Savannah Christian has one of its own at the helm of the girl’s basketball program. Allyson Faircloth is a 2008 SCPS graduate who has taught and coached at SCPS since 2015. In March of 2023, she was announced as the Head Coach and Program Director of girls’ basketball. We sat down to learn more about Allyson and her path to Savannah Christian.
Q: When did your journey with SCPS begin?
A: I started school at Savannah Christian in 6th grade at the Derenne campus and returned to teach in 2015.
Q: Do you have a standout memory from your time playing basketball at SCPS?
A: We were never the biggest team according to size. When we arrived at the Macon coliseum to play in the final four game, the workers first directed us to the cheerleader’s locker room. A lot of hard work and heart (not size) took us far that season.
Q: Do you have a favorite memory during high school?
A: Each year during basketball season we had a team bonding day where we played paintball in Ludowici. We all dressed in camo and were running around in the woods having a blast.
Q: How did you come to teach and coach at SCPS?
A: I first came back to Savannah to teach at Beach High School when I graduated from grad school. Coach Jones reached out to me about an opening for a math teacher and a volleyball coach at the middle school.
Q: How did your high school experience shape your career decisions?
A: I had so many teachers and coaches that poured into me and helped shape me. I hope to make that same difference in my own students and players.
Q: Did you always want to be a teacher and coach?
A: I knew that I wanted to coach and that most schools required you to be a faculty member in order to coach. As soon as I started my education classes, I fell in love with teaching and realized I had made the right decision.
Q: Who played a pivotal role in your high school journey?
A: Coach Marshall Wood was one of my biggest supporters all throughout high school. He was so smart and had a way of sharing wisdom where you didn’t know you were learning a life lesson. I was not a history fan but I loved being in his class because of his personality and humor. I ran into him when I first started teaching at SCPS and he remembered details from high school days that I had forgotten about. Of course he also shared some teaching wisdom that I could put to use.
Q: What’s special about SCPS to you?
A: I love that I’m able to share my faith daily with my students and players.
Q: What is a fun fact that people do not know about you?
A: I run a woodworking camp every summer on campus.
Q: Lastly, any advice for current high schoolers?
A: You don’t have to be involved in every club and sport just to put it on your resume. Try everything but choose what you actually enjoy and love. Don’t be involved with so many things that you can’t commit to anything. Winning a championship or having the best grades doesn’t define you. People will remember you for your character, work ethic, and how you treat others.