"Diamond Ranch Academy building quality citizens"

{This is the school Suka teaches for; they are moving into a new campus and this story was in the local paper about the school and the move.} 
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Drivers heading toward Sand Hollow Reservoir may notice something on the way that doesn’t look like it belongs.
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It looks like a hotel is being built, but it isn’t. It’s just part of all-encompassing location for a school with a focused intent.
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That’s where Diamond Ranch Academy will soon be located with its five campuses. Students are separated by sex and age and are assigned to a campus.
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There will be places for students to sleep, eat and learn. At the center of it all is an athletic complex complete with a football field that features a unique design, a gymnasium for basketball and volleyball matches and a turf baseball field.
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“The entire ranch is moving from the ranch setting to more of a campus style with the sports being a huge factor in that,” said Director of Athletics and football coach Rob Dias.
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It’s the next step in the progress of one of Southern Utah’s more unique schools.
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The misconception
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There’s a misconception about Diamond Ranch that every student that attends the academy has a rap sheet.
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Instead Diamond Ranch, founded in 1999, looks to help the students, who Dias said, have “gotten lost in the school system,” and teach them to build a better relationship with the people they’re closest to.
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“We’re more like a therapeutic prep school,” Dias said. “We obviously offer therapy to help students strengthen relationships with mom and dad, grandpa and grandma.”
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Dias estimates there are 170 students, and their struggles can range from drug problems and depression to bad relationships with their families to struggling in schoolwork where a public school atmosphere isn’t necessarily the best.
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“There are definitely some troubled youth, but most are just youth that need a little extra help in whatever they’re struggling with,” Dias said.
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Another misconception is that many of the students are impolite and rude. Dias said that couldn’t be further from the truth.
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“That’s what blows most people’s minds (is how kind the kids are),” he said. “The referees on the football field and (the people who work in the) courts comment on the students being so polite and kind.”
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That’s not to say that there isn’t an adjustment period for students.
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Senior Erik Upson, originally from Denver, was sent to Diamond Ranch after struggles with a drug problem. When he first arrived at the ranch, he admitted that he was mentally checked out.
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“It was like, ‘whatever.’ I didn’t like it that much,” he said. “I got used to it, and honestly, it’s not bad here.”
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Athletic influence
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Senior offensive and defensive lineman Brody Reifenberg came to Diamond Ranch depressed and had a drug problem.
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He was also suffering from a lack of confidence.
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“I had no confidence when I first got here,” he said. “It was tough for me (at first). Dealing with being away from home and the whole shock of coming here, it was a huge shock for me.”
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When the opportunity opened up for him to play football and wrestle, Reifenberg chose to do so.
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It’s turned out for the better.
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Reifenberg found confidence by participating in the sports, and was able to take third in state wrestling last year at 170 pounds in the 1A classification.
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“Back at home (in Chicago), I wasn’t into wrestling and football,” Reifenberg said. “I played them for a while, but I never got into them seriously. When I got here, I gained confidence during wrestling, and it really helped me out.”
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As for the depression, Reifenberg said it’s a mere memory.
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“For me, exercise, working out and physical things helped me get over depression,” Reifenberg said. “It was a coping thing for me.”
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Athletics are a big part of what Diamond Ranch is.
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There isn’t anything that can teach students about dealing with both success and adversity like playing a sport.
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For some students, playing a sport allows them to build confidence. Regardless of the result, Dias wants students to learn the value of working hard through sports.
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“Sometimes it shows the kids who are struggling being able to realize that you might fall and slip up and you have to continue to fight or it will overcome you,” said Dias, whose teams compete in the 1A classification (2A for baseball and softball).Dias also said athletics opened up a new pastime for many students.
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He added that some students probably wouldn’t have tried out for a sport had they remained in the public school system, adding that Diamond Ranch is helping students forge relationships through athletics.
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“It’s such an awesome opportunity for our youth,” Dias said. “That’s one thing about sports. You’re not babied. You have to rise to the top and fight for the position for a team.”
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Eric Upson said being a part of the football team helped make the time go a lot faster, and gives him a positive outlet to release emotions.
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“Some kids who don’t play sports sit around, and moan and cry about their problems,” he said. “It’s relieving stress.”
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Even if a student isn’t a member of a team — they have the option of doing other after-school activities — they are still a part of the athletics family. Take a look at any Diamond Ranch game. There will be countless amounts of students watching and cheering on their fellow students to succeed.
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“It’s a big family to help these young kids,” Dias said. “Athletics is one way we’re able to support them and cheer them on and succeed through the program.”
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As for Reifenberg, athletics have also rehabilitated his relationship with his parents, who have come to Southern Utah on a few occasions to watch their son play football and wrestle.
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“My relationship with my parents is better than it was,” he said. “They come to games, and it means a lot to me to see them in the stands.”
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End product
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While athletics play a vital role in helping students at Diamond Ranch, it is far from the only method used to teach students life lessons.
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Each student has a ledger, where they are taught to balance out finances without the use of actual money. They’re responsible for purchasing items with currency that they have acquired, and learn the value of saving money. Students aren’t allowed to swear on campus, and when students misbehave, there are courts within the ranch that serve as ways to discipline students.

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The goal remains the same: remind students that actions have consequences, both positive and negative.
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“They learn life lessons inside of a protective bubble and helps them for when they do leave,” Dias said. “They’re not just thrown (into the real world without preparation).”
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Upson said the program has worked in helping him overcome his drug problem. He plans to apply to colleges later this year, and credits the school for helping him get into the position to do so.
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“Hopefully, I get accepted into a few,” he said. “It’s helped my GPA to be here.”
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For Dias, the most satisfying part doesn’t come on the field, it’s when the students leave with a heightened feeling of self worth.
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“(We want to show them that) they do have value,” Dias said. “It’s not how you are at math or how you throw a football. You have value no matter what. You have something to offer the world.
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“We want to make the young generation tough. We want to make them fighters that are going to make excellent doctors, lawyers and, even, Presidents of the United States.”
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--The Spectrum