Avery Smith '24 Recruiting Profile

HARD WORK BEATS TALENT, WHEN TALENT DOESN'T WORK HARD!!

This has been my mantra for my entire cheerleading career. It hangs on my mirror every competition, as well as my door in my room. I am not unrealistic in my personal thoughts on my abilities; however, I do know the one thing I can control is my expectations of myself and the depth of the dedication and hard work, that I exert to become the best version of myself. My parents are an integral part of who I am, and they have instilled this into my psyche since I was little. Following this mantra has led me to numerous successes both on the mat and in the classroom. The past 3 years have taught me how important it is to balance academics, athletics and life in general. My hard work has paid off academically as I am a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club, and am currently ranked in the Top 12% of my class (68 of 562). I was selected and chosen to represent my school at the Arkansas Governor's School in July 2023, as well as being nominated for Girls State, which was deferred due to my commitment to Governors School. Balancing all of this along with my family, who are my biggest champions reinforces my mantra.

My journey to today began at the age of 5 in a basic gymnastics class, where I immediately enjoyed the idea of "flipping" around. Shortly after, I was asked to try out for a cheer team and that's when my passion for cheer began to take off! I have cheered Level 1 to Level 5 and have been fortunate enough to be on teams that set the bar for my home gym, Rock Solid Elite! My first year we finished last at NCA and I believe that is when the fire was lit under me! I was so upset as I saw others win those amazing jackets, and I was determined that I wouldn't be in that position again. Over the course of the next several years, as our teams' skills continued to advance, we began to win multiple competitions, including advancing to THE ONE in New Orleans and taking home third place (2014). The following years I was part of the first teams to go to and win multiple US Finals and in 2016 my most proud moment on the mat finally happened...WE WON NCA!! We did it! Being part of these teams doesn't exist without hard work and yes talent, but as you know hard work is the critical piece to the puzzle. I began my high school cheer career in the midst of Covid. I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting our teams and have enjoyed both the sideline and competitive side of high school cheer at Little Rock Central High! I have enjoyed my leadership roles as both a co-captain and captain. 

One thing that I believe makes me stand out is my commitment to working with special needs cheerleaders through Rock Solid Elite Angelites. This has been a passion of mine for the past 5 years. Working with these kids has taught me love, patience, kindness and has improved my communication skills with both them and their parents. Watching these kids work and overcome their own challenges only reinforces my mantra of...HARD WORK BEATS TALENT, WHEN TALENT DOESN'T WORK HARD!!