WATCH: Dr. Joe Lee Smith is Brevard Sports activities Growth Pioneer, Florida A&M Corridor of Famer

SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

ABOVE VIDEO: The teachings taught by sports activities present a philosophy of life for Dr. Joe Lee Smith, educator, advocate and mentor.

DR. JOE LEE SMITH – 2015 INDUCTEE

• Florida A&M Corridor of Fame
• NAACP Dwelling Legend Award
• Trainer, Coach, Mentor To Many

COCOA NATIVE

The teachings taught by sports activities present a philosophy of life for Dr. Joe Lee Smith, educator, advocate and mentor.

The mother and father of this Cocoa native at all times instilled in him and his three siblings the significance of a very good training and participation in sports activities.

“My mother solely went by way of the third grade and labored as a café cook dinner and my dad had a fourth grade training and was a fruit picker, however they have been each adamant that every one of us get a very good training and become involved in sports activities,” mentioned Smith.

Smith selected baseball as his sport, which helped him obtain his academic targets of a bachelor’s diploma from Florida A&M College, the place he made the crew as a freshman, a uncommon feat.

He captained the baseball crew in junior and senior years.

With out the sports activities scholarship he earned, there was no approach Smith may have gone to varsity.

“At one time, all 4 of us have been in faculty on athletic scholarships,” mentioned Smith.

With a grasp’s diploma in training, additionally from Florida A&M, and a doctorate in training from the College of Florida, Smith went on to do his mother and father proud.

His alma mater honored his efforts by naming him to the college’s Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 1996.

As classroom trainer, coach, director of athletics, assistant principal, dean and provost throughout a protracted and distinguished profession in Brevard, Broward and Dade Counties, Smith at all times strived to be a task mannequin for younger individuals.

Within the sports activities area, one in every of his first jobs was as head soccer, basketball and baseball coach, and in addition as athletic director, for Gibson Excessive College, a black faculty in Titusville.

“We had little gear and few gamers, so we actually needed to work onerous to develop this system,” mentioned Smith.

“At instances, we didn’t even have sufficient helmets and shoulder pads for all of the gamers, however the group bought behind us and helped us. We began with little or no, however we have been nonetheless in a position to mildew younger males.”

Dean and provost of Jap Florida State School’s 4 Brevard campuses till his retirement in 2000, Smith additionally served as government director of the Moore Multicultural Middle. Coaxed out of retirement, he’s at present the manager advisor to the president and faculty ambassador at Jap Florida State School.

In honor of his dedication to increased training, the school’s board of trustees devoted the Dr. Joe Lee Smith Trainer Middle on the faculty’s Melbourne campus.

Among the many roomful of awards he has earned by way of the years, is the Humanitarian Award offered by Onyx journal in 2005.

United Third Bridge honored Smith with the Taino Award for his efforts to advance the reason for the Hispanic group in Brevard County.

Junior Achievement of the Area Coast inducted him into its Enterprise Corridor of Fame in 2006. Smith can also be the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement/Dwelling Legend Award of the South Brevard department of NAACP.

For 32 years, Smith has served Rockledge as a metropolis council member. The checklist of organizations, which he has supported together with his time and expertise is lengthy and consists of Circles of Care, the Salvation Military, Area Coast Rolling Readers, United Approach of Brevard and the Boys and Ladies Membership.

The previous Magnolia Avenue Park in Cocoa was renamed because the Joe Lee Smith Recreation Middle in recognition of his work with the group’s younger and previous.

Amongst his 4 daughters, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Smith is protecting an in depth eye on four-year-old great-grandson Jaedon, who’s already displaying proficiency in T-ball League.

“I feel he’s the one who’s going to take the baseball baton from me,” mentioned Smith.

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