Aaron Smith is the founder as well as the skating and hockey instructor of Rising Stars Hockey.  He brings extensive experience in both ice and inline hockey to the program. 

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Aaron began his hockey career at age 5.  After moving to the Northern Virginia area, at the ages of 9-15, he played for the Washington Little Capitals.  This team was comprised of the top 12 players in the DC Metro area.  While traveling all around the country with the team playing in highly competitive tournaments, the team achieved the highest level of success and played in two National Championship Tournaments.

At the age of 15, Aaron was recruited by the Hill Murray High School in his home state of Minnesota.  He left his family in Virginia to take advantage of this opportunity.  In his first year at Hill Murray, he and his team went on to win the State Championship in front of over 15,000 fans and the local NBC television audience. 

A near career ending injury with a compound fracture to his arm, Aaron was forced to return home to his family in Virginia.  After a successful rehabilitation, he was chosen as the top player out of the 6 selected in the annual Southeastern District (Maryland to Georgia) tryout for the Select 17 Team in Lake Placid, which represented the top 16 players at age 17 in the United States.  There he was ranked in the top 60 players in the country.  

After compiling even more injuries Aaron left the game for a couple years.  When he returned, Aaron went on to play inline hockey instead of ice.  He played for two professional inline teams, the Fredericksburg Sabres and the Virginia Storm.   

He has administered and actively participated in a successful youth program at an inline rink in Centreville, Virginia and today continues his career through coaching.  He is currently the founder and skating and hockey instructor for Rising Stars Hockey, the head coach of the Potomac Mavericks U12 Travel Hockey Team, and a referee for Potomac Inline Hockey, Inc. 

Throughout his career, Aaron has played with several marquee players, the most notable of which include Jeff Halpern of the Washington Capitals and Jeremy Roenick of the Philadelphia Flyers.  He has also played under Dick Patrick, currently the President of the Washington Capitals.