#DukeWLAX20th Spotlight: Stefanie Sparks Smith

As the Duke women's lacrosse program celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2015-16, GoDuke.com will be catching up with several Blue Devil alumnae to highlight memories from their collegiate careers and the paths they've taken to success in their professional fields. Look for the profiles throughout the year, and be sure to check out the 20th Anniversary landing page at goduke.com/wlax20th for more information.

Stefanie Sparks Smith, 2002-05
A four-year starter and two-year captain for the Blue Devils on defense, Sparks Smith helped guide the program to two ACC regular season championships, an ACC Tournament title and an NCAA semifinals appearance during her career. The Manchester, N.H., native started 76 contests over her four seasons to tie for seventh all-time at Duke. Sparks Smith also continues to rank among the program's leaders in career caused turnovers (15th, 65) and ground balls (18th, 120). A history and political science double major at Duke, she later returned to the program as a volunteer assistant coach and assisted at Georgetown as well while earning her law degree there in 2010. She currently works as an associate at Ekstrand & Ekstrand, LLP and teaches history and constitutional law at Episopal High School in Alexandria, Va. Sparks Smith remains involved with the sport, helping to coach the varsity girls' lacrosse team at Episcopal, in addition to serving as the Secretary-Rules Editor for the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Rules Committee.

GoDuke.com: What are some of your favorite lacrosse memories from your time at Duke?
Stefanie Sparks Smith: As cliche as it may sound, I honestly loved all of it. From the grueling workouts with Howser to the long bus rides on I-95 to the dance parties in the locker room to the team bonding trips at the beach and white water rafting. However, above all, my favorite memory is when we won the ACC Championship in 2005 at M&T Bank Stadium. The satisfaction of turning the intangible goal of winning a championship into a tangible reality was unparalleled.

GoDuke.com: What lessons did you take with you from your time on and off the field?
SSS: Becoming a student-athlete at Duke was a dream come true. I learned to embrace the opportunities and the challenges that came along the way with a second to none work ethic and a heart-filled belief in oneself and one's team.

GoDuke.com: Who were some teammates that influenced you?
SSS: I was part of a class of four so my classmates, Lane Fogarty Strand, Kristy Dirks Akers, and Katie Laschinger Lamade definitely influenced me. They were my best friends during what I think are some of the most impressionable years of one's life. They influenced me in so many ways. Most of all, they loved me like family and taught me how to have fun. They remain my best friends today. The truth is all of my teammates inspired me in different ways. Other teammates that come to mind include: the class of 2002 (the senior class when I was a freshman) served as a strong example of leadership and dedication to the program, my fellow captains during my junior year helped me develop my style of leadership and my talented (to name a few Katie Chrest Erbe, Megan Huether, Caline McHenry Olmsted, the class of 2007, and Caroline Cryer) and selfless teammates during the 2004-2005 season showed me how amazing it is to be part of something bigger than yourself ... And Lauren Gallagher Wray who caught all of my errant passes with grace when I was a freshman defender developing collegiate stick skills. She was an example of humility.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention all of the staff during my time at Duke - Kerstin Kimel, Allison Valentino Fondale, Steph Sweet, Christine Halfpenny, Josh Hexter, Jen McCollum, Dr. Kennedy, Jacki Silar, Dr. Greg Dale, Dr. Keefe, Jeff Howser, Mike Huff, Ryan Feek, Anne Tamporello, Ryan Massimo and Kristen Christopher. There are others that I'm missing. And I could write paragraphs about each one of these people. They truly had a profound influence on my development as a student-athlete, leader, and person.

Lastly, the opportunity to be part of a team with my sister and best friend, Samantha Ekstrand, who served as the volunteer assistant during my four years, was unparalleled. I am still impressed to this day how we balanced our relationship as sisters and player-coach. I wish we could go back and do it all over again.

GoDuke.com: How did your education help you prepare for your professional career?
SSS: The opportunity to attend Duke University provided me with a top notch liberal arts education and exposed me to invaluable faculty (especially in the political science and history departments). My education at Duke served as a strong foundation for my pursuit of additional education while in law school at Georgetown and then in my transition into the realms of law and teaching as careers.

I currently work as an associate for Ekstrand & Ekstrand, LLP, serve as faculty at Episcopal High School (a boarding school in Alexandria, Va.) where I teach history and constitutional law and help coach their Varsity Girls' Lacrosse Team, and hold the position as Secretary-Rules Editor for the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Rules Committee.

GoDuke.com: How did you become interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession?
SSS: My brother-in-law, Bob Ekstrand, helped expose me to the fascinating aspects of the law. It was the first realm outside of athletics that I found myself as passionate about. I love the intellectual challenge, competitive nature and above all, the ability to help individuals and groups during times of crises. As my parents have always taught me, it is important to pay it forward. The legal profession gives me that opportunity.

GoDuke.com: How did you come to serve as the Secretary-Rules Editor for NCAA Women's Lacrosse?
SSS: It was a position that Kerstin actually brought to my attention. I was fortunate enough to receive the recommendation support of both Kerstin and Ricky Fried during the application process. I applied and then following the application and interview processes was offered the opportunity to serve in the position by the NCAA.

GoDuke.com: What are some of your responsibilities in this role?
SSS: Some of my responsibilities include: drafting the rules changes adopted by the Committee and updating the rules book accordingly, acting as the official interpreter of the rules between meetings of the Committee, providing rules content for instructional videos for coaches and officials, developing rules questions for annual surveys to be sent to coaches, administrations, officials and conference commissioners and providing objective content during rules meetings and conference calls when key issues, proposals for rules changes and interpretations of rules are being evaluated.

GoDuke.com: How have you seen the game change since your playing days, and how might the latest rule change recommendations alter the game long-term?
SSS: In some ways the game has changed so much (speed, strategy, number of programs) and in other ways it has stayed very much the same (competitive drive of teams, intensity of rivalries, love of the game). I think the rules changes are going to propel the growth of the game. The self-start will increase the speed and overall pace of play of the game as well as challenge the endurance of the student-athlete. The 90 second possession clock will allow for better competitive balance between the attack and defense. I also believe that, like with any rules changes in sports, the new rules will challenge coaches and players to develop and implement more advanced strategy. While with any change comes challenges, I think teams are having a lot of fun playing with the new rules this fall and I look forward to watching the sport grow.

GoDuke.com: What advice would you give to current or future student-athletes?
SSS: Give of yourself without reserve. Give your whole heart to your team. And as much as you can, enjoy the journey. The opportunity of being a student-athlete is a once in the lifetime type opportunity. It is no doubt challenging at times. You will need patience and love for your teammates and coaches. However, in my opinion, there is no better microcosm of life than athletics. The lessons derived from heartbreaking losses to thrilling victories to working as part of a team towards common goals are unparalleled.

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#DukeWLAX20th Spotlight: Stefanie Sparks Smith

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