GPS Athletics | Coaching The Whole Girl

Our coaches are not only experts in their individual sports, they also understand the socio-emotional development of girls. Instruction is individualized and intentional, always considering a girl’s physical, mental, and emotional needs.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Every aspect of our newly redesigned strength and conditioning program is geared toward helping Bruisers build strength, improve performance, speed recovery, and avoid injuries. In particular, our ACL injury prevention program strengthens the hips, knees, and ankles to lower the risk of this all-too-common injury to female athletes. As the only all-female program in the Chattanooga area with two nationally certified strength and conditioning coaches, GPS offers a weight room with a comfort level not available in coed settings. Each athlete is on her own individual plan and modifications are made on any given day.

“EVERYTHING IS TAILORED TO BE AS POSITIVE AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR GIRLS. WE DON’T ONLY CARE ABOUT THEM AS SOCCER PLAYERS OR SWIMMERS; WE ALSO CARE ABOUT THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS, PERSONAL GROWTH, AND DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE TRULY INVESTED IN THE WHOLE GIRL.”

—Jay Watts, CMAA, GPS Director of Athletics and Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach, Head Coach for Poland’s Women’s National Lacrosse Team, five-time winner of Georgia State Coach of the Year and 11-time winner of Area Coach of the Year in lacrosse

MENTAL HEALTH

GPS coaches employ several novel strategies to handle the mental side of sports. Head Varsity Rowing Coach David Hall devotes practice time to journaling and leads girls through visualization exercises to prepare for races. In cross country, Head Varsity Coach Katie Outlaw asks her runners to develop mantras to get them through long runs and teaches deep breathing techniques to combat race-day anxiety. Sue Bartlett, Head Varsity Tennis Coach, devotes each Wednesday to mental training sessions, exploring topics such as positive self talk, standing up for yourself, and focusing on the process rather than the outcome.

SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A positive coaching model is imperative with girls, which means encouragement over yelling. Other important aspects of coaching girls include being ...

NURTURING | Science reveals that everyday brain activity for females is centered in the limbic system, which deals with emotions and feelings. So everything that happens in a sport, from making a shot to a coach’s reaction, will trigger an emotional response.*

With girls you have to spend time building them up and pick opportunities to provide constructive criticism. Our goal is to make them brave enough so they don’t fear the possibility of failing.

—Patrick Winecoff, Head Varsity Soccer Coach of the 2014 and 2018 GPS state championship teams, former player at Covenant College and for the semi-pro US Soccer team St. Louis Knights

RELATIONAL | Under stressful conditions, women tend to respond by forming connections with others and looking for support from their community. By contrast, men tend to react with alarm, aggression, and individualistic behavior.*

Girls have to have relationships to be successful. It’s important to me as a coach for every one of them to feel as though they could come to me with anything. I feel privileged to be in that space with them.

—Katie Outlaw, GPS Head Varsity Cross Country Coach, Assistant Varsity Track Coach, and Middle School Dean of Students marathon and ultramarathon runner, record holder of Tennessee two-mile in her age group, placed 10th at Mt. Hood (Oregon) 50-miler

FOCUSED ON THE BIG PICTURE | While males tend to process information in a linear, analytical fashion, females show a clear tendency to whole-brained or bigger-picture thinking. This is due to a female’s ability to access information from and make connections with both sides of the brain during problem solving. In sports this means females want to know the why and how behind every task they are asked to perform.*

We always take the time to explain what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what purpose it serves. Once they have bought in, they’re great.

—Matt Green, GPS Strength and Conditioning Coach, certified trainer through the National Strength & Conditioning Association

*Source: Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation