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Coach Spotlight | Patrick Winecoff
Get to know Head Varsity Soccer Coach Patrick Winecoff
While Head Varsity Soccer Coach Patrick Winecoff is a relatively new Bruiser, he has coached GPS girls for more than 20 years. As an area coach for all age ranges and levels—from club teams to the Chattanooga Football Club women’s team—Winecoff brings a depth of experience to our school.
Not long after he joined GPS in 2014, he found great success, bringing a home state championship that year and again in 2018. In 2019 Winecoff was selected by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association as the 2018-2019 Girls’ Soccer Coach of the Year.
Inspired to Play, Driven to Coach
Winecoff has been involved with the sport since childhood, though soccer didn’t become his main focus until he played at the collegiate level at Covenant College. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, he attended Westminster Christian Academy. After college he returned to coach soccer in Chattanooga, driven in part by his peers and friends who started coaching here.
Since then he’s coached in nearly every part of town with every age level, from younger club teams to assistant coaching at Covenant College. His experience enables him to think strategically as a coach, identify talent and place players in appropriate positions, and analyze and respond to situations on the field.
His ability to inspire girls to train for success is a huge asset for the Bruisers. By training appropriately for certain situations in the game, his players can easily adapt to any situation on the field and move forward with confidence.
Problem Solving on the Field
Compared to club teams that are typically one age group, high school soccer presents unique challenges for a coach. With a range of ages and maturity levels, coaches provide support for each girl. Winecoff thrives on time with the girls, and he and his assistant coaches foster independence and agency early on. They encourage girls to communicate directly and openly with coaches and together determine accountability. Winecoff has always been impressed by the girls’ dedication to hard work.
Moving from a competitive conference with Chattanooga Football Club to a high school, Winecoff finds similar problems teams face on the field, whether technical or tactical. But he works to meld all the players’ needs to solve a problem.
“One player might need technique work, one might need help making a decision; each is a different problem to consider the best course of action,” Winecoff says. “For us at least, the girls work so hard. They make it easier to resolve these problems on the field. If we as a coaching staff can be wise about the correct course of action, the girls always work really hard, which makes coaching highly enjoyable.”
Finding Confidence in Training
Success comes in the training, which starts in the hot final weeks of summer break, leading to strong players and positive relationships with the coaching team. Most significantly, Winecoff spends ample time training on specific procedures or outcomes. He looks forward to every season, learning about each player’s strengths and blending their skills to better control the outcome of each game.
Winecoff looks forward to every season, learning about each player’s strengths and blending their skills to better control the outcome of each game.
“Our team understands what we’re trying to accomplish. They feel confident in the training environment and are able to translate that to what happens during a match,” Winecoff says. “I don’t have to stand on the sidelines going crazy getting a player to do something—they already know what the plan will be. There’s no apprehension. They know exactly how to execute.”
Winecoff is grateful for time with his team—their work ethic, their self-motivation, and their sense of gratitude.
“It almost catches me off guard when, during a training session, a girl walks past and thanks me,” Winecoff says. “They’re thankful for the opportunity. They have a great group dynamic. It’s fantastic to see, and I’m grateful to be able to coach them.”
