Hey Jerry When I think about what his scoring record means to me its just how blessed he is to have the many people who has helped him along his journey!
His mother and I have been there through the good times and bad times! We tried to give him the tools to be successful, but it was Bryce who had to put it into action! His older brother spent countless hours putting him and his Braden through grueling workouts.
There were days where he would not let Bryce quit until he made 1000 shots! Not shoot 1000 shots, but make 1000 shots! That is no exaggeration! It could take up to 12 hours! His AAU coaches wiuld put their trust and the ball in his hands! His coaches: I cannnot say enough about Coach A. There has always been a special bond between him and Coach A. Coach A believed in Bryce and Bryce would rather run through a brick wall than let Coach A down. Finally, there is Coach Richardson! Kris always keep Bryce in check. Yes you can score points, but lets discuss all the things that you need to get better at! Defense, Turnovers, Making the right play! Being a leader out there! Keeping your ego and attitude in check especially when things dont go your way! Kris and I have gone rounds since they first started AAU! We didnt always see eye to eye but he had a vision! The Varsity boys basketball team under him and Coach A are currently 40-3! I have to say that would probably be the vision he had for them. The all time leading scorer for Carroll County girls is the exceptional Allyssa Ervin! Now Bryce is the all time leading scorer for the Carroll County boys! The two of them have one thing in common! They both were coached in 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade by the same coach, “Kris Richardson” Is that a coincidence? I think not!! So proud of both Bryce and Brayden! They bring out the best in each other with their relentless competitiveness! My hope for Bryce, as his father, is that this accomplishment is about more than just basketball!
Its about setting goals and going after it! If you work hard and stay determined and humble, you can achieve great things in life! Proud of my sons!
Russ summed up his thoughts by reaching back out to add to his Thank You 🙏 list…
Jerry so sorry, but I can’t leave out two other coaches who have helped Bryce out in this basketball journey, please add Casey Burcham and Chuck Thompson to the list of coaches. They both have put in alot of time and trust in Bryce through AAU!
It takes a village is a common phrase nowadays but when it comes to the list of people that played a role in mentoring Bryce Smoot along the way, its seems appropriate !
My lasting takeaway from the day that my Baseball ⚾️ Hero, Greg Maddux went into Cooperstown, the Professor took the time to credit his 6th grade Coach who taught him how to throw a Curveball three decades earlier.
Being in a position to be a Mentor comes in all shapes and sizes, so sieze the opportunity because you never know just who you might be mentoring ! In this case it was the future Carroll County High School 🏫 Boys leading scorer.
A.S.P.N on The Hill 