TOCA Football has officially arrived in Colorado.
The world's first technology-enabled soccer experience company opened in northeast Denver on Dec. 1. Its goals are simple: expanding and sharing the love of soccer with children of all ages and helping them achieve whatever goals they desire in the sport, said former soccer star Eddie Lewis, who founded the company.
"We've created a really engaging environment where not only are they going to get better, but they'll become fans for life," said Lewis, a two-time U.S. World Cup, English Premier League and MLS midfielder.
TOCA's coaches — all of whom have collegiate if not professional experience — work on skills and techniques that help players master the fundamentals of the game with the help of Lewis' TOCA Touch Trainer, or ball machine.
Players are put into a TOCA training studio and with the ball machine and data driven application, coaches are able to focus on the individual rather than worrying about kicking or throwing balls and constantly moving.
"It gives you (the) sense that this is a safe space and that you're the only ones in the facility and only you, the machine and the trainer with you," said Sagi Hirsch, a regional onboarding manager for the company. "It's the environment you want to train and get better and creates a sort of safe space."
TOCA Football launched in 2014 with its first location opening within the Los Angeles Galaxy's soccer center. The company has since expanded to Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Texas and British Columbia, Canada.
The company was named to Forbes' list of Top 500 Startup Employers last year and recently added women's soccer superstar Abby Wambach to its board of directors.
Lewis said adding a location in Denver was a no-brainer because of the area's soccer fandom and commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
"Denver's one we're really excited about because not only is it a rich area with sports and outdoor culture, but the soccer community is outstanding," Lewis said.
In the coming months, the company will host free clinics for neighboring schools or for efforts to raise money to build a church in Africa, said Hirsch.
"Once we get into a community we want to help the community," Hirsch said.
Gloss