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4 NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS Puts Football Glove Rule on Hold 5 SPORTS LEGACY INSTITUTE Proposes “Hit Count” Initiative to Protect Young Athletes
6 BAT SELLERS GUIDE SPRING 2012 14 SPORTING GOODS INDUSTRY LEADERS LOOK FORWARD TO 2012 NSGA MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE & TEAM DEALER SUMMIT
17 I AM... TEAM BUSINESS – Don Bates, Allen Sports Center, Seminole, FL 18 SPORTSJOBSOURCE.COM – Job Classifieds
2 FLEXFIT 9 OLD HICKORY BATS 10 RAWLINGS 17 IMPLUS 19 GOALRILLA 20 SPORTSCANINFO
Copyright 2012 SportsOneSource, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors toTEAM BUSINESS are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. TEAM BUSINESS is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles appearing in TEAM BUSINESS may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher. TEAM BUSINESS is published weekly by SportsOneSource, LLC, 2151 Hawkins Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28203; 704.987.3450. Send address changes to TEAM BUSINESS , 2151 Hawkins Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28203; 704.987.3450
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Cover photo NY Yankees Third Baseman, Alex Rodriguez. Courtesy of Lousville Slugger
Boston Red Sox second baseman, Dustin PedroiaPhoto courtesy of Louisville Slugger
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The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Rules Review Committee recently announced a decision to delay implementation of what is known as the Football Glove Rule until the 2013-14 school year. The rule requires all football gloves worn in varsity games to bear the certification seal of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). Both the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) pushed for a delay of the rule’s implementation date.
“It’s really a big deal for the National Federation to overturn this, and we applaud them because there were real pressures for them not to overturn it,” said SGMA President Tom Cove in an interview with TEAM Business. “We are very happy with the decision, and we were pleasantly surprised, quite honestly. We believe that a fair and practical solution came out of this.”
The rule, which was passed by the NFHS Football Rules Committee in January 2010, would have taken effect next season for the 2012-13 school year. Gloves bearing the NOCSAE seal and gloves that meet the previous standard are essentially the same in terms of both performance and safety properties.
“The delay in implementation of the rule will provide an opportunity for NSGA member retailers and team dealers to significantly reduce their inventories of these football gloves, which will also benefit the manufacturers,” said NSGA Chairman of the Board Jeff Rosenthal, president & CEO of Hibbett Sports. “It also benefits the players and their parents who purchase these gloves by eliminating any confusion as to what
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS PUTS FOOTBALL GLOVE RULE ON HOLD
is and is not legal next season.”The NOCSAE standard specification estab-
lishes performance requirements for the fric-tion and adhesion properties of new football players’ gloves, limiting the level of tackiness of gloves to limit the potential aid they may have in handling or catching the ball. When the rule goes into effect for the 2013 fall football season, the NOSCAE seal must be visible on the outside of the glove.
In the appeal hearing, SGMA’s Cove implored the NFHS Rules Review Committee to consider the harsh economic impact the rule would inflict on high school institutions and industry suppliers. SGMA also expressed concern about the potential lack of availability of new
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SPORTS LEGACY INSTITUTE PROPOSES “HIT COUNT” INITIATIVE TO PROTECT YOUNG ATHLETES
In early February, the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI) issued a “Hit Count” proposal designed to drastically reduce the exposure of young athletes to repetitive brain trauma in multiple sports. The goal of the initiative is to reduce concussions, sub-concussive trauma, and the risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
Dr. Robert Cantu, MD, and Chris Nowinski, co-founders of SLI, worked together to promote the system. Cantu and Nowinski co-authored a “Hit Count” White Paper, which is posted on the SLI website at sportslegacy.org. In the White Paper, the proposal itself is outlined, along with support-ing research, a timeline, and strategies for implementation. Despite the many unknown factors associated with brain trauma and concussions, SLI believes that brain injury in youth sports is a public issue that must be addressed.
