LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Skills, the only online education platform to focus exclusively on education taught by icons of professional sport, launches today with course offerings from elite athletes Maria Sharapova, Kerri Walsh Jennings and Shaun White. The company plans to release 12 additional courses in its first year, with offerings featuring Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Phelps arriving this fall. The Skills also announced Maria Sharapova will serve as the company’s Chief Athletic Officer and Larry Fitzgerald will serve as Strategic Adviser focused on growth and diversity.
The Skills believes in the power of sports and how participation in these sports improve all aspects of our lives. Courses will highlight elite athletes giving tips on how to improve at the fundamentals of their sport while also discussing the life lessons that they’ve learned throughout their careers. Users will receive a wealth of technical advice that is sports-related, but even more powerful, will learn about what it takes to succeed in any pursuit or profession.
“There is so much research into the value of sports participation at an individual level. Sports is linked to improved mental health, enhanced social skills, better physical health and success in other aspects of life,” said Omer Atesmen, founder and CEO of The Skills. “We launched The Skills because millions of people around the world want to learn from superstar athletes, but access is often limited to rare, offline opportunities. We want to share our athletes and their knowledge and skills they’ve learned from life experiences both on and off the field.”
The Skills launches with 10 athlete instructors including three Marquee Courses taught by five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, three-time gold medalist volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings and three-time gold medalist snowboarder Shaun White, as well as seven Skills Shorts from Torah Bright (snowboarding), Dashawn Jordan (skateboarding), Rachael Adams (indoor volleyball), Scout Bassett (Paralympic Track & Field), Elena Hight (snowboarding), Alix Klineman (beach volleyball) and Casey Jennings (beach volleyball).
"Every world-class athlete has unique talents and skills crafted through years of hard work and dedication, but our ability to pass down that knowledge is often limited by time, accessibility and other factors,” said Maria Sharapova, Chief Athletic Officer of The Skills. “The Skills changes that in a way that appeals to the world’s greatest athletes, our fans and the next generation of talent. Our courses offer authentic and exclusive content, covering topics that span both on and off the court. It’s the perfect opportunity to give back, share knowledge and life lessons, and engage with sports fans around the world in a meaningful way.”
“What makes football and other professional sports so exciting is being able to witness competition at the highest level with athletes performing at their absolute best. What we often fail to recognize is that every athlete got to this level by following their own unique path and by developing their own process,” said Larry Fitzgerald, 11-time Pro Bowler and Strategic Advisor at The Skills. “What I love most about The Skills is we finally get to go behind the scenes with professional athletes across sports and learn first-hand how they became so great at what they do.”
Each Marquee Course contains 20+ sessions and 100+ total minutes of entertaining and educational video content, while new Skills Shorts will be released every week covering topics including building confidence, leadership, mental prep, self-care, and more.
The Skills is funded by investors including Global Founders Capital, 8VC, and Maveron, and features an advisory board with members including John Harper, COO of the Los Angeles Olympics, and Tom McInerney, Founder of TGM Ventures.
The Skills is offering subscription memberships ranging from $69.00 to $149.00 at launch. To learn more and subscribe, visit www.theskills.com.
About The Skills
The Skills is the only online education platform to focus exclusively on education taught by icons of professional sport. The company was designed to provide a platform for elite athletes to share their knowledge into both the fundamentals of sport and the life lessons that have helped them become successful. Students will receive a wealth of technical sports-related advice, but even more powerful, students will learn about what it takes to succeed in any pursuit or profession.
