The Dodgers, through the Elysian Park Ventures private investment firm formed by the club’s ownership, have aligned with former MLBer Nomar Garciaparra and former prospect Aaron Trolia to create a new youth sports instructional initiative, E|L1. The academy-based program will seek to provide high-level instruction and training at a lower cost than other similar programs. Garciaparra’s current GBG Training Academy in Redondo Beach, Calif., will become the first Dodgers Training Academy, and club officials envision as many as 10 such academies across southern California and potentially a larger expansion into other markets. E|L1 will also power several existing youth sports programs Trolia currently operates in Washington state. “Our hope is to be very complementary and additive to the existing youth softball and baseball and youth sports worlds,” said Dodgers CFO Tucker Kain, who also is co-Founder and Managing Partner of Elysian Park Ventures. “The more people attacking the issues around youth sports, the better. We’re developing a model and an approach that aligned with the Dodger brand we think can provide this elite-level instruction at a dramatically lower price to families.” Financial terms were not disclosed. Garciaparra is also a Dodgers broadcaster.
