More than an athlete: Carly Smoltz
Photo courtesy of Lee Flames.
Beyond her dedication to the Lady Flames soccer team, Carly Smoltz is pursuing many other passions and dreams.
Smoltz is a digital media major with a studio production emphasis. She is also a team captain and has played several different positions.
“Carly is very humble and works hard for everything that she gets,” said Head Coach Chris Hennessey. “She does an unbelievable amount outside of soccer and academics to continue to grow and be the best she can.”
Smoltz often practices videography but has recently taken up a strong interest in photography as well. She is the current team leader of the Lee Flames athletic accounts, which has further fostered her interest in sports photography.
“I shoot anything from sports to fashion,” said Smoltz. “Working with the Lee athletics and the media team has really helped me hone in on my skills.”
Smoltz worked under Michael Colander for the Lee Flames account during her junior year. Colander was the former assistant director of athletic communications for Lee.
“Carly is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around,” Colander said. “She has such a willingness to learn and is always wanting to get better.”
This experience in sports media has been valuable to Smoltz. She was even asked to take pictures and videos for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) basketball tournament last Spring.
“They literally handed me a camera and just told me to go on the court and do it,” explained Smoltz.
Photo by Carly Smoltz.
Smoltz also worked for Coca Cola’s summer ambassador training program in Atlanta. Each day, she submitted anywhere from 50-100 edited photos and a video recap of the day. As challenging as the jobs were, she was grateful to seize such an opportunity at the end of the summer.
Smoltz’s dream for her future, however, is to be a photographer for concerts.
“I want to do concert photography when I’m older,” said Smoltz. “I love music and going to concerts, but I would love to be behind the camera.”
Smoltz plans to finish her degree and graduate in December. Until then, she continues to pursue her passions both on and off the field.
