Gardner-Webb Alumnae Gain Respect in Strength and Conditioning Field Dominated by Men

Four Graduates of Master’s Program Join a Small Percentage of Women Employed in Top-Level Positions

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—In a field dominated by men, four recent Gardner-Webb University alumnae are changing perceptions and gaining respect. As graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Master of Science in Strength and Conditioning (S&C) programs at Gardner-Webb, they join the small percentage of women in America who are employed in top-level S&C jobs.

The “International Sport Coaching Journal” published an article in January 2022 that stated the importance of S&C to athletic preparation and prevention of injuries. The article, “Experiences and Perceptions of Women S&C Coaches: A Scoping Review,” citing the most recent statistics, also noted that within the NCAA Division I—considered the highest level of intercollegiate athletics in the United States—only 15.7% of employed S&C coaches are women.

The Gardner-Webb trailblazers are:

• Caitie Mayo, ’21 and ’22—Athletic Performance Coach or Olympic Sports at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
• Kristen Flateau, ’22 and ’23—Assistant Director for Speed, Strength and Conditioning at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C.
• Allyson Butts, ’23 and ’24—Lead strength coach at Architech Sports & Physical Therapy in Charlotte, N.C.
• Macy Falls, ’24—Sports Performance Coach at TopTeam Sports Performance in Charlotte.

Mayo played volleyball at Gardner-Webb and received her master’s degree in 2022. She was a graduate assistant and strength and conditioning intern at Gardner-Webb and worked as an athletic performance coach at Architech Sports and Physical Therapy. She was a sports performance coach/sports scientist for Charlotte FC Academy before obtaining her job at Baylor, where she prepares the athletes for the demands of their sport through weightlifting, conditioning, and recovery. Mayo stated, “To provide holistic care to our athletes, it is critical for the departments of strength and conditioning, nutrition, and athletic medicine to communicate effectively. The exercise science program played a key role in my development as a professional in learning how to collaborate, communicate, and most importantly, provide a high level of training for each student-athlete.”

She has worked in the National Football League and Major League Soccer—both sports are highly dominated by men. “Through that, I have learned that authenticity is the key to success,” Mayo acknowledged. “We do not need to ‘act like a man’ or try to ‘act tough.’ We can demand respect through the quality of our work and consistently holding ourselves and our athletes to the highest standard. We will be challenged and asked why more often, however over time, my work and professionalism will speak for itself. Instead of taking offense, I take that as a challenge and embrace the opportunity to put intention behind every program I write and every drill I coach. I have been blessed to work in environments where I am treated with the utmost respect.”

When Flateau began working in S&C, she worked with football teams at GWU, Elon and Coastal Carolina. “As a female, I definitely had to prove myself to the players and coaching staff,” she shared. “I had to prove to the athletes that I was able to do the movements. I knew how to do them and that I knew different things about football. There were times where I had to be OK with being uncomfortable and not being afraid of embarrassing myself while doing a movement or an exercise to prove to the team that I could do it even as a young female working football. Once the players knew I was as bought into the program as they were, they treated me as the coach that I was and gave me the respect they gave everyone else.”

She said her Gardner-Webb professors and the program’s curriculum prepared her for the unique situations she has faced. Because the Department of Exercise Science faculty have backgrounds in teaching, athletic training, and nutrition, Flateau received a well-rounded education. Students also benefit from the expertise of Assistant Professor of Exercise Science Dr. Jonathan Ahearn, who has a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

“The Gardner-Webb exercise science program went above and beyond preparing me for success, from learning how to talk to an athlete and building a comprehensive training program to writing professional emails,” Flateau affirmed. “The professors at Gardner Webb prepared me with a rigorous curriculum that gave me an extensive knowledge of different areas of health and fitness. I can use what I learned in the strength and conditioning program, combined with the knowledge Dr. Ahearn provided on physical therapy, to help my athletes before an injury occurs.”

Falls realized the importance of S&C after she experienced a shoulder injury in college. “After undergoing surgery and months of rehabilitation, doctors’ appointments, and many check ins, I realized there was a disconnect between what my surgeon, physical therapist, and team athletic trainer were saying,” she related. “The lack of communication due to Covid also did not help. The concept ‘return to play’ was thrown around, however it still felt like proper steps were unclear. I was inspired to enter the S&C field, because I truly believe this field is one of the most often overlooked, yet necessary, areas of sport performance and overall well-being. We serve as what I would have considered to be the ‘connection’ between my surgery and proper preparation to return to the sport I loved. I wanted to inspire others to become their best selves both mentally and physically. I wanted to truly make a difference in the lives of young athletes.”

The master’s program at Gardner-Webb prepared her to face challenges, learn lessons and gain many new skills. In her job at TopTeam Sports Performance, Falls has a supportive team who pushes her to lead with confidence in a field dominated by men. “I don’t necessarily think I’ve had to prove myself to anyone other than myself,” she asserted. “Any doubt that I’ve received firsthand typically goes away after pride has been set aside, so I think that the main thing for me is just being confident in myself and trusting in God’s plan for my life.”

Besides being a female in the male-dominated field, Butts also doesn’t have a strong athletic background. Her experience includes a year of playing soccer and two years running cross country. “I went into college thinking I wanted to pursue a career in rehabilitative healthcare, specifically physical therapy,” she explained. “During my time at Gardner-Webb, I took several classes with Dr. Jonathan Ahearn, and his emphasis on the connection between S&C and the physical therapy field sparked my interest. I love the science of movement, but I also love that strength coaches have the opportunity to build transformative relationships with their athletes. For me, the S&C field combines the science I love with an opportunity to encourage my athletes to succeed on and off the field.”

Gardner-Webb’s program gave her the knowledge she needed to enter the field but went a step further. “The program did an excellent job giving me connections I would need to find my first role,” she assessed. “My first internship was with the company where I currently work, Architech Sports and Physical Therapy. I also completed practicum experiences in a physical therapy clinic, CrossFit gym, and high school strength programs, which helped me expand my skill set.”

As the lead strength coach at Architech, she manages all aspects of the strength program for developmental athletes, ages 9 through college. “This includes designing and managing programs for athletes at my location, coaching speed and agility technique sessions, and programming mobility, injury prevention, and corrective exercises,” Butts offered.  “Since we are an integrated performance and physical therapy clinic, I also get to work closely with the physical therapists, specifically with coaching athletes through return to sport activities, designing maintenance programs for injured athletes, and conducting performance/asymmetry analyses using our force plates.”

Butts appreciates the S&C opportunities that are beginning to open up for women. “One of the exciting things about being a female strength coach in this decade is that across the board, women are playing a larger role in organized sport, from smaller private programs like Architech to professional sports organizations,” she acknowledged. “Knowing strong female coaches, either by personal connection or through their research, teaching, and social media, gave me the confidence that this was a world I could succeed in. In my experience, all athletes want to improve, from a 7-year-old female gymnast to a pro NFL tight end (real athletes I’ve coached). They don’t care about my age, appearance, athletic history, or gender, because I am able to provide excellent, evidence-based training and demonstrate care for them as individuals.”

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.