St. Paul to host Asante Youth Football Academy this weekend

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St. Paul High School wil host the Asante Youth Football Academy, which will include instruction from St. Paul coach Elijah Asante and his staff. Registration for the camp, which is for ages 6-14, is tonight and Friday at the high school, with clinics held Saturday and Sunday.
Registration is $65. The academy will be from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday and from 9-1 p.m. on Sunday. Check in and testing will be from 4-7 p.m. on Friday.
More information is available at http://asantefootballacademy.com

  • SP Swordsmen

    Not a good turn out, maybe more tomorrow. It is a little hot these days.

  • beg to differ

    110 kids on friday at 4:00. that’s a great turnout. my son had a ball.

  • Amazing

    I hear Assante has already gotten scholarship offers for a dozen 10-year-olds at this camp.

  • WOW!

    Great Show Swordsmen, I counted about 180 boys! They had so much fun…especially getting wet and the relay races. lol

  • Once a Swordsman…

    I spent a few hours at SP during the youth camp. The kids had a great time and I saw a lot of smiles on parents faces. I think the kids, especially, liked the fire truck. Good job Swordsmen, and special thanks to the glue that holds it together, the Swordsmen moms.

  • Once a Swordsman…

    Congrats to all those involved in the Assante Youth Football Acadamy camp. You pulled off a great event for the kids. I talked to several parents and they were very appreciative for the fun their kids had. The Swordsmen varsity players were, as usual, great big brothers to the campers. The biggest props, though, go out to the SP moms who again proved to be the glue that holds everything together. Great job Swordsmen all.

  • Old Swordsmen

    My sons attended this SP Camp, I was disappointed. The kids did more stretching than anything. There were maybe a hundred kids there, not 180 or even close to it, (count the kids in the picture that was given). The football field was terrible and unsafe with lots of holes. The school its self is really run down.

  • http://msn.com U San Diego

    I was at the camp as a neutral observer… yes SP is old,but this is typical of most Catholic Schools in the Los Angeles Archdiocese.I believe in years past most of the money was put into the football program and there has never been much TRANSPARENCY as to how the administration spends tuition and donor funds. Perhaps this is based on SP tradition. If this is true about the camp, why not ask for a refund? I observed easily over 125 kids enjoying themselves and having great rapport with the coaches and players. NOT BAD for a Non-Ancich camp.
    My kid actually attends SP and is working toward attending a 4 year university just like the other siblings. My children believe some traditions need to change and improve with time.
    Good Luck!

  • Once a Swordsman…

    @ Old Swordsmen Thank-you for your input. Many of us are trying to figure out a way to replace the football field. Cal Hi and Pioneer are getting new fields, but we don’t have access to a $35 million bond issue to help us out. If you can help us out with that it would be appreciated. This is the first youth camp Coach Asante has done, so there were a few glitches that will be squared away. I saw many, many kids laughing and having a good time. To me, that’s a success.
    @U San Diego Thank-you for your comments.

  • Old Swordsmen

    To Once a Swordsman… said:

    Many types of alum are saying the way or road for SP to great possibilities is academics. The prospect of a higher education for most students is paramount. That means better teachers at the school and improved curriculums.

    Going out and recruiting star athletes and then saying we have improved our school, so come all because we have improved the institute. That is a false front. Does the current administration want to lift our old school out of the ghetto or only keep their jobs, think about Pen State? In the end those nifty lions were not so neat.

  • Once a Swordsman…

    To Old Swordsmen.
    Agree with you. Right now, thanks to a large donation, the entire 200 bldg. is being turned into a science center. Thanks to another donation the school is now wireless. All great strides academically. The school has great teachers and the curriculum is always being updated. We have many alumni doing very well at colleges and universities all over the country, most on non athletic scholarships.
    The funny thing though is when parents come to look over the school they want to see the athletic facilities and that’s almost always near the top. That’s why Mater Dei and Bishop Amat built new gyms. Cathedral High School almost went out of business, but some wealthy alumni came is and overhauled the schools facilities, including a new football field and track. Now they’re doing quite well. Oaks Christian was built with the finest athletic facilities money could buy and they are doing quite well. You should check out Santa Margarita’s athletic facilities, they would amaze you.
    So I would submit to you that Catholic schools are very much like a business and you need it all. In order to attract more students we have to do well in all facets, both academically and athletically. Many of us are working toward that end. You’re welcome to join us.

