Coaching with Heart: Celebrating the Women Who Inspire Cedar Hill Prep Athletes
At Cedar Hill Prep, athletics are about more than winning. They are about becoming. This Women’s History Month, we celebrate four remarkable coaches whose dedication to their students extends far beyond the court, field, and mat.
Coach Courtney Tierney — Building Champions, One Mistake at a Time
For Coach Tierney, coaching was always personal. Growing up, sports shaped who she was — and the coaches she had along the way left a lasting impression. She wanted to pass that on, especially to young girls.
Coach Tierney leads everything from Little Cats gym class to middle school basketball and soccer at CHP, and also works with competitive high school athletes outside of school. What strikes her most is that no matter the age or level, the challenges look remarkably similar. “The same fundamentals, the same mental stuff — it’s really interesting to see that with the little kids, they struggle with confidence, and the older kids do too.”
Her philosophy is simple: embrace mistakes. She pushes her students to try new things, fail, and figure it out — because that is where real growth happens. As a female coach, she sees herself as more than a trainer. With the WNBA and women’s professional soccer gaining momentum, she is excited about what the shifting landscape means for the next generation of girls in sport.
Coach Julie Haynoski — Finding Your Voice Through Cheerleading
Coach Haynoski never planned to start a cheerleading club at CHP. One interest email later, the response was overwhelming — and what followed has been nothing short of transformational.
Cheerleading, she is quick to point out, is absolutely a sport. But beyond the athleticism, what drives her is what the mat does for a child’s spirit. She was once a very shy girl herself.
Cheerleading changed that. “I have girls that don’t say two words, and they get on that floor and they start yelling — their confidence is coming out.”
One student, convinced she couldn’t participate because she couldn’t do cartwheels, became one of Coach Haynoski’s shining stars — doing squats at home on her own to build her strength. “She came in and said, ‘I did 20 squats last night, Mrs. Haynoski.’ She was building herself up. That is everything.”
Her message to every girl she coaches: you have a voice. Use it.
Coach Dawn Francavilla — Fair, Firm, and Always in Your Corner
Coach Francavilla’s story begins at age eight, on a pitcher’s mound, with her father coaching her and never letting up. She pitched in high school, was offered a college scholarship, and spent her entire athletic life learning what it means to truly love a sport.
A varsity coach for the majority of her career and a three-sport athlete, Coach Frankie has seen students earn full scholarships in swimming, tennis, and basketball. But what matters most is not the accolades — it is the whole person. “Kids have come back and said, ‘You inspired me. You taught me how to be a team member. You allowed me to fail, and you never yelled.'”
She coaches with equal parts empathy and firmness. Find what a student is good at. Build from there. “You have to find something they are good at and focus on it, to make them feel like they are worthy and a valuable player.” And when things go wrong — because they will — her gift is keeping them in the fight. “You can lose, but you have to try your best before that happens. Die trying.”
Coach Yasmeen Villafranca — Translating Passion Into Skill and Fun
Coach Villafranca has been playing volleyball since she was 15 — more than 35 years of setting, serving, and learning the game from the inside out. But it wasn’t until she came to Cedar Hill Prep that she had the opportunity to coach a team for the first time. That fact alone says something about what CHP makes possible.
Coaching changed how she sees the sport. “I used to play because I loved to play. Now I have to think about it from the other side — how can I get kids to understand this is the way you play volleyball?” Skills that feel second nature after decades on the court aren’t natural to a student just finding her footing. Her job is to make them natural.
One of her most effective coaching tools? Herself. Coach Villafranca is not tall — and she uses that openly. “Look at me. I was a setter. I couldn’t get over the net the traditional way — so this is how I do it. You don’t need to be six feet tall to play volleyball.” It is a lesson in adaptation as much as athletics.
What does she look for in a player? Coachability. “Are they willing to learn? Are they willing to adapt?” And the IB philosophy is never far from the court — volleyball demands communication, risk-taking, and collaboration. “On this court, those aren’t just volleyball skills. They are life skills.”
Her message to any young woman considering coaching one day: “You have to love the sport, and you have to show them how much it matters to you. You want to translate the passion into skill and fun.”