MAKING HER POINT VALENCIA'S SMITH STEPS UP IN LEADERSHIP ROLE FOR VIKINGS.Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer VALENCIA - Tamaiya Smith knew there would be added pressure as the sophomore starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point terminus a quo commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the guard on last year's Valencia High girls' basketball team. Smith already has proven herself to be more than capable of handling the responsibilities. She was averaging 10 points and 4.1 assists for Valencia (10-8, 1-1) entering tonight's game against Foothill League favorite Hart. Her experience on the varsity team In the United States and Canada and UK, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, or high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of last season helped her become a better player but didn't prepare her for the leadership role. A year ago, she played behind Valerie Pina, a league MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. who has graduated. Now, she is on her own. ``I wasn't really a leader last year, playing behind Valerie Pina,'' Smith said, ``I wasn't expected to be (a leader). (Now) I have to make sure everybody gets the ball during the game, things I didn't have to worry about last year.'' After a midseason call-up from the junior varsity team For the American rock band, see . In sports, usually at the high school and college levels, members of a team who are not the main players in a competition (such as a football or basketball game) are called junior varsity players. last season, he scored his team's last seven points in a victory over Saugus that clinched a share of the league title. She led the Vikings with 20 points in an opening round playoff loss to Crescenta Valley The Crescenta Valley is a small inland valley in Los Angeles County, California. Its name derives from its crescent-like shape, with the convex portion facing roughly northeast and the concave portion southwest. . Her leadership abilities, she says, ``was an issue with the seniors in the beginning of the season, but now I think we're at the point where everybody just plays; nobody thinks about it anymore.'' ``It's different playing with seniors,'' Smith said, ``it was kind of intimidating in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. , but I just ignored it.'' But it's been hard to ignore how well she's done since replacing Pina. ``She's good at what she does, she's really good at what she does,'' junior forward Tiana Anderson said. ``I think for her age and how young she is, she keeps her head really well.'' Smith said she learned a lot from watching Pina, noting her ability to always keep teammates involved. Smith has developed her own leadership style. At times she'll use a no-nonsense approach to let her teammates know they need to step up their efforts. Senior forward/guard Rashae Minor has been a vocal proponent of Smith since day one. Even when Smith stumbled. ``Everybody makes mistakes,'' Minor said, `` `Let's give her a chance', I'd say. She's a great ballplayer and I think she's the best point guard we have. She's ready and I think she's doing really well so far.'' A standout perimeter shooter, Smith is accurate from anywhere within 20 feet of the basket. She's a good spot-up shooter, shoots well off a dribble and possess ballhandling skills Valencia coach Jerry Mike said are as good as any he's seen at the high school level. ``She's quite a player,'' Mike said, ``I forget all the time that she's only 15.'' Originally from Detroit (she moved to the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. when she was in fourth grade), Smith wants to return to her home state and play at University of Michigan (body, education) University of Michigan - A large cosmopolitan university in the Midwest USA. Over 50000 students are enrolled at the University of Michigan's three campuses. The students come from 50 states and over 100 foreign countries. . She's considering a major in psychology. And the basketball court, she says with a smile, gives her a chance to get ``in people's minds.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Valencia's Tamaiya Smith has emerged as one of the area's top players, both as a scorer and a playmaker play·mak·er n. A player in a sport with goals, such as a guard in basketball, who initiates offensive plays. play . Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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