Great Hearts Athletics Receive Game-Changing Upgrades

Summer break is often seen as a time for rest, but at Great Hearts Academies, it’s also a time of transformation. While our campuses may be quiet without the buzz of students behind the scenes, there’s a great deal of activity focused on enhancing the facilities that support our students’ growth and success. This summer, some of our academies undertook significant facility upgrades, particularly within our athletic departments, to better serve our student-athletes and the wider school community. These improvements, made possible by the generous support of the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZSTA), are more than just cosmetic. They represent a commitment to excellence and a deep investment in our scholars’ futures.

Glendale Prep’s football field received a significant upgrade with the addition of permanent field lights. In previous years, the Glendale Prep Griffins played evening games under temporary floodlights that had to be raised and lowered before and after each game. Athletic Director John Kontak said the lights are incredible. “They immediately add a legitimacy and uniqueness to our field. It feels like home. Our community deserves this, and it will impact kids of all ages.”

Chandler Prep enhanced their field sports communications by adding a fully air-conditioned press box to their bleachers on the football field. “It has a roof level that will be great for media and coaches alike,” explained Athletic Director Zach Gurule. The interior is equipped with two air conditioning units, providing coaches, staff, and volunteers a comfortable environment while working the games. “The press box will greatly improve the experience for everyone involved in the games. In addition to elevating the prestige of our athletic programs—since most, if not all, large schools have a press box—this will also help attract new athletic families to the school, showing how much effort our entire organization is investing in our student-athletes,” added Gurule.

Chandler Prep also had their gym floors sanded down, redesigned, painted, and resurfaced. “These new floors will give our gym a much-needed facelift, as our previous floors were outdated,” Gurule explained. “This upgrade impacts the student-athletes by providing a brand-new feel, generating excitement among students, faculty, parents, and opponents. It will also improve athlete safety by ensuring good grip and preventing sliding on the courts.”

According to Arete Prep Athletic Director Todd Conklin, the improvements to their field and gym have been a game changer for the Arete campus and their athletics program. “The vision for our projects came from fundamental questions: ‘What projects will benefit our wider community? How can we positively influence our campus as a whole, impact the greatest number of students and families, and elevate our entire athletics program?’”

Conklin said they chose to refinish and repaint the gym floor, which is used by all of their students in grades K-12, and by many families for school events. New permanent bleacher seating at the field provides a more comfortable and professional experience for spectators at both athletic and school events. Additionally, a state-of-the-art audio system installed in their scoreboard will enhance the atmosphere, not only at their home sporting events but also at school events such as field days and festivals. Finally, they are reconstructing their archery range and building a permanent shade structure to help one of their largest programs at the school perform at their best on a professional NASP (National Archery in the Schools) range year-round. This will impact over 80 archery athletes each year.

“We cannot thank AZSTA enough for this incredibly generous show of community support,” shared Conklin. “These visions only became a reality thanks to the dedicated work of the Great Hearts Development team, Great Hearts Operations and Facilities teams, and Great Hearts Athletics. The Arete community thanks you for these game-changing campus improvements.”

As we are welcoming students back to campus, these upgrades show the ongoing dedication of Great Hearts to providing an exceptional environment for learning and development. The enhancements across Glendale Prep, Chandler Prep, and Arete Prep are just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting new year for our academies. We are grateful to AZSTA and all those who contributed to making these projects a reality. There is no doubt that these improvements will have a lasting impact on both current and future generations of student-athletes.

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