The Partnership Gives Aspiring Basketball Players an Opportunity to Compete in Shooting Challenges and Engage with Professional Players and Influencers via the Ballogy App
AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ballogy—Ballogy Inc., an innovative software company revolutionizing the way youth and amateur athletes prepare for their sports, announced today that it has partnered with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) to offer a fun and interactive basketball program for aspiring young athletes and fans.
Ballogy app users will have an opportunity to engage with basketball influencers, grassroots coaches, and NBPA members through exciting and competitive virtual basketball shooting challenges. The first challenge launched on Monday, August 24 and is sponsored by NBA 2K21 and Panini America.
“We are extremely honored to be partnering with the NBPA,” said Todd Young, founder and CEO of Ballogy. “It is an incredible opportunity to pair NBPA’s premier player assets and resources with Ballogy’s technology platform to connect professional players to developing young athletes in a whole new way.”
Ballogy’s unique shot tracking and analytics app gives athletes an opportunity to go through a series of fun and interactive shooting challenges and drills on their own and to receive virtual feedback from grassroots coaches and trainers. Results are automatically stored within players’ profiles for continuous measurement and improvement. The Ballogy app is also a fan engagement platform for individual athletes to connect, compete, and network with coaches, professional players, and each other. The Ballogy app is free for download on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
“As the pandemic continues to evolve, we have really worked to shift our basketball programming to specific virtual platforms that help us provide training materials for the NBPA grassroots community,” said Dan Gladstone, SVP of Grassroots Basketball & Business Development for THINK450, the for-profit arm of the NBPA. “With Ballogy, we have a unique opportunity to engage athletes with weekly basketball shooting challenges and physical activity. This programming replicates the playful spirit of our in-person camps and clinics and enables us to continue connecting NBPA members with their fans.”
“We have all had to think differently and adapt to the pandemic in terms of how we connect and engage with our young trading card collectors, what we do know is how important it is for kids to still have physical activity and connect with others. The partnership between the NBPA and Ballogy does that and we are excited to be a part of this program,” said Jason Howarth, Vice President of Marketing, Panini America.
About Ballogy
Ballogy is an innovative software company revolutionizing the way youth and amateur athletes prepare for their sports. Ballogy’s unique performance tracking and analysis app and built-in certified testing program, enable young athletes to measure and evaluate their athletic development and improve their skills at every level of the game. Ballogy also provides a forum for individual players to connect, compete, network, and share with coaches, schools and teammates, via an easy-to-use app, giving young athletes visibility and access like never before. The Ballogy app is available for free in Google Play and the App Store. https://www.ballogy.com/
About the NBPA
The National Basketball Players Association is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA’s mission is to protect and support the rights and talents of our players, magnify the power of their collective will, and amplify their voices as leaders who will transcend sport and society globally.
The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities. Business opportunities are generated by THINK450, the for-profit subsidiary of the NBPA charged with managing the players’ group licensing rights.
Dedicated to preserving the legacy of its members, the NBPA Foundation provides support and assistance to persons, communities and organizations around the world that seek to improve the lives of those in need.
About THINK450
THINK450 is the for-profit subsidiary of the NBPA, focusing on innovative business opportunities in various industries including, content & media, grassroots events, licensing, marketing and technology— among others. In representing every current NBA player, THINK450 partners with leading companies and brands to help its members capitalize on the unparalleled value they bring as cultural influencers and community leaders. For more information, visit THINK450.com.
About 2K
Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes global interactive entertainment for console and handheld gaming systems, personal computers and mobile devices, with product availability including physical retail and digital download. The Company is home to many talented development studios, including Visual Concepts, Firaxis Games, Hangar 13, Cat Daddy Games, 31st Union and Cloud Chamber. 2K’s portfolio currently includes the renowned BioShock®, Borderlands™, Mafia and XCOM® franchises; NBA® 2K, the global phenomenon and highest rated* annual sports title for the current console generation; the critically acclaimed Sid Meier’s Civilization® series; the popular WWE® 2K and WWE® SuperCard franchises, as well as emerging properties NBA® 2K Playgrounds 2, Carnival Games and more. Additional information about 2K and its products may be found at 2k.com.
* According to 2008 – 2020 Metacritic.com
About Panini
The Panini Group, established more than 50 years ago in Modena, Italy, has subsidiaries throughout Europe, Latin America and the United States. Panini is the world leader in officially licensed collectibles and is the most significant publisher of collectibles in the U.S., with official licenses for NFL, NFLPA, NBA, MLBPA, College, FIFA, MLBPA, Disney, Epic Games and other key properties from many other licensors. Panini is also the exclusive trading card and sticker partner of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. Panini has distribution channels in more than 100 countries and employs a staff of over 800. For more information visit us at www.paniniamerica.net, www.paninigroup.com or http://blog.paniniamerica.net/. You can also follow Panini America on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Contacts
Jill Ford
jill@ballogy.com
512-657-8915
Elle Hagedorn
Elle.hagedorn@nbpa.com
212-655-0896
