Athletics at Girls Preparatory School by CaitlinRiddleDesign

ATHLETICS W H E R E G IRL S P L AY

ATHLETICS

A TRADITION OF

ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE At GPS we play to win, but not just on the field. We also want to see girls win in life. Research shows that every aspect of a girl’s life can be enhanced by participating in sports: relationships, confidence, emotional wellbeing, even academic performance. Our founders incorporated exercise into the curriculum in 1906. Since then, GPS has been a trailblazer for the advancement of girls athletics, launching sports programs where there previously were none.

90%

OF FEMALE C-SUITE EXECUTIVES PARTICIPATED IN SPORTS AS TEENAGERS according to a 2013 study by Ernst & Young

Bruisers athletes often find the lessons they learn in sports directly apply to their lives, giving them the tenacity, dedication, and leadership skills to succeed. So while we celebrate each state championship ring, each regional title, and each Bruiser who goes on to play in college, we know that all of our athletes win by being part of a team. Whether she wants to step up to the plate or into the boat, bowl a strike, kick a goal, approach the net, or race to the finish line, she is supported and encouraged to get in the game.

WITH A PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR HER PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL NEEDS, GIRLS RECEIVE THE SUPPORT NECESSARY TO PLAY SPORTS. PERCENTAGE OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN SPORTS

UNITED STATES TENNESSEE

36.8%

42.7%

GPS

second lowest in the country

Forbes.com

60%

GPS HAS SERVED AS A

TRAILBLAZER IN CHATTANOOGA FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF FEMALE SPORTS.

1906

Our Founders incorporate exercise into the curriculum

1909

GPS spearheads the establishment of the city’s first girls basketball league

1974

As the only girls golf team in Tennessee, the GPS Bruisers compete against local boys teams

1994

GPS becomes the first school in Chattanooga to launch a girls rowing team

2005

GPS fields a varsity lacrosse team, the first girls team in the city.

3X 2011-12 2014-15 2015-16

GPS has received the BlueCross Championship Series Award three times for having the highest performing athletic program in its division.

ALL ABOUT

THE GIRLS!

At GPS, girls take every game-winning shot, hold every leadership position, win every Bruiser state championship. Girls sports are not just a priority; they’re the sole focus of our athletics program. One hundred percent of our resources—from coaching and facilities to strength and conditioning training—is dedicated to the support and success of our female athletes. An all-girl environment emboldens student-athletes to explore any sport that may interest them, and they have a wide array of options— from rock climbing to rowing, soccer to softball. Once they join the team, they experience a camaraderie that is simply unmatched. They become sisters in sports. This supportive and nurturing environment not only increases participation, but also gives girls the confidence to explore collegiate opportunities. Each year at GPS, approximately 10 girls sign letters of intent to play in college. Nationally, only 7 percent of male and female athletes go on to play on a college team.

“THE ALL-GIRLS ENVIRONMENT EMPOWERS OUR ATHLETES TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN VOICES AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR LEADERSHIP ABILITIES. OUR GIRLS NEVER HAVE TO PLAY BEHIND THE BOYS OR YIELD FACILITIES TO THE BOYS AS IN MOST COED ENVIRONMENTS.” —Susan Crownover, head varsity and Middle School softball coach of eight state championship teams, seven state runners-up teams, and more than 25 student-athletes who went on to earn NCAA Division I scholarships; member of the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame, three-time winner of Chattanooga Times Free Press “Softball Coach of the Year,” and recipient of TSSAA’s A.F. Bridges Award

10% -13%

COLLEGIATE SPORTS

nationally (male & female)

GPS GIRLS

Girls perform best when they feel supported, and everyone at GPS is invested in their success. Teachers care about how girls are doing on their teams; coaches ask athletes about their classroom performance.

GPS ATHLETES RECEIVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO THRIVE—WIN OR LOSE. “Being in an all-girls setting gave us the freedom to explore what it meant to be strong, young women. We didn't have to impress anyone but ourselves and were challenged to push the boundaries on what it meant to be a female athlete.” —Whitney Bell ’06, publicist at Netflix, former GPS softball and volleyball player

“I have made my best memories and closest friends through high school sports.” — Carley Braman ’18, two-sport athlete and member of the 2017 GPS state champion cross country team and runner for Georgia Southern University

FEMALE ATHLETES ARE:

CONFIDENCE 16% 28% 38% 47 Girls typically experience a significant drop in confidence throughout middle school; however, girls who play sports report confidence at consistently higher rates.1 I am a confident person (athlete) 82

RulingOurExperiences.com | The Girls’ Index (rulingourexperiences.com) Journal of the National Association of Secondary School Principals

E G D E

S % ’ 11 E T E L H T A 3.15 E H T 6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

11th

12th

Female athletes also have higher grades, report stronger relationships with other girls, and lower levels of sadness and depression when compared to their non-athlete peers.

