Pirates to open youth training center in Canonsburg
CANONSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Pirates are opening a training center in Canonsburg for youth baseball and softball players.
The Pirates announced a partnership on Thursday with EL1 Sports, a national youth sports training company for players ages 3 to 18.
The club said its first-ever training center will be a "state-of-the-art facility" that will offer programs and instruction to athletes at all levels. There will be a team of professional instructors who will conduct camps, clinics and lessons throughout the region.
The Bianco School of Baseball, powered by the Pirates, is equipped with turf, netting, performance enhancement equipment, configurable training stations, next-generation technology and seating for families, the Pirates said.
The training center will also offer free camps and clinics and free programming to Pirates RBI athletes.
Through the new partnership, the Pirates and EL1 Sports will help support the operations of the facility, along with founder Matt Bianco, who the Pirates called one of the most notable hitters in WPIAL history.
"Supporting and promoting youth baseball and softball athletes and programs has long been at the core of what we do," Pirates president Travis Williams said in a news release. "Together with EL1, we are focusing on supporting grassroots efforts and increasing accessibility to training in order to get more athletes involved in the game and help them to develop their talents. With Bianco School of Baseball as the first 'Pirates Training Center', we will be able to accelerate these efforts and immediately bring high-quality instruction and programs to these athletes."
