Advancement Through Athletics Staff - Updated 11/24/2023

Coach Sho has served as head coach and the organization’s visionary since its inception in 2015.

Coach Sho has coached, one state record holder, one All-American, and six state champions in the sprints. He serves as the sprints, hurdles and jumps coach Warren Central. Obemeata holds multiple coaching eduction certifications from NSCA, USATF, USTFCCCA.

The London, England native supported elite athletes and staff through the Tokyo Olympics and multiple world championships during his 4 year tenure at USA Track and Field. 

Faith Girton has been with ATA since 2022, serving as an athletic counseling intern and team support. In addition to counseling scholars, Faith supports data collection, community service, social media efforts and more.

Girton is completing graduate degree at Springfield College in Springfield, MA. She is studying athletic counseling with aspirations of working with the

National Football League.  At Springfield, she works with collegiate, high school, and middle school student-athletes. Additionally, she currently works with track and field, football, dance, soccer, and injured athletes. She focuses on topics related to performance, mental, and emotional enhancement. These topics include growth vs. fixed mindsets, resilience, team cohesion, motivation, anxiety, confidence, stress and time

management, self awareness, communication, and much more.

As an Incana University-Bloomington (I) alumna, Ms. Girton has roots in social justice, leadership, and counseling. Ms. Girton received her BA in Liberal Studies which has allowed her to have a breadth of knowledge in a variety of related topics from psychology to history. Ms. Girton also founded the first natural hair club at IU. This organization aimed to "bring unity to the Black community" through comradery and shared experiences of natural hair. Aside from hair, she also has garnered experience in the social work field and working with children through her time at DCS Department of Child Services. Upon graduation, Ms. Girton plans to find work in the sport psychology field that will allow her to continue making a difference in her community while

serving a population she reels very connected to.

Coach Williams brings over 40 years of hurdle experience to ATA. The Arizona native hurdled collegiately before earning a masters of science in Human Genetics and Molecular Biology. Coach Williams is a research scientist working in Biotherapeutics.

“I fell in love with track and field through a successful high school football career where I started and played both ways at wide receiver and free safety for a 5A football powerhouse, Maryvale High school in Phoenix Arizona. My best friend and quarterback on the football team was the reigning 5A high hurdle champion as a junior in the state of Arizona. After he extended several invitations to join the track team, I was never quite sure if he wanted the competition or just a ride to practice, since I was the one with the vehicle. By the end of my first year as a high hurdler I had placed second in 5A state behind my best friend who placed first, we both accepted full ride scholarships to universities in Arizona where I went on to set school and conference records that have stood for as many as 35 years! In short, track and field was the tree that I climbed to find the fruit of success and I’m here to simply pay it forward. I’m proud to be back in the mix and actively connecting the old school and the new school training methods to help guide our scholar-athletes to a path of success in whatever they endeavor to accomplish. It truly does take a village and ATA has been a family affair for my family since the inception, helping to train my children for college and beyond through elite athletics.”

Coach Cooper is an educator and mentor coaching sprints, jumps and relays with ATA. Cooper joined the ATA staff in 2023.

During her competitive years, she had a hall of fame career at Bishop Noll, a 2A school in northwest Indiana. She was a four time IHSAA state medalist before her four year career at Indiana State University. Cooper boast personal bests of 11.80 and 24.01 with All-MVC honors. Cooper teaches elementary school in Lawrence Township and coaches for Lawrence Central High School. Cooper is working toward a masters degree in education.

Coach Colby Wilson is a recent graduate of Springfield College where he was an All-Conference performer in the jumps and sprints. The Massachusetts native returns to Indiana in 2023 working for the NCAA in their post-graduate internship program. Wilson served as a youth intern at USA Track and Field in 2022. He coaches the jumps and sprints with ATA.

“I love being able to coach alongside Sho and work with the high level athletes at ATA. Everyone works hard, but more importantly it’s a family. I was here as a college athlete last summer, and now being on the otherside I see the culture remains the same. We work harder than anyone, but uplift each other more than anyone else as well!”