  • Ghosts

    Consequently U San Diego,

    You as a neutral observer, why is LAs Cathedral HS not typical (most Catholic Schools) as you say, they are amplify a step above than SP. They dont have the parking lot SP has however a much better school. Cleaner and a better school campus / structures. So its not typical nor represented of Californias Archdiocese.

  • Cal Hi

    just close the school!…. and for-get-about-it!

  • http://msn.com U of SD

    I believe the Ghost are are actually run by the Christian brothers from up North lots of money come their business? Plus, some big donors contributed and had facilities named after them. Proximity to downtown LA makes a big difference. I previously worked for the archdiocese It’s just another racket And Cathedral is not any better than SP…I bet many of your students are also sponsored by big donors as well. Finally,unlike public schools, private schools lack the transparency… now ask yourself why?

  • Truth Be Told

    Truth be told, there are some truth to each post. Here is my opinion:

    @U San Diego
    Yes, transparency is important. The biggest obstacle with SP’s administration is there are too many chiefs and not enough indians. Everyone is too afraid to step on someone else’s toes to get anything done. Alumni association is almost non-existent. I don’t understand how a school that talk so much about tradition have no alumni association. Most of the traditions at SP are not traditions but a rule. Your children are correct in observing these traditions need to be improved. I think they are being kind when in reality they really need to be rid of.

    @Once a Swordsmen
    I understand you’re a die hard alum but it seems you see the school through rose color lenses. May I ask a question? How many alumni that graduated in the last 20 years have go on to have truly great careers? Most Alumni I have met and spoke to are either unemployed, work in construction, for the city, or living from pay check to pay check. I am not saying there is anything wrong with working construction or for the city but those are not exactly white collar jobs. I am sure there are a few but I am not talking about the exceptions. If I send my kid to a private school, that will be my expectation. I do agree with you most moms do a great job for the school. I wouldn’t say all moms and I think everyone knows who I am referring.

    Yes, SP needs improvement to all of its facilities. With under 600 students, most attending on financial assistance and we all know what that means and with no alumni association, I don’t see how that will ever get done. I estimate close to half of the teachers at St. Paul have no teaching credentials, St. Paul simply can’t afford them. I also feel the administration needs a major over haul with more capable and business minded personnel. Mr. Martin Farfan of Cathedral does a great job of raising fund and building a strong alumni association. It isn’t a coincidence that CHS has enough endowment money for the next twenty years. But this just shows us that anything is possible, considering the school almost closed just a few years ago. Doesn’t that sound eerily familiar?

    What ever the number is for the youth camp, 180 or 100, you have to deduct 35 from that number because SP makes it mandatory for the freshmen squad to attend.

    Without question St. Paul can be better but there must be a willingness to do it. Just talking about it won’t get you a donut at Seven Eleven. The sooner we learn from our mistakes the sooner things will improve.

  • Once a Swordsman…

    To Truth Be Told
    If you knew me you’d know that I’m too much of a skeptic to wear rose color glass. The things I’ve seen and done in my life leaves no room for pie in the sky stuff.
    The question I have for you is, what do you think is a successful career or life? Money? I don’t know how well all the alumni from the last twenty years have done. The ones I know are successful in their lives and careers. Some are in law enforcement and fire fighters. Some are in business and some own their own businesses. Many are educators at both public and private schools.
    Are there problems at the school? Yes indeed. There are those of us who are trying to make the school better. My father was, though not famous, a great man who taught me many things. He told me when there is a job to do you can do one of three things. Lead, follow or get out of the way, there are those of us who trying to do the first.

  • Truth Be Told

    @ Once a Swordsman
    Again, nothing wrong with being a teacher, policeman, or fireman, I along with most people have the utmost respect for those professions. But those are not white collar professions: Doctors, lawyers, financial experts, CEOs, business owners, scientist, etc. The St. Paul alumnus that own their own businesses are the exceptions and I did mention there were a few. Once again, if I send my kid to a private school, I am going to expect more. I see St. Paul having less to offer than many of the public schools in the area and we’re not talking just one or two areas, we’re talking about in all areas except for student body population. I applaud you for trying to make it better. I know plenty of smart and wise men and women who have tried but in the end the people who have the power doesn’t want any change. Nonetheless, I wish you Good Luck.

  • More to the Point

    If we’re REALLY going to be honest about the private schools, we’d admit that by sending out kids there, we hope like hell that they’ll mingle with some rich kids whose parents can get our kid an undeserved leg-up on a lucrative career. This isn’t about God or quality education, it’s about jockeying for position at the feeding trough. The sports is a nice sideshow.

