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Testimonials from Coaches & PlayersUpdated
From Coaches
“For three years, Global Sports Academy President, Roy Blumenthal, and I have talked about an opportunity to work with his organization, and coach a team in Europe. I am very grateful to Roy for affording me the opportunity to represent GSA. My expectations were for the players on the trip to get better and use this experience as a springboard for their upcoming season with their respective teams.“
Patrick Baldwin
Assistant Head Coach
Northwestern University ’13
“ Having worked with the Global Sports Academy as a college coach, international Goodwill coach, and former member of the staff, I can wholeheartedly say that you would be hard-pressed to find a better organization that creates the type of cultural experiences through sports that GSA provides. Their passion, diligence, and personal touch are second to none. I loved my time with the Global Sports Academy and would highly recommend the platform to any interested program or coach.“
Drew Dawson
HC Boys Basketball
Choate Rosemary Hall
“Roy and his staff do a tremendous job. Global Sports Academy is run in a first-class manner with the well-being of the student-athletes prioritized. They provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience through hard work and their connections throughout the world. Haven taken three teams abroad, some of my finest memories in basketball have come from their trips.“
Greg Manning
Assistant Coach
Maryland University
“ Global Sports Academy founder and President Roy Blumenthal did an outstanding job in providing our team with an opportunity to compete in Montreal, Canada. His attention to detail and consistent communication served as the foundation for an amazing experience. Hotel accommodations and bus transportation were first class. We were able to compete against three local colleges in Montreal and essentially jump-start our season. The schedule was set so that we could explore the beautiful city of Montreal and still have some downtime. Our hosts in Montreal were extremely welcoming and facilitated a second-to-none lifetime experience for our players and coaches. I highly recommend GSA to any coach exploring options for a foreign trip.“
Rob Pryor
Head Men’s Basketball Coach
United States Merchant Marine Academy
“Working hand and hand with Global Sports Academy and founder Roy Blumenthal, our trip was planned out and executed perfectly. We had an absolutely incredible experience, from the basketball games to the cities, culture, and history. We were very fortunate to have Roy accompany us on the trip as well which was very helpful as this was our first time as a program taking an international trip. Taking a trip like this not only made our team better on the court but also brought everyone on the trip closer together as a family. The memories that were made as we traveled together to Europe will be something that we will all cherish for a lifetime.“
Kevin Broadus
Head Men’s Basketball
Morgan State University
“I have been fortunate and blessed to be a part of the Global Sports Academy experience for a number of years now. GSA promotes international competition and goodwill, while at the same time affords young people the opportunity to see other parts of the world and experience other cultures that most would otherwise be unable to.
Roy runs a first-class organization and the coaches he gets to represent GSA, like myself, gain invaluable experience such as recruiting a roster and making organizational decisions, as well as, in-game decisions.“
Chris Moore
Assistant Coach
Southern Indiana University
From Illinois University Assistant Basketball Coach
Jay Price
From Players
“The best part of the trip was experiencing the different cultures in Europe and being in a country where they don’t speak English. We had to adapt to that. Also playing internationally – it’s a different experience from playing NCAA basketball. We played a number of professional teams, and playing with five other guys on a team that I didn’t know more than a few days was a real challenge at times. But we really got along well and hit it off, hanging out quite a bit off the court. We stuck together.“
Michael Santos
Santa Clara University
“ The experience that he received during the tour last year was evidenced by the year that he had on the basketball court during the collegiate season of 2006 – 2007. His achievements were Player of the Year, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), Eastern Division; third consecutive selection as First Team All-PSAC, Eastern Division; First Team National Association of Basketball Coaches, Eastern Division; and Fourth Team Division II All-American.“
Charlie Parker
Millersville University
“It was a fantastic experience, getting to play against such high-level competition and seeing parts of the world I had never been to,” Steenberge recalls. “It was just a great experience, meeting new friends and at the same time working on my game.“
Kevin Steenberge
University of Richmond
“I’m really looking forward to this experience. I’ve never been to Europe, so this will be an exciting trip both in terms of playing basketball and sightseeing. Being able to play with other great players from the Big Ten and other conferences and compete against international competition will hopefully propel me into a successful season at Wisconsin.“
Ryan Evans
University of Wisconsin
“Our team that was made about a month ago knew nothing about each other besides maybe a first name and a school. That’s all. As we came together the day of our first game, we were able to form a bond with each other that no other teams on the trip had. Other teams had guys from the same leagues and same areas, however we had guys from all across the country and we were able to come together as a team and post a 5-1 record against some of the best teams in European basketball. That’s something special to me. It’s not easy to come together in eight days, but we did while we had success. The guys I played with will always be in my phone as we bring something from this trip and build from it. Needless to say, I was honored to play for Coach Baldwin in a different setting with guys from different conferences.
I would be to say thank you to all the people who have made this trip possible for me. I had a blast doing this and playing somewhere new. From my teammates to coaches to family and friends, everyone has sent some great support to get me to where I am today. I am truly blessed to have taken this opportunity and turn it into something that I can build off of on the court. Thanks again!
Nathan Taphorn
Northwestern University