Hello Friends,
Youth sports is my second passion in life.
My dad coached Little League, basketball, and sideline-dad soccer – through sports he taught me many of life’s most important lessons. Persistence. Adversity. Toughness. Winning. Diligence. Teamwork. Handling frustration. The list goes on and on.
Most importantly, sports teaches kids how to get really good at something. To me, that’s one of the greatest gifts you can give a child: understanding the process of improvement. Learning that success isn’t magic—it’s effort, consistency, resilience, and time.
Last summer, through Aaron Byrd and Next Level, I started a camp called E:30. I invited 30 of the best 2013 girls, I could find from across Michigan to train together for a day with one of the best trainers around. Most of the girls recognized each other as opponents, but very few knew each other as friends.
One day, I hope that changes.
We don’t wear club jerseys at E:30. The goal is simple: bring together great players from different organizations, help them improve, and raise the level of play for an entire age group. Even if it’s only a little bit, twice a year.
The inspiration for E:30 came from two experiences.
The first was watching my daughter participate in Michigan ODP. Back in 1992, I was a two-time ODP invitee—or, more accurately, a two-time ODP cut-ee. It was the first team I was ever cut from, and I still remember showing up to those tryouts and realizing I was completely outmatched. Every great player from around Chicago seemed to be there, along with players I’d never seen before who were simply better than me.
I remember looking at the roster they selected for Illinois and thinking there was no way that team could lose. Then they came to Michigan and got stomped.
What made ODP special was that it brought together the best players. Unfortunately, over time it has lost some of its ability to attract all of the top talent. I started wondering: what if we could create something that helped bring those players together again? Every club soccer that was apart of ODP in the old days remembers that magic – and maybe we can get close to that again?
The second inspiration came from a group of Liverpool soccer players, my daughter used to play against. Sometimes they would miss soccer games because they were competing in flag football tournaments. I remember thinking…hmmm. Then one day I saw them on television, helping announce a Detroit Lions draft pick after winning the NFL Flag National Championship, playing a year up in the boys division. They have won every championship to win including the Junior Olympics and World Championships.
Today, my daughter is fortunate enough to be part of that organization, and I’ve become friends with its founders. What resonates with me most is their passion for excellence. They could make that organization a monster money makes with 10 teams at every age group, but they run it lean with a focus on creating great players and teams. Development and winning over money, which I think we can all say is lacking in youth sports.
My goal is to bring together the most passionate and driven girls across Michigan, across multiple age groups, and create opportunities for them to train, compete, improve, and ultimately gain greater exposure to college programs, youth national teams, and whatever opportunities their hard work can create. We want to celebrate all the girls successes at every age group.
I will never take a dollar from this project.
Every dollar raised will go directly back into the athletes and the experience—food, drinks, trainers, facility costs, social media, and other expenses that help make these events possible.
If you believe in this vision, I’d appreciate your support. Whether through a donation, sharing our mission, or simply encouraging a young athlete to chase greatness, every bit helps.
Together, we can raise the level of the game—and more importantly, help develop the next generation of young women who understand what it means to work hard, compete, lead, and grow.
Thank you for your support.
— Justin Sadauskas
justinsadauskas 