  • Truth Be Told

    @ More to the Point:
    I agree with your perspective. It’s just another way of saying hanging out with like minded people. I am not sending my kid to a private school to hang out with kids that want to be a policeman, fireman, teacher, construction worker, or dreams of living from pay check to pay check. His first job better be six figures.

  • SPS

    Amazing! @ More to the point and Truth Be Told..

    Are you guys twelve? This is a high football school blog and if you and I mean both of you knuckleheads are hoping for a miracle with your kids. It sounds like both of you parents are sanctifying a high school. If thats the case, you guys better hope to the Mother Jesus. Since neither of your kids will make it as a policemen, firefighter and so on. Start early fools..

    Kids have to be taught at 2 or 3 years of age, on all the instructions of revisions. Just to hope my kid will be a scientist making six figures is false.

  • Truth Be Told

    @ SPS
    Thank you for proving our point. Good lord, I can’t understand any thing you posted. Get sober than try again.

  • AMAT 73

    I was just glancing to see what’s going on over the hills on football and found this thread. I have a question for truth be told. You write if I send my child to private school I expect more. What is your contribution besides paying for tuition to the success of your child. And if your child’s passion is in education or law enforcement how do you talk them out of it to pursue a career in that white collar world ? If that was the case do you just send them to public school . It seems by your thinking you might as well not waste the money if all they want to be is a cop or fireman. Truely if you do want the white collar career for your child , those can be obtained at any half way decent school , be it public or private but it’s what you do and how you approach it with your child that will make it possible or not . I am not sure SP offers all the tools but I would think they do, but as far as AMAT they do give you all the tools you will need to go on and succeed in college to obtain one of the those white collar careers if that’s what you want. It is the job of the high school and yes defintely the job of a private school to prepare a student to thrive and succeed at the college of their choice. You cannot get to the point of a white collar career straight out of high school but what you learn in high school should make it possible for you to succeed in college and in achieving your goals of a well paying career .

  • Once a Swordsman…

    WOW, this might be the first time AMAT 73 and I agree on anything. He is correct though. The job of a high school is to get students ready for college. If a student, and his parents, want a good high school education just about any school in this area will give them one. Of course the student and parent have hold up their end. Bot St. Paul and Bishop Amat have sent their share on to college. These alumni go on to lead the life of good citizens. I’m not sure how many of these alumni earn six figures right out of college. Same for public schools. Good luck to your child, I hope he/she succeeds at what you want them to. God Bless.

  • More to the Point

    More often than not, in today’s degenerate society, the prize goes to the guy who has connections, not academic standing. Look at the grifters in finance, military procurement, medicine, law and of course government. Weasals abound, united by the common thread of knowing other connected weasals.

    Do we wish it were otherwise? Sure. But the fact is, there is an oversupply of qualified people to fill all the top spots, so they will be filled by insiders. How do you become an insider? You go to these pricey high schools and colleges and suck up.

    Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble, but this is reality.

  • Truth Be Told

    @ AMAT 73
    Since this is your first comment to this thread let me just reset what I have wrote. I do not have anything against the profession of policemen, firemen, or employees of any city. In fact, truth be told, I have the utmost respect for them. But you would be right, if my son tells me he wants to be a police officer, I would not waste my money to send him to a private school. A decent public school will do. I would also save on all the extras: SAT prep courses, tutoring, etc. After high school, it will be off to a two year vocational school to work toward going to a police academy. I am not sure about Amat but I do know a thing or two about St. Paul. I just don’t see how a parent can send a kid to that school and expect them to be more than average. Yes, there are some exceptions and I applaud them for overcoming insurmountable odds. Here are some of the problems at St. Paul:

    1) The school is a security hazard, there are fights, drugs, stealing, playing hookie, and having sex in the restrooms, etc. on a daily basis. There isn’t a single security camera on campus. No adult supervision for the kids during lunch or in the locker rooms.

    2) Even if a student is caught doing one of these illegal activities, they get a slap on the wrist but never expelled. The school’s disciplinary measures are worst than any public school I know.

    3) Over half the teachers at the school do not have teaching credential, it means these teachers are not qualified to teach even at a public school let along a private school.

    4) The school have less than 600 total students coed, over half of which attend the school on financial aid from low income families.

    5) The school admit low entrance exam score and GPA students other private school rejects. Truth be told, some public school may not accept some of the students St. Paul admits. They should be attending continuation school.

