Athletic Guide | Girls Preparatory School

GI RLS SCHOOL PREP ARA TO RY

ATHLETICS DESIGNED FOR GIRLS

ATHLETICS

A TRADITION OF ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE

At GPS we play to win, but not just on the field. We also want girls to win in life. Research shows that every aspect of a girl’s development can be enhanced by participating in sports: relationships, confidence, emotional wellbeing, even academic performance.

WITH A PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR HER PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS, GIRLS RECEIVE THE SUPPORT NECESSARY TO PLAY AT THEIR HIGHEST POTENTIAL.

PERCENTAGE OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN SPORTS second lowest in the country Forbes.com

GPS 67%

2022-23 school year

42.9% 37.6% UNITED STATES TENNESSEE

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

Jay Watts, CMAA, GPS Director of Athletics, five-time winner of Georgia State Coach of the Year and 11-time winner of Area Coach of the Year in lacrosse

THE GPS ATHLETICS MISSION INCLUDES TEACHING GIRLS

TO …

SINCE 2003, GPS BRUISERS HAVE WON 25 STATE TITLES* AND 46 REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS

#BRUISERSTRONG

ACCEPT CHALLENGES ENTHUSIASTICALLY VALUE

#BRUISERSTRONG

OUR COACHING PHILOSOPHY

A positive coaching model is imperative with girls, which means encouragment and supportive feedback. While we want to win (and do!), we celebrate growth and gains just as much as rivalry and state championships.

NURTURE | 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.”

CONNECT | 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.

“IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG GIRLS TO BUILD CONNECTIONS AND CREATE MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS. At GPS we are able to do that in sports by supporting and lifting each other up. I strive to support all of our student-athletes in a healthy and respectful environment so they can always feel comfortable coming to me.”

Beverly Blackwell, GPS Dean of Health & Wellness, Physical Education Department Chair, Head Cross Country & Track Coach, and Assistant Strength Coach

EXPLAIN | While males tend to process information in a linear, analytical fashion, females show a clear tendency to whole-brained or biggerpicture 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 the girls have bought in, they’re great.”

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

Source: Women's Sports and Fitness Foundation

Patrick Winecoff, GPS Head Varsity Soccer Coach of the 2014, 2018, and 2022 GPS state championship teams, former player at Covenant College and for the semi-pro US Soccer team St. Louis Knights

OUR PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

BASKETBALL BOWLING* CHEERLEADING CLIMBING* CROSS COUNTRY

16 VARSITY SPORTS

12 MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS

68% OF GPS UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN ONE OR MORE VARSITY SPORTS.

2 3 OUT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS.

OUR FACILITIES

DIVING GOLF LACROSSE ROWING** SOCCER SOFTBALL SQUASH* SWIMMING TENNIS TRACK & FIELD

VOLLEYBALL

*SPORTS OFFERED ONLY AT THE UPPER SCHOOL LEVEL

**SPORTS OFFERED BEGINNING SPRING SEASON OF EIGHTH GRADE

1 REGULATION SOCCER/LACROSSE FIELD WITH STADIUM SEATING

2 GYMNASIUMS

1 OLYMPIC-SIZED POOL WITH DIVING WELL

1 STATE-OF-THE-ART ROWING CENTER WITH DOCK ACCESS ON THE TENNESSEE RIVER

1 SOFTBALL FIELD WITH 4,200-SQUAREFOOT COVERED BATTING AND PITCHING FACILITY

8 OUTDOOR TENNIS COURTS

4 INDOOR TENNIS COURTS

3,000-SQUARE-FOOT WEIGHT ROOM

1 EIGHT-LANE TRACK

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

» 1994

» 2005

» 2022

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

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

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

GPS launches the first girls’ squash team in the state of Tennessee.

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. Never will our students have to play behind or yield facilities to the boys, as in most coed environments.

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.

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 performances.

GPS ATHLETES RECEIVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO THRIVE—WIN OR LOSE.

In the 2022-23 school year, all nine of our TSSAA sport teams—basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track, and volleyball— received academic recognition for maintaining at least a 3.25 or higher GPA during their season, with several teams maintaining team GPAs of 3.5 or better. When the first and second semester results were combined, 60 individual GPS athletes in the Upper School had a GPA of 4.0 or higher during their seasons!

THE WHOLEGIRL ADVANTAGE

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

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Every aspect of our 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 can be made throughout her training.

MENTAL HEALTH

GPS coaches employ several novel strategies to handle the mental side of sports. In cross country, coaches ask runners to develop mantras to get them through long runs and teach deep breathing techniques to combat race-day anxiety. Our tennis coaches devote time to mental training sessions, exploring topics such as positive self-talk, standing up for yourself, and focusing on the process rather than the outcome.

