By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DEVINCE Smith, who rose from being a player to a coach at the executive level in both the New Providence Volleyball Association and the Bahamas Volleyball Federation, was found dead at his residence in St Albans Drive on Monday.

The 43-year-old banker was classified as the 143rd murder victim for the year by the Royal Bahamas Police Force after his body was discovered “with blunt force trauma.”

The news of his death spread like wildfire throughout the sporting community, in particular volleyball, as players and executives tried to come to grips with his passing.

“He was well known throughout the volleyball world locally, nationally and internationally,” said BVF president Joseph’ Joe Mo’ Smith. “He was my good friend, my family, my ‘cuz’ as we affectionately called each other. He was also one of my coaches, the immediate past NPVA president and the second vice president of the BVF. He will be sadly missed by all of us. May his soul rest in peace.”

Smith started playing volleyball at the age of 14 as a junior player in 1985. He eventually joined The Intruders Volleyball Club which was headed by Joe Smith before moving to the Beck’s Condors where he played under coach Leslie ‘Russia’ Cartwright. After his skill started to diminish, Smith moved into the coaching ranks and formed his own club called the Scotiabank Defenders.

He went on to obtain his level 1, II and III coaching certification and served as the head coach for the Bahamas junior men’s national team for the past nine years. He also served as an assistant coach of the men’s senior national team.

Additionally, Smith was able to help a few of the male volleyball players to secure athletic scholarships to colleges and universities in the United States, including Eugene Stuart, who has joined Rajahl Moxey on the University of Charleston Golden Eagles men’s volleyball team in Charleston, West Virginia.

Smith was also instrumental in the women’s volleyball programme, having assisted the late Jann Mortimer as a coach of the First Caribbean Bank team before he formed the Johnson’s Lady Truckers team, which comprised of players such as Anastacia Moultrie and Kelsie Johnson.

“DeVince was a mentor, not just to me, but to a whole lot of people,” said Moultrie, one of the top volleyball coaches in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools with the Big Red Machine at St Augustine’s College. “He helped you in any situation in volleyball. I remember him and Muggy (Margaret Albury) got me started in volleyball and I was with his team from day one.

“He was just a mentor. He was always encouraging and supporting you. Outside of volleyball, he was also there as a financial adviser. I’m just lost for words. It’s a tragic loss. He was a great person to all.”

Johnson, whose relationship was deeply rooted on and off the court, said there are no words to describe the feeling she felt when she got the call that her dear friend and mentor had passed.

“Vince was a caring, kind and affectionate person who gave of himself. He assisted without even being asked to do so,” she said. “Volleyball was a passion for him. He knew how it assisted with his growth and development so he wanted to provide that same opportunity for many who played the sport.”

It was that passion that Johnson said drove Smith to the leadership role in the NPVA and eventually to the board of the BVF.

“He saw the sport was on a decline and fought to make sure that it didn’t,” she said. “This year and beyond he wanted to focus on him, enjoy life, but assist where necessary. He travelled and enjoyed his recent trip. For him that was the part of his life that was missing.”

Persuaded by Smith not to give up when she was contemplating calling it quits as a player at the national level, Johnson said she took his advice and decided to stick around and “gave it one last shot.” But now that he’s gone, Johnson said it will be hard for her to forget her long-time friend. She noted that his shoes will be hard to fill.

Smith teamed up with Albury to stage the Defend Ya Spike Volleyball Tournament that featured a number of international teams at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in July. The Scotiabank Defenders, led by most valuable player Byron Ferguson, were crowned the champions on the men’s side and the Auto Mall Cherry Bombers, coached by Shedrack Forbes and Ricardo Demeritte Jr, took the ladies’ title. It was the first time that a group of players from throughout the United States played together.