09.01.2021

Under Armour prepares elite youth athletes for what’s next

From training and recovery to personal branding, Under Armour’s new youth sports program The Workout helps set the country’s top young athletes up for long-term success

Today’s young athletes have more opportunities for growth than ever before. With the ability to benefit from athletic success both in and out of the game, elite up-and-comers hope to make the most of their prime playing years. Without the guidance to navigate this evolving landscape, however, it can be difficult to effectively prepare for a future playing sports.

 

Given this gap in direction, Under Armour launched The Workout, an immersive athlete development experience aimed at helping some of the country’s top young competitors get ready for the next level of play. The program is the first to launch under UA Next, Under Armour’s revamped youth sports strategy that will continue to roll out in the coming months with resources to support any young athlete with talent, drive, and motivation be the best they can be.

 

"Under Armour has long invested in youth sports because we know that the young athletes of today will become the leaders of tomorrow."

Sean Eggert, SVP of Global Sports Marketing at Under Armour

“Under Armour has long invested in youth sports because we know that the young athletes of today will become the leaders of tomorrow,” said Sean Eggert, SVP of Global Sports Marketing at Under Armour. “As we ramp up our support of youth athletes with The Workout — and soon more broadly with UA Next — we advance our commitment to developing great athletes and even better people.”  

 

For this year’s inaugural The Workout event, eight high school athletes from a variety of sports met at the Under Armour Human Performance Center in Portland, Oregon, for four days full of instruction and activities similar to the exclusive training offered to Under Armour’s global roster of high-performance athletes like Stephen Curry, Michael Phelps, and Lindsey Vonn.

 

The Under Armour human performance team first guided athletes through a series of physiological assessments to determine their strengths and opportunities for growth. Following the tests, the team walked the athletes through their results and explained the ways in which they could use the findings to improve their training at home. Athletes then engaged in an on-field competition, putting some of their new knowledge into practice. After these exercises, the human performance team educated athletes on recovery’s role in a long athletic career and provided them access to the Under Armour facility’s state-of-the-art recovery tools designed to restore the body and mind.

 

In addition to performance instruction, athletes also participated in a personal branding workshop to learn more about maximizing the reach and productivity of their platform as an elite athlete.

 

“By helping young athletes communicate what they do and what they stand for, both in and out of competition, we’re putting them on a path to success no matter where their athletic career takes them.”

Sean Eggert, SVP of Global Sports Marketing at Under Armour

“The modern athlete is their own brand, and while many young athletes have mastered social media, successful branding is so much more than that,” Eggert said. “By helping young athletes communicate what they do and what they stand for, both in and out of competition, we’re putting them on a path to success no matter where their athletic career takes them.”

 

Athletes left The Workout with a digital toolbox that included their performance test results, training content, and a chat feature that connects them with the Under Armour human performance team. They also acquired an athlete portfolio comprising their goals, as well as branding elements like headshots, a logo, and a personalized motto. With these resources, the athletes can take on their future in sport with a foundational knowledge of how to navigate the road ahead. 

 

Meet The Workout’s 2021 participants here, and catch their full experience with Under Armour in an ESPNU special airing Wednesday, September 1, at 8 p.m. EST.