In the high school sporting world, a Division One scholarship is the most coveted prize possible. It is a sign of hard work, dedication to a craft, and the ability to perform at a high level of competition. North Atlanta’s very own Charlotte Smith has checked all those boxes on the diamond. She has officially achieved legend status in the Warrior Softball program but her journey around the bases isn’t over yet. The softball prodigy is only a junior and has already committed to a top school in Georgia Tech, throwing heaters from the bump as a pitcher on a Division One scholarship. Although Smith may be operating at the top of her game now, she wouldn’t have succeeded just due to talent. It took hustle, hard work, and a supportive older sister to get to where she is today.
The typical interests of a child include the likes of toys and television, but Charlotte Smith was different. Smith spent most of her days on the diamond working towards a future in softball. Her love for the game can be attributed to the guidance of her older sister Cece whom she still idolizes today. In fact, her first time playing competitive softball was as a fill-in on her older sister’s team, a spark that ignited a fiery passion for the sport. “Cece has always been a big inspiration in my life,” Smith said, “I learned a lot from just going to her games and practicing with her.”
From the very beginning, Smith knew softball was going to be a massive part of her life, and that idea came with a dream of going D1. Luckily, she also knew that dreams don’t come true without a work ethic. So, for the past ten years, Smith has embraced a life of tournaments in the middle of nowhere, having practice whether rain or shine, and spending hours on the road with a travel ball team. Now committed to Georgia Tech, Smith can breathe a sigh of relief knowing all her hard work has paid off. “There were definitely struggles but there were also a lot of amazing moments,” Smith said, “I had to take the good with the bad and stay focused on my goal.”
With one and a half more high school seasons ahead of her, and many more in college, Charlotte Smith is excited for what’s to come. It’s safe to say that her journey around the bases is just getting started.
