From Levelland to Frenship Memorial
Whitney Gibson, affectionately known to her players as “Gib,” “Gibby,” “Momma Gib,” or “Gibatron,” is in her fifth year of coaching and already making history at Frenship Memorial High School. After four successful years as head volleyball coach at Levelland, where she led her team to a thrilling five-set district title victory over San Angelo Lakeview, Gibson brought her winning mentality to a brand-new program.
This year’s bi-district sweep of Graham in three sets marked Frenship Memorial’s first-ever playoff win and gold ball in school history. “The girls were SO excited and had so much emotion as we won the final set 26-24. Most of us were in tears!” Gibson recalls. For a coach leading only freshmen and sophomores, this historic moment represents not just a program milestone, but her first playoff victory in her career – making it doubly special.
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The Dancer Behind the Whistle
While her players know her as understanding, supportive, and passionate, they might be surprised to learn that Coach Gibson has some serious moves. “I’m a pretty good dancer,” she admits with a laugh. If she weren’t coaching volleyball, Gibson would be a full-time Pure Barre instructor, combining her love of movement with teaching. Her pre-game routine is straightforward – an energy drink and salty snacks, usually chips – though mornings always call for coffee. When she’s not on the court running her favorite drill, Neville’s Pepper, you might find her scrolling TikTok or listening to Lauren Daigle’s “Rescue” in her office, finding inspiration in both the energetic and the spiritual.
Building Through Perseverance
Gibson’s coaching philosophy is rooted in personal experience. “Perseverance,” she shares as the biggest lesson sports taught her. “Not only did long practices, conditioning and difficult drills force me to push through the uncomfortable but it allowed me to see how far I could push myself to be successful.” Despite being extremely sick her senior year, sports kept her going – the competition, time with friends, and the feeling after a win made it worth pushing through the hard times.
This mental toughness now shapes how she develops her players. Her coaching motto reflects this holistic approach: “Be the best teammate, player and person you can be while glorifying God’s name through your talent.” The best advice she’s received? “Always stay true to yourself and the program you want to build. You’re going to have plenty of outside opinions, comments, and critics, but you can’t let that influence who you are and what you want to instill in your players.”
Community Support and Future Goals
What makes West Texas sports special to Gibson is the unmatched energy. “We are in an extremely competitive area, which breeds energy and excitement, and that’s special. To walk onto a court and see a huge crowd backing your team and cheering on their success.” As a brand-new school with only sophomores and freshmen, the community support has been overwhelming. “I’ve gotten so many messages, emails and comments about how much people believe in my program and can see that it’s building in the right direction,” Gibson shares. “It makes coaching so much easier when you know you are being backed up and supported.”
Looking ahead, her goals are ambitious yet achievable: finish top two in district and make it past the first round of playoffs. For this young varsity program, experiencing another gold ball in their first full year would be the ultimate validation of Gibson’s vision and the community’s faith in her leadership.