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.

CONFIDENCE

Girls typically experience a significant drop in confidence throughout middle school; however, girls who play sports report confidence at consistently higher rates.

less likely to want to change their appearance

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

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

FEMALE ATHLETES ARE: 16% 28% 38%

47 % of female athletes spend 2 hours or less on social media a day

I 72 57 55 57 56 59 69 73 75

I 88 82 78 73 64 67 65 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%

11%

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

more likely to say they trust other girls

RELATIONSHIPS

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.

61%

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

THEATHLETE’SEDGE THEATHLETE’SEDGE

2.4 3.15 ATHLETES 3.15

NON-ATHLETES

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

11%

COMPETING IN COLLEGE

Our supportive and nurturing environment not only increases participation, but also gives girls the confidence to explore collegiate opportunities. Nationally, about 6 percent of 8 million male and female high school athletes will go on to play in college. At GPS, approximately 20 percent of our student-athletes commit to playing a college sport.

A LOOK AT SOME RECENT COLLEGE SIGNEES:

KENNEDY BALL ’23 SOCCER | UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Kennedy played varsity soccer at GPS since the eighth grade. She earned Best of Preps three times, All-Region three times, and All-State awards twice, in addition to leading her team to two state titles and multiple top 10 national rankings. As a junior, she won the Laura Holt Outstanding Athlete Award. The same year, she was named United Soccer Coaches All South Region. She also earned the TSSAA Multi-Sport Athlete Award for her participation in soccer, basketball, and track and field, and was a finalist for the Scrappy Moore Female Athlete of the Year Award. In 2023, she was named the Chattanooga Female High School Soccer Player of the Year.

EMMA MCDONALD ’23 ROWING | UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Emma had a top five All-Region finish in the fall of 2022 and was part of an impressive quad at the Head of the Hooch that was the first scholastic boat to cross the finish line. Her summer 2022 2K time made the list of the top 20 in GPS history. Her senior season she placed 10th nationally in the youth singles event, and as a novice, her boat earned a first-place finish at the Secret City Regatta. Prior to dominating in rowing, she was a part of the varsity softball and swimming programs.

REAGAN ZIEGLER ’23 LACROSSE | GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

Since joining the varsity lacrosse team at GPS as an eighthgrader, Reagan was a dominant force on both ends of the field. She was named All-Region and All-State during her Bruiser career and also earned the USA Lacrosse All-American title twice. She scored 311 career goals and assisted on another 40. She also has won 300+ draw controls and led the Bruisers to school records in wins and goals scored as well as backto-back trips to the state semifinals. A gifted natural athlete, Reagan was also a member of the varsity volleyball program.

ELLIE TALIAFERRO ’22 SWIMMING | VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

Ellie was a seven-time swimming All-American, a Scholastic All-American, a state champion, and a four-time state champion runner up. She holds 33 short-course club records in the 50and 100-freestyle, 13 city records, and four GPS school records. She was a five-time junior national qualifier and an eight-time junior national finalist. She also competed on the varsity track and field team and was a member of G-Force, Kaleidoscope (GPS yearbook), Student Council, Cum Laude, National Honor Society, and National Beta Club. In her first season at Vanderbilt, Ellie set the school freshman record with a time that ranks third on Vandy’s all-time performance list in the 200 IM.

CHAPEL CUNNINGHAM ’21 SOFTBALL & VOLLEYBALL SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Chapel was a five-year starter on the GPS varsity softball team and a three-year starter on the volleyball squad. She was also a member of the varsity basketball team for two seasons. She was All-Region in volleyball her junior and senior years and selected for the Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps team her final season. She was an honor roll student; a member of the National Honor Society, the Class Leadership Council, and the Bruiser Leadership Council for Athletics; and she served as vice president of the GPS spirit organization. Her junior year, she was the GPS Battle Award Recipient and participated in the FCA Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy. In her sophomore season at Southeastern, Chapel was named 1st Team All-Sun Conference where she ranked first in the conference in stolen bases with 32. Cunningham posted a team-high .413 batting average against conference opponents helping her team to 31 regular season wins. She even went viral for her show of good sportsmanship!

ALUMNAE SUCCESS STORIES

CHADARRYL SILGUERO-CLAY ’12 BASKETBALL

Pharmacy Manager

Dr. Chadarryl Silguero-Clay made a name for herself on the basketball court while at GPS. She was the varsity starting point guard all four years of high school and was also named AllRegion each year. She was named All-Team her sophomore, junior, and senior years.

She was a member of the 2011 and 2012 State Basketball Championship teams and earned Regional Player of the Year honors in 2011 and was named MVP of the tournament in 2012. Both years she was also named Miss Basketball for the state of Tennessee, Chattanooga Times Free Press Player of the Year, a Venus Lacey Award recipient, and Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps champion.

