TOCA Football Announces Acquisition of Kids In Sports

COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TOCA Football, Inc. (TOCA), the world's first technology-enabled soccer experience company, announced the acquisition of Kids In Sports, a company that offers early childhood, multi-sport athletic programs designed to help instill and promote confidence and love for physical play in children.

Kids In Sports is the latest addition to TOCA's fast-growing and evolving portfolio, following the acquisitions of three additional soccer training centers earlier this year in Vancouver, Canada and Southern California.

In addition to operating existing Kids In Sports locations in the New York City area, TOCA will integrate Kids In Sports programs into its soccer training centers nationwide. Kids In Sports' innovative programs appeal to younger children and their families, aligning with TOCA's goal to make soccer and sports inclusive to guests of all ages and abilities.

"Kids In Sports introduces younger children to athletics in an age appropriate manner and uses positive reinforcement to build self-esteem and sportsmanship.  We are delighted to offer this unique program at our training centers, and we invite anyone and everyone — no matter your age or skill level — to come play and create memorable moments at TOCA," said Yoshi Maruyama, CEO of TOCA.

"When children play sports from a young age, they really get a leg up on crucial life skills that can be hard to learn in other settings. We were inspired by TOCA's mission to make sports accessible to everybody," said Michael Strutt and Kenny Colon, co-founders of Kids In Sports. "We look forward to working with TOCA's world class team and to leveraging its proprietary technologies and platforms to accelerate our growth and positively impact the lives of children and families."

Founded in 1999 by Strutt and Colon, two educators and former college athletes, Kids In Sports offers classes, camps and birthday parties led by a team of experienced sports educators. Its programs are based on a curriculum rooted in cutting-edge theories of early childhood education and kinesthetic learning, and each considers the unique needs of each age group of children, from 12 months to 12 years.  In addition to learning the basic rules and skills of sports, children develop important life skills such as sportsmanship, teamwork, respect and communication — the essential building blocks for young athletes.

TOCA is the world's first soccer-focused and tech-enabled experience company, created by two-time U.S. World Cup and former MLS and English Premier League midfielder Eddie Lewis. The company is on a mission to transform the sports experience and bring more people together to practice and play in a supportive community of players and fans.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. For more information on TOCA, visit www.tocafootball.com.

ABOUT TOCA FOOTBALL

Headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, TOCA Football, Inc. is a soccer-focused, technology-enabled experience company that aims to transform the sports experience and to build communities that inspire everybody to play. TOCA provides an authentic soccer experience on demand, making players better and getting fans playing. This shared TOCA experience is the basis of a global, inclusive TOCA community in which we all share our love of the World's Game. TOCA is backed by more than $65 million of capital raised through multiple fundraisings. TOCA was named to Forbes' list of Top 500 Startup Employers in 2020. For more information please visit TOCAfootball.com or follow @tocafootball on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

ABOUT KIDS IN SPORTS

Kids In Sports offers innovative, early childhood, multi-sport athletic programs that teach children the fundamentals of sports in an organized, safe, fun, friendly and supportive environment; emphasizing sportsmanship, teamwork, respect and communication. Kids In Sports currently has locations in New York, New York; Scarsdale, New York; Greenwich, Connecticut; Walpole, Massachusetts (franchise); Fayetteville, North Carolina (franchise); and at two existing TOCA center locations in Suwanee, Georgia; and Costa Mesa, California. 

MEDIA CONTACTS

Nikki Arnone, Fearey for TOCA

toca@feareygroup.com, (206) 385-9301

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SOURCE TOCA Football, Inc.