Missy Smith is the head girls track coach and assistant cross country coach at Westmoore High School. She enjoys being able to make an impact on the lives of the athletes she coaches and says her entrance into the coaching profession was just being in the right place at the right time.

“It was a lucky conversation overheard by Scott Monnard at a softball field one night,” she recalled. “I was talking about my past and about hurdling and high jumping for the University of Oklahoma and he realized Norman High needed a high jump coach. A few phone calls and interviews later, I was starting my coaching career at Norman as the jumps coach. I’ve never looked back and never been so happy that I took the opportunity.”

With thirteen years of coaching under her belt, Missy is in her first year at Westmoore. She says that coaching is something that she loves to do and it is about more than just wins and losses. 

“The best thing is watching an athlete grow beyond their successes in track,” she said. “While it’s always amazing to see an athlete hit a new personal record or achieve their goal, it’s even better to see them use that success to push them in life outside of track. Growing confidence in everything they do and learning what it’s like to be just as tough and strong in all aspects of daily life.”

During her time in sports, both as an athlete and as a coach, Smith has picked up many things along the way. 

“Through my years as an athlete and coaching I’ve encountered many different coaches and it’s easy to say that I’ve been influenced by all of them,” she said. “Whether it’s high school or college, good or bad. They have all, in some aspect, made an impact and molded me into the coach I am today.  I’ve learned when to be tough and push an athlete to their limits, but I’ve learned that sometimes an athlete just needs to hear that you’re proud of them. Every athlete is different and I’ve seen how my coaches recognized and adjusted and I’ve tried to mimic that in my coaching.”