Smotek selected to inaugural U.S. Olympic Safe Sport board of directors

Writer: Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259, b-fannin@tamu.edu

Contact: Connie Smotek, 979-845-5446, csmotek@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – Two-time Olympian skeet shooter Connie Smotek continues to give back to the sport both as a youth coach and by serving in a national advisory role.

Recently, Smotek was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to serve on the inaugural U.S.  Center for Safe Sport board of directors. According to a news release, the U.S Center for Safe Sport is an independent nonprofit organization spearheading a pioneering effort to address abuse in sport.

“It’s quite an opportunity and I’m honored to be selected,” said Smotek, who serves as office manager for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s farm and estate planning program led by Dr. Wayne Hayenga in College Station.

The U.S. Center for Safe Sport anticipates a mid-2016 launch and will be the first national institution dedicated to preserving the safety and well-being of athletes, according to the release.

Smotek, a Bryan native, was one of six women competitors in a field of 66 at the 1992 Barcelona games where she finished 25th. She qualified again to compete in Athens in 2004 where she finished sixth in the women’s category.

Her father, Gene Schiller, introduced her to rifle and shotgun shooting when she was 14. Later, she became active in the Brazos County 4-H Sportsman’s Club, becoming the first female member. Smotek also played volleyball, basketball and ran track and cross country at Bryan High School.

Smotek will be one of two board members on the nine-member board who are former Olympic athletes.

“From an athlete’s perspective, I’m looking forward to offering input on what we need to do to educate and empower the athletes, creating a safe environment where they can trust and talk about difficult subjects that they might encounter.”

Issues such as bullying and harassment have surfaced in recent years, and  Smotek said the Safe Sport board will establish an educational curriculum and guidelines that will cover all Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Smotek served on the U.S. Olympic Athletes’ Advisory Council from 2005-2012. Her peers nominated her for one of the two Safe Sport board positions.

“I will be serving for two years with the potential to serve three more,” she said.

Smotek said she always heard from former Olympians that “you will always miss that thrill of competition.” She said athletes are goal-oriented, and once training and competition are over, it’s hard to overcome that gap.

“After the Olympics, I managed to fill that void with school,” said Smotek, who is working on her master’s degree in accounting and is set to finish at the end of the year. She will also take the CPA examination.

Though there were many long hours of training to qualify and compete for the Olympics, Smotek said she still loves the sport.

“I still get a rush coaching someone and seeing them break a target,” she said. “I really enjoy giving back, whether it’s through coaching or serving on a board.”