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Elite Development Invitational

ABOUT THE ELITE DEVELOPMENT INVITATIONAL

2018 Elite Development Invitational 

July 21-25: Vero Beach, Fla. (Ages 15-17; Graduating classes: 2019, 2020, 2021)
July 28-Aug. 1: Vero Beach, Fla. (Ages 13-14; Graduating classes: 2022, 2023)

Attendees will report the day prior to the event and leave the day following the completion of on-field programming.

Utilizing the successful Breakthrough Series instructional model incorporating multiple seminars, Major League Baseball, USA Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association teamed up to develop the revolutionary Elite Development Invitational.

In 2017, the event welcomed 200 players (ages 12-17) and more than two dozen coaches with a combined 200-plus years of baseball experience to historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Florida, for two weeks of intensive instruction.

The wide-ranging group of coaches covered every field position and instructed players in a variety of workouts and game situations throughout the week.

Players in the MLB and USA Baseball diversity pipeline, including the Breakthrough Series and Elite Development Invitational, may be offered additional development and instructional opportunities throughout the year. Affording participants touch points at different times during the season will allow for consistent growth opportunities both in competitive and non-competitive settings and will aide in the continued advancement of their life and baseball skills.

Over 30 former professional players including veterans like Jerry Manuel, Maury Wills, Tom Gordon, Lee Smith, Marquis Grissom and Endy Chavez served as instructors with Commissioner Manfred, Joe Torre, Harold Reynolds, Dusty Baker and Dee Gordon stopping by to share their knowledge and experiences. Facilitating a Spring Training atmosphere for the aspiring professional players, days consisted of individual work, games, situational play, "chalk talk" and nightly seminars about the baseball industry.

2018 Softball Elite Development Invitational

July 4-11: Vero Beach, Fla.

The Elite Development Invitational is a five-day camp as an extended version of the Breakthrough Series. It is a highly intense program that mirrors' the USA Softball Women's National team's training camps, giving the players an opportunity to see what life is like as they prepare for International Competitions and the Olympics. Entering the third week, the Elite Development Invitational will host 90 softball players to participate in the inaugural softball focused EDI. The week will include staff introductions, seminars, special guest speakers and specialized coaching instruction to players pursing collegiate careers.

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    Video
    EDI players on being inspired
    President of the Negro Leagues Museum Bob Kendrick inspired EDI campers in Vero Beach with a speech about influential players
  • Kendrick inspires with Negro Leagues speech
    Though Jackie Robinson may have carried the torch, he really was just the tip of the iceberg. That was the message conveyed by Bob Kendrick to a captivated audience on Monday night in a presentation to the more than 120 baseball players ages 13-14 from all over the country during Week Two of the 2018 Elite Development Invitational at Historic Dodgertown.
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    2018 EDI Camp Week Two
    The Elite Development Invitational wraps up its final week and features coaching from former MLB player Eric Davis
  • Kids take advantage of EDI coaching in Florida
    More than 120 baseball players have gathered from all over the country with diverse backgrounds, ages 13-14, in Vero Beach, Fla., for week two of the 2018 Elite Development Invitational at historic Dodgertown.
  • Manfred's address an honor for EDI participants
    Commissioner Rob Manfred made his annual visit to Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., where he spoke and fielded questions from the participants of the 2018 Elite Development Invitational.
  • EDI participants share special camaraderie
    As the 2018 Elite Development Invitational came to a close Wednesday evening, participants said goodbye to a jam-packed week of high-level training and instruction, featuring presentations from the likes of Commissioner Rob Manfred, Hall of Famer Dave Winfield and executive director of the MLB Players Association Tony Clark. To many, however, the most impactful part of the entire event was interacting with and learning from their peers.
  • Video
    EDI players on the program
    Darius Perry, Ed Howard and Andre Duplantier talk about the Elite Development Invitational taking place in Vero Beach, Florida
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    Rob Manfred speaks at EDI
    Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. speaks to participants at the Elite Development Invitational at Dodgertown
  • EDI participants prep for bright baseball future
    The Elite Development Invitational, based in Historic Dodgertown, may be in just its fourth year of operation, but it has already earned a reputation as one of the best youth camps in the nation.
  • Prep prospects gather in Dodgertown for EDI
    President of the MLB Players Association Tony Clark was among the former big leaguers on hand to speak to a group of 125 high school prospects who were invited to historic Dodgertown this week to participate in the 2018 Elite Development Invitational.
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    EDI hosts event at Dodgertown
    Elite Development Invitational visits historic Dodgertown, hosting high school players who had the opportunity to listen to Tony Clark speak
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    Delino DeShields on MLB Central
    Delino DeShields talks about the Elite Development Invitational, raising his kids and more on MLB Central
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    EDI hosts event at Marlins Park
    USA Softball's Elite Development Invitational visits Marlins Park, hosting high school softball players from around the country
  • Marlins host Elite Development Invitational
    A panel of female representatives of the Miami Marlins front office hosted the Elite Development Invitational at Marlins Park on Monday. Participants took part in a speed-dating style roundtable, chatting with five different Marlins personnel, in 20-minute intervals, about their careers.
  • Video
    Elite Development Invitational
    USA Softball's Elite Development Invitational visits Dodgertown, hosting high school softball players from around the country
  • Softball players train, share tips at EDI
    Angie Ordonez is one of over 90 softball players -- many of whom play for Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) programs or Major League teams' youth academies -- who are at Historic Dodgertown for the five-day Elite Development Invitational. The program's third day was spent training and sharing tips with one another at Historic Dodgertown.
  • Softball's elite to gather at Historic Dodgertown
    The fields at Historic Dodgertown will be packed this weekend as softball players from all over the country gather in Vero Beach, Fla., for the Softball Elite Development Invitational. Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch, who serves as Youth Programs Ambassador for MLB, headlines a coaching roster that includes eight women who played on the Women's National Team in the United States or Mexico.
  • Video
    EDI Boys Recap
    Recap of the 2017 Boys Elite Development Invitational program hosted at historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla.
  • Video
    EDI Girls Recap
    Recap of the 2017 Girls Elite Development Invitational program hosted at historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla.
  • Inaugural Softball EDI inspires on and off field
    It was hard to tell if the coaches or players were more excited about the inaugural Softball Elite Development Invitational as they took the fields in Historic Dodgertown on Friday.
  • Players at EDI get expert instruction
    More than two dozen coaches with a combined 200-plus years of baseball experience were present at the Elite Development Invitational at historic Dodgertown.
  • Reds great Davis motivating youths at EDI
    Eric Davis is serving as a hitting coach at the Elite Development Invitational, lending the expertise and knowledge that helped him to a 2005 induction into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
  • Griffey gives back by helping younger players
    On the first full day of the Elite Development Invitational's second week, Ken Griffey Jr. arrived in Dodgertown to provide a motivational speech for attending players.
  • Video
    MLB Central: Marquis Grissom
    Former Major Leaguer Marquis Grissom joins MLB Central to talk about the 2017 Elite Development Invitational going on in Vera Beach, FL
  • MLB vets, sons enjoying EDI experience
    Cameron Collier is one of several attendees of the Elite Developmental Invitational at Dodgertown who has a father -- and an ex-Major Leaguer at that -- participating as one of the coaches.
  • Porter offers advice to youth at Invitational
    While some motivational speeches tend to repeat the same cliches, former Astros manager and current Braves executive Bo Porter took a different route when speaking to players at the Elite Development Invitational at historic Dodgertown.
  • Fielder mentors at Elite Development Invitational
    Even after hitting 319 home runs during an All-Star career, Cecil Fielder is virtually unknown to students at the Elite Development Invitational.

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