high school with coaching and officiating and the natural evolution of where I was going.
— Patrick Smith
“We have a robust sports photography program where those photos are posted on our website. We have a couple of students that work with our athletic trainer because that’s an interest to them,” Smith said. “We also do some sports reporting.”
The sports leadership class is not only beneficial to students who take the course but also for all Carlmont athletes.
“I have a seventh period and it’s nice to know that the field and supplies will always be set up by sports leadership,” said junior soccer player Delfina Bianchi.
Looking to the future, Smith hopes every Carlmont student can enjoy athletics, whether on the field, in his classroom, or cheering in the stands.
“We always try to add things that we’re missing out on to cater to more people or just make it a more inviting place,” Smith said.
