Jan. 12, 2005
Each Wednesday, Gamecock women’s basketball broadcaster Andy Demetra takes fans behind the scenes with the Carolina women’s basketball team. This week’s subject: Columbia’s own Lauren Simms.
Beyond The Mic
The same voices that encourage Lauren Simms have made the most steely Marine snap to attention.
Simms’ father, Ret. Sergeant First Class Donald Simms, was a former Drill Sergeant at Ft. Jackson. Her mother, Ret. Master Sergeant Patricia Simms, supervised the training of more than 150 soldiers a year as the Assistant Commandant at Ft. Monmouth, N.J.
And you thought your parents were disciplinarians.
Now in her sophomore season, the Gamecock guard has inherited the leadership gene. Teammates selected Simms as their captain for the 2004-05 season. She also leads the team with 14 points per game.
Head coach Susan Walvius says Simms’ work ethic cannot be camouflaged.
“She’s just a warrior. She wants to get better every day. She’s got the right mentality. A lot of kids want to be great players at this level and every level, but they’re not willing to work to get there. Lauren’s willing to do the work.”
Thank Master Sergeant “Mom” for that.
“I had no choice,” Simms said. “That’s just the way my mom was. She kept reminding me every day to always give my best. Always go hard.”
“Go” was also a common word growing up. Simms lived the life of an Army brat, bouncing around to Georgia, Alabama, New Jersey, New York, and Germany before settling in Columbia at the age of 10. Her father, a former high school basketball player, shot hoops on the bases and would later become Simms’ AAU coach. At Spring Valley HS in Columbia, Simms guided her team to a regional state championship her senior year.
The military background may also explain Simms’ toughness in playing through injuries. Last year, she gritted through SEC play with a variety of sprained ankles, stress fractures, and other ailments. Averaging 30 minutes a game this season, the aches and pains have once again mounted. Simms, though, hasn’t given thought to slowing down.
“I know the team really needs me right now, so I’m just trying to go through it as much as I can,” she said.
Spoken like a true soldier.
The Tip Drill
Incidentally Speaking:
What a hotel last weekend in Nashville. Most places offer bottles of water or candy as incidentals. These hotel rooms had cowboy hats in the closets. Although to be fair, I looked more like a pilgrim than a cowboy when I wore it.
Observation:
Gamecock fans generate a lot of noise, for sure. But I have never seen fans turn into bloodthirsty Huns at the sight of a T-shirt toss like the fans at Vanderbilt Sunday.
