LOS ANGELES & TACOMA, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.