photo by: Val Montanez/Special to the Journal-World

Baldwin senior forward Bailey Smith kicks the ball from the corner against Seabury in Baldwin City on May 13, 2024.

Bailey Smith loves to learn.

Thanks to her love of learning, she was able to successfully lead Baldwin’s girls soccer team in goals after having a playmaking role for most of her high school career.

It’s also how she managed a 4.0 GPA, taking 10 dual-enrollment or AP classes throughout high school. Those two things combined are why the United Soccer Coaches named Smith a Scholar All-American, the fourth from Baldwin since 2018.

Smith is second in career assists at Baldwin but exploded with 23 goals her senior year while leading the Bulldogs to the team’s third straight regional championship. Growth is the word to sum up Smith’s experience at Baldwin.

“The past four years have consisted of me figuring out my identity as a player, which has led up to where I see myself now and where I want to take that going into college,” she said.

Smith is the fourth Baldwin graduate to earn scholar all-American, with Caitlyn Countryman winning it in 2019, Anna Burnett in 2020, and Riley Smith, Smith’s older sibling, in 2022.

The two Smiths have their academic and athletic achievements in common, and the younger sibling credits their parents for pushing them academically as much as athletically.

Along with her academic career, Smith’s playing career isn’t over. She will play soccer for Black Hills State University, a Division II school in Spearfish, South Dakota. There, she will double major in biology and chemistry while earning a music minor.

Smith’s on-field role is still to be determined because of the range of skills she provides for the team. Uncertainty is no problem for Smith, as she sees it as another opportunity to learn.

“I know for a fact that another four years (of soccer) in college is going to create more growth,” Smith said. “It’s not always the most comfortable thing to go to a higher level in a sport. But you need to be uncomfortable because if you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.”

Smith has been an attacking midfielder for her final two high school seasons. But she doesn’t know where she will play most in college. That’s an exciting thought for her, as it gives her a chance to grow in a similar way that she grew from her switch to an attacking midfielder.

Black Hills State coach John Hutchison watched Smith play in the Kansas state tournament in 2023 on a whim. Hutchison was there to support his niece, who played for Topeka-Hayden Catholic High School. Smith’s performance in that game was enough to start a conversation, which led to an invitation to a camp held by the school in July 2023 — and everything fell into place.

Just like high school, Black Hills State isn’t just a chance to learn more about soccer. Smith, whose end goal is to work in the medical field, is excited to put her academic training to new tests with her double major.

Smith’s interest in biology and the medical field started during her high school classes, and she even went so far as to receive her certified nursing assistant license. When it came time to pick her classes, Smith added chemistry as a second major on a recommendation from her academic advisor.

The outlier in her class fields is her music minor, which Smith called a passion project.

“Music has always been a big part of my life,” the former violinist and choir performer said. “I didn’t want to give that up yet.”

Like many students, college will provide new and unique challenges for Smith’s growth. Couple that with being an NCAA Division II athlete, and Smith will have a lot on her plate over the next four years. But for her, that’s the best part — that’s what excites her. No matter how difficult, it’s all a chance to learn and grow as a person, and that’s what she’s all about.

“I love learning, so it never has felt like a burden to me to be a good student,” Smith said. “That’s just part of who I am. Whether that’s in the classroom or on the pitch, I love learning new things.”

photo by: Courtesy of Drew Ising

Bailey Smith