Protégé Sports was created in January 2006. The company was originally conceived to make one-on-one coaching by professional athletes and coaches accessible to the general public through internet video uploads email. ESPN columnist Ric Bucher wrote a short article about Protégé Sports and this concept in the February 12, 2007 edition of ESPN The Magazine. The principle is that the amateur athlete sends a video of him or herself performing a sports move and uploads it to Protégé Sports' server. A professional athlete or coach then reviews the video and places that side-by-side with a video of a professional performing the same move and a customized voice over analyzes the mistakes and suggests corrections. The video is then sent back to the protégé, who finds the entire lesson waiting in his or her inbox. The company now features professional athletes teaching athletic skills and drills in 3 to 4 minute segments, much like iTunes. Protégé has also developed a social networking community for sports teams, leagues, and athletes of all ages. Video tips feature Steve Nash, Magic Johnson, Jimmy Connors, Mike Matheny, Orlando Hudson, Tim Salmon, Gary McCord, Peter Kostis, Natasha Watley, Jessica Mendoza, Katie Smith, Jennifer Azzi, Craig Waibel, Greg Vanney, Brian Ching, Brad Davis, Boris Diaw, Torri Hunter, Kerri Walsh, Pablo Sandoval, Todd Rogers, Phil Dalhausser, Marv Levy and many others. The logo of the company is designed to reflect the mentor/protégé relationship. The design features two abstract figures, a larger one sheltering a smaller one, indicating the relationship between the mentors and their protégés. Protégé Sports refers to this design as their "wings", referring to the concept of mentors taking their protégé "under their wing". The company's slogan also reflects this philosophy: "Protégé Sports: where you can learn from the pros, anytime, anywhere".
Concept development
As athletes and coaches came into Protégé's office to sign on as mentors for Protégé, the founders realized that there was significant opportunity to record these athletes' wisdom and general advice and distribute it over the internet in pre-recorded snippets, by using the same internet video technology they were planning to use for the one-on-one customized lessons. Protégé started filming its first baseball and golf video drills for general consumption with Kevin Young, Tim Salmon, Gary McCord and Peter Kostis between September and November 2006, and has continued to add sports and mentors to its inventory.
Protégé Sports currently offers a number of services to its members:
Video tips & drills in various sports from professional mentors, available for download
One-on-one customized interactive coaching with a professional athlete or coach, through patented video and internet software
Social networking for athletes, coaches and teams to share thoughts, ideas and videos
Fundraising for players, teams, leagues and clubs
Present
Protégé Sports currently features content for baseball, basketball, football, golf, tennis and soccer. The company intends to add lacrosse, softball, surfing, skateboarding and volleyball content in the near future, as well as expand its international footprint. The Phoenix Suns' Boris Diaw filmed some basketball content for Protégé in French in August 2007. In addition, Protégé Sports is dedicated to tackling childhood obesity and lethargy. The company has instituted a foundation, called the Helping Kids Play Foundation, aimed at helping kids to lead active, healthy lives and all the Protégé mentors are involved in this effort. The foundation aims to provide free professional coaching and advice to underprivileged youth all over the United States, in an effort to entice kids to be active and encourage them to stay active. In early 2010, Protégé Sports launched a separate website called "Helping Kids Play" which allows young athletes to raise money for their organization by selling packages of videos through the website.
Mentors
Protégé Sports features a number of professional athletes and coaches who serve as mentors to its members, by providing sporting tips and drills for the protégés to use. They include the following:
