BRADENTON, Fla., Oct. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IMG Academy, the world leader in sports education, today announced the launch of IMG Academy+, a digital platform that provides student-athletes and families around the world direct access to the same holistic development methodology IMG Academy has refined on its Bradenton, Florida, campus for nearly 50 years. For the first time, elements of IMG Academy's proprietary curriculum in athletic performance and personal development are available digitally to families everywhere, regardless of geography or stage of development, beginning as young as the age of 8.
Available on desktop and Apple and Android devices, IMG Academy+ is central to the organization's ongoing commitment to expanding access and opportunity in youth sports. By making its campus experience more accessible, IMG Academy is removing barriers of location, cost and enrollment that have historically limited who can benefit from its proven methodology, extending its reach to student-athletes at every level, from youth sports through the college recruiting process.
“For nearly 50 years, IMG Academy has perfected an approach that develops the whole student-athlete, and until now, that experience has largely lived on our Bradenton campus,” said Chris Ciaccio, Chief Commercial Officer of IMG Academy. “IMG Academy+ changes that. We are taking the methodology that has shaped generations of student-athletes both on and off the field of competition and putting it directly into the hands of families everywhere, so a young athlete's zip code no longer determines their access to a world-class development experience.”
Curated by IMG Academy’s world-class team of former professional athletes, professional and college coaches, Olympians, physicians, and leading performance specialists, IMG Academy+ offers three options designed to meet student-athletes and their families wherever they are in their development journey:
- IMG Academy+ Essentials: On-demand access to IMG Academy's extensive library of resources designed to help student-athletes learn how to lead, develop effective habits, and take ownership, building the kind of confidence that carries from competition into life. With more than 1,000 forms of content, Essentials delivers the same trusted training methods and performance tools used by IMG Academy’s boarding school student-athletes, now accessible to families anytime, anywhere for only $10/month.
- IMG Academy+ Personal Coach: Personalized, live, one-on-one nutrition and mental performance coaching tailored to each student-athlete's individual goals, challenges, and growth areas. Through one-on-one sessions and direct messaging, student-athletes can connect with their IMG Academy personal coach on a regular scheduled basis and before and after practices, games and tournaments. Their coach serves as a trusted mentor, helping them navigate real moments as they happen and supporting their continued development. Additional personal coach disciplines to follow.
- College Recruiting: Expert guidance and powerful recruiting tools that bring clarity, confidence and a clear path to a family’s college recruiting journey. Delivered by NCSA College Recruiting by IMG Academy, memberships provide families with a clear recruiting roadmap, expert guidance and tools that match sport, level and grade to a network of more than 40,000 college coaches. In the 2025-26 class, approximately 25% of open college roster spots were filled by student-athletes who used IMG Academy college recruiting services. College recruiting is live now online and will be added into the IMG Academy+ app by Q1 2027.
IMG Academy+ builds on IMG Academy’s broader mission to widen access and opportunity across youth sports. It joins a growing suite of initiatives from IMG Academy aimed at ensuring student-athletes have every opportunity to benefit from the life skills development sports can provide.
“There are millions of young student-athletes out there who could benefit from real sports education, and only a fraction of them have access to it today,” said Brent Richard, CEO of IMG Academy. “Our responsibility as the world leader in sports education is to make sure more student-athletes get access to that kind of development, not fewer. That's what drives everything we're building, from our campus in Bradenton to IMG Academy+ and beyond.”
About IMG Academy
IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for all student-athletes through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:
- Boarding school and camps, via a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Fla.
- Online coaching via IMG Academy+, with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
- Online college recruiting, via NCSA and SportsRecruits, providing content, tools, coaching and access to a network of 40,000 college coaches
To learn more about IMG Academy and its on-campus and online experiences, visit www.imgacademy.com.
Media Contact: Mike Lovecchio SVP, Communications 941-577-2961 mike.lovecchio@imgacademy.com
