G.J. H.

Sam Cranford - Former High School Athlete (Testimonial)

Having the opportunity to train under GJ is something I will always be extremely grateful for. I’ve only been around a few people in my life that have the ability to truly display what it means to be passionate and fully invested in something without faking it. I’ve always believed that to truly reach your full potential you have to train under someone who has walked the walk and knows how to help you get to where you want to go. This is one of the reasons why I always listened to what GJ had to say and took his word for it. More importantly, GJ is a unique guy with a huge heart for what he does and whom he is doing it for. It was never a question that GJ cared more about me on a personal level than the actual result, but that’s not to say he didn’t help me succeed in the athlete arena. I’ve played under many different coaches throughout my life and GJ will always be someone who I consider a stand out coach. I highly recommend GJ to anyone who is trying to elevate their running abilities and reach their goals. Not only do I consider him a fantastic coach but a wonderful mentor and friend.

Jay Baker - Former High School/Club Athlete, D3 Collegiate Athlete (Testimonial)

Since the very first day I met GJ, I knew his mind was set to push his athletes to their full potential. That is exactly what he did with me. In addition, GJ's knowledge and personal experience with track has made him a great coach who can sculpt workouts that individually pertain to each athlete. GJ greatly cares for his athletes and fully invests in their lives.

Megan Roach - Former High School/Club Athlete, D1 Collegiate Athlete (Testimonial)

All I can really say is there is no other coach that would literally run your race with you at a meet, encouraging you along the way, yelling out ideal times, and making funny code words to tell you that you need to get moving. In simple terms, he is trusting, grounded to promote confidence in his athletes, and encouraging to make ones future hopeful. Around my eighth grade year I heard we were going to have assistant coaches. I was skeptical until I heard that one of the coaches competed at the University of Alabama. College was like the biggest thing known to man in my freshman mind, so this guy was cool. When he got there, our training became structured and had a purpose. Our small team of about 10 felt more accomplished after a meet. I can remember, in a moment of panic, asking GJ how in the world I should run the open 400 meters. He told me three different strategies. I remember thinking “how in the world does he know three different methods to run in a circle?” However, it worked! When I say GJ is grounded enough to produce a balanced pride in his athletes, I look back to when I transitioned from freshman to sophomore year. I began to see track as a job rather than a fun sport. Nervousness would captivate my thoughts because something inside my head told me I had to perform better than my time before. I began to overwork myself and only wanted to be around coaches who would nourish this thought of “get better, get better, get better”. However, I remember after doing a hard workout I felt a weird twinge in my back. I kept on working out because of the fear I would somehow lose my talent if I didn’t finish. GJ pulled me aside and said, “why don’t you just stop?” I finally began to explain how I didn’t think I enjoyed what I did anymore. He looked at me and said “you don’t have to compete.” Without a coach that can look at you and see how you are hurting mentally and physically, track becomes a very grueling sport. He promoted a character trait in me that allowed me to pull aside from my identity in track and become my own person. Now I am running Collegiate D1 track.

Johnathan Sottek - High School Athlete (Testimonial)

GJ Hudgens is a remarkable track coach. Not only is it obvious that he knows how to fine tune a runner to perform as best as they can; but he is able to be a friend and relate to the runner as they train and work together. He is just hard enough on his trainee to push them to the max but knows when they are working as hard as possible. He was able to give me encouragement when I needed it most. He is not free with his compliments, so when they're given it means a lot. He is a fun guy to be around and pushed me to run my hardest in the 400. I recall a workout where he saw how tired I was and ran my last 400 with me to bring out any strength I had left. It was a pleasure and joy to have GJ coach me.

Courtney Cone - Former High School/Club Athlete (Testimonial)

GJ was my coach the year I won state in the 4x800, the event he coached me in. If it wasn't for his competitive drive, determination for my success and willingness to be patient, I wouldn't have that gold medal. There are two types of coaches, the typical coach who just yells without purpose and thinks he/she is motivating the young athletes towards success. Or the passive coach who watches without words because he or she is not capable of coaching. GJ is neither of these. It was out of his love of the race and his encouragement that I could pull ahead of the girl in front of me and win. While everyone talked to me after a bad race, GJ knew how to just stand there in silence, give a quick hug, and move on to the next meet. Bad races aren't the end of the world, rather the beginning of improvement. GJ and I managed to knock my 800 time down from a 2:39 to a 2:24 in one season. He constantly made track enjoyable for me and my teammates, laughing and joking as we practiced, yet encouraging our improvement. I always felt comfortable running when I knew he was standing at the 200 meter mark to cheer me on. He knew how to calm my nerves and use them as energy for my race. He knew how to inspire us to reach our full potential. I still credit that gold medal in my room to GJ and the time he patiently spent coaching me.