| Monday, May 16, 2005 |
Smashey living her
dream
Bill Knight
El Paso
Times
She
pursues the elusive dream, an endless summer of chasing that little
yellow ball, an athletic dream- chasing quest.
Kaysie Smashey
has come full circle this week, returning home to El Paso for the
10th annual Jaxon's Restaurant $10,000 USTA Women's Satellite
tournament at Tennis West Sports and Racquet Club. The former
Franklin High School and University of Texas star has circled the
globe and found nearly every tennis court in the United States --
Australia, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Florida, Midland, Mich., Memphis,
a swing through California, then over to the south, hitting Augusta,
Ga., just before the Masters golf tournament, then storming through
the rest of the south like Sherman ... Mississippi to Alabama to
Louisiana to North Carolina.
And now home. And now El
Paso.
"It does get hard at times," the personable 25-year-old
said. "You miss your family and friends. But I try to surround
myself with good, fun girls. Sometimes you need a break --
physically, mentally and emotionally. You have to balance it. But
it's my livelihood, and this is my chance to do it. This is
something I've wanted to do since I was in high school."
And
Smashey is now making progress in a difficult, talent-laden
profession. Tennis is a world-wide sport, with never-ending
tournaments in all parts of the planet. The ranking system goes from
No. 1 in the world to well over 1,000 in both singles and doubles.
Smashey has reached the threshold in doubles, being ranked No. 152
in the world. She is on the verge of bigger tournaments, bigger
paydays ... that dream within grasp.
"She's had remarkable
success," said self-proclaimed tennis nut and sponsor Chip Chase of
Kerrville, Texas. "She started off as someone without a real strong
financial backing. It costs $100,000 a year to travel on the tour.
It is just very tough to have enough money to hang on long enough to
even see if you've got it. She's done quite well and she's lucky
now, finding a few people to help sponsor her."
Smashey's
amateur tennis resumι is golden: Texas high school state doubles
champion in 1996 and 1997, Texas high school state singles champion
in 1998. She was ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation in doubles at
the University of Texas. She also won an ITA Scholar Athlete
All-America award and graduated with a degree in business from
Texas.
"This is my time," she said, flashing the ever-present
smile. "I'm not married, no family, finished college. As long as I
enjoy it, I want to continue."
Smashey now has played in some
WTA events, mingling with the stars of the tennis world. She also
has been drafted to play in the World Team Tennis league in
July.
"I'll be playing for the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers," she
said. "There are two girls and two guys on each team and a marquee
player. Our marquee player is Lindsay Davenport. We play Houston,
who will have Steffi Graf. Martina (Navratilova), John McEnroe and
most of the current big names will be playing in this. There will be
women's doubles, men's doubles, one men's singles match, one women's
singles match and mixed doubles. This is going to be exciting. You
not only get a salary, but there are opportunities for
bonuses."
This will be just another stop -- albeit a
whirlwind, star-studded, exciting stop -- for Smashey in her endless
summer of dream chasing. One thing about Smashey, though. She takes
a bite out of life, getting the full experience in every
stop.
"I can't believe the girls who just go and play
tennis," she said. "For example, we were just in Lafayette, La. I
went to a crawfish festival, took part in some portraits and even in
a fashion show. There are so many different cultures everywhere --
not only around the world, but in the U.S. I am in a position to
experience these and I'm not going to miss it. I'm going to enjoy
it."
Chase said, "It is difficult for most people to
understand how hard a job this is. You are on the road constantly.
There is some glamour, but mostly you are just on the road, worrying
and trying to keep your head straight. There are so many good
players out there. It's just hard. The initial reward does not
compensate for all the work.
"It's kind of like the American
dream. Thousands try, but only a tiny few get there. And I think
Kaysie has a good chance -- especially in doubles. There is a good
chance she could get in the top 50 in the world. And, in the end,
she is doing what a lot of people would love to do ... pursuing that
dream."
It is only May in El Paso. But it is always summer,
always tennis season for Smashey. Next is Houston. Then maybe
Dallas. July, of course, offers the excitement of the World Team
Tennis.
The chase continues. The summer is endless. The dream
always out there -- perhaps getting just a bit closer every
day.
Smashey, though, seems to have everything in
perspective, enjoying the journey, knowing the journey is everything
... knowing the endless summer of chasing dreams really is her
dream.
Bill Knight may be reached at bknight@elpasotimes.com;
546-6171.
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Yasmin A. Aboytes / El Paso
Times
Kaysie Smashey will
take part in the Jaxon's Restaurant $10,000 USTA Women's
Satellite tournament this week at Tennis West Sports and
Racquet Club. |
Make plans
What: Jaxon's Restaurant $10,000 USTA Women's Satellite
tournament.
When, where: Begins Tuesday, concludes Sunday, Tennis West
Notes: Ex-Franklin and University of Texas player Kaysie Smashey
will take part in the tournament.
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