WE STARTED FORTIVUS BECAUSE WE CARE


Fortivus Academy was founded with a simple but powerful belief - Sport should be giving more than it takes.


We started Fortivus because we saw what was happening to youth sports. The joy was fading. Pressure was rising. Kids were being told to specialize too early, to chase rankings instead of experiences, and to measure their worth in wins and losses. For many, sport — once a source of freedom — had become another source of stress.


We knew there had to be a better way.


Fortivus Academy was created to give sport back to kids — to build a place where they can play multiple sports, find balance, and develop as athletes and people. A place that values growth over perfection, community over competition, and opportunity over exclusion. To provide unique and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are available to all, and are currently unavailable to most.


We care because we’ve seen firsthand what sport can do when it’s done right — it builds character, confidence, and connection. It teaches resilience, teamwork, and leadership. It gives kids room to breathe, to belong, and to discover who they are. That’s what Fortivus stands for.


The future of Fortivus is about more than one academy — it’s about a movement. We’re expanding programs, growing partnerships, and building the Fortivus Foundation to make sure every child — regardless of background — has access to these opportunities.


Because when kids are given the freedom to play, explore, and grow, they don’t just become better athletes — they become better people.


LED BY AN EXPERIENCED AND BALANCED TEAM

NICK EVANS

Nick brings over 30 years of experience in sport and business leadership to Fortivus. A lifelong coach and former player, he’s passionate about using sport to develop strong, resilient individuals and inclusive team cultures. He has founded and led companies across sectors and holds an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, blending strategic focus with a values-driven approach. At Fortivus, Nick leads with a clear mission: to redefine youth sport through excellence in development, community impact, and long-term well being.


CLAIRE EVANS


Claire is a people-first operator with a BA in Psychology and a track record of leading teams across professional services, healthcare, not-for-profits, and startups. Her strength lies in building systems and environments where people thrive. At Fortivus, Claire's remit is to ensure every player, parent, and team member experiences a high-performance culture grounded in care, clarity, and connection. Claire is passionate about sport’s role in shaping confident, capable young people—and brings that belief to everything she does.


NICK LARMA



Nick brings over 25 years of experience in coaching, performance training, and program design, backed by a doctorate in counseling psychology and certification as a strength and conditioning specialist. He has worked across youth, professional, and elite government populations, designing development systems that are evidence-based and athlete-centered. Nick leads the creation of holistic training pathways that support physical, mental, and emotional growth, and his mission is to help Fortivus Academy make sport a structured, positive, and lifelong source of growth for every child.

MIKE MCCARTHY

Mike brings a global perspective and decades of experience as a player, coach, and program builder to Fortivus. He has led and contributed to successful rugby programs across all levels—from grassroots to elite—giving him a 360-degree view of the game. With a Master’s in Instructional Design, Mike brings a research-driven approach to curriculum development, session planning, and long-term athlete progression. Mike leads with a player-first mindset and a belief that rugby is a powerful platform for lifelong growth. His coaching philosophy blends technical precision with learning science to develop athletes who are skilled, adaptable, and grounded.

DELIVERING A CONSISTENT ATHLETE-FIRST

PHILOSOPHY ACROSS ALL FORTIVUS SPORTS

We believe in developing the whole athlete through a long-term approach that meets athletes at their level of maturation. Our mission is to provide every child – regardless of their sport, skill level, or season of play – with a structured path to physical literacy, athletic growth, lifelong love for movement, as well as opportunities to train and compete at the highest levels afforded within their age group for those choosing such a path. 

At the core of our approach is the belief that athletes are made over time, not in a single season. A long-term athletic development model prioritizes age-appropriate training, recovery to maximize athletic potential, foundations for lifelong participation in physical activity, while progressively layering in competition across childhood and adolescence. 

Rather than rushing kids into early specialization or competitive overload, the Fortivus model recognizes that athletic development unfolds in stages. Each stage emphasizes the right skills, at the right time, in the right way. This model ensures that children build a strong foundation before advancing to more complex sport demands. Simply, we follow a progression of developing broad movements skills, then athletes, then sport specialization.

 

We recognize that every athlete’s journey is unique – across both individual development and sampling different sports. Through flexible membership levels, tailored programming meets every family’s needs for sports programming.

  • Seasonal Access – for those new to sports or only interested in playing during a specific season. These athletes benefit from focused experiences that build confidence, enjoyment, and foundational movement skills.


  • Multi-Sport Training Access – for athletes who complete in multiple sports but want structured training during the off-season. This membership supports general athleticism, injury prevention, and readiness across sports environments.


  • Single-Sport, Year-Round Programming – for athletes committed to one sport and seeking sport-specific development all year while still providing for athletic development across a variety of movement patterns. These athletes receive progressive, periodized training that aligns with their sport’s physical, technical, and mental demands. 

Regardless of entry point, our goal is the same: to prepare young athletes for success in sport and life, through age-appropriate training, positive coaching, and a community that values development over early specialization.