Former Boston Red Sox star to hold grand opening of youth sports facility in Boca Raton

BOCA RATON — A new youth sports facility is here, thanks to former Major League Baseball star Mo Vaughn .

Vaughn will host the grand opening of his performance center, part of the Vaughn Sports Academy sports complex in Boca Raton , on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It'll feature a personally guided tour of the facility by Vaughn, special guests and lunch catered by Moe's Southwest Grille.

"The Performance Center will play a key role in the development and maturation of young athletes," said Vaughn, who played the majority of his career in the 1990s with the Boston Red Sox .

"My staff and I wake up every day with the same goal in mind, which is to help our athletes unlock their potential and be the absolute best they can be. The addition of the Performance Center will help to make these goals even more achievable."

What will Mo Vaughn's new performance center offer?

The performance center will feature state-of-the-art recovery for young athletes, ranging from a steam sauna, to a cold plunge, to infrared therapy, to a shift-wave nervous system recovery chair and a game-ready ice compression unit.

The center's focus, according to Vaughn, is to improve athletes' strength, performance and body composition. Because of that, it'll also have a combination of traditional strength and Keiser equipment, to accommodate a variety of strength workouts. All on-site trainers will be certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Mo Vaughn: From MVP to local coach

Born Maurice Samuel Vaughn and nicknamed "the Hit Dog" during his 12-year career, Vaughn is an American former MLB first baseman. He played for the Boston Red Sox, Anaheim Angels and New York Mets from 1991 to 2003. Vaughn, 56, is a three-time All-Star selection and, in 1995, he won the American League MVP award with Boston. In more than 1,500 games, he hit .293 with 328 home runs and had 1,064 RBI.

A prolific hitter for Seton Hall University in the late 1980s, Vaughn stayed away from baseball for years after his retirement. He founded his Boca Raton sports academy in 2018. It's since grown to field travel teams, run camps and aid in getting young athletes recognition from college coaches.

Now, Vaughn also works as a special assistant and investor in Perfect Game . It's the world's largest amateur baseball and softball platform.

Vaughn Sports Academy: What is it?

The academy offers a place for athletes ages 8-18 to hone their skills in sports like baseball, softball, basketball and soccer. According to Vaughn, he and his coaches aim to teach not just on-field athletic ability, but also to educate and empower young athletes through a mentorship program that "stresses trust, positivity and tenacity."

The Vaughn Sports Academy is at 7624 NW Sixth Ave. in Boca Raton.

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Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz . Help support our work. Subscribe today .

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Former Boston Red Sox star to hold grand opening of youth sports facility in Boca Raton