WNBA Legend Jackie Stiles Powers into Next Gen Fitness Franchise

by Elizabeth Denham

Jackie Stiles doesn’t do anything halfway. Her unwavering pursuit of excellence in basketball made her a legend in the WNBA, and now, she is attacking franchising with that same focus and drive.

“I am relying on the same things that made me successful in my basketball career,” Stiles said. “I know I am resilient. I know I can overcome adversity. And I know if I am willing to work hard and surround myself with good people, I can be successful.”

As a child, Stiles had big dreams and a killer work ethic. She always knew she wanted to play pro ball, and at the time, that wasn’t even an option as the WNBA didn’t launch until 1996. Add to that, she was an underdog topping out at 5-foot-7 ¾-inches tall, and she came from a small school with only 23 in her graduating class. This was not the formula that would propel most athletes to a legendary status in sports.

But Stiles was special – driven, focused and talented. In high school in Claflin, Kansas, she led the country in scoring. She then dominated at Southwest Missouri State breaking records and leading the Lady Bears to the 2001 Final Four. She was selected fourth overall in the WNBA draft by the Portland Fire and went on to win Rookie of the Year her first year.

“I was singularly focused during those years, and all I thought about was how to be a better player,” Stiles remembers. “My one constant was that I never missed a workout. If I had to get up at 2:00 a.m. to make a workout, I would.”

She was so dedicated, in fact, that when she faced a bout of a rare cancer in 2017, she brought her stationary bike to her hospital room during chemotherapy treatments. While this dedication elevated her in the sport, it also took a toll on her body. She endured 13 surgeries in four years and retired in 2006 due to injury. She did some college coaching with stints at Loyola Marymount, Missouri State University and The University of Oklahoma before she made a move to fitness coaching and training.

My life is not about success. It is about significance.

And then franchising fell into her lap.

“It’s funny how opportunities come to you,” Stiles mused. “I learned about NextGen Fitness from Sherri Coale’s daughter, Chandler. Sherri was the Hall of Fame head coach I worked for at Oklahoma, and her daughter was friends with Brian and Hannah Andrews.

Brian is now my NextGen rep. When I checked out the franchise, everything aligned. My life is not about success. It is about significance. And the core values of NextGen aligned perfectly with mine – fitness, drive, relationship building, it was all there.”

Because Stiles says she can’t do anything halfway, she bought two locations – one in Springfield, Missouri and the other in Bentonville, Arkansas. While COVID-19 has slowed down her process to open, she is taking this time to learn, plan and get ready for her next adventure.

“I am looking at staffing, and I am excited to surround myself with like-minded people,” she said. “I am looking at younger coaches who are hungry so that I can teach them and help them grow in the franchise. I am excited for ways I can find to make the biggest impact. Working for Sherri at Oklahoma, I learned more in one year under her than I could have in 10 years of coaching somewhere else. I want to use those lessons and pay them forward.”

Stiles believes the franchise model plays into her strengths and comfort level as a team sport athlete.

“I thrive in a structure,” she said. “I don’t like being an island out on my own, so I have enjoyed the idea of building something meaningful with others. And NextGen is the perfect fit.”

Coming Soon!

The Jackie Stiles Story, Anything is Possible

What: Documentary

When: March 1, 2022, 3:30 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Where: Gillioz Theatre in Springfield, MO

Trailer: https://vimeocom/574039558

Career Achievements

• Inducted to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame June 2016

• Inducted to the National High School Hall of Fame July 2015

• Inducted to the Missouri State, MVC, Springfield Area, Missouri and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame

• Named 2001 WNBA All Star/Rookie of the Year

• Named Verizon Academic All American First Team

• Named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year 1999, 2000, 2001

• Named 2001 Missouri Valley Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year

• Named Associated Press, Kodak, and United States Basketball Writers Association First Team All American

• Became first NCAA D1 Women’s Player to score 1,000 points in a season (1,062)

• Won Wade Trophy 2001

• Led Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) to Final Four 2001

• Won the Honda Awards Broderick Cup as the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year in 2001

• Named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Century

• Honored by MVC by naming The Player of the Year Award in the Valley the Jackie Stiles Award