FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2015
WorldStrides and Excel International Sports Join Forces CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. February 2, 2015 — WorldStrides, the largest and most trusted student educational travel provider in the United States, has acquired Excel International Sports of Glenwood, Maryland. Excel is the leading provider of specialized international sports travel for elite club, high school, and university level sports teams. Excel operates programs globally for a variety of sports including soccer, basketball, golf, lacrosse, rugby, and swimming. Customers include many of the nation’s best Division I, II, and III athletic teams; top public and private high schools; and the Olympic Development Programs (ODPs) from Maryland and Eastern Pennsylvania. Together, Excel and WorldStrides combine to offer students more than 65 years of student travel experience. The programs offered by Excel significantly augment WorldStrides’ existing sports programming and educational travel businesses. The addition of Excel to the WorldStrides family further enhances the range of extraordinary learning and growth experiences that the company offers to students around the world. Founded in 1998, Excel distinguishes itself through the quality of the matches and competitions that it is able to arrange between its U.S. customers and comparable international teams. Top destinations include the U.K., Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and other global destinations. “We could not be more pleased to welcome Excel International Sports to the WorldStrides family,” said Jim Hall, President and CEO of WorldStrides. “The union of these two outstanding organizations will enhance the experience of current and future student athletes and allow WorldStrides to significantly expand our offerings in the sports travel market.” Eric McAleer, President and Founder of Excel added: “I am thrilled to be joining the WorldStrides team. Our companies share a common mission of providing life-enriching travel opportunities to students from around the world. Together we look forward to reaching even more talented young athletes.” McAleer and his management team will continue in leadership roles with WorldStrides. WorldStrides, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va. The organization has offices in 22 locations around the world including the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, China, and Chile.
About WorldStrides WorldStrides, founded by a middle school teacher in 1967, is the largest student educational travel organization in the United States and is accredited as a school by the regional accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. WorldStrides specializes in providing educational travel opportunities to approximately 350,000 students annually. More than 5,000 elementary, middle, and high schools, and more than 200 universities choose WorldStrides to provide inspiring lessons beyond the classroom. For more information on WorldStrides, visit www.worldstrides.com.