“If we go to great lengths to protect the elbows of baseball players then don’t you think we ought to set limits to the number of times we allow a child to be hit in the head in sports?” said Dr. Cantu, clinical professor of neurosurgery at Boston University School of Medicine and past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, in an SLI press release. “We do not claim ownership of this idea. A Hit Count has been proposed by prominent researchers, many of whom we are grateful to for providing the research that has revealed, for example, that high school foot-ball players have been recorded taking 197 hits to the head exceeding 15 in a game and 2,235 in a season. Our goal is to translate this bold idea into policy aimed at protecting children. In some sports, there is simply too much unregulated and unnecessary brain trauma.”
The “Hit Count” proposal is modeled after the “Pitch Count” system, which is enforced by Little League Baseball and other baseball organizations. The “Pitch Count” system limits the trauma caused by the pitcher’s throwing motion to the ulnar collateral ligament by pre-determining the number of pitches a young player can throw in a day, while also mandating a certain amount of rest corresponding to the number of pitches thrown. Similarly, the “Hit Count” system will limit the amount of times young athletes can sustain hits during competition. The suggested implementa-tion strives to define the minimum threshold for what is considered a “hit”, the maximum number of hits per day, week, season and year - all stratified by age – as well as the minimum required days of rest after a minimum brain trauma exposure, among other guidelines.
“Professional and college sports organizations, including the National Football League (NFL) and the Ivy League, have taken aggressive steps to reduce sub-concussive brain trauma exposure, but those steps are not being adopted at youth levels where athletes are most at risk,” said Nowinski, SLI’s CEO, former All-Ivy Harvard football player and WWE professional wrestler. “The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to a limit of 14 full-contact practices during the season, less than one per week, primarily to limit exposure to brain trauma, and yet we are aware of youth programs practicing in full pads four days a week.”
Football, soccer, and rugby are the primary sports in which athletes regularly receive sub-concussive brain trauma over 1,000 times in a season. SLI plans to hold a series of meetings with medical experts, youth sports organizations, industry leaders, and others with the goal of youth sports organizations adopting Hit Counts by 2013.
product and unrealistic enforcement burdens on officials as reasons a delay was needed.
Cove said that millions of dollars in inventory was at stake for people that either produced the product or had purchased it in order to sell it. At the appeal hearing, NSGA estimated that about $45 million was at stake. “The reality is that inventory was going to be a real issue if the NFHS went with the original date,” said Cove. “It was challenging to get the National Federation, which doesn’t really focus on the economic issues, to understand what a big deal it would be. It took some time and some effort to come up with different arguments. Some of those arguments were that the rule was going to cause a lot of hardship, and you’re not going to make much difference on the positive side because the new gloves and old gloves themselves are very similar from a performance standpoint. A second issue would be that you’re going to hurt your own players, because there might not have been enough available new product. Thankfully everyone came to an understanding.”
The cooperative effort by SGMA and NSGA was particularly notable, as the two organizations worked together despite not having much of a shared history. SGMA lauded the role NSGA played in the process. “This was a great example of SGMA and NSGA working together in the industry’s best interests,” stated Cove. “NSGA was very effective in representing retailers and team dealers, and this advocacy had much to do with the successful outcome.” He added that the two leading associations made more of an impact by teaming up, and that working together again in the future was likely. “We don’t get together that often. In this case, we did,” Cove told TEAM Business. “Both organizations put a lot of effort into it, drew upon their own members, drew upon their own staff, and drew upon their own leadership. It was only through that concerted effort that we actually got this big issue overturned that was going to cost our industry millions of dollars. This is a storyline and outcome we hope we can build on.”
Cove also commended NSGA President & CEO Matt Carlson for his cooperation and effort in getting the rule overturned, and looked forward to working with NSGA again. “I’m heartened by how we worked on this, and by how the organizations worked together,” shared Cove. “We both appeared at the appeal hearing, and complemented each other and said things that made a lot of sense and fit together. Obviously, it worked, because we won our appeal and overturned the previous ruling.”
Chris Nowinski is widely credited with putting the concussion issue on the map and is the co-founder and president of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), a non-profit organization dedicated to solving