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Inside the Grande: ACT & SAT preparation

Editor’s note: “Inside the Grande” is a weekly Wednesday feature in which we peer inside the inner workings of the Grande Sports Academy. We take a peek behind the curtains and discuss various topics about the off the field success at the GSA. To see previous “Inside the Grande” features click here.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – Off the field success is just as important as on the field success for a student-athlete, and at the Grande Sports Academy home of the Real Salt Lake – Arizona Academy Residential Academic Tutor Gary Shepler has created a program that prepares residential players for the important SAT and ACT admission college exams.

“Lauren Crum (Director of Academic and Personal Development) and Gary have set it up to where we go and take the ACT and SAT exams on Saturdays at school so we get practice in an actual environment,” said junior Duncan Storey. “Throughout the week, Monday through Thursday from 8:00-9:30, we sit down and do practice ACT problems.”

Shelper takes residential players from the Grande Sports Academy to Mission Heights Preparatory High School every other Saturday. There the players are put in a familiar environment with the same exact time and pace that they would experience in a real test.

“It’s helped us get extra practice in the areas we need to work on when we take the actual tests,” said Trent Lowe.

“I find it very impressive that boys who have a challenging schedule already will take and give up an entire Saturday morning to get their skills in line to take these tests both the ACT and the SAT,” said Shepler.

Residential players at the Grande Sports Academy are also given the opportunity to participate in study hall hours throughout the week where many of them have flourished and have been named to the “Grande Sports Academy 4.0 Club“.

Inside the Grande: Spring soccer camps

Grande News

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – Soccer players of all levels have enjoyed themselves at the Grande Sports Academy soccer camps in the month of March.

More than a handful of players have immersed themselves in soccer excellence, training at the same soccer facility where 15 Major League Soccer teams have trained. As the GSA wraps up the second week of spring camps, 14-year old goalkeeper Andy Guzman from Arlington, Texas, took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk about his experience thus far. This week’s GSA soccer camp photo gallery at bottom of page.

Grande: What made you want to participate in a Grande Sports Academy camp?

Guzman: “It seemed like a good camp to join, develop and progress as an athlete.”

Grande: What was your overall impression when you first arrived?

Guzman: “I thought it was really nice when I first arrived. I knew from the start that everything was going to be good. The training with the coaches and the facilities have been amazing.”

Grande: Have you had a chance to watch the Real Salt Lake Academy teams train?

Guzman: “Yes, and they are amazing. Both teams are really good. The other day they had a technical training and the coaches were having the players do a lot of high level drills. It was impressive.”

Grande: If you had to describe this place, what would you tell people back at home?

Guzman: “The fields are amazing and the training sessions are great. You have everything you need within an arm’s reach. It’s a great place to be.”

Grande: Has the camp challenged you in any way?

Guzman: “It has. Everything is organized and everything has its own schedule. You have to be responsible for yourself. We work hard in the training sessions and they challenge you in those as well. Expectations are high from the beginning and I like that they give you that responsibility.”

Grande: Thanks Andy, enjoy the rest of your camp experience.

Guzman: “Thanks!”

Grande Sports Academy offers one, two, four six and eight week focused residential soccer camps throughout the year. Campers play on professionally manicured soccer fields, train in the 58,000 state of the art performance center and are challenged each day to improve technically, tactically, physically and mentally. GSA offers two unique striker and goalkeeper camps which run from June 20-22 and July 18-20, 2014.

For additional info and to register for a camp click here grandesportsacademy.com/soccer-camps.

NOTE: Click on one picture and a slider gallery will form.

Inside the Grande: Pinal County Animal Care and Control (community service)

Grande News

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – With all the residents at the Grande Sports Academy on spring break this week, the residential staff has kept the student-athletes busy with a handful of off-the-field activities.

On Wednesday morning, twelve GSA players volunteered at Oasis Pavilion Nursing & Rehabilitation Center’s Spring Carnival. On Thursday morning, thirteen student-athletes visited the Pinal County Animal Care and Control whose mission is to provide rabies control, enforcement, protection, education, and adoption services to Pinal County residents so they can live in a community that promotes responsible pet ownership and is protected from diseased and aggressive domestic animals.

Officer Trey Pickett spoke to the student-athletes for 20 minutes about a variety of topics that covered dogs, reptiles and other mammals that live in the desert. Pickett then walked the thirteen players through and facility and showed them all the dogs they have in their care. At the end of Pickett’s presentation, the players had an opportunity to play with a few dogs in the Pinal County Animal Care and Control’s playground.

“It was really nice going there today and seeing all the dogs,” said Gui Leme. “I’m looking forward to going back there to volunteer and to work with the dogs.”

Student attendees: Conor Orton, Evan Waldrep, Luke Novick, Jack Gayton, Dillon Nino, Pato Yrizar, Christian Herrera, D.J. Villegas, Adam Ferguson, Gui Leme, Alex Knox, Judah Rashirai and Terrell Lowe.

“Today’s orientation was a great first step in our efforts to do more community service projects with the local humane society,” said Lauren Crum, Director of Academic and Personal Development at the Grande Sports Academy. “The animal control officers provided our student-athletes with great information and we are looking forward to assisting the shelter this summer.”

