Many Archer athletes and coaches are looking forward to competing in the upcoming winter season as the fall sports season comes to a close. This fall season featured varsity and JV tennis, varsity and JV volleyball, varsity cross country, middle school swimming, cross country and volleyball, all of whom worked through victories, losses and growth through the first months of the school year. Starting in November, basketball and soccer practices and competitions have been in full swing for the winter season, and the Athletics Department is ready to get to work with new and returning athletes.
The Oracle sat down with Director of Athletics Kim Smith to highlight memorable moments from the fall season, the development of Archer’s teams and hear about what Smith hopes to see in the months ahead.
Which teams or athletes showed the most growth during this past fall season?
Kim Smith [KS]: Our cross country program in middle school and upper school showed significant growth. Our middle school team won the PBL Cross Country Championship. The last one [they] won was in 2021, and we had new coaches and new programming, which really helped them to develop not only as runners but as a team. Every single meet, they finished first. The trajectory of their [personal records] was up, and then they finished first in the finals, and it was amazing.
Then, on our upper school team, Isabel Kromwyk (‘29) was our number one runner. The team as a collective finished second in the Gold Coast League, which is incredible — it’s a place higher than last year. They put in a lot of effort, and they showed up. They trained at 6 a.m. at UCLA two days a week, and they trained on Saturdays, and it showed. For them to finish second was huge. They qualified for CIF prelims, and they ran in the pouring rain. Isabel finished 22nd out of 88 runners, and then we finished seventh as a team.
Did you have any favorite moments from the fall season?
[KS]: There are so many to think about. Our sixth grade volleyball team defeated Brentwood to advance to the PBL playoffs. We had a team of 21, and the camaraderie and spirit within that team were incredible. I am really proud of Coach Coleman for creating this incredible team connection and experience where they got to train and compete in the joy of sport.
Also, our varsity volleyball team, when they played Campbell Hall — [they are two] divisions higher than us in our league — we were going point for point with them. They rose to a new level this year, and it was so amazing to see all the heart and skill and hard work to stay in it.
JV tennis — they crushed it this year. They went 6-3 in league, and they came back and beat Campbell Hall in their final match.
I’m just so proud. We had 11 teams competing this fall, and it was so inspiring. Each of them had brought something different to the athletics experience, and we had growing moments, and I feel like we’re stronger for the efforts that they put forth.
How do you handle the logistics of multisport athletes transitioning from the fall to the winter season?
[KS]: We have five cross country runners who are also soccer players. Their commitment is to their fall sport, and so we have them complete that season, and then they join and try out for the soccer team. Some of them, because they trained [cross country] in the early morning, came out and trained with the [soccer] team in the afternoon, when it was appropriate, if they didn’t have a race the next day. But that’s the beauty of being in a small school — we get to work with each of the athletes to make sure that they’re not overtraining, that they’re committed to their fall sport.
Do you have any goals or expectations heading into the winter sports season?
[KS]: We are looking to have an amazing winter sports season. Last season was very challenging with the fires, and it disrupted the rhythm of our season, the team connection and our team’s development. This year, it’s so nice to have our field back, to have our teams be in the routine and the timeline of their development. We’ve got some amazing freshman athletes who’ve joined our soccer team, and we also have some new athletes for varsity basketball. We have full rosters for our basketball and soccer middle school teams — we have two [teams] for each [sport].
How does the athletics department promote interest in and encourage students to participate in winter sports?
[KS]: I think basketball has been a challenge regarding numbers [and] not having a gym. What we’ve done this year is really looked at the attendance at our off-site gym, Park Century, because it’s so far away, and on the days when we have lower numbers, we’re training on campus so students can see us training. There’s visibility there, and they can see [the team] working together and see that it’s a great experience, and maybe they would want to be a part of it. So that’s one strategy of promoting the sport. We work with the team to be able to make sure that there’s a balanced training schedule between travel, academics and being student athletes.
What advice would you give athletes coming into the winter season?
[KS]: Show up. I feel like when you show up, that’s when the magic happens, and just meet yourself where you’re at. That’s a strategy that I love to use. There’s a lot going on, a lot of academic responsibilities, and also looking at giving your best with a team. So really take time to reflect, see where you’re at for that day, meet yourself where you’re at, and then give your best within that.
What long-term goals do you have for improving Archer athletics in the coming years?
[KS]: Change is a process, and I think continuing to build on our efforts, continuing to build on our successes, the small victories that we achieve, and continuing to grow and pass this on to our new students and get them involved, and continuing to provide an excellent experience. That’s my goal, that the student athletes are more confident, stronger and more willing to take risks outside their sport. We love to win, but that is the overarching goal, and I think that’s what separates Archer from other schools.
