Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilly Travieso.
Hi Lilly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Lilly Travieso, and I am the Founder of the ELLA Sports Foundation. “ELLA” is an acronym that stands for Empowering Leadership in Latina Athletes, and it also means “her” in Spanish. My mother and I founded the organization due to the disparities present within my community for young female athletes. Sports can be seen as a financial burden to many families, which can discourage many young girls from continuing to play. I experienced firsthand the disparities, from receiving hand-me-down baseball jerseys, playing on makeshift fields for softball, to playing alongside young girls working extra shifts with their families just to cover travel costs for the sport. Once I committed to my dream school, I wanted to be an advocate for change and for those who look like me. Our mission is to support young female Latina athletes to become the leaders of tomorrow through sports and academic excellence. We want to level the playing field and change the Latino culture. Today, we have reached thousands of young girls and have positively impacted their sports experience while saving over $18 million in college tuition for those wanting to play in college.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the challenges facing Latina athletes are cultural misconceptions as well as general financial inequalities. There is a huge misconception among the Latino community about being able afford private high schools or high academic universities for that matter. We are working to bridge the gap of knowledge with the ultimate goal to create more education Latinas and for them to have better life outcomes by breaking cultural conformities.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about ELLA Sports Foundation ?
As Founder of ELLA, I am an advocate for young female Latina athletes
ELLA Sports Foundation is a non-profit organization aimed at leveling the playing field for Latina athletes. We work under 3 pillars: Academics, athletics, and community. Through academics, we instill workshops in career development, financial literacy, and academic prep. We also hold academic scholarships for athletes planning to play in college. Through athletics, we provide sport clinics, player development tools, and college recruiting guidance. With community, we hold community service opportunities for members who want to make a difference in their hometown. Our unique ambassador program strives to impact beyond our neck of the woods to anywhere around the country.
While we pride ourselves in our softball expertise, our brand stems beyond to other sports like basketball, soccer, track, flag football, and more.
Our services can be directed to our website: https://www.ellasportsfoundation.org
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My parents deserve all the credit. They have been my #1 support system since day one and completely were sold in the idea of me playing collegiate ball when I was 8. They took my ambitions and sacrificed a lot to get me to where I am today, an Ivy League collegiate softball graduate pursuing her Masters. They taught me that life is not handed on a silver platter, however that shouldn’t stop me from having dreams and setting goals because hard work does pay off. As a daughter of an immigrant, I’ve learned to cease every opportunity that comes my way
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ellasportsfoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellasportsfdn/?hl=en. user: @ellasportsfdn