    6) The school has the worse facility of any school, private or public, in the SGV. Facilities are as it has been since the 1960s. With less than 600 students and most on financial aid, there are no improvements in sight.

    7) Hypocrite parents, they have money to buy alcohol and dine out everyday of the week but don’t pay tuitions to the school. These are the same parents that continuously cause problems at the school’s sporting events that give everyone at the school a bad rap.

    Please let me know if the above examples are enough to prove my point, I can list quite a few more but I think this will give anyone who plans to send their kid to St. Paul a pretty good idea what the school is all about. Hopefully, Amat isn’t like this.

  • Glendora

    @ truth be told and more to the point, both of you clowns are the same person.

    Collectedly both of your views on kids, civilization are a warp interpretation. I can only feel sorry for your kids. Listen to AMAT 73. He must of raise a kid or two.

    I am not an Amat fan, many in the Valley think of them as a ghetto school, A ghetto is a part of a city predominantly occupied by a particular group, especially because of social or economic issues, or because they have been forced to live.

    The only difference is Lancers pay to attend, but the Star Athletes who are all minority. Who dont give a rats-ass about the school. Get a free ride.

    Kids, parents and principal family members get involve early

  • BIRD MAN

    Truth be told. The truth is someone must have dropped you via parachute and it failed hence, you sustained head trauma. Ya think drugs and sex does not exist in upper income schools “open your eyes” don’t let the campus and its facilities fool you ala Penn St.

    Hope your kids do not inherit your arrogancy and become independent thinkers.

  • Truth Be Told

    @ Birdman,
    Thank you for proving my point, an institution that hides its problems and hopes that it goes away instead of grabbing the bull by the horn and resolving them will eventually end up like PSU. Yes, there are problems at every school in every demographic and economic level, how these problems are being handled is the issue.

    @ Glendora,
    The only thing that are the same between More To The Point and I is we agree on the subject of private school and what should be the expectancy if we send our kid to one.

  • The Pit

    Some people will never get SP…and not going to waste my time on them…this is for all my brothers and sister…We are St.Paul!

  • The Pit

  • The pit

    damn link….iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/dfLGp_2wBW4″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

  • More to the Point

    The great thing about this economic crisis is that it forces everyone to realize that St Paul IS and WILL ALWAYS BE a football academy. With its back to the wall, the Archdiocese resorted to the desperate tactic of hiring an inner city guy to coach Hispanic players. This is the last straw, the final experiment to save a faltering enterprise.

  • Truth Be Told

    @ The Pit,
    Judging by the fact St. Paul had over 1,300 students in the 80s to a student population of less than 600 today proves that there are a whole lot of people that haven’t gotten St. Paul. Or simply, the math just doesn’t add up hence the decision to send our kids else where.

  • Hiding behind the blog!!!!!

    Like Arcadia?????

  • St. Paul Grad

    Arcadia??? It’s funny reading these blogs. How in the world did a blog about a St. Paul youth camp end up in Arcadia? The camp is over and so should this thread. Let’s move on.

  • More to the Point

    The catch phrase of our time, used whenever somebody is uncomfortable about a subject, is “let’s move on.” The topic of where to educate our children is not a trivial one, despite the feigned weariness of St Paul Grad. Undoubtedly, he/she would rather focus on Swordsman football, as it is the only thing showing a twitch of life on the SFS campus.

  • St. Paul Grad

    @ More to the Point
    Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Despite of what is being said about St. Paul on this blog, it is a fine good that has done right by me. Yes, it does have a few issues no difference than any other school I imagine. Nonetheless, I am happy to have graduated from there. Regarding my comment, I was referring to Hiding behind the blog “Like Arcadia????” comment. I don’t have a clue what it means and was just wondering out loud how a blog about a St. Paul youth camp draws an Arcadia question.

  • Swordsmen

    SP is not about education its about “Football”! And all you parents and fans know it….. If we win a CIF title and still don’t graduate many of the kids this year, “no” one will remember, right! Just the title. That’s our culture.

  • Once A Swordsman

    @Swordsmen: The Arcadia comment is an inside thing. One of the booster parents taking a shot at the Booster Club president who quit a couple of weeks ago and took his boys to Aracdia.

  • Once A Swordsman

    @Swordsmen: The Arcadia comment is an inside thing. One of the booster parents taking a shot at the Booster Club president who quit a couple of weeks ago and took his boys to Aracdia.

