Baden Sports partners with The Art of Coaching

Encinitas, California (Oct. 16, 2019) – Baden Sports and Total Sports, the operator of The Art of Coaching Volleyball and The Art of Coaching Softball (AOC), have entered into a long-term strategic partnership to enhance learning, training and competitive opportunities for players and coaches at all levels of the game: youth, club, high school and college.

As part of the agreement, Baden will be the exclusive supplier of volleyballs and softballs for The Art of Coaching, and Axe Bats will be the exclusive bat supplier. Baden, an innovator in the production of high-quality sports balls and equipment for 40 years, will leverage AOC’s extensive network of coaches to innovate and develop top-tier products.

“At the core of this partnership is a shared goal of being the ‘gold-standard’ in our industry and a focus on serving the sports of volleyball and softball,” said Jake Licht, COO of Baden Sports. “The Art of Coaching is an ideal partner to evolve with in these sports.”

Baden and AOC will collaborate to produce instructional content and work toward creating events geared toward better preparing coaches to coach and players to play.

“For the past 10 years, The Art of Coaching Volleyball has strived to be the most impactful and expansive volleyball educational source in the country,” said Terry Liskevych, co-founder and CEO of Total Sports. “With our expansion into softball and increased interaction with athletes and parents, the Baden partnership is an important platform to provide even more educational resources and continued support for the growth of these great sports.”

The partnership builds on a relationship between Baden and two of AOC’s founding members, Russ Rose and Mark Barnhard. Rose, Penn State Women’s Volleyball Coach, who has guided his program to a record seven NCAA championships, and Barnard, Oregon State Women’s Volleyball Coach and former head coach of the Australian Women’s National Team, work with Baden in their respective collegiate programs.

“The strategic partnership between Baden and AOC makes a lot of sense,” Rose says. “Baden is focused on making an excellent product and has demonstrated a great commitment to supporting our program in every way possible. They genuinely care about the game of volleyball, and AOC has a similar mindset. This is a great fit.”

About Baden Sports

Baden Sports, an independent, family-owned company with headquarters in Renton, Washington, designs and manufactures high-quality athletic balls for players of all ages, skills, and abilities. Baden’s relentless innovation and commitment to quality has led industry-wide adoption of its technologies and led conferences, programs,
and coaches at all levels to choose Baden as their official ball. For more information on Baden Sports,
visit www.badensports.com, or join the conversation on the web and on social media.
Facebook (BadenSports), Instagram (@badensports) (@badenvolleyball), and Twitter (@BadenSports). 

About The Art of Coaching

Founded in 2011 by coaches Terry Liskevych, Russ Rose and John Dunning, The Art of Coaching provides coaches with the tools they need to improve their players and teams. AOC offers comprehensive beginner-to-elite coaching education at annual clinics as well as extensive online instruction through coaching videos, certification courses, pre-made practice plans, worksheets and blog articles.  For more information, visit www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com and www.theartofcoachingsoftball.com.