With an exciting display of ball handling, wizardry and fun, Steve Granata amazes the crowd with his basketball magic. Pens, giant pencils, umbrellas, cups, feet and even people -- you name it, Steve will spin a basketball on it!

Steve uses his wonderful athletic abilities and ball handling skills to help communicate a powerful message of excellence to young people (K-8), inspiring them to be courageous and live out their dreams. During the Totally Courageous Basketball Exhibition Steve stresses the importance of hard work, education and making the right choices in life.

This character building assembly will have kids talking for weeks after!

 

Latest Reviews

He showed up on time, and had minimal preparation/take down requirements.  I liked how the exhibition was on the floor, with the kids all around him.  I also loved that he got some volunteer students to use in part of the exhibition.  I was able to watch both the K-2 and the 3-5 grade performances, and I appreciated how he changed the show just slightly for the maturity level of the students.  At Harmony, we enjoy shows that convey the Red Ribbon Week/Drug Free lifestyle theme without going overboard into discussions about drug use.  Steve Granata was obviously accustomed to school audiences. and with only a short conversation about our needs, he was able to give us exactly what we had hoped for in his message.  I highly reccommend him.
Ami Bailey
Harmony ES
Hemet, CA

Steve did a wonderful job.  He connected with the kids.  His message was very uplifting, not only for the kids but for the parents.  Great audience participation.
Lola Stedman
Bond Primary School
Assumption, IL

 

The assembly was GREAT! Our students loved it! Steve did an awesome job with his presentation. It was very entertaining and captured the students attention the entire time. It was so much fun to see our students spinning the basketballs. Even the students who were watching had fun! He had a wonderful message too.  He used personal testimony and basketballs to illustrate each point. We would highly recommend him, without hesitation!
Thank you for coming to our school, Steve!

Pam Sinnett, RN
Lexington Community School
Lexington, IL

The presentation was INCREDIBLE! Steve was very prepared and professional. The best speaker I've had yet. He even brought all of his own stuff as far as sound system, props and material. The students connected with Steve really well and he was able to share with them his personal experience of never giving up, engaging the students in trying something new and leave them with a quote that they can remember. I give Steve my highest recommendation.
Tina Sahakian
Park Tudor School
Indianapolis, IN

Steve was FABULOUS! The kids really enjoyed his basketball tricks and wild spinning abilities. They also learned from his positive message about believing in yourself, never giving up, and always do your best!! He is an excellent motivator and we're so glad to have had him come to our school!!  We highly recommend him to other schools!
Mary Tramonte
Hurld ES
Woburn, MA

The assemblies were great!  Steve did a wonderful job (altering the show for the appropriate audiences)!  The feedback we received from parents, students and faculty, was the students really enjoyed it. Several of our younger students wrote about the assembly during their writer workshops.  The assemblies tied in very nicely with our initiatives around character education.  Steve did a great job keeping the kids attention with his basketball tricks, while sharing the important messages.  Thank you Steve!
Rupa Siegel and Liz Preuster
School Name: Barclay Brook and Brookside Schools
Monroe Township, NJ

We LOVED Steve Granata today!! He was FABULOUS! His message was perfect, his skills AMAZING and he was polite and worked well with our staff and our timeframe of when the gym was going to be available to him.
We all enjoyed him immensely. He really captured the kids' attention while delivering a very important message of Give it your best, and Never give up!! Many thanks to Steve and Academic Entertainment!! I am happy to be a reference anytime!

Alison Needelman
Alberta Rider Elementary School
Tigard, OR

Steve was very warm and gracious personally and his show was exciting and fun for the kids.  They were really awed by his basketball skills and several parents mentioned that their kids were repeating some of his messages at home, i.e.  Practice doesn't make perfect but it makes you better!  Winners are made.  Do the right thing.  I would definitely invite him back to Cranbury and refer him to other schools...
Becky Aurilio
Cranbury Elementary
Norwalk, CT

Steve put on a WONDERFUL show!  He kept the interest of both the kids and adults.  He got everyone involved and enjoying themselves.  The kids watched him in amazement as he did his tricks, but they also listened when he spoke about his message.  The message for the program was simple but effective.  The students and staff want to thank him for such a great show!
Nichole Rebholz
Burchfield Primary
Allison Park, PA

Steve was so nice and professional. Our kids loved him. He had a very good message to share with our students. It was a nicely paced program where he shared some basketball skills, & then stopped to talk. We liked that. He demonstrated his message very well.
Barb Layman
St. Joseph School Sylvania
Sylvania, OH

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