“Changing a Culture, one day at a time,” is the phrase that seems to echo amongst the Coral Glades High School football program this year. The 2016 season will bring in yet another coaching staff for the Jaguars, but this one is making a positive impact on the team and its players. First-year head coach, Chris Baldwin, is making an effort to create a culture that encourages student-athletes to have academics as their first priority. Coach Baldwin has made it clear that in order to have a successful program “academics, academics, academics is the forefront and the identity of this year’s football team”.

The Jaguars kicked off their season with a victory against Miami-Dade’s Hialeah Gardens High School in week one’s pre-season game, here in South Florida. The 38-0 victory against the Gladiators will be a confidence booster for the Jaguars as they kick off their regular season this Friday night against Inlet Grove of West Palm Beach.

“There is, no doubt, a sense of urgency for the Jaguars this football season. Having worked with them since spring training, I’ve been able to experience the meaning behind Coach Baldwin’s ‘Changing the Culture’ mentality. From my standpoint, these players are ready to reap the benefits of a hard worked spring and summer.” says HSPN Director, Ryan Stoutt.

Stoutt says, “It is clear that the team is gaining a better understanding of what it means to be student-athlete: student first, athlete second.

This change in mentality has greatly influenced the students to be willing and ready to learn about the process of getting a post-secondary education. HSPN Sports and the KDA Team has taken the Jaguars football program under their wing by providing multiple College and Career Readiness Programs. These programs include PTRG Academy 2.0 comprehensive online learning management course. The course was created solely for the purpose of preparing the next generation of High School student-athletes in the areas of college readiness and, more specifically, athletic recruitment. The course gives its students the opportunity to engage in learning the ins and outs of the recruiting process. It also walks them through how to effectively leverage their character, academics, work ethic and their athletic ability to obtain college scholarships to get a great college education. And yes, we said scholarships.

“Over the years our focus has been teaching these student-athletes how to use their athletic ability, in any sport, to help them cover the cost of a great college education and great college experience. Over the past 3 years, our team has developed the PTRG Academy™. The program is set up in a way that addresses the current high school to college transition, while simultaneously equipping the student athlete with the skills necessary to overcome any challenge that life presents. What was once seen as a challenge by most is now seen as an opportunity by many.” – KDA Director Glenn Stoutt

The launch of PTRG Academy 2.0™, during KDA’s College and Career Awareness/Readiness month, has targeted the five major High Schools in Coral Springs in an effort to educate our students alongside the local community business leaders about the lack of College and Career Awareness/Readiness.

PTRG Academy 2.0™ teaches the student-athlete how to learn, and later, own the process of college recruitment and acceptance. Our program begins with an evaluation, then focuses on education, and engagement regarding their personal journey through the recruitment process. It is imperative that these athletes take ownership of the process, and realize that recruiting process requires them to be proactive. It’s time for our students to take individual responsibility while transitioning into the next phase of their life, adulthood.

With the help of our local business impact partners, City News Magazine and Premier Networking Alliance (PNA), this August the KDA Foundation™ has had the opportunity to provide scholarships to 15 Coral Springs student-athletes. Our impact partners have played a pivotal role in educating the local businesses and explaining the importance of what KDA aims to do regarding college and career readiness programs. Through our impact partners, the KDA Foundation has formed meaningful relationships with the business community, without whom scholarships like these would not be available. “We are overwhelmed by the positive response we have received from the local business owners and we are even more overwhelmed by the sponsor scholarship dollars those businesses have provided.” Our sponsors include the following: Vanessa D’Souza and Nubia Rojas with Remax/Vantage Realty and David Vaandering of M & L Insurance. It is clear that these businesses are committed to the local community, and realize the long-term impact they will have on our youth. All sponsors will be able to see first hand the impact their partnership makes, as each scholarshipped student-athlete progresses through the program. 

PTRG Academy™ and the KDA Foundation™ together, have made a big push to get as many local Coral Springs student-athletes into the online course during the month of August. They have done this by providing potential sponsors with the opportunity to sponsor multiple student-athletes at a discounted tuition cost during KDA’s College and Career Awareness Month. Coral Glades High School will be the first local school to receive scholarships for 5 student-athletes. Scholarship recipients were carefully selected through KDA’s Evaluation process as well as being evaluated by our business partner, S.T.E.A.L.T.H Rating™. 

In the near future, we hope to see other local high school make the same progress that we have seen at Coral Glades High School. Marjory Stoneman Douglas has taken that step, and is currently having their football team evaluated for PTRG Academy 2.0. Next on our agenda is Coral Springs Charter, Taravella, and Coral Springs High School.