  • More to the Point

    Returning to the topic at hand, it is remarkable that the total enrollment at St Paul is not much more than the number who attended this youth camp. The parents have spoken with their wallets, and they’re saying that a lukewarm football program coupled with a substandard academic structure does not justify the tuition. Return on investment here is negative, and that’s why this facility is doomed.

  • Pagan

    amen!…. @ Swordsmen, thats been happiny for many years at SP….

    “2012 news paper head lines read”, (SP wins CIF), if you win (SP) you dim, anything about a low education…

    and no one cares, not parents, fans or the media…

  • Anony

    Pioneer is a much better school than St Paul, SP is low rent!

  • TITANic

    @ Anony: You’re absoluely right that Pioneer beats St Paul in terms of academics. Of course the Titan sports program leaves everything to be desired, but remember: nobody has a hotter principal.

  • Truth Be Told

    @ Once a Swordsman

    Okay, I just want to get something straight. You had a booster club president who lived in Arcadia but his boys attended St. Paul and now he’s transferred them back to Arcadia? If this is true, I am being nice when I say he is a dumb a$$. Have you seen Arcadia High School’s campus lately? It is built for the 22nd century while St. Paul’s campus looks the same as it did since the 1960s. They will notice a huge difference in facilities and wonder why the heck they ever attend St. Paul to begin with. Though sounds like he finally got smart.

  • My Son Was A Freshman

    I spoke recently to a friend who is on the football booster, she told me there are about 8 players who are still playing football from last year’s freshmen squad which ended the season with 33 players. Most have transferred. @ More to the Point, I think this numbers is proof of parents feelings about the school.

  • SFS Resident

    I challenge anyone to name a school in the area that do not have better academics and/or facilities than St. Paul.

  • No bite

    @ SFS Resident, a challenge has to require a drop of win ability in order to entice a challenger. No one will take a 100% losing dare.

    SP is more ghetto than any impoverished, neglected, or otherwise disadvantaged facilities in our area.

  • A higher Barr

    Compare to St Paul, Lol, Downeys Los Pardrinos Juvenile Hall, however tax payer funded. Nonetheless as for academics and/or facilities they (Los Pardrinos) are pronounced far a head of SP, maybe light years away especially in educating the young.

  • SFS Resident

    @ No bite, agreed and a great point.

  • Once a Swordsman…

    I refrained from reading these comments for a few days and returned to find a lot of silliness being written. Those remarks I will not give the dignity of a response. I feel the need to respond to “My Son Was A Freshman”. You didn’t say whether your son played football or not. There are 11 of last years freshmen still in the program. Several (5 or 6) transferred for football reasons. Either they didn’t like the coach choice or didn’t, because of position (fullback), didn’t see a place for them in a spread offense. The baseball team was in a summer league and players were informed they had to play baseball this summer. Most of the 22 are still enrolled in the school. I think it’s important to note that all but one of the 10th graders and all the 11th graders from last season’s varsity are still in the program. Oh yes a couple of students left because they weren’t getting good grades and their parents took them out of the school. That’s understandable. So, if you look at the numbers parents are telling us how they feel about the school.

  • My Son Was A Freshman

    @Once a Swordsman,
    Truth Be Told is right, you do have on rose color lenses but of course you already knew that. No, my son did not play football. My friend on the football booster has a son that plays and she paints a very different picture. I find it amusing you are gloating about a freshmen team with only 11 players still playing from a team that finish the season with 33. And please re-check your source, most of those 33 are no longer in school. On top of these facts, how many of those 11 can actually play? The answer is 2 or 3 at best. Regarding the 11th graders, it really doesn’t make sense for them to transfer since it is their senior year so they are basically just sticking it out. Regarding the 10th graders, I wonder how many total players there are discounting transfers?

  • Area Fan

    @Once A Swordsmen:

    And you don’t see any red flags in any of your comments? Dude, take off the blinders. You are right, parents are telling you how they feel about the school but it SOUNDS like no one is listening.

  • truth SP

    its two players and they dont play… my son is one of them! last years freshmen team was a bust!!! no jv team this year, we will have to recruit big time!

  • My Son Was A Freshman

    @truth SP,
    When you have only 11 players returning from a team of 33, and if I understand you correctly, only 2 of those 11 has any talent. I would say it’s a big bust. On top of that, there is no JV squad? I wonder how all the tuition paying parents feel about another twenty transfers coming in playing instead of their sons. Sounds to me like the hole just gets bigger.