Jeff Smith – 2008 Canadian National Champion from New Brunswick!
By Kip Morrish

The 2008 Canadian National Champion, Jeff Smith from New Brunswick,  is a young man who has been around the dart circuit for a number of years.  He played a very prominent part as a youth player from 1990 through 1994 and has been participating as an adult since that time.   Prior to this year, Jeff has always been lurking in the background. However, this was the year for him to excel.  It started with the Canadian Nationals Men’s Doubles, which he won with his partner Kevin Hebert.  On to the Men’s National Singles and there was nobody who could stop him.  It was a well earned title for a young man who has been patiently waiting for the right moment.

Jeff is a family man with three children ages 15, 3 and 1.  His oldest son, Kieran, is also a dart player and we can’t help but wonder why we don’t see his name in the youth program.  His wife is very supportive of him playing in tournaments, however, Jeff says that it is usually him who declines playing at times because his three kids need the attention more than darts at times.

As for making a living, Jeff works for an auto repair business where he is a painter/bodyman.  He has been working at this for the past eight years and it keeps food on the table.  His boss is supportive of time needed to participate in darts events, however, this is sometimes difficult, especially as Jeff is the only painter at the shop.

His favorite TV show is SportsNet and of course he likes to watch the PDC Premier League whenever it’s on.  While enjoying some chinese food he likes to read the Bull’s-Eye News and that is about the extent of his reading.
I asked Jeff when he first started playing darts.  He really doesn’t remember, although he has been told that his grandfather introduced him to the game when he was about three.

He first began playing at the provincial level in 1990 as a youth player and was a member of the New Brunswick team for the next five years.  His name kept appearing in the top four of both the doubles and singles events in all the years as a youth participant.
He has been a member of the New Brunswick adult team a total of seven times between 1996 and 2008 although there was a period of five years (2003-2008) when he wasn’t playing, at least not at the competative level. 

As usual, I wondered what Jeff’s goals for the future were.  As with all of my other spotlight players, his was to be the Canadian Champion. So that has now been achieved.  Now he would like to be the second Canadian to win a world title!

Jeff’s entire practice sessions are geared to finishing.  A favorite warm-up game is 170 in six darts or less.  He shoots until he gets ten wins before ten losses.  This is a good practice session and it can also be played with a partner.  A week or so before a tournament he steps up his practice routine.
Jeff is a member of the Saint John City and District League and travels to shoots throughout New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.  Sometimes a trip to New Hampshire and Maine are included and one event in New Hampshire, The White Mountain Shootout, is one of the best tournaments he has ever played in and there is lots of money to be made.

Of course, Jeff is well aware of the youth program having been a member for a number of years.  He is aware that the numbers have dropped off since he was playing. However, darts are consistantly growing in the Maritimes and he is sure the numbers will come back.  As a word of encouragement, he would like to tell the up and coming youth players,  “if I can do it…you can do it”

He has attended the Winmau World Masters twice already (1996 and 2002) and intends upon going again this year. 

As is my normal routine, I asked Jeff whether he thought there was something more that the NDFC could do to improve the level of darts in this country.  His response was that something has to be done to level the playing field in the Canadian Ranking System.  Not to take away recognition from all the great players across the country, but the current NDFC ranking system will never allow an easterner to compete because of the size, number and locations of the ranked tournaments. Yet, there are some very credible players in the east that will never be ranked as high as they should.   A first place finish in the east is hardly worth playing for.  If the tournaments were based on a certain amount of points for a win across the board and maybe a different point system for “major” events, (major events being the Nationals Canadian Open and other larger WDF ranked tournaments), then maybe the field would be a little more even.

Jeff Smith, a very interesting young man who has worked hard to achieve his first goal.  We will all be looking forward to the day he achieves his second one!