CARSON, Calif. (Thursday, March 6, 2014) – The LA Galaxy announced today the formation of a new Sports Science department. As part of the club’s continued investment in innovation and infrastructure, and the Galaxy’s ongoing partnership with Herbalife, the new department will combine sports medicine, nutrition, sports science and strength and conditioning. To oversee the department, the Galaxy have named Head Athletic Trainer Armando Rivas Director of Sports Medicine. The club also worked closely with Herbalife to hire Alex Savva as the club’s Manager of Sports Science.
“It is essential for our club to be able to provide the best possible resources for our athletes to compete and succeed on the field,” said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein. “We see this as another opportunity to invest in the infrastructure of our club and set the standard for player development in North America.”
Rivas enters his seventh season with the club, joining the Galaxy after spending seven years with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization. Rivas graduated from Cal State-Fullerton in 2000 with a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis on athletic training. In 2004, he earned a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise physiology from Cal Poly Pomona. He is currently certified in active release techniques (upper and lower extremity), a performance enhancement specialist and corrective exercise specialist certified through the National Association of Sports Medicine.
“We are excited to be part of such an innovative program that will really set the LA Galaxy apart,” said Rob Levy, executive vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, Herbalife. “We look forward to working closely with the LA Galaxy’s sports science department to ensure players benefit from the right nutrition to support their individual regimes.”
In his new role, Savva will ensure players are able to perform optimally by implementing nutrition and supplementation programs in line with their training and weight goals. This will include nutritional consultations; dietary planning; measuring body fat and weight periodically; hydration testing; blood testing to assess nutritional deficiencies; analyzing GPS data; and providing feedback to coaches and medical staff.
Under Herbalife’s guidance, the Galaxy brought in Savva as the Manager of Sports Science. Savva previously worked at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club working within the English Premier League side’s sports nutrition program. Savva studied Sports and Exercise Science at Loughborough University before obtaining a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology at the same institution.
Season tickets for the 2014 MLS season are still available, starting at $12.50 per game. Becoming a Galaxy Season Ticket Member gives fans the opportunity to see every Galaxy home game as well as a number of additional benefits such as access to the new LA Galaxy Locker Room Rewards program, extra savings on additional single and group tickets, early entrance into the stadium and much more. For more information about becoming a Galaxy Season Ticket Member, please call 877-3GALAXY (342-5299) or visit www.lagalaxy.com/tickets.
