At Evert Tennis Academy, elite tennis training and high-level academics come together through a unique partnership with Grandview Preparatory School. During a recent visit to the academy, Florida Tennis Magazine Editor Matt Pressman sat down with Alan Stob, Head of School at Grandview Preparatory School, to discuss how the program is helping student-athletes pursue their dreams both on the court and in the classroom.
For nearly three decades, Grandview Preparatory School has focused on creating an educational environment tailored to the individual needs of each student.
“Grandview was founded in 1997,” said Stob. “We opened as a EC through 12th grade independent private school focusing on personalized education for each of the students and seeing them as deeply human individuals and trying to focus on the personalized aspect of the education.”
That individualized approach has made Grandview an ideal fit for aspiring tennis players, many of whom face the challenge of balancing rigorous training schedules with their academic responsibilities.
“These students live very, very busy lives,” Stob said. “The schedule for each student is customizable.”
Students begin their days at 7 a.m., with one block dedicated to academics and another to tennis. The two are interchangeable, allowing players to adjust their schedules around tournament travel, weather conditions, and recovery needs.
“If a student needs to sleep in from a late tournament or there’s inclement weather that’s coming, it’s very customizable and flexible,” said Stob. “The students can sometimes pick and choose which of the sessions to go to.”
The flexibility extends into the classroom as well. Students can choose between in-person and online learning depending on their schedules and preferences, while those who frequently travel for tournaments receive additional support to ensure they remain on track academically.
“We provide in-person academics for the students in the core subjects,” Stob said. “Math, science, English, and history are all done in person if the student chooses.”
One of the aspects that separates Grandview from many traditional academy experiences is that student-athletes can still enjoy many of the milestones associated with a typical high school experience.
“We allow the students to participate in those signature life events, whether it’s pep rallies or homecoming, prom, large graduation celebrations, academic award ceremonies,” Stob said. “It’s a really great opportunity for the students to be able to be part of a larger community and not have to sacrifice any of those signature events.”
The school’s small class sizes also allow teachers to provide individualized attention and accommodate the unique schedules of student-athletes.
“Class sizes will range anywhere from five to 15 students depending on the academic course as well as the class that’s being offered,” Stob noted.
Helping students reach their college goals remains one of the school’s core priorities, particularly for those balancing academics with the demands of high-level tennis.
“Grandview is a college preparatory school,” Stob said. “Our focus is for all students to go to the college of their choice.”
To help students achieve those goals, the school offers an extensive SAT preparation program beginning in the 10th grade.
“We have a robust SAT prep program that all students starting in 10th grade are required to be in,” he explained. “It’s a two to two and a half year program depending on when the students get the score that they want to achieve.”
The results speak for themselves.
“We have athletes and non-athletes who are at Vanderbilt and Duke and UCLA,” said Stob. “The academics is really the priority for us at Grandview.”
Rather than asking students to choose between pursuing their athletic ambitions and receiving a quality education, Grandview has designed its model around the realities of a student-athlete’s life.
“Our main objective is to make sure that academics fits into the life of the student instead of them having to fit their training and life around school and academics,” Stob said.
The school also embraces the opportunities that tennis provides and celebrates students’ successes on the court rather than viewing tournament travel as a disruption.
“If a student is absent on a Monday because they’re in the finals of a tournament, instead of looking at that as a negative that they’re missing the class period, we actually celebrate it as a success,” he said. “The students are doing what they love. They’re passionate about it and we’re providing them that time and space to continue doing what they love to do.”
For families seeking both elite academics and world-class tennis training, Stob believes the partnership between Grandview Preparatory School and Evert Tennis Academy offers the ideal environment.
“The partnership with Evert is excellent for all the students because the coaches and the Evert professionals are the experts in their field on the tennis court and then Grandview are the educators who really focus on the academics for the students,” he said. “It’s the best of both worlds. Families don’t have to choose between elite academics or elite tennis training. They get both opportunities at one location.”
Families interested in learning more about Grandview Preparatory School and its partnership with Evert Tennis Academy are encouraged to visit the campus and experience firsthand how the program is helping student-athletes succeed both academically and athletically.
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Written by Associate Editor Osvaldo Godoy. Video edited by Nathalia Suarez.