Tarena Smith: Field Hockey Standout and Mega-Events Manager
3/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
Feb. 29, 2008
February is Black History Month, and nowhere in major-college athletics is that history richer than at Michigan State University. From Gideon Smith, the first African-American football player at Michigan Agricultural College in 1913, to Steve Smith, an All-American basketball star whose contributions have a major impact today, it would take many months to tell the full story. In a series of Spartan profiles, longtime writer and radio broadcaster Jack Ebling will present some of the greatest of the great in 2008. The eighth is field hockey standout and mega-events manager Tarena Smith.
TARENA SMITH
She didn't come to Michigan State to become a big-time college athlete. But long after she set field hockey records, Tarena Smith is helping to stage the biggest athletic events in the country.
Before ex-Spartan split end Plaxico Burress caught the winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLII, Smith and the staff at University of Phoenix Stadium had been toiling as long as the New York Giants and New England Patriots - just in better weather.
Smith had never said no to hard work. So why should her tireless efforts behind the scenes in Glendale, Ariz., come as any surprise? They didn't for anyone who knew her at MSU. And they shouldn't have shocked her co-workers over the last quarter-century.
"A little luck always helps," Smith said. "I've had plenty along the way. And I consider myself very fortunate to have been a Spartan."
Especially when she didn't know the difference between MSU and a sister school 63 miles to the southeast 30 years ago.
The Westminster, Md., native played four years of field hockey, basketball and indoor and outdoor track in high school and dabbled in lacrosse to keep from getting bored in her free time.
"I always liked playing sports and was pretty good at them," Smith said. "I was the first in the family to make it to college and the first one to play there. But that's not why I chose to come to East Lansing."
She picked MSU for its first-rate, first-ranked education department. One of her teachers had been a Spartan and loved the experience. That was enough for Smith to give it a look, once her eyes were open to an important distinction.
"This'll probably get me in trouble," she said. "But when I tried to do a little research, I didn't know the difference between Michigan State and Michigan. And believe me, there is one. It took me a minute to clear that up."
Smith didn't have a full scholarship until her junior year. Long before that, her priorities were clear: education first, athletics later.
"I came to Michigan State as a walk-on and wasn't heavily recruited anywhere," Smith said. "I looked at Maryland, Syracuse and Rice. I wanted to go to a bigger school. When I visited campus, it was to look at the academics."
By the time she reported for classes in September, the Spartans had started their field hockey season. Smith joined the junior varsity, then quickly turned heads with her power and grace.
"I was an inner forward," she said of a 5-3-2-1 alignment. "It wasn't nearly as structured as it is now. But I always loved field hockey, even if I didn't set as many records as I did in the shot and the disc."
Smith played for three head coaches: Samnoa Kajornsin in 1979, Nancy Reed in 1980-81 and Rich Kimball in 1982.
Her freshman season brought the best record, 17-8-2, and a trip to the AIAW Tournament in Princeton, N.J. But the next year may have been just as impressive. After losing its first three games by a combined score of 22-0, MSU went 12-7 and came within a goal of winning the Big Ten Tournament.
Smith had four goals against Eastern Michigan as a junior and co-captained the team her last two seasons. Meanwhile, the Spartans struggled and lacked continuity.
"I had a few stats that are still on the books," Smith said. "I had a lot of hat tricks, including one in front of my family at Towson State. But I came to get a degree in education and left with one in merchandising and business. The job market was just too saturated with teachers."
Smith figured she would have an internship with Macy's or Nordstrom's but knew that would mean a move to a big city. Instead, she stayed in East Lansing and jumped into the job market.
After nearly a decade as a store manager and regional trainer for American Eagle Outfitters, Smith was ready for a new challenge and took her management skills to the events industry.
"I was an events coordinator at the Lansing Center when Olds Park opened," Smith said. "The Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority managed those facilities and the City Market. In 1998, Common Ground came under that umbrella, too. I was lucky to have the opportunity."
After running the events department, Smith moved into sales in 2004 and helped book events for the city. She also had regular hours and a saner lifestyle.
"I had no intention of leaving Lansing," Smith said. "But my boss had come to Arizona to manage an incredible new stadium. Once I came out for a visit, even though everyone had hardhats and flashlights, I started to think about it. Two months later, in May 2006, I turned in my resignation."
Nearly two years later, Smith is the stadium's director of event services. And she is asked about an indoor, natural-grass field (grown and groomed outside) as often as she about the University of Phoenix mascot (non-existent for an internet school).
"The stadium has a concrete floor with pockets for water, electricity and phone lines," Smith said. "The field is grown in a tray and only comes inside about 20 days a year. The Cardinals practice about 40 minutes away. And we have a lot more trade shows, concerts and meetings than football games."
A management company, Global Spectrum, runs the facility. But no one on this globe or any other was prepared for the script when Boise State stunned Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
Smith has run the crow's nest command center for football games, including the 2007 BCS Championship when Florida rocked Ohio State.
"If it hadn't been for Michigan State, I wouldn't have had the experiences I needed to handle this job and deal with so many diverse people," Smith said. "If any Spartans are ever in the area, I want them to call me. I'll give them one great tour."