Total Package Hockey is pleased to announce that Leah Sarnicola, current Director of Academics for the TPH Center of Excellence at RISE Prep in Nashville, TN, will be relocating north to her hometown of Grand Rapids, MI following the 2018-2019 school year, to take on the same role in the TPH-Grand Rapids Center of Excellence, which will open its doors in August of 2019.

“Appointing Leah to become our first Director of Academics for the Grand Rapids CoE is a huge win on a number of levels,” TPH Chief Academic Officer Bill Simms said.  “Leah and RISE Prep Headmaster Brad Guzda have done a fantastic job fostering a disciplined, structured academic culture in Nashville that is consistent with The TPH Way.  Leah will bring that same level of focus and passion for student-success with her to Grand Rapids so our student-athletes in GR have every opportunity to Study to their potential.  Academics have and will always be priority number one in our Center of Excellence model.  Putting a leader in place of Leah’s character and knowledge solidifies that.”

The Grand Rapids native has spent the past four years in Nashville, mentoring students at the TPH Center of Excellence at RISE Prep.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Grand Valley State University.  Leah went on to receive her Master’s in Business Administration from Tennessee State University and has an extensive background in teaching Spanish as well as instructing within ESL programs, which is comprised of coursework designed to help students and adults who are looking to learn English as a second language and acclimate successfully to different environments/cultures.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to move to Grand Rapids, a place I love and call home,” Sarnicola said.  “But what I am most looking forward to is the chance to take my four years of experience from Nashville and help create an academic culture student-athletes, families, and the Grand Rapids community will be proud of.”

Sarnicola went on to add:

“I want to thank Brad Guzda, Keith Rowe, and all of the wonderful young men and women I have had the pleasure to build relationships with during my time in Nashville.  I will always hold the people and experiences from Nashville deep in my heart.”

About Total Package Hockey: Founded in 2001, it is TPH’s vision to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through the game of hockey. Through academics, mentorship and athletics, TPH prides itself on operating at a standard that exceeds expectations of student-athletes, families, coaches, advisors and all other entities of the hockey world. With platforms that include association management, elite prospects programs, tournaments and showcases, camps and clinics and its hallmark Center of Excellence academy model, Total Package Hockey has assisted in the academic, athletic and hockey development of over 600 players who have advanced to junior, collegiate and professional hockey. Since inception, 45 #TPHTrained student-athletes have been selected in the NHL Draft, while 280 have committed to the NCAA level – 189 of which are Division I. In addition, 99 players have been selected in the OHL Priority Selection and 353 have signed tenders or been drafted in the USHL and NAHL. While TPH is proud of its student-athletes who have achieved success on-the ice, it is the process of developing young men and women as people, first and foremost, that our world-class team of coaches and mentors take the most amount of pride in. While it is our responsibility to prepare each individual for success on the ice, it is our mission to prepare each and every individual for success in the ultimate game – the game of life! To learn more about TPH, visit www.totalpackagehockey.com.