MOJO Sports
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| Founded | 2019 |
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| Founder | Ben Sherwood, Reed Shaffner |
MOJO Sports is a Los Angeles-based youth sports technology and media platform that provides coaching instruction, team management tools and multimedia sharing to coaches, athletes and families involved with the five major youth sports: soccer (football), flag football, basketball, baseball and softball.
History
[edit]MOJO was founded in 2019 by Ben Sherwood, the former president of Disney-ABC TV Group.[1] Sherwood created MOJO with Reed Shaffner, a product leader at Microsoft, Zynga, Scopely, and Workpop, a company he co-founded and later sold.[2] Sherwood and Shaffner raised funds in 2020, with Alpha Edison Ventures leading the effort along with investors including television producer Tom Werner.[3]
The MOJO app launched in February 2021 with a youth soccer curriculum, focused on coaching content and practice plans. The drill videos, shot at the Banc of California Stadium, were produced by Mandalay Sports.[citation needed] The app launched as an education partner of US Youth Soccer,[4] a non-profit sports association.
Product
[edit]MOJO is geared toward coaches[5] and families with kids between the ages of 4 and 13. Coaches can roster and schedule games, and parents can chat and keep score and share highlights during games. The MOJO app also includes player cards[6] that players can customize with stickers and backgrounds.
Board
[edit]MOJO has an academic and scientific advisory board made up of experts on youth sports, kinesiology and psychology—including Jenny Etnier, a professor of kinesiology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Dan Gould, a professor and director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University; Andrew MacIntosh, a vice president at RISE, a nonprofit educational company; and Zhang Hongjiang, a computer scientist.[citation needed] It also has an athletic advisory board that includes U.S. Women's National Team stars Julie Foudy[7] and Brandi Chastain and Russell Wilson, NFL quarterback and NFL FLAG co-owner and chairman.[8]
Partners
[edit]As MOJO launched additional sports, the company secured partnerships with NFL FLAG and FC Barcelona, both in August 2021[9] and the Jr. NBA in October 2021.[10] In February 2022, MOJO became partners with Major League Baseball,[11] as well as Major League Soccer in August 2022.[12]
MOJO's non-league partners include the Positive Coaching Alliance (June 2021)[13] and the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program (September 2021).[14]
Awards
[edit]- 2021, Best Sports App in the 25th Annual Webby Awards[15]
- 2021 Project Play Champion, Aspen Institute's Project Play[16]
- 2021, Best Employers in Sports honoree by Front Office Sports[17]
- 2022, National Youth Sports Strategy (NYSS) Champion by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) [18]
- 2023, One of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2020-12-14). "Former Top Disney TV Executive Ben Sherwood Launches Family App Mojo Focused On Youth Sports". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ Casey, Tim. "Former Top Disney Executive Ben Sherwood Launches App To Help Parents Coach Youth Sports". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ Burch, Sean (2020-12-11). "Ex-Disney Exec Ben Sherwood Finds His Mojo With New App to Reinvent Youth Sports Coaching". Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ Cillizza, Chris (2021-02-09). "A new app can turn any parent into a coaching whiz | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ Schlosser, Kurt (February 9, 2021). "Russell Wilson and Spencer Rascoff back MOJO, an app to help parent coaches find fun in youth sports". GeekWire. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Mueller, Paul (March 2, 2023). "The 10 most innovative companies in sports of 2023". Fast Company. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "US women's soccer star helps launch youth sports app from SoCal". FOX 5 San Diego. 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Team | MOJO Sports". www.mojo.sport. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "MOJO Announces Partnership With Barça Studios for FC Barcelona Soccer Coaching Content | MOJO Sports". www.mojo.sport. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "MOJO and Jr. NBA Unveil Comprehensive Basketball Coaching Resources | MOJO Sports". www.mojo.sport. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "MOJO becomes "Trusted Grassroots Coaching App" of Major League Baseball". MLB.com. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Major League Soccer and MOJO Partner to Provide World-Class Soccer Coaching to Families Across North America | MOJO Sports". www.mojo.sport. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Positive Coaching Alliance Teams Up With MOJO to Empower Coaches On and Off the Field | MOJO Sports". www.mojo.sport. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "MOJO Teams Up With the Aspen Institute's Sports & Society Program | MOJO Sports". www.mojo.sport. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "NEW Webby Gallery + Index". NEW Webby Gallery + Index. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Project Play Champions Archive". The Aspen Institute Project Play. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Best Employers in Sports 2021". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "NYSS Champions | health.gov". health.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-04.