IMG Academy to Launch Softball in 2025, Further Enhancing Female Student-Athlete Offerings and Exper

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BRADENTON, Fla. (August 21, 2024) - IMG Academy, the world's leading sports education brand, announced the launch of its newest sports program, softball, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to enhancing the female student-athlete experience on campus. Following the successful introduction of volleyball in 2023, softball is the latest investment from IMG Academy in ...

2024-08-21T16:08:39Z

IMG Academy to Launch Softball in 2025, Further Enhancing Female Student-Athlete Offerings and Experience IMG Academy Aug 21, 2024 BRADENTON, Fla. (August 21, 2024) - IMG Academy, the world's leading sports education brand, announced the launch of its newest sports program, softball, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to enhancing the female student-athlete experience on campus. Following the successful introduction of volleyball in 2023, softball is the latest investment from IMG Academy in female youth sports designed to open more doors for student-athletes worldwide.

IMG Academy will begin groundbreaking this week on new, state-of-the-art softball facilities, which will include four premier softball fields, batting cages, locker rooms and office space. IMG Academy plans to start softball competition elements in 2025 by offering developmental camps and hosting team events prior to the formal start of the program in the fall semester of 2025.

“Adding softball to our sport program offerings is one of the most significant milestones in IMG Academy’s history and is a testament to our investment in the female student-athlete experience,” said Mike Milliron, Chief Operating Officer of IMG Academy Campus. “We are doubling down on the female student-athlete experience and providing more accessibility and opportunity for female student-athletes everywhere."

To lead the new softball program, IMG Academy has appointed Joey Lye as its softball director. Lye brings a wealth of experience and track record of success to this role, currently serving as an assistant coach and mental performance and team culture lead for Softball Canada. She played for Softball Canada for 12 years and earned a bronze medal in the Olympics in 2021. Her impressive 14-year coaching career includes head coach positions at Bucknell University, Lebanon Valley College, and Stevenson University. Lye holds a Master’s Degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University Irvine and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Williams College, where she was a dual sport athlete and softball All-American who led all of Division III her senior season with a .563 batting average.

"I am incredibly honored to be named IMG Academy's first Softball Director," said Lye. "This opportunity allows me to bring my passion for the game and my commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes to a place globally known for excellence in sports education. My experience with Softball Canada, coupled with my background in coaching, playing and personal development, will enable me to build and lead a program empowering softball student-athletes to win their future at every level.”

Softball will join seven other girls sports offered at IMG Academy including Basketball, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Tennis, Track & Field and Volleyball. Softball has seen a rise in popularity over the last decade with the Sports and Fitness Industry Association reporting 2.1 million Americans play fast-pitch softball, with 70 percent of them being female, and of those, 69 percent are between the ages of 6 and 24. To help launch its softball program, IMG Academy will approach softball with proven development methodology from its 40 years of experience in youth sports and lean in on its online product, NCSA College Recruiting, who is the official recruiting partner of USA Softball.