Smith-Padmore making excellent strides

Jada Smith-Padmore is determined to accomplish her dreams both on and off the squash court as she continues to chart her course as a sophomore at Hobart and William Smith Colleges where she proudly represents that institution.

The 19-year-old said that attending Hobart and William Smith Colleges based in Pulteney St, Geneva, New York is one of the best decisions she has made to date and spoke very highly of her coach Pat Cosquer and teammates most of whom are from Egypt and Ecuador.

“My first year for the semester I had to spend it remotely in Barbados and before I even got to the physical campus it was good, the professors and staff were accommodating and understanding due to Covid. There were different protocols all over the world that some people couldn’t make it there in time for the start, so they were very understanding of the entire situation.

“So, when I got there in January 2021 for the second semester in sport it was a new experience, a new environment but it also felt somewhat familiar because they groomed me to feel welcome before I was even there and I would say this semester even got better because I was more accustomed to the environments. I met new friends, became more independent and knew everything to do. I just felt more comfortable,” Smith-Padmore said.

The former 2020 Barbados women’s squash champion told Barbados TODAY that Hobart and William Smith Colleges was not her first choice but the aspiring clinical psychologist explained that so far, she has seen the benefits of pursuing her dreams as a student athlete while there.

Currently pursuing a double major in psychology science and writing rhetoric with a minor in health professions, Smith- Padmore explained, “It was not my first preference but it was definitely one of my top choices because I was in communication with the coach and I really liked his approach towards coaching and squash in general. I also spoke to former squash players on the team.

“Gabriel Fraser of Guyana, who played in CASA (Caribbean Area Squash Association) was one of my first matches when I first started playing for Barbados back in 2015. She graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges where she was the captain of the squash team before I joined. She really helped me to get there because she told me a lot about the team and I really liked how close the team was. They were there for each other, they studied and helped each other academically, they helped each other in terms of work and squash.”

She added: “I think being at Hobart and William Smith Colleges has helped me physically where squash is more accessible than being here in Barbados where you have to book the courts, over there the courts are available 24/7 and it has helped me because I have more time to train, I have more time to develop on my weaknesses. I also have more time to get in the gym, I have more time to solo and I think that has helped my game because I saw improvements in the control of my game and my overall development in the sport of squash.

“Mentally I think it has helped me with match practice and match play and it has helped me to understand myself when I am on the court, it has helped me to understand the concepts of the game that I probably did not get before and helped me to go back onto the court after the match and know where to go after that. Even when I lose a match, I know this is what I need to work on, this is what I need to do going forward.”

A member of the victorious Barbados team that attended the 2018 Junior Pan Am Games, Smith- Padmore who attended Christ Church Foundation School and Combermere,noted that she is always available to represent the Barbados Squash Association and her country when called upon.

Given the fact that Smith-Padmore is expected to graduate in 2024 and therefore will spend most of her time in the United States during that length of time, she thanked her parents, twin sister Jodi Smith- Padmore and close friends who have always been there to support her especially during the times when she misses home.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb