Northern Chicago Suburbs
Glenview Community Ice Center
About GForce Sports academy Glenview, IL
G Force offers an unparalleled environment that enables young athletes to truly excel in their pursuits. Our comprehensive approach ensures that each student-athlete receives not only top-tier training but also a quality education, fostering both athletic and academic growth in a well-rounded manner.
Sports at Glenview
Softball, Baseball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Hockey, Figure Skating, and Golf
Monday through Thursday 8:15 AM through 3:15 PM. join us for Sport Specific training, strength and conditioning with Goodman Elite, Guided academics, and meet the teacher.
Why Choose Us?
G Force Sports Academy is a blended-learning environment that allows players to train for their sport, engage in sport specific strength and conditioning while focusing on their athletic success.
G Force Sports Academy athletes train with top coaches for their sport and do strength and conditioning with Goodman Elite Training every morning.
Daily Schedule (Monday-Thursday)
8:15-9:15 AM Sport Specific Training
9:30-10:30 AM Strength and Conditioning with Goodman Elite Training
10:45-3:15 PM In-Person Academics, Special Projects, Guest Speakers
Mission Statement
G Force Sports Academy recognizes the distinct journey that student-athletes embark on to follow their passions and aspirations. The rigors of travel sports impose significant challenges on students. While there have been advancements in athletic training and development, discrepancies still exist between the collegiate and professional levels, as well as among amateur and youth developmental stages. This understanding has led to the implementation of a hybrid model, integrating the strengths of various approaches.
Our hybrid academic model incorporates an online learning platform alongside dedicated on-site academic staff. This structure permits us to offer personalized and flexible lessons, complemented by hands-on support tailored to each student. By engineering training programs within the school day, we enhance our athletes’ skills across various dimensions. Our progression plans focus on improving speed, strength, mobility, flexibility, balance, coordination, and power.
Through our partnership with Goodmans Elite Training, we develop and implement sport-specific training plans for our athletes. This allows for comprehensive skill advancement without compromising necessary rest and recovery periods. Gone are the days of early morning, and late night, training that can be taxing on young athletes. For further information on our offerings, please reach out to us directly.
Meet The Team
-
Academy Director
Shawn has experience playing and coaching in the NCAA and also played professionally. He grew up playing youth hockey and junior hockey in Washington State with three years of juniors with the Wenatchee Wild (then NAHL) from 2009-2012. He left Wenatchee as the all-time leading scorer committing to the University of Connecticut (UConn) as a leader for their transition into Hockey East. At UConn, Shawn amassed 20 or more points all four years and was an alternate captain. Shawn graduated with a degree in Accounting while maintaining over a 3.5 GPA. After college, he began his pro career in Bridgeport (AHL) then to Kansas City (ECHL). Shawn played two seasons in the minors before embarking overseas in Europe playing one season in the EIHL and receiving a Masters Degree. Retiring due to injury, Shawn immediately found himself as an NCAA coach for three seasons from 2019-2022 and then transitioned into his passion of directing developmental hockey schools here in Chicago and now serves as the Director for G Force Sports Academy.
-
On-Ice Coach
Coach Sam was born and raised in Northbrook, IL. At age 15 he played in the USHL for the Chicago Steel.
Sam was then drafted first round in the OHL and after successful junior seasons he advanced to the professional level, getting invited to the St. Louis Blues camp. From there Sam played in the AHL, ECHL, SM-LIIGA, DEL, and Metal Ligaen.
Throughout his career, Sam had the opportunity to represent his country in international competitions. Following his professional career, Sam transitioned into coaching utilizing his knowledge and experience to guide young athletes. Coaching for the USHL Tri City Storm and head coaching for the Windy City Storm, he was the skills director for TPH Chicago and the Windy City Storm.
Coach Sam currently serves as the U15/ U10 head coach, skills director and associate hockey director for Team Illinois.
