Virtual academy enables student athletes to miss less school

Writer: Sylvie Sparks
Published: Updated:
Florida Sports Virtual Academy

Florida Sports Virtual Academy provides both education and athletic training to students who aspire to play at the highest level and it started right here in Fort Myers.

Andrew Locantora’s son used to miss a lot of school to skate down his dream of playing travel ice hockey. 

That gave Locantora the idea for the Florida Sports Virtual Academy, an academic advisory for student athletes who aspire to play their sport at the collegiate or professional level.

A student gets his or her education through an online program and works with FSVA tutors in person or online.

“This program pretty much was built off of that,” FSVA Owner and Director of Academics Andrew Locantora said. “We just had a couple of kids that we were tutoring. Then a couple of kids turned into 12 kids and now we have a couple dozen in two locations.”

Right now FSVA has locations in Fort Myers and Deerfield Beach.

It is open to athletes of any sport, but many of the students in Fort Myers play hockey, like Spencer Hambling who is in his first year at the academy.

“I like it better than public school and the tutors are there with me every single day and they’re there for my convenience,” Hambling said.

When athletes aren’t in the classroom they’re working with coaches, several of whom have won Stanley Cups or Super Bowls.

Ninth grade hockey player Reese Tracy says his game has improved immensely since coming to the academy.

“I can skate after I do school work or I can go skate and then come do school work,” Tracy said. “I just feel like I get more ice time and I improve a ton in the classroom and on the ice.”

Locantora praises the trainers for making sure education is a top priority.

“They’ll pull them off the ice if they’re not doing their job in the classroom,” Locantora said.

Plans are in the works to open FSVA locations in Cape Coral and Clearwater.

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