Moeller High School lacrosse player Quinn Smith has helped to lead the Crusaders (9-1) on and off the field this season.
"The kids love being around him," Moeller coach Sean McGinnis said.
"He's just an all-around great kid and he's a super-positive kid."
THE MOELLER HIGH SCHOOLLACROSSE TEAM IS RANKED AMONGOHIO'S BEST PROGRAMS THISSPRING.WCPO SPORTS REPORTERMIKE DYER EXPLAINS HOW SENIOR"QUINN SMITH" HAS PERSEVEREDIN SPORTS AND IN LIFE -- USINGONLY HIS LEFT HAND.ADVERSITY IS NOT IN QUINNSMITH'SVOCABULARY.MOELLER SENIORQUINN SMITH "I THINK BECAUSEOF MY SITUATION OF ONLY HAVINGONE HAND AND NOT SO MUCHMOBILITY ON THE OTHER SIDE - ITHINK THAT'S WHAT CREATED THEWORK ETHIC I HAVE.
I THINK IFI HAD TWO HANDS - IT COULDPOTENTIALLY BE THERE - BUT IDON'T THINK IT'D BE AS STRONGOR I'D HAVE AS MUCH DESIRE TOSUCCEED."THE MOELLER HIGH SCHOOLLACROSSE PLAYER WAS BORN WITHA CONGENITAL AMPUTATION OF HISRIGHT ARM BELOW THE ELBOW.THAT WAS A RESULT OF ANUNKNOWN GENETICANOMALY.
MAREN PAJARI-SMITH,QUINN'S MOTHER "IT DOESN'TIMPEDE HIM IN ANY WAY.
HE CANBE CREATIVE WITH HOW HE PASSESAND CATCHES AND SHOOTS.
AND HECAN DO THINGS THAT MAYBE SOMEOTHER KIDS WITH BOTH HANDSDON'TDO."THAT CREATIVITY IS ASIGNIFICANT REASON WHY SMITHLOVES LACROSSE.
HE HAS PLAYEDTHE SPORT SINCE SIXTH GRADE.HEPREVIOUSLY PLAYED COMPETITIVESOCCER, HOCKEY AND BASEBALL,TOO.KEN SMITH, QUINN'S FATHER"THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WASGOING TO GET IN HIS WAYPHYSICALLY.
...IN FACT, INBASEBALL HE WENT OUT OF HISWAY TO PLAY CATCHER JUSTBECAUSE IT WASHARDER."QUINN SMITH PLAYED HOCKEY ATMOELLER BUT EVENTUALLY DECIDEDTO CONCENTRATE ON LACROSSE.HISIQ FOR THE GAME MAKES HIM LIKEANOTHER COACH ON THEFIELD.MOELLER SENIOR QUINNSMITH "IT WASN'T UNTIL SHORTLYAFTER MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT IACTUALLY LEARNED THAT I COULDUSE THE WRIST STRENGTH ANDMOBILITY THAT I GAINED ANDDEVELOPED TO MY ADVANTAGE IN AWAY."MOELLER LACROSSE COACH SEANMCGINNIS SAID SMITH'SLEADERSHIP IS EVIDENT ON ANDOFF THEFIELD.MOELLER LACROSSE COACHSEAN MCGINNIS "HE'S JUST ANALL-AROUND GREAT KID AND HE'SA SUPER POSITIVE KID.ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY A LOTOF PEOPLE PREACH AND TALKABOUT POSITIVITY AND POSITIVETEAMS AND POSITIVE TEAMMATES.HE JUST EXEMPLIFIES THAT."MIKEDYER, WCPO 9 SPORTS