Enrolling Now for Fall of 2023
4995 North Lee Highway, Cleveland, Tennessee 37312, United States
Founder/Commissioner
Paul "Showtime" Gaffney, Founder/Commissioner of GAPA, a perfect example of how the concepts of sports, innovative educational programs, and community partnerships all worked together to make a difference in preparing a Sports Enthusiast for college, a career, and life. His personal life story is what inspired him to create GAPA.
Before the crowds started screaming “Showtime”, before becoming a professional athlete and a member of the basketball Hall of Fame, or developing GAPA, there was a baby boy born in a small coal-mining town in rural Kentucky to an unmarried teenage mom. Realizing, during her pregnancy, that she could not provide for him properly, she placed him up for adoption before birth. At two years old, his adoptive mother died with him by her side.
His adoptive father, then a single parent, raised him alone.
By all accounts, these scenarios are the makings of a negative path for an “at-risk child”. This is how Paul Gaffney's life started, but his outcome is quite different from what it could have been. His life is a perfect example of how the concepts of sports, innovative educational programs, and community partnerships all worked together to make a difference in preparing a Sports Enthusiast for college, a career, and life. His personal life story is the concepts of what inspired him to create GAPA.
Gaffney played professionally with the Harlem Globetrotters for 15 years, traveled to over 93 countries, has over 44 years of experience in the sports industry, and has worked over 11 years in the public school system. He has a B.S. degree in Business Management from Tennessee Wesleyan University, is a member of the AAU’s Future Leaders Committee, and a Board of Director on several boards. Gaffney has been inducted in the Tennessee Wesleyan University’s Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with the Harlem Globetrotters. Gaffney has been married over 28 years with two beautiful children.
He knows the Journey!
Additional Information
Summary: Showtime Gaffney's concepts of academic sports curriculum at the T.E.A.M.S Academy or the Postgraduate Academy is to leverage and foster the habits of a Sports Enthusiast’s mindset, so they can carefully observe, be critical thinkers, and have a desire for deep and enduring understanding of subject matters. Taking a process-oriented approach which emphasizes hands-on and project-based learning creates a comprehensive curriculum that encourages sports enthusiasts to recognize and value multiple perspectives when considering complex challenges.
All sports enthusiasts will be committed to a full-time, college-preparatory curriculum in addition to studies in their chosen sport elective. The academic schedule allows sports enthusiasts to focus on fewer courses at a time, resulting in meaningful engagement with subject matter, promoting natural curiosity, and solidifying learning. Sports Enthusiasts master both their subject matter and their skills necessary for future academic success, while gaining valuable context for their chosen sports career path and their growing understanding of the True World of Sports
