John Woods
A new natatorium, built as part of the C.G. Mills complex in 1991, needed more than lane lines and diving boards. The GPS swim team needed a coach.
When former Headmaster Randy Tucker was conducting the search for a coach and a director of the nascent Scenic City Aquatic Club, he found a former Auburn swimmer and YMCA coach who would become a Southeastern Coach of the Year within three seasons of being hired by GPS.
John Woods, who this fall celebrated his 25th year at GPS, was happy to accept the job offer and bring his family back down south from Wisconsin, especially because the move offered his two girls, Emily ’01 and Sydney ’04, great educational opportunities, and his wife Jan a location near her family in Birmingham.
Under Mr. Woods’ direction, Scenic City (now GPS/McC Aquatics) grew from nothing to 200 swimmers. Meanwhile, his GPS swimming and diving team has finished second at the state meet 10 times during his tenure. “It’s a highlight of my career mixed with frustration,” he says. The team has set and broken numerous records, featured 75 All-Americans, graduated one four-time National Champion, and sent dozens to swim at the collegiate level. On the hallway outside his office that leads to the pool are framed swim caps that represent the schools where his swimmers competed and still compete. “To see all the places they’ve gone — Auburn, Rhodes, Illinois, Tennessee, UNC Chapel Hill, Dennison, Transylvania, Lake Forest, Yale, Richmond, Davidson, Drexel, Naval Academy, and more — has been rewarding,” says their former coach.
“I’ve seen them develop as swimmers but also as individuals,” he says. “As GPS girls, they have a different kind of maturity and vision of what’s beyond high school. They are prepared for college and still come back to tell me how thankful they are” for GPS and the swim program.
A former president of the Southeastern Swimming Board of Directors, Mr. Woods has a number of awards and accomplishments on his resume: USA Swimming National Team Coach, Asst. Coach for the USA Junior Team in Barcelona, Spain, and in Paris, France; Asst. Coach for the US Olympic Festival; and multiple-time Tennessee High School Coach of the Year.
A few years ago, he moved from directing the Aquatic Club to being a full-time PE teacher and coach. “I’ve taught every grade except sixth,” he says. “PE contributes a lot to an individual’s development that people don’t realize, like maturity, learning to be part of a team, and conquering fear or uncertainty.” When he watches a girl master paddle boarding or get a basketball into the net, he says “sometimes that’s just as exciting as watching swimmers win an event.”
A look at Coach Woods’ GPS resume would show the respect that GPS has for his character. He’s a member of the Christian Life Committee and has been a sponsor of FCA. He was a faculty sponsor/advisor for the Honor Council from 2000-2006 and a Character Committee Co-Sponsor.
Mr. Woods has developed a swim program that is among the best in the state. In the PE classrooms, he coaches girls to leave the sidelines and get in the game. As a club sponsor, he is respected for his integrity and values. Twenty-five years ago, GPS got much more than a coach.