-
Breathing, Movement & Mobility Coach
Growing up as a competitive figure skater and dancer, I developed a deep love for movement and an awe of the human body. After having two sons, I transitioned from the corporate world into the health and fitness industry, pursuing a career that aligned with my passion What began as teaching group fitness and spin classes evolved into becoming a Pro JOGA Coach after discovering JOGA in 2018. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of coaching professional athletes worldwide, high-performing corporate and military executives, aspiring young athletes, and everyday individuals striving to elevate their game. My purpose is to empower individuals to build both mental and physical strength, enabling them to perform at their peak and achieve their full potential.
-
In-Person Academic Coach, Glenview
Aly VanderPlas is a Special Educator with 11 years of experience teaching and supporting teachers in General Education, Special Education and co-taught classrooms. She has co-taught multiple subject areas to 6th graders and 9th-12th graders at Field Middle School and Glenbrook South High School. Aly was Coordinator of the TEAM Department at Glenbrook South High School assisting students with learning/behavioral/emotional challenges and students with special needs. She also ran multiple Resource classes effectively helping students stay organized, work on time management, complete their school work and increase their understanding of classroom content. Aly is highly effective at collaborating with all of her students parents to ensure their understanding of any difficulties their child is experiencing and create a plan together to assist them in getting back on track as well as celebrate all of their successes.
Aly has a Bachelor’s Degree in K-Adult Special Education and a Master’s in Counseling. When she is not teaching, she is at the rink cheering on her 3 children in hockey and figure skating. Aly is passionate about ensuring students reach their full academic potential while pursuing their aspirations in their sport.
-
Strength Coach | Sports Nutritionist
Ashley was born and raised in Bartlett, IL where she played basketball, volleyball, and softball. An NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS), she received her B.A. in Physical Education, Sport, and Fitness at Carthage College where she worked with Men and Women's Lacrosse, Men and Women's Basketball, Men's Volleyball, Women's Softball, and Women's Soccer. Then furthering her education in sports and fitness by earning a Master's Degree in Human Performance and Nutrition Science from the University of Tampa. Ashley received her Doctorate in Global Sport Leadership through East Tennessee State University, traveling throughout Europe researching the operational dynamics at training facilities in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France. She has trained a vast number of athletes in many sports - in addition to the above-mentioned sports and hockey, she also has experience training swimmers, firefighters, doctors, youth athletes, college athletes, and individuals looking to get in better shape and health overall. Ashley is the Head Performance Coach for the Chicago Mission girls program, the Elmhurst Chiefs girls program, and an all-female adult hockey team The Chicago North Stars.
-
Performance Coach
Ben Vutci joined the Goodman Elite team in September 2023. Originally from Michigan, Ben brings a wealth of experience to his coaching role, drawing on a background as a former junior and college hockey goalie, where he competed in leagues such as the NA3HL, NAHL, USPHL, and EHL before playing for Northern Illinois University.
Ben earned his B.S. in Kinesiology from Northern Illinois University and holds an NSCA CSCS certification. At Goodman Elite, Ben coaches athletes from the G-Force Academy, Chicago Mission, Chicago Stallions, Chicago Central High School, St. Ignatius High School, and a variety of private strength and conditioning clients. He works both in the gym and on the ice to support his athletes' performance.
Outside of work, Ben enjoys spending time with his black lab, Cato.
-
Shannon Suffoletto is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), and Board-Certified Dance Movement Therapist (BC-DMT).
Shannon is certified in Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and Movement Pattern Analysis (MPA).
Shannon works with youth, collegiate and professional athletes and is listed in the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee 2025 Mental Health and Mental Performance Registries. Shannon serves as the Certified Mental Performance Consultant for the Chicago Dogs professional baseball team in Rosemont, IL.
Additionally, Shannon provides consultation and mental skills and mental health training to coaches, teams and athletic organizations. She is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Education at DePaul University, teaching sport psychology. She has taught undergraduate and graduate psychology and dance/movement therapy courses at Columbia College Chicago and is guest faculty at the Bejing Normal University in Bejing China. Shannon is Co-Founder of the Embodied Education Institute of Chicago (EEIC). She has more than 15 years of service in higher education administration as a prevention and wellness specialist in areas including interpersonal violence and substance misuse.
