Reflecting on Title IX with Bev Smith
05/07/23 | Women In Flight
The famed alumna and former women’s basketball coach shares the impact of Title IX on her career with the UOAA Hawaii chapter
At the annual Ducks on the Beach event last summer, UO alum and former women's basketball coach Bev Smith reflected on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the importance of the legislation, and her personal experiences as a UO and international player and coach.
As a notable University of Oregon women's basketball former player and coach, Bev Smith, BS '88 (human performance), is a well-known figure to many Ducks basketball fans.
Growing up in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Smith lived an active lifestyle with her parents and three siblings. In high school, Smith's skills on her school's undefeated team were noted, and she was named to the Canadian Junior National Team.
From her small town in Canada, Smith made the move to Eugene in 1978, where she followed in her older sister's footsteps to play women's basketball at the University of Oregon. Smith's career as a forward for the Ducks reveled in a 40-1 record, three awards as Northwest Basketball League's player of the year, GTE Academic All-America honors in 1981 and 1982, and the first University of Oregon woman to receive academic all-American acclaims.
Playing at the university only six years after Title IX was passed, Smith played a pivotal role in growing the popularity of women's basketball at the University of Oregon. Her career with the Ducks even earned Smith a spot in the university's inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class in 1992.
Following Smith's celebrated career at the University of Oregon, she played professionally in Europe for 15 years and for her home country, Canada, in the 1984 and 1996 Olympics.
"I've always been a Duck," says Smith. "I've taken great pride in traveling around the world and hearing about the success of this program at the University of Oregon."
After Smith retired from playing basketball, she coached for the University of British Columbia and the Canadian National Team before being led back to her alma mater, the University of Oregon, in 2001. During her time as head coach at the university, Smith was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She coached the Ducks to a Pac-10 Conference record of 61-83 and won the Women's National Invitation Tournament Championship in 2002.
"There is a big difference between coaching and playing," Smith revealed in an interview with KMTR. "You really have to break things down and you have to coach and find a way that each and every one of your players learns."
Following her career as the university's head coach, Smith assistant coached the Canadian National Team to back-to-back gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games and the FIBA Americas, then to a spot at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Smith now resides in Eugene and is managing director at Civic Park and executive director of Emerald KIDSPORTS, where she helps children in the Eugene area learn the value of fitness, integrity, and teamwork through sport.
As a notable University of Oregon women's basketball former player and coach, Bev Smith, BS '88 (human performance), is a well-known figure to many Ducks basketball fans.
Growing up in Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Smith lived an active lifestyle with her parents and three siblings. In high school, Smith's skills on her school's undefeated team were noted, and she was named to the Canadian Junior National Team.
From her small town in Canada, Smith made the move to Eugene in 1978, where she followed in her older sister's footsteps to play women's basketball at the University of Oregon. Smith's career as a forward for the Ducks reveled in a 40-1 record, three awards as Northwest Basketball League's player of the year, GTE Academic All-America honors in 1981 and 1982, and the first University of Oregon woman to receive academic all-American acclaims.
Playing at the university only six years after Title IX was passed, Smith played a pivotal role in growing the popularity of women's basketball at the University of Oregon. Her career with the Ducks even earned Smith a spot in the university's inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class in 1992.
Following Smith's celebrated career at the University of Oregon, she played professionally in Europe for 15 years and for her home country, Canada, in the 1984 and 1996 Olympics.
"I've always been a Duck," says Smith. "I've taken great pride in traveling around the world and hearing about the success of this program at the University of Oregon."
After Smith retired from playing basketball, she coached for the University of British Columbia and the Canadian National Team before being led back to her alma mater, the University of Oregon, in 2001. During her time as head coach at the university, Smith was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She coached the Ducks to a Pac-10 Conference record of 61-83 and won the Women's National Invitation Tournament Championship in 2002.
"There is a big difference between coaching and playing," Smith revealed in an interview with KMTR. "You really have to break things down and you have to coach and find a way that each and every one of your players learns."
Following her career as the university's head coach, Smith assistant coached the Canadian National Team to back-to-back gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games and the FIBA Americas, then to a spot at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Smith now resides in Eugene and is managing director at Civic Park and executive director of Emerald KIDSPORTS, where she helps children in the Eugene area learn the value of fitness, integrity, and teamwork through sport.
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