Catalyst Sports & Media Collaborates with Sports Academy to Launch First of its Kind Esports Training Facility and Program

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalyst Sports & Media ("Catalyst"), in collaboration with Sports Academy, today announced the opening of Sandbox Esports, a first of its kind esports training facility and program.  Combining state-of-the-art technology, sports science, and the development of mental fitness and acuity, Sandbox Esports' sport-specific and athlete-specific programs are designed to guide athletes toward their optimal state of performance with a program that combines aspects physical, mental and in-game esports training.

The first Sandbox Esports training center opened today in partnership with Sports Academy, the only fully integrated, multi-disciplinary athletic training and wellness campus on the west coast, designed to elevate the performance of athletes of all ages and ability levels.  Facilitated by premier coaches, certified trainers, and medical and recovery professionals, it provides the tools, inspiration, and guidance necessary for every athlete to excel in its 96,000 square foot facility located in Thousand Oaks, California. Sports Academy has quickly become the sought-after training and rehabilitation destination for NBA, NFL and Olympic athletes to improve their physical and mental performance. 

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Sports Academy to open Sandbox Esports, a first class esports facility and training program where esports competitors of all levels can perfect their skills," said Happy Walters, Co-Founder and CEO of Catalyst. "The innovative training techniques and programs allow gamers to hone in on specific areas of improvement or their overall development. Sandbox Esports provides everything that esports athletes need to maximize their potential while having fun."

The programming and facility was designed in collaboration with professional esports players and teams to ensure they meet the requirements of world-class teams. The Sandbox Esports experience at Sports Academy will seat up to 40 players at one time, and participants will train with top-of-the-line computer hardware and equipment. The program combines aspects of physical training exercises (weights, cardio, core exercises, etc.), cognitive development (hand-eye coordination, reaction time, etc.) and an in-game esports training component. Amateur players will have the opportunity to be coached by the highest ranking esports professionals.

"We are elated to integrate esports into Sports Academy's all-inclusive sports offering with the opening of Sandbox Esports in partnership with Catalyst," said Chad Faulkner, Chief Executive of Sports Academy. "This first of its kind esports facility and training program allows esports competitors of all levels to train alongside the NBA, NFL and Olympic athletes that train at our complex. We look forward to helping esports athletes take their game to the next level."

The initial offering will focus on League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Overwatch and NBA 2K. Two of the most prominent esports franchises, Counter Logic Gaming and FlyQuest, trained at Sandbox Esports before it officially opened to the public during their teams' offseason. These two franchises took part in Sandbox's Professional Team Boot Camp, a completely customizable program designed to fit the specific needs of any professional team, whether that means training for an international tournament or targeting specific areas of improvement. Players benefit from access to Sports Academy's advanced training tools including the Dynaboard (hand-eye coordination and reaction time), Neurotracker (memory and task prioritization skills) and recovery equipment (Cyrochamber and Normatec). Teams may also utilize the resources of an on-staff nutritionist who will tailor meal programs to maximize each player's performance.

"Sandbox Esports and Sports Academy understand the complete needs of esports athletes," said Matt Nashua, Director of Esports at Counter Logic Gaming. "Participating in this program was the first time that our athletes were able to combine physical training with cognitive esports training. Our athletes were able to receive instruction from the best trainers in the industry while using state-of-the-art technology to perfect their esports skills."

In addition to providing training programs for professional esports athletes, Sandbox Esports offers camps for gamers of all ages and skill levels looking to improve. Highlights of these camps include:

• Fantasy Camps
• Coaching by the best League of Legends professionals in the world
• Confirmed pros include Darshan and Aphromoo (CLG), Adrian (formerly of Team Liquid)
• More pros will be added in the coming weeks
• Intense in-game training
• Physical and mental training just like the pros go through
• Camp Date: September 15-17, 2017
• Amateur Camps  
• Coaching by top ranked players in each game
• Learn the foundations of competitive strategy, teamwork and in-game mechanics
• Master physical technique while perfecting decision making and communication skills
• Initial Camp Dates: June 17-18, 21, 24-25, and 29, 2017 (with additional camps to be added throughout the summer)

Sandbox Esports will expand its product offering to other locations across North America in the future.  In addition to physical training facilities, Sandbox Esports will offer online improvement programs that esports athletes can access and implement year round if they are unable to travel to a Sandbox Esports location nearby. 

For additional information on Sandbox Esports and to sign up for the Fantasy Camp and training camps, please visit: www.sandboxesports.com.

About Catalyst Sports & Media
Catalyst Sports & Media is a strategic advisor, investor and talent representative to professional athletes and companies from around the globe connected to basketball, global football and esports. Catalyst was co-founded by veteran sports and entertainment industry leaders, Happy Walters and Josh Swartz. For more information, visit www.catalystsports.com.

About Sports Academy
Sports Academy is the only fully integrated, multi-disciplinary athletic training and integrated sports medicine facility designed to elevate the performance of athletes of all ages and ability levels.  Facilitated by premier coaches, certified trainers, and medical and recovery professionals, we provide the tools, inspiration, and guidance necessary for every athlete to excel.  Combined with state-of-the-art technology, a biomechanics lab, sports science, and the development of mental fitness and acuity, our sport-specific and athlete-specific programs are designed to guide athletes toward their optimal state of performance. For more information, visit https://sportsacademy.us/.

SOURCE Catalyst Sports & Media

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