Shannon’s approach centers around fostering the mind/body connection. She employs creative techniques to regulate the nervous system and create neuropathways in service of peak performance and becoming one’s very best version of themselves.
Shannon holds a BA in Psychology and Dance from Denison University and a master's degree (MA) in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Columbia College Chicago.
-
Intern
Olivia Thoma is a Sports Management Intern at GForce Sports Academy, where she plays a key role in supervising daily operations, coordinating schedules, and assisting with leadership initiatives. She works closely with staff to ensure smooth day-to-day logistics, athlete development programming, and mentorship efforts within the academy.
Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Olivia has been passionate about sports her entire life. She competed in soccer and swimming for 12 years and even took on triathlons for three years. She is currently pursuing a degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Sport Management at Northern Illinois University, where she also works with the NIU football team.
Olivia is passionate about helping athletes reach their full potential, both on and off the field. Through her internship at GForce, she is gaining valuable hands-on experience in sports performance, leadership development, and academy operations, preparing her for a future in the sports industry.
-
On-Ice Coach
Coach Nenad was a player (Forward) and assistant captain on the Serbian National Team, and captain of U18 and U20 Serbian National Teams, and Participated in 3 Olympic Qualification Tournaments. Post playing career he was a Coach and GM for a number of teams including Partizan Belgrade, Kingsville Kings, Windsor Aces and Red Star Belgrade. Coach Nenad is a renowned youth hockey coach, fostering the highest level of confidence, development and preparedness to each athlete individually.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Downtown Chicago - Fifth Third Arena
Northern Chicago Suburbs - Glenview Community Ice Center
Central Suburbs - The Edge Ice Arena and Off-Site Classrooms
-
G Force Sports Academy and Subject Virtual School combine to offer virtual support from teachers, tutors, and our ON-SITE academic staff who assist students and families with all academic needs including tutoring, guidance counseling, transcript analysis and more.
-
We are dedicated to cultivating not only high-level students and athletes but
We are dedicated to cultivating not only Elite Students and Elite Athletes but, more importantly, Elite People. Our commitment to this mission
We are dedicated to cultivating not only high-level student athletes but, more importantly, great people. Our commitment to this mission is evident in the value we integrate into our program, which includes guest speakers, community service projects, leadership initiatives, social events, and additional activities.
-
Yes, our courses are NCAA approved and can be reviewed via the NCAA Eligibility Center. At Subject Virtual School (SVS), we place a strong emphasis on ensuring students fulfill all 16 NCAA core requirements. We also stress the importance of completing 10 of these 16 NCAA core courses by the end of the seventh semester. SVS will provide transcripts and have these uploaded into your student’s Eligibility Center portal to facilitate the review process.
-
Yes, as long as your student successfully completes 25% of their courses with us.
-
SVS offers a comprehensive range of courses to meet diverse student needs:
General Education: We provide all standard core courses required for high school graduation, including English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.
Advanced Placement (AP): For students seeking college-level coursework, we offer a variety of AP courses to challenge and prepare them for higher education.
Career and Life Skills Electives: We round out our curriculum with practical electives designed to enhance students’ career readiness and life skills.
-
Courses are divided into semesters. Each semester is designed to be completed in 15- 16 weeks. Flexible pacing is available to accommodate individual student needs:
Students can progress faster if they are comfortable with the material and want to advance more quickly.
Students who need more time can work at a slower pace to ensure thorough understanding of the content.
-
Each semester is divided into chapters. Chapters are further broken down into specific topics. For each topic, students progress through the following:
Video lessons: 3-8 minutes in length (Look like Netflix)
Non-Graded Check For Understanding (CFU) activities
Three assignments
One quiz
Contact Us Today
For any inquiries please don't hesitate to reach out.