By her junior season, Chadarryl had scored 1,000 points, and her jersey number was retired following her senior season when she was also named a McDonald’s All-American nominee, ranked as the number 6 point guard in the nation and named to the ESPN Hoopgurlz “Top 100 Watch List” for the Class of 2012.

Her success helped her earn a full scholarship to play basketball at Auburn University in 2012. In 2013, she transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University to finish her career, also on full scholarship. She had the highest GPA on her team each year and was awarded the Student Athlete Scholar Award all four years.

TORY KEMP HOWARD ’12 TRACK & FIELD ICU Nurse

Tory Kemp Howard was a star on the track and field team while at GPS, participating on the team and competing in the TSSAA track and field championship as an eighth-grader. She set school records in the triple jump and 300m hurdles and earned a state championship six times—for pentathlon, long jump, triple jump, 100m hurdles, and 300m hurdles. Her senior season she went undefeated and was named the Scrappy Moore Female Athlete of the Year.

Though Tory was recognized as a standout for track and field, she was also an integral part of other GPS teams. In 2009, she was on the state championship volleyball team and was named a Best of Preps honoree. She was also top five in the city for assists and kills. In 2011 and 2012, she was a member of the state championship basketball team.

She committed to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill as a heptathlete and earned First Team All-ACC Honors at the Track and Field Championships four times. She was the second all-time scorer for UNC pentathlon, as well, and was awarded ACC All-American Indoor and Outdoor Team and ACC Academic Honor Roll four times. Twice she earned NCAA First Round Qualifier in high jump.

While attending UNC, Tory was one of the first two student-athletes to be actively enrolled in the school’s nationally ranked nursing school while participating in a D1 sport. She graduated with honors.

ALUMNAE SUCCESS STORIES

LINDSEY MARTIN VONCANNON ’07 SWIMMING Pediatrician

Dr. Lindsey Martin VonCannon graduated from Davidson College with a B.S. in physics and then Wake Forest Medical School with her M.D.

During her time at GPS, Lindsey competed in crew, track and field, and primarily, swimming. She received four individual All-American awards, eight relay All-American Awards, and was Academic AllAmerican her senior year. Through the swim team, she was awarded the Sarah Burns award in 2004 and 2007, the MVP award in 2004, 2005, and 2007, and served as captain her senior year. She won the 100 freestyle and was second in the 50 freestyle at the Tennessee State Championship meet in 2007. She received GPS’s Freshman Cup award in 2004 and was Cum Laude and a National Merit Finalist her senior year.

While at Davidson College, Lindsey was the first swimmer to ever qualify for and attend the NCAA Division I Championship swim meet and received Academic All-American and Collegiate Mid-Major All-American Awards as well as Davidson’s Most Outstanding Freshman Athlete Award and the Rebecca Stimson Award for the most accomplished senior female athlete (named for a fellow GPS alumna, Dr. Becca Stimson ’73).

JOSIE RIX ’09 SOCCER College Women's Assistant Soccer Coach

Josie Rix was a key player on the Bruisers’ varsity soccer team during her time at GPS. The 2006 leading goal scorer was selected three times to the TSCA All-State team and Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps, and she was selected for the 2005 and 2006 TSSAA All-Region team. She was a TSSAA Soccer State semi-finalist and three-time state quarter-finalist.

In the club soccer realm, Rix was a member of the state Olympic Development Program for six years and a two-time Region III ODP team pool player. In 2007, she led her club team to a state championship and a state runner-up finish in 2008.

She continued her soccer career at the University of Alabama, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She was a four-year starter at midfield and defense for the Crimson Tide from 2009 to 2013. She helped the team earn an NCAA tournament bid for the second time in program history during her sophomore season. Other accolades for Rix include being named to the Southeastern Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2011 and to the Southeastern Conference Community Service Team in 2012.

After college, Rix played a summer of semiprofessional soccer for the Knoxville Lady Force and then quickly transitioned into the coaching world. She began at Lee University as a graduate assistant coach for the 2014 season, where she helped the team to a 15-4-2 overall record, a 10-1-0 Gulf Southern Conference record, and a victory in the 2014 NCAA National Championship. She went on to coach at Wofford College, Auburn University, Samford University, and then the University of Florida.

DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT!

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, 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, 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, business owner, former Tennessee Tech University softball player, GPS three-sport athlete, and member of the 2000 and 2001 state champion softball teams

PLAY TO WIN, BUT NOT JUST ON THE FIELD.

To learn more about how our athletic program is specifically designed to help your daughter win at life, visit GPS.EDU/INQUIRE

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