The Los Angeles Dodgers Ownership, in partnership with former Dodger and
six-time MLB All-Star Nomar Garciaparra and former MLB prospect Aaron
Trolia announced the launch of E|L1.
This venture was launched to help solve the challenges facing today’s
youth athletes and their families by providing players, teams, leagues,
and their existing coaches with access to an elite curriculum and an
always-on support system that prioritizes mental health and well-being.
Over-training and inadequate instruction result in injury for many
athletes in youth sports programs and can cause them to leave the game
completely. E|L1 aims to combat these issues with a new approach that
includes credible instruction by former professional athletes, ongoing
immersive training for coaches and managers and educational seminars for
parents and guardians—all at an affordable cost.
For leagues and teams, E|L1 will help alleviate some of the
administrative and financial challenges by providing access to
state-of-the-art technology and assistance with registration, team
communication, marketing, advertising and fundraising.
In Los Angeles, the GBG Training Academy in Redondo Beach will become
the first Dodgers Training Academy along with the added presence of
mobile camps and clinics, powered by E|L1. Over time, the organization
will power additional Dodgers Training Academies that will serve the
greater LA area, supporting players and teams of all skill levels – and
accommodate players and families who may not be able to afford the high
price of other elite sports academies.
“E|L1 is a player-first organization that values personal development
just as much as training and winning, and believes that youth of all
ages and skill levels should have greater access to the game,” says
Garciaparra, who founded GBG (Garciaparra Baseball Group)
Training Academy with his brother, Michael, and partners, Paul Rappoli
and Aaron Trolia to develop youth and high school players. “As a former
youth athlete and parent, I know the industry is broken. We are
launching E|L1 to help kids learn for those who’ve lived it at the
highest levels, and set a new standard for excellence in instruction.”
E|L1 will also power Trolia’s existing facilities and programs in
Washington State—Northwest Prospects Academy (NPA), 5 Tool Academy, RISE
Football, and Softball University—which will also be backed by Dodgers
Ownership resources.
“We’re on a mission to elevate youth through sport,” said Trolia.
“Our vision has always been to serve the community using sport as the
vehicle. We will provide the highest level of instruction, taught by
former professional players who have been trained to teach their
skillsets, emphasizing the fundamental principles of the game for both
boys and girls. E|L1 will focus on both coaching and instruction,
furthering players’ physical skills while supporting them mentally and
emotionally. E|L1 will also be the resource center to consistently
train, support and develop coaches, from youth leagues to travel
organizations and everything in between. Learn from those who lived it!”
“We’ve been carefully searching for the right investment in youth sports
for years,” said Tucker Kain, CFO of the LA Dodgers and Co-Founder and
Managing Partner of Elysian Park Ventures. “With E|L1, we have
found a model that works and layered in powerful new elements that no
one else can. With the backing of the Dodgers brand, its instructional
expertise and influence, and the emerging technologies we have invested
in through Elysian Park Ventures, we believe that E|L1 can thrive here
in LA and will have a profound impact on baseball and softball across
the country.”
For more information about E|L1, visit el1sports.com and follow
@EL1Sports on Twitter and Instagram.
About E|L1
E|L1 is a movement committed to revolutionizing youth sports, founded by
former Seattle Mariners Prospect, Aaron Trolia and backed by the Los
Angeles Dodgers, Nomar Garciaparra and Elysian Park Ventures. E|L1
addresses some of the biggest challenges facing today’s youth athletes
and their families and coaches with a new approach to instruction,
administration and cost. It prides itself on being a player-first
organization that values health and well-being as much as training and
winning, and believes that youth of all ages and skill levels should
have access to amazing experiences in sport.
About Elysian Park Ventures
Elysian Park is a private investment firm created by the ownership group
of the Los Angeles Dodgers to invest in and partner with exceptional
entrepreneurs operating at the intersection of sports, technology and
entertainment. Based in Los Angeles and New York, Elysian Park invests
across stages from seed to growth, and also provides entrepreneurs with
strategic, operational and management resources through the Global
Sports Venture Studio with R/GA.
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