NOTE: Click on one picture and a slider gallery will form

Inside the Grande: Spring Carnival at Oasis Pavilion Nursing & Rehabilitation Center (community service)

Gallery, Grande News

Grande Sports Academy - Rodriguez, Barraza, Fuchs, Cann, Baird, Acosta, Fourcand, Saucedo, Hernandez, Binder, Wihongi, Stray (2) CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – On Wednesday morning, twelve Grande Sports Academy student-athletes volunteered at Oasis Pavilion Nursing & Rehabilitation Center’s Spring Carnival. The participating GSA volunteers were paired up at different stages and helped in various games.

The GSA student-athletes helped the residents in eight different games that included: basketball throw, duck fishing, putt-putt golf, lollipop pick, ring toss, cornhole, toilet paper toss, three-bucket toss and sticker grab. One resident gave away palm readings, and a handful of the GSA participants enthusiastically had their palms read.

Student attendees: Danny Acosta, Corey Baird, Luis Barraza, Matthias Binder, Kiuno Cann, Kris Fourcand, Leo Fuchs, Jose Hernandez, Moises Rodriguez, Sebastian Saucedo, Miles Stray, and Te Wihongi.

Grande Sports Academy - Matthias Binder “It was very helpful because we had one in the fall and it was basically our volunteers and the employees,” said Tammy Nite, “It worked out well because it’s not as busy as before and the residents look forward to meeting to new people. They get excited about it and were very thankful to have the GSA players here.”

Near the end of the carnival one resident challenged two of our student-athletes to an arm-wrestling contest and won both attempts. Senior Corey Baird, future Stanford University men’s soccer midfielder and current member of the “GSA 4.0 GPA Club”, spoke highly of the event saying, “I’m just really happy to be here with all my teammates and it feels really good to give back to the community. It brings us all together to do something good in helping out people.”

NOTE: Click on one picture and a slider gallery will form.

Inside the Grande: Alex Knox & Erik Holt named Students of the Quarter

Grande News, Match Previews

NOTE: “Inside the Grande” is a weekly feature in which we peer inside the inner workings of the Grande Sports Academy. We take a peek behind the curtains and discuss various topics about the off the field success at the GSA.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – The Academic Staff at the Grande Sports Academy honored two students for the third quarter of the 2013-14 school year.

The two players honored were sophomore Alex Knox, who is currently in the mist of his third year at the GSA, and junior Erik Holt, who joined the GSA before the current school year and verbally committed to UCLA in November 2013.

Photo gallery of the players below

“Alex Knox has an eloquent way with words,” said English tutor Teresa Ly. “He inspires excellence and is always quick to help a teammate on and off the field. He has a deep appreciation for the incredible journey he has found himself on at the academy. Erik Holt is a leader both on and off the field. He is as big of heart as he is of stature and always promotes a sense of safety among his teammates. His dedication and hard work is evident in every aspect of his life.”

Knox, who joined the GSA as an 8th grader, has never held a GPA lower than a 4.0 and credits the GSA Academic Staff to his success saying, “I think that’s it’s not only important to work hard on the field, but also in the academics too because that can really give you and edge going to college. ”

The fall 2013 semester was a special one for Holt, who earned his first GPA over 4.0.

“It’s great to have all the tutors, Holt said. “They are very helpful and helped me get all my grades and everything sorted out. It’s great to see all the guys and they really helped me out.”

Inside the Grande: 17 players earn 4.0 GPA in fall semester

Grande News, Performance News

NOTE: “Inside the Grande” is a weekly feature in which we peer inside the inner workings of the Grande Sports Academy. We take a peek behind the curtains and discuss various interesting topics about the off the field success at the Academy.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – The Grande Sports Academy academic staff would like to give special recognition for those student-athletes who earned a 4.0 GPA or above in the 2013 fall semester:

Countless hours were spent by GSA tutors and the student-athletes in the study hall room and one student’s success in the fall semester impressed Lauren Crum, who is the Director of Academic and Personal Development at the GSA.

“We are very proud of all our boys who worked very diligently last semester to attain the 4.0 standing, but we are especially proud of one of our international students, Jose Miguel Tapia. This was Jose’s first semester in the U.S. and he worked extremely hard, was in study hall every day, worked with our tutors and was able to get A’s in all his classes. More than a handful of students improved their grades this past semester as well.”

One of those players who improved their grades was Jose Hernandez, who has shown a steady GPA improvement in every semester since he joined the Academy in August 2012. The 4.0 GPA eluded Hernandez all last year as he was just one letter grade shy of achieving the perfect mark, and this past semester he achieved his first perfect mark and credits that to the GSA.

“It’s all the hard work and all the resources we have here at the Grande. We have a great staff that can help us with anything we need and special tutors with every subject, which really helps out. Everything you need is hands on.”

The following players earned a 4.0 in the 2013 fall semester:

Victor Alvarez
Ishan Atit
Jesus Avelar
Corey Baird (signed with Stanford University)
Adam Ferguson
Justen Glad (verbal commitment with Stanford University)
Jose Hernandez
Erik Holt (verbal commitment with UCLA)
Alex Knox
Nicholas LaMonica
Tevin Lowe
Trent Lowe
Dillon Nino (signed with University of Dayton)
Conor Orton
Duncan Storey
Jose Miguel Tapia
Evan Waldrep (verbal commitment with Creighton University)

We are extremely proud of ALL of our boys’ progress and hard work!

Click on one picture and a slider gallery will form. Photos in alphabetical order…

Search Results for: inside