ATHLETES ARE:

10%

less likely to believe that most girls are in competition with one another

more likely to say they trust other girls

ATHLETES

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN ONE OR MORE INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS HAVE HIGHER GRADES THAN NON-ATHLETES, even when socioeconomic status, gender, age, and family composition are taken into account.2

61% OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WHO HAVE A GPA ABOVE 4.0 PLAY ON A SPORTS TEAM

NATIONAL AVERAGE GPA

less likely to say they are not good at lots of things

I am a confident person (non-athlete)

5th

less likely to say they are not good at math and science

of female athletes spend 2 hours or less on social media a day1

RELATIONSHIPS

% of girls

less likely to want to change their appearance

NON-ATHLETES

2.4

EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

of athletes are more likely to say they have healthy ways to handle stress Percentage of athletes who are more likely to say they are happy the way they are

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

OUR PROGRAM AT A GLANCE THE GPS ATHLETICS MISSION INCLUDES TEACHING GIRLS TO:

Be team players

Understand the importance of mental toughness

Accept challenges enthusiastically

60%

Value strength, fitness, stamina, and good health

of GPS Upper School students are active in one or more of 15 varsity sports.

VARSITY SPORTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS

2 3

*Sports offered only at the Upper School level

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

LL BA EY LL ,V O LL BA FT SO

S, S TR OFT AC BA K LL & , FI TE EL N D NI

EL FI & RA CK ,T IS NN TE

20 STATE TITLES AND 23 REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS

SINCE 2006, GPS BRUISERS HAVE WON

CR T E OS NN S IS CO , V UN O TR LL Y EY , S BA OF LL TB A

OUT OF

Middle School students participate in sports.

BASKETBALL BOWLING* CHEERLEADING CLIMBING* CROSS COUNTRY DIVING GOLF LACROSSE ROWING* SOCCER SOFTBALL SWIMMING TENNIS TRACK & FIELD VOLLEYBALL

2008-09

bruis·er (\'brü-zər) n.

At GPS, a Bruiser is a GPS girl who—in the athletic arena and in life—is an athlete, a fighter, leader, hard worker, teammate, winner, and a sister. She is tough, aggressive, strong, unbreakable, dedicated, bold, resilient, fair, smart, confident, prepared, and empowered.

TR Y UN

R SO

CC E

SS O CR

CC E

LL BA

2011-12

2010-11

2009-10

BA SK ET BA LL ,

ET BA

BO W LI NG

*A Bruiser as defined by our students.

2013-14

2014-15

2017-18

2018-19

FINISHING STRONG No matter what path a GPS girl takes after high school, her participation in sports helps prepare her for the future. Being part of a team gives girls the grit, determination, and mental toughness needed to succeed. Ultimately, the GPS athletics environment inspires girls to give their very best on the field of competition, in the classroom, and in life. A national survey by Gatorade revealed that 39 percent of high school girls dropped out of sports to “prioritize academics and other extracurricular activities.” While we understand the pressure girls experience—particularly today—learning to balance multiple demands is a critical life skill. Rather than removing challenges, we strive to give girls the support to work through them, finding confidence and inner strength that will benefit them the rest of their lives.

GPS ALUMNAE

CREDIT THEIR EXPERIENCE IN SPORTS WITH THEIR ABILITY TO... THINK CRITICALLY “My volleyball coach always made a point to not just tell me what to do in terms of technique, but to educate me on the why and how. I was pushed to not just be a player, but a decision-maker. I see the merits of that every day in my work.” — Laura Dickerson ’05, speech/language pathologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute; GPS two-sport athlete and member of 2005 state championship track & field team and the 2003 state runner-up volleyball team; head coach and club administrator for Strive Volleyball Club in Maryland

LEAD EFFECTIVELY “In the GPS athletics programs, I learned that leadership isn’t always about being the most prominent figure on the team. Leadership is about assuming the role that is most needed for the team’s success.” — Corporal Lillian Hammond ’05, law enforcement officer in Virginia, GPS two-sport athlete, 2003 runner-up in volleyball and member of the all-tournament team, all-state player honors for volleyball 2002-04, 2005 runner-up in softball, all state honors 2004-05, three time member of Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps for volleyball and once for softball, ESPN Magazine Academic All American, selected in 2009 draft for National Pro Fast Pitch

SPEAK CONFIDENTLY “On my first day of college I sat in a lecture hall in a coed class for the first time in six years. I am a reserved person by nature and, as I was leaving that class, I noticed something; I was the only girl who participated in the discussion. Of all the skills that GPS instilled in me, the confidence to participate in an educated discussion regardless of the company is still one of my most treasured assets.” — Blaes Schmissrauter Green ’03, senior project manager at TPC Printing & Packaging, former Tennessee Tech University softball player, GPS three-sport athlete, and member of the 2000 and 2001 state champion softball teams

“SPORTS MIRROR LIFE. THE LESSONS THE GIRLS LEARN ON THE COURT AND BY BEING PART OF A TEAM PREPARE THEM FOR ANY CAREER THEY MAY HAVE. THEY LEARN PERSISTENCE AND DISCIPLINE AND, MORE THAN ANYTHING, HOW TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER FAILURE.” — Sue Bartlett, GPS Director of Tennis and Head Varsity Tennis Coach of 5 state championship teams, 8 state runners-up, 14 individual state champions, and 7 runners-up; nationally ranked tennis player in the UK and winner of three world team medals, former UTC tennis player and All-American member of AIAW National Championship Team, member of the Greater Chattanooga Hall of Fame, the UTC Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame