MEANINGFUL MENTORSHIP

Women make up the majority of those coaching CSG student-athletes

Coach Genelle Castro discusses a powerful performance by the CSG Varsity Soccer team after a 2-0 victory against Bishop Rosecrans High School.

Columbus School for Girls Head Soccer Coach Genelle Castro had one female head coach during her entire soccer career, which began at age 5 and continued through college. Now in her seventh season with CSG’s soccer program, Castro—who also serves as a member of the Health and P.E. faculty here— takes her role as a positive role model and mentor for her students very seriously.

“I think the representation alone is a huge benefit of having female coaches,” she said.

Data shows that the benefits of female coaches are far reaching.

In an article published in July of 2017, Linda Flanagan, freelance writer, researcher, and editor detailed her conclusions about the lasting effects of the lack of female coaches in youth sports. She asserted that girls with female coaches more readily identify with and see their female coaches as mentor s and role models. This can help counter stereotypes and boost girls’ confidence, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging.

University of Toronto social psychologist Penelope Lockwood, who studied the impact of race and gender in role modeling, found that same-sex role models were vitally important for women, exemplifying inspirational examples of success and accomplishment. Despite these advantages, the presence of female coaches in sports has been found to be lacking. A 2015 survey conducted by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association found that only 27% of over 6.5 million adults who coach youth teams up to age 14 are women.

In contrast, 77% of CSG’s 53 coaching positions are held by women compared to the high school national average of only 33%. And 35% of our coaches are full-time CSG employees. The environment is one that sets students up for success, giving them the opportunity to regularly see examples of strong female leadership not only in classrooms, but also on fields and courts.

The high percentage of female coaches at CSG is no accident. While in college, Athletic Director Megan Henry did her grad school thesis on the decline of female coaches in women’s sports back in 1987. When she joined CSG in 2013, she brought with her the understanding of just how important female coaches are to girls and young women.

“It has been a passion of mine and something I believe in,” she said.

Members of the female coaching staff appreciate the ability to offer girls the opportunities that they themselves often didn’t have as student-athletes.

CSG Varsity Basketball Coach Rebecca Bailey believes providing girls and young women with strong female role models, especially in athletics, is vital.

“Growing up I always saw men at the helm in athletics,” Bailey said. “While I had such a passion for sports, it often felt like a career in athletics was not an option. But when our CSG athletes have the opportunity to work with female coaches, they see examples of strong, bold, fierce women breaking down barriers and teaching, inspiring, and challenging them on the sidelines. Our girls see firsthand that they have limitless potential to lead in whatever capacity they desire, whether it be on the court or in the boardroom, in the lab, in the Statehouse—you name it and they can do it.”

Bailey serves as CSG’s Assistant Director of Development, Major Gifts as well as Assistant Coach for Middle School Cross Country. She enjoys instilling her own passion and competitive nature into her student-athletes and helping them to truly believe in themselves.

“When you have a coach that believes in you and that is invested, it can make all the difference,” she said.

Coaching also gives those who work at CSG in academic roles an opportunity to more fully get to know their students. Dr. Emily Krichbaum serves as Director of the Center for Girls’ and Young Women’s Leadership as well as Varsity Cross Country Coach. Her different roles allow her to see different sides of her students.

“Coaching is simply one aspect of approaching a young woman’s holistic development,” she said. “Sports, if done right, make people better.”

Research shows that participation in sports is beneficial to female student-athletes. A 2017 national survey conducted by Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), a nonprofit that provides education, programming, resources, and research with the goal of creating generations of confident girls, examined the relationship between sports participation and other factors in girls’ lives. The survey found that when compared to girls who do not play sports, female high school athletes are 14% more likely to believe they are smart enough for their dream career, 11% more likely to say that they are happy the way they are, and 16% less likely to want to change their appearance.

Research also shows the link between student-athletes and leadership roles at top U.S. corporations. A global study conducted by Ernst & Young in partnership with espnW, an ESPN brand created to celebrate female athletes and elevate diverse voices and perspectives, found that 80% of Fortune 500 female executives have played sports in their earlier years.

Coach Bailey works the sideline during second-half free throws in CSG’s game vs Bishop Ready. The Unicorns won the game 52-43.

Athletics can provide the backdrop for the evolution of important life skills for student-athletes. At CSG, students learn these vital skills while also learning from their coaches that they can pursue anything they put their minds to.

Adaptability, communication, perseverance, and the ability to see the larger picture were just some of the skills that Lisa Mueller Greene ’83, fostered while participating in CSG athletics that she was later able to apply to a marketing career in which she’s held leadership roles for the past 20 years in various industries. CSG offered a safe space that helped Greene feel comfortable taking risks. Sports didn’t come naturally to her, but Greene was always drawn to them. She participated in track the first two years of her high school career, and volleyball for the last two years. Running the half-mile race in track, she habitually came in last at every single meet—except for one, when she came in second-tolast. The experience taught her the importance of determination. Much later, she learned her old coach often shared her story with his current CSG students to demonstrate the power of keeping at it.

“CSG gave me that opportunity, and those skills that I’ve learned have been so valuable in my personal and professional development,” she said.

First row, from left to right: Middle School Head Field Hockey and Middle School Head Lacrosse Coach Lauren Todd, Upper School Asst. Basketball Coach Lindsey Guth, Upper School Head Basketball Coach and Middle School Asst. Cross Country Coach Rebecca Bailey, Upper School JV Head Tennis Coach Sarah Brewer, Upper School Head Track and Field Coach Jen Bunker, Upper School Head Soccer Coach Genelle Castro, Upper School Head Field Hockey Coach Brittany Burga, Upper School Head Swim Coach Karrie Heintz, Upper School Asst. Swim Coach Marikate Evans Middle row, from left to right: Middle School Asst. Track Coach Maura Ruff ‘14, Upper School Head Lacrosse Coach Kim Rocheleau, Upper School Asst. Basketball Coach Michelle Umali, Upper School JV Head Volleyball Coach Isabel Jimenez, Middle School Head Volleyball Coach Jessica Fries-Gaither, Middle School Asst. Volleyball Coach Briena Breckenridge ‘15, Middle School Asst. Field Hockey Coach Brinley Zieg ‘18, Upper School Asst. Field Hockey Coach Betsy Greenbaum Bankhurst ‘06, Middle School Asst. Tennis Coach Caroline Davakis ‘16, Middle School Head Tennis Coach Jennifer Murphy Back row, left to right: Upper School Head Cross Country Coach Dr. Emily Krichbaum, Upper School Head Tennis Coach Sean Delaney, Upper School Asst. Track and Field Coach Maggie Bunker, Upper School Asst. Cross Country Coach Megan Smeeding, Upper School Head Volleyball Coach Alaina Monroe, Middle School Asst. Volleyball Coach Skylar King ‘17, Middle School Head Swim Coach Morgan Grodesky, Upper School Asst. Tennis Coach Shelby Cheses, Middle School Head Golf Coach Jessica Cyrus, Athletic Coordinator Caitlin McWilliams Not pictured: Upper School Asst. Tennis Coach Stephanie Thomas, Middle School Head Soccer Coach, Middle School Asst. Basketball Coach, and Middle School Asst. Lacrosse Coach Elizabeth Garcia, Upper- and Middle School Head Dive Coach Jill McInerney, Upper School Asst. Track and Field Coach Dena Thobe, Upper School Asst. Track and Field Coach Cirrus Robinson