Performance Training

Performance Training

Performance Training

Private Performance Training

Are you looking to prepare for a future in sports or fitness? Come and learn skills to make you a more prepared athlete after school with some of the best trainers in the Lowcountry.

 


 

Performance Coaches

Private Performance Training is held on campus after-school, before school, and on the weekends for students of all ages.  This can be 1on1 training, small groups or large groups.  If you're interested in private performance training, reach out to:

John Austen - jausten@portergaud.edu

Assistant Director of Auxiliary Programs

Check out all of our Performance Coaches below!

Coach Chris Evans: Basketball

Coach Evans played three years at Sacred Heart University (DI), in Fairfield, Connecticut. Finished at The University of Charleston in West Virginia. As a Stamford High School graduate coach was a two-sport captain (basketball/football). He earned all state honors in both.

After a year of professional basketball in Germany, Coach Evans started his skills training program. Shortly after, he launched a very competitive & developmental based AAU program "3D" in the Fairfield County area. In 2020 immediately after moving to Mount Pleasant, SC, coach worked at both James Island High school (Football) and Wando High school (Girls Basketball). 

Now head coach of the 2023 "Deep South" Champion Charleston Raptors (red) 16U girls team, coach is excited to start a new era as Head Coach of the Porter Gaud Women's basketball team. 

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $90

2 students 1 hour - $70/student

3-5 students 1 hour - $50/student

6+ students 1 hour - $35/student

 

Email

Coach Dynasty Heyward: Basketball

JV Girls Head Coach/Varsity Girls Assistant Coach - Basketball training for girls of all ages and levels

Originally from Charleston, SC, Dynasty was a 3 year varsity starting point guard for Wando High School and a member of the Lowcountry Ballers AAU program. She then went on to continue her basketball career at Erskine College, a small D2 program in upstate South Carolina.

While at Erskine College she majored in Health Science with a minor in Healthcare Management. She also was involved in a number of organizations such as student government (Athletic Representative), yearbook, future fleet, and a member of a literary society to name a few.

Upon completion of her undergraduate degree she came back to Charleston to continue her education at The Citadel and coach basketball. She gained her Masters in Biology in May of 2022 and currently works in clinical research at Charleston Pediatrics Associates. 

She began her coaching career upon completion of her undergraduate degree. Dynasty is going into her 4th year of coach having experience ranging from middle school/B team to varsity and AAU. This past season she was the head coach in the 3A senior girls league where they were able to secure the schools first ever girls championship by only losing 1 game all season and maintaining the highest GPA in the league. She was the assistant coach of the Charleston Raptors - a team that recently qualified for Team USA Nationals as one of the top 30 teams in the nation - with Chris Evans.

As a trainer her focus is to develop players by building outstanding fundamentals through ball handling and a variety of scoring and developing high IQ players defensively and offensively.  

Emphasis:

  • IQ development 
  • Fundamentals 
  • Ball handling
  • Footwork
  • Free Throws
  • Defense 
  • Scoring in a variety of ways 

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $80

2 students 1 hour - $60/student

3+ students 1 hour - $45/student

Coach Heyward can be contacted via call or text at:

P: 843-870-2625

Coach Zac Parker: Baseball

Coach Zac played 3 years on the Varsity baseball team at West-Oak High School in upstate South Carolina as well as 3 years on the Walhalla Post 124 Legion baseball team as a Left-Handed Pitcher/Outfielder/1st baseman. He is now a Coach of the JV baseball team here at Porter-Gaud.

His goals for training are to provide specific workouts and routines on and off the field for each athlete’s specific needs which will develop habits to stay healthy and strong while taking their game to the next level.

His training aims to improve skill level, stamina, game IQ through drills and workouts while also creating positive mindsets with mental training to help you reach your greatest potential.

Areas of expertise:

  • Pitching (proper throwing mechanics)
  • Fielding (foot work/hand eye coordination)
  • Hitting (proper swing plane/pitch recognition)

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $60

2 students 1 hour - $50/student

3+ students 1 hour - $40/student

Coach Cameron Brown: Tennis, Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, Sailing

Lower School PE Teacher - Boys and girls of all ages and levels welcome!

Coach Cameron Brown is a man of all trades. Whether it's Tennis, Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country or Sailing, Coach Brown is the right choice to improve your skills. Whether you are a beginner looking to learn something new, or an advanced player player looking to make the Varsity team, Coach Brown is the perfect fit.

In addition to being the Lower School PE Teacher, Coach Brown has coached many Porter-Gaud teams and ran multiple camps and programs. He has been an Assistant Varsity Tennis Coach, JV Girls Soccer Coach, and a Sailing Coach here at Porter-Gaud for years now. He is the founder of the Middle School Running Club, giving Middle School students the tools to get to the next level once they reach Varsity Cross Country.

He is also the founder of Tennis 101 and Tennis Anyone, programs in the Lower School geared toward beginner and advanced players. He has a knowledge of volleyball and can help with the fundamentals and technique of bumps, sets, spikes and more.

Don't miss out on being trained but such a well-versed coach!

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $65

2 students 1 hour - $45/student

3+ students 1 hour - $35/student

Coach Joey Ferrelli: Basketball

Middle School Basketball Coach - Grades 3-12, boys and girls of all levels welcome!

Coach Joey's passion has been basketball since he was 5 years old, and that passion has turned him into a certified basketball trainer. Through his 6 years of AAU Basketball from ages 12-18, and years of Varsity basketball at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Massachusetts, he has a well versed knowledge of the game. With his recent online training and experience coaching at the JV and Varsity level, his expertise is guaranteed to take you to the next level.

