Georgia Southern Coaching Education Newsletter

April 2023

Message from the Coordinator

We are honored to be just the 13th university in the United States to be recognized as a National Youth Sport Strategy (NYSS) Champion by the federal Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP). We work to promote youth sports participation and support the National Youth Sports Strategy through our minor and master's. Learn more about what it means to be an NYSS Champion: https://bit.ly/2RvORrL

There are very limited spots in our next master's cohort starting classes in June, 2023! Apply by April 29 for priority consideration and you will join applicants from CA to WI to NY to FL to TX! Come & see why we feel we are the premier coaching education program in the United States and apply today.

Press on,

Coach Hal Wilson, PhD

Table of Contents

Program Testimonial

Real World Connections

Faculty Spotlight

Inside Look

Campus Engagement

Program Testimonial

Coach Eric Belew ('22M) was named Head Coach at Armuchee HS (Rome, GA) in December. Here is what he had to say about our master's program.

"Probably the best experience when it comes to the program was developing my coaching portfolio. I wanted to eventually move up to a head coaching position. That was extremely beneficial, just to be organized and have something to take to the table during the interview process. Also, you learn a lot about yourself, as a coach through that process of developing that portfolio. Also, you learn a lot about yourself as a coach throughout the entire program. Having the opportunity to bounce ideas off other people in the program, off of other people that are in your situation or coaches that are in drastically different situations. I really enjoyed that whole process of finding new resources with people and developing a relationship with other coaches across the state and even some that are out of state. I really enjoyed that. Also, when it comes to recommendation of this program, I have actually recommended this program already to at least a dozen people, anybody that has asked about the program or people that are looking to get their master’s that are involved in education or in the coaching realm, I immediately recommend this program...I can’t say enough good things about this program, and I would encourage anyone to do that. It was a very growing and positive experience for me overall."

-Eric Belew ('22M)

Head Football Coach

Armuchee HS (Rome, GA)

Please submit your alumni/current student coaching news here!

Real World Connections

Our Coaching Education programs prepare coaches for opportunities at every level of play. In fact, our graduates have coached at the youth, scholastic, collegiate, and professional levels. Below is one recent example of a real-world coaching opportunity our graduates might pursue:

Strength and Conditioning Coach, Women's Basketball - University of Virginia Athletics (Charlottesville · VA)

The primary duties of the Strength and Conditioning Coach include:

Oversee Women’s Basketball program’s strength & conditioning needs.
Assess student-athlete's physical attributes to improve athletic performance.
Maintain weight rooms and equipment.
Assist head coach with official visits by prospective recruits.
Manage and/or coordinate services with various departmental and University offices.
Uphold NCAA, ACC, and University rules and regulations.
Perform miscellaneous related duties when necessary.

Have you seen our Coaching Job Board- especially for local coaching jobs?

Want to FIND a coaching job? Click here or https://tinyurl.com/GSCoachEdJobBoard
Want to POST a coaching job? Submit your coaching job opening here or https://tinyurl.com/GSCoachEdJobs
Recent postings:
- Effingham County High School
- Lamar County High School
- Southeast Bulloch High School
- Norcross High School

Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Christina Gipson recently spoke to our Psychology of Coaching class. She is an Associate Professor and Sport Management Graduate Coordinator. Dr. Gipson received her Ph.D from Brunel University in London, England focusing on women volunteerism in sport, her M.S. in Sport Administration with a concentration in Sport marketing from Georgia State University, and her B.S. from Methodist University in Sport Management and Athletic Training where she was also a standout soccer player. Her research focuses on offering special populations access to health and fitness as well as increasing student engagement. Further, she is deeply engaged in our community through fitness coaching and outreach programs. In her free time, Dr. Gipson competes in CrossFit and is currently ranked in the top 100 in the world in her age group. She has a love and passion for fitness, health, and helping others. She combines her passions to help and encourage others.

Inside Look

KINS 7433 Prevention, Recognition, & Care of Athletic Injuries

We believe in the holistic care of athletes, as evidenced by this course in our master's program. The catalog description states: "Focuses on the study of advanced knowledge in the concepts, practices, and procedures in the prevention, recognition and care of athletic injury and illness."

Dr. Steve Patterson taught the course several times in the past and described it this way:

"The Prevention/Recognition/Care of Athletic Injury Course (KINS 7433) allows students to learn that the management of injuries does not just take place when they occur. Much time is devoted in the development of emergency action plans (EAP’s) and why they are so vital in game management. As evidenced by the events this past January during the Monday Night Football game between the Bills and Bengals, a sound EAP can be the difference between life and death. Discussion in the course is also geared towards building a strong relationship with the sports medicine team (AT’s, MD’s, PT’s, Strength and Conditioning, etc.) and the roles that each play in the health and care of the athlete."

Campus Engagement

Professional Development Series continues for

GS Athletics Coaches and Athletic Department Staff

Session Six was led by Dr. Amy Jo Riggs-Deckard on March 29, 2023. The session was titled "Nutrition for Athletes (and their support staff)."

Session Seven was led by Dr. Steve Patterson on April 12, 2023. The session was titled "Strengthening Bonds with Medical Staff."

Each month a faculty member is presenting on a wide range of topics. We look forward to continuing to strengthen the mutually beneficial relationship between Georgia Southern Athletics, Coaching Education, and the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology.