Jayda Shelton was close to giving up on throwing. The Clarke Central High School athlete didn’t see college track and field as a real option — until Madicyn Robinson started coaching the team.
Robinson encouraged her to create a recruiting profile, and soon after, Shelton started hearing from college coaches.
“Her believing in me really pushed me to go ahead and do it,” said Shelton, who in May announced on social media that she will compete at Georgia State next season.
Robinson, 23, recently finished her first season as the girls throws coach at Clarke Central. That role alone was demanding — but it’s not the only one she holds.
She works full time as a patrol officer for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. During the season, she managed 12-hour night shifts while still showing up to coach in the afternoons.
“I didn’t initially even want to be a coach,” said Robinson, who reached out to a school resource officer to ask about helping with the team. “I just wanted to volunteer a couple of days, help where I could, but they didn’t have a coach.”
At the 2025 regional meet, five Clarke Central girls throwers advanced to the finals. Shelton was the only one to qualify for sectionals in both discus, with a throw of 87 feet, and the shot put, with a mark of 31 feet 10.75 inches.
“She really just brings a different aspect to the throwers that we never got before,” Shelton said of Robinson.
Robinson typically finished her patrol shift at 6 a.m., slept for a few hours, went to the gym and arrived at the track by the afternoon. The schedule was tight but not unfamiliar to her.
“In college, I was a full-time athlete, full-time student, and I had a full-time job. I’m just that type of person who has to stay busy,” Robinson said.
Robinson grew up in Valdosta, where her father was one of her track coaches. At Lowndes High School, she set the school record in discus (133 feet, 11 inches) and won a state title as a junior. She later competed at Georgia Southern University on scholarship.
“The advantage of being a coach that isn’t too far removed from actually competing is to have the ability so she can show them, she can talk them through it,” Clarke Central girls’ head coach Alexis Hunter-Lonon said.
This past season, Clarke Central had one of its largest groups of throwers in recent years, with 10 athletes on the roster. Under Robinson’s leadership, the program not only grew in numbers but also in confidence and performance.
She believes in us, and we never really got that before,” Shelton said.
Robinson’s background in law enforcement influences how she leads on the field. She focuses on lessons that apply both on the job and in sports.
“I try to give them little nuggets like this person might have an attitude today or practice, because you don’t know what they’re dealing with at home,” Robinson said. “It’s not about what you say; it’s how you say it.”
She tries to create structure while still building trust.
“You want to be strict so they know that there are rules, there are consequences,” Robinson said. “But not too much, where you’re running them away, because, essentially, we need each other.”
Even when Robinson couldn’t attend meets or practice due to work, her athletes still felt her impact. For Shelton, Robinson’s coaching went beyond throws technique.
“That’s something that really helps you, even in regular life,” Shelton said. “Be free in the ring — that’s like, let go, be free in wherever you choose to go, and do your best with your ability.”
Off the field, Robinson continues to lead in other ways. Sergeant Troy Choudhury, her supervisor at the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, said her community mindset is a consistent part of who she is. For example, she organized a coat drive in the winter for local families in need.
I think the Athens community really is able to see her more on a personal level, and not just the uniform side,” Choudhury said.
Robinsons credits the women in her life — especially her grandmother, who once worked three jobs — for shaping her mindset and work ethic.
“I’ve just always been around women who went after it, no matter what,” Robinson said. “So here I am — going after it.”
Alyssia Hamilton is in the undergraduate certificate program at UGA’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
Show Comments (1)