Mother’s Day Special: How A Mother & Daughter Are Leveling the Playing Field Through the ELLA Sports Foundation

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

Today, we’re excited to share the story of how one forward-thinking mother helped her high-achieving daughter reach her dream of playing D1 softball—in the Ivy League, no less!—and, later, partnering together to assist other young players who may not have the same opportunities.

This is the story of ELLA and all that it does to assist female athletes in becoming “leaders of tomorrow through sports and academic excellence…”

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Patty Godoy, a nurse from Burbank, California, and her husband, Manny Travieso, were always proud of their daughter Lilly Travieso, who began playing softball in elementary school.

Over the years, they saw how their daughter became passionate about playing softball and dreamed of playing the sport at a top university someday.

Lilly embarked on a strenuous mental, physical, and academic journey to achieve her dream but, along the way, she discovered the many obstacles and disparities faced by Latina athletes culturally and economically.

With the help of her parents, Lilly applied to and was accepted to Cornell University, but that’s not the end of the story… it’s just the beginning.

Patty’s experiences—which included navigating training and recruiting challenges for her daughter—encouraged Lilly to find a way to help other young Latina athletes like herself to have the same opportunities.

The softball player wanted all young female athletes—Latina or not— to have the mentorship and support they need as they embark on their own athletic, academic, and professional journey.

With the help of her mother, Lilly founded ELLA Sports Foundation, which stands for Empowering Leadership in Latina Athletes, as a 501©(3) non-profit with a mission to support young female athletes in becoming leaders of tomorrow through sports and academic excellence.

Here’s a wonderful YouTube video that recaps the ELLA story:

“My parents and I learned so much while navigating the process of college recruitment, I wanted to find a way to impart all that knowledge to other girl athletes looking to continue their sports career in college,” Lilly recalls.

“That was the genesis of ELLA Sports Foundation and I’m so proud and thankful to my Mom and Dad for encouraging me and working with me to establish the foundation.”

“Through ELLA Sports Foundation, we are leveling the playing field for girl athletes everywhere,” says Patty, the program’s co-founder.

ELLA’s mission, she continues, “is to provide guidance and resources to young female athletes from junior high through high school, college and beyond” applying three principles:

• Empowerment & Leadership

Helping guide young Latina athletes to seek and find opportunities for advancement.

• Opportunities

Using sports as a vehicle to grow athletically, academically and personally.

• Communities

Assisting young Latina athletes to establish and expand their network of contacts and communities to help themselves and others along the way.

According to a recent New York Times article titled “The Income Gap Is Becoming a Physical-Activity Divide” by Matt Richtel (published March 24, 2023), there is a growing disparity between young athletes who have the financial resources to do so and those who don’t.

“Nationwide, poor children and adolescents are participating far less in sports and fitness activities than their more affluent peers,” Richtel’s article details.

“Data from multiple sources reveal a significant gap in sports participation by income level. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that 70% of children from families with incomes above $105,000—four times the poverty line—participated in sports in 2020.”

“But participation was around 51% for families in a middle-income range, and just 31% for families at or below the poverty line.”

ELLA continues to expand its network and provide resources, training and access to coaches, recruitment opportunities as well as empowerment workshops.

The organization has also donated sports equipment to girls’ teams in several high schools as well as provide funds, support and advocacy to improve conditions for girls’ sports teams everywhere.

The goal of ELLA, its founders explain, is to develop strong Latina leaders that will positively impact their communities while establishing their own legacy. The organization’s network provides young female athletes with opportunities to prepare themselves with college preparatory courses, high quality training, valuable networking, athletic and college mentorship, and exposure to leadership opportunities.

Here are several ways that ELLA helps aspiring young female athletes:

• Educational conferences
• Leadership development
• ACT/SAT preparation
• College recruitment guidance
• Athletic mentorship
• Trainings
• Skill development
• Community outreach
• Sponsorships
• Volunteer opportunities
• Professional networking
• Internships
• ELLA high school clubs

For those interested in learning more about ELLA, the organization that began as an idea and dream a mother and her young daughter shared, it is updated through social media and can be followed (links included) on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Donations to the organization are also appreciated and can be made by going to www.ellasportsfoundation.org.

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