Coach Joey has gained a wide range of knowledge from all his different coaches. He was a camper and worked as a staff member for the "Red Auerbach Basketball Camp" in Rhode Island every summer, where he learned from former NBA Coaches, and many top collegiate coaches. In 8th Grade he was recruited to play for the AAU Team "Basketball 2 the Limit", a program started by Coach Donald Morris, the youngest male Division III Coach ever at the time for Lesley University. Through Basketball 2 the Limit, Coach Morris has sent 200 plus student-athletes to play collegiate basketball at all levels. Coach Joey played 5 years for the program, learning from some of the best coaches in the state and becoming a captain on his team by his Junior year of High School.

Coach Joey is now the 7th Grade basketball coach at Porter-Gaud, and has been training students of all ages for 4 years now.  He has also helped coach preparatory JV camps and clinics along side Varsity coaches JP Pearson and Travis Smith, who have brought him on as the JV Summer league coach and Varsity Fall league coach.  With private training by Coach Joey, players will hone their skills by specific fundamental-driven drills. He will focus on ball-handling, in-game shooting, free throws, footwork, defense and basketball-like conditioning, because there is no shape like basketball-shape.

Training is open to any player in grades 3-12.

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $70

2 students 1 hour - $60/student

3+ students 1 hour - $45/student

Coach Jessica Van Der Mije: Tennis

Jessica is from Virginia Beach, Virginia. She was the #1 player in the Mid­Atlantic Section and the state of Virginia during the majority of her junior career, earning the #1 ranking in all age divisions (14's, 16's and 18's). She competed in each of the surface National Tournaments (hard, clay, indoors) beginning in the 12 and under age division and was ranked as high as #21 in the Nation in singles and #3 in the Nation in doubles.

She competed at the Orange Bowl International Jr. Tournament, the Easter Bowl, and the International Grass Courts. She represented her Section at the # 1 spot for Zonals and Intersectionals and spent time training out of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Brandenton, Florida as well as Harry Hopman Tennis Academy in Saddlebrook, Florida. As a heavily recruited junior she completed 5 official visits and was offered full scholarships at Indiana University, Wake Forest University, University of Virginia, William & Mary and the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. She chose to commit early to UNC-Chapel Hill and began her collegiate tennis career as a Tar Heel during the Fall of 1996.

As the #1 singles and #1 doubles player during all four years of her tenure at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Jessica (maiden name Zaganczyk) won All-ACC Honors and was a Dean's List Student with a 4.0 and 3.9 GPA during her Freshman and Sophomore Years, respectively. She was consistently ranked in the Top 75 in the Nation and had wins over top ranked programs such as Notre Dame, Florida State, UVA, Tennessee, Texas A&M, NC State, and Wake Forest. During her Junior and Senior Year she competed in the NCAA Tournament and won the #1 Doubles Title for the ACC with fellow Tar Heel Courtney Zalinski. She was a Four Year Letter Winner, named UNC Tar Heel Student-Athlete of the Week twice during her 4 years and was named Captain of the Team her Senior Year.

Throughout the summer seasons of 1997, 1998 and 1999 Jessica competed as an amateur on the Women's Professional Satellite Tour and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in the Fall of 2000. She moved to New York City after graduating and spent 12 years working in the Fashion and Luxury Goods Industry. Her early corporate fashion experience includes positions held at IMG-New York Fashion Week and Esquire Magazine. She later spent 5 years at Paris based fashion house Hermes where she was the Director of Special Events for the US, and later BVLGARI before leaving NYC to return to the South full-time. 

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $90

2 students 1 hour - $45/student

3+ students 1 hour - $30/student

Savannah Stone: Yoga, Health + Wellness Coach

Downward Dog, Cat, and Tree Pose! Yoga is a fun non-competitive practice for children, that will give students healthy habits to carry throughout life. The benefits of yoga for children include refining flexibility and balance, reducing stress and anxiety, as well as helping develop concentration and focus.

Coach Savannah's yoga instruction is designed to encourage students to gain a sense of self, community and body+mind connection while having fun. Certified Yoga Instructor and Integrative Health and Wellness Coach Savannah Stone is available before and after school; reach out to the Assistant Director Joey Ferrelli to get set up!

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $50

2 students 1 hour - $40/student

3+ students 1 hour - $30/student

Coach John Austen: Boys Lacrosse

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $60

2 students 1 hour - $50/student

3+ students 1 hour - $45/student

 
 
Coach Nathan Seawood: Track + Field; Hurdles and Strength + Conditioning

Meet Nathan Seawood, our newest Performance Trainer.  Coach Seawood specializes in hurdle and sprint events as well as strength and conditioning.  Nathan helped coach PG's Track and Field team this past Spring, and is now bringing his expertise to the Auxiliary Department.

Coach Seawood was a 4 year varsity hurdler back home in Michigan for the 110m and the 300m hurdles.  He also has 1 year of college hurdling under his belt, participating in the indoor 60m hurdles and the outdoor 400m hurdles.

Coach Seawood has been coaching hurdles/sprints for Track and Field for 4 years now, most recently with PG this past Spring.  Nathan is currently a personal trainer and strength coach at O2 Fitness and is now available for our sutdents for private performance training!

Pricing:

1 student 1 hour - $70

2 students 1 hour - $55/student

3+ students 1 hour - $45/student

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