"I don't think enough is done for regional sport," she said.

So when she found out two months ago that Orange Water Polo was opening its own regional academy, she was understandably 'quite happy'.

"If you want something, sometimes you need to create it," she said speaking of Orange Water Polo's determination.

"There's a lot of people there that want to see Water Polo succeed in this region so it's exciting to see people are putting in time and effort to make it happen."

Having grown up in Helensburgh, 45 kilometres south of Sydney, and 35 minutes drive to Cronulla, Smith knows what it's like to have the access to metro facilities.

However, after moving to Canowindra in 2018, a place she 'really likes' and considers 'Helensburgh of the 80s', Smith is aware of the differences in access for regional athletes.

Living rural wasn't what opened her eyes to it though, that came from competing at a young age.

"I did see kids from Harden, lots of different places, travel quite a distance to have that metro competition because there was no regional based programs," she said.

"I don't think we've come far enough from when I've been an athlete and coach myself.

"I see a huge disparity in what's on offer for city kids compared to regional kids.

"Every little bit will help regional athletes, potentially if they find this academy does well for them they can bring friends. As soon as one kid succeeds, other kids want to jump on board. If we can put into this group that'll be in this first academy who knows where it can go from there."

Smith's role within the academy will be to coach on August 7 and August 28. The academy is the fifth in the state and was set up by Orange Water Polo in partnership with Water Polo New South Wales.

Selection criteria listed players who are already in the NSW State Team Program, player who have potential to make the program and dedicated players who have the drive and potential to progress. The age groups were athletes born in 2005 up to 2009.

Smith won't be the only former Olympian involved with Nikita Williams the first coach involved last Sunday (July 31) when the academy officially started. Williams will also coach on August 14 while Sam McGregor will be part of the final block on September 4. Current Australian Stingers player Genevieve Longman and current UTS Balmain men's national league player Harry Sanderson are coaching on August 28.

With local athletes now receiving access to quality coaching through this academy, Smith believes the benefits could potentially reach the city.

"We have spaces and availability in regional areas that the city doesn't have," she said.

"When you look at how many clubs are in the city, how many sports they have there - swimming and water polo fight over space here too I guess - but you've got other programs fighting for pool space in city areas that we don't have out here.

"There's a big opportunity to bring more (people and competitions) out here. It would assist with city as well as regional areas in utilising our spaces. It could do wonders for both sides, it's not just regional athletes that can benefit from this."

And while the players will be the main beneficiary, the impact of a regional academy could be far-reaching.

"You could bring more competitions out and coach mentors. If the coaches improve out here and had access to better education for themselves they can be better coaches which in turn creates better athletes. It's not just an athlete program that needs to be out here, you have to encompass it all to build a sport," Smith explained.

"There's the passion out here and a want to make it happen and that's why Orange Water Polo are driving the force themselves - if you ask and don't always get you make it happen yourself. I'm really excited to see they didn't just throw their hands up with the too hard basket, they've gone after it and that's what Sam wants to see happen and Nikita and myself."

While the enhancing of established players skills will be the main aim of Orange Water Polo's new academy, there would undoubtedly be hope for increased participation numbers as well.

One barrier to participation is players preference for other sports like rugby, netball and cricket. But Smith, who has coached in Orange previously, believes skills learnt in other sports can be transferable.

"What I've seen is there a lot of energetic kids that want to have a go, they lack the finesse because they haven't had skills developed but the transfer from other sports, your rugby and netball which are all strong across this region, all of the skills learnt there will transfer across to the pool," she said.

"A lot of those rugby players have a lot of fun with it, get a lot of energy out and get that bit of a wrestle.

"I don't think it's well known enough out here to encourage more kids to play so if we can get more kids attending these things ... that's where it starts. It's not where it starts, it's where it ends ... it can go anywhere if people want to help drive it forward."

And the key to that drive lies within the community.

"For me, if the community can support it - obviously Orange Water Polo themselves are putting everything they can into it - and people come forward and say they'd like to see more of it then more might happen, I'd really like to see it supported so it might become something," Smith added.

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