Panther Legacy #2: Darcy Nelson Smoot

Darcy Nelson Smoot (‘02) is the technician. Crisp passes, excellent form, and court-awareness were only some of Nelson Smoot’s skills that allowed her to make a large impact during her time on Pinewood’ Girls Basketball team.

   While Nelson Smoot’s father played lacrosse at Princeton, there were not many women athletes she could look up to. 

   “I remember my mom telling me she didn’t really have opportunities to play sports, even when she was in high school,”  Nelson Smoot said.

   Despite this barrier, Nelson Smoot began her basketball journey in fourth grade by playing in her local YMCA basketball league. When she joined in junior high, Pinewood was not as well known for basketball, but she was able to play then and eventually in high school under Coach Doc Scheppler.

   “I loved the competitiveness of it but also more-so the team aspect,” Nelson Smoot said.

   Scheppler nicknamed her the technician because of her high IQ, but she also described herself as a collaborator on the court—always making the right decisions with her teammates.

   “She was a joy to coach. A team player, all in, very smart, and had a great sense of humor” Scheppler said. Her skills helped Pinewood to rack up some impressive wins in the regular season. One of these wins, against number one ranked Marin Catholic, was Nelson Smoot’s favorite Pinewood memory during her senior year. The game went to double overtime. 

   “It was the scrappiest game I can remember. It was really hard fought and hard won,” Nelson-Smoot said.

   Another core memory of hers was in 1999, her freshman year, when Pinewood won their first ever Division V State Championship. They won by more than 40 points, and the entire school rode on buses to Sacramento to cheer them on.

   “No other school would do that. It's really special,” Nelson Smoot said. “These are huge core memories for me that I’ll always have.”

   Unfortunately, the road after Pinewood was not as smooth. Nelson Smoot went on to play basketball at Swarthmore College, but stopped after two years.

   “I was so disillusioned because I had such a great experience at Pinewood… but there were some events that I recognized during sophomore year were not for me,” Nelson Smoot said. Leaving the team allowed her to travel abroad and explore new opportunities, but basketball never fully left her life.

   “I can’t actively play it anymore, but I love coming to see Pinewood’s games,” Nelson Smoot said. She coaches her two young daughters, and thinks it's important for young girls to have mentors to look up to.

   Her message for current players?

   “Beyond the grind, there is nothing quite like the joy of this game, especially when you play for Doc,”  Nelson Smoot said. “Embrace every moment, because these lessons and friendships are ones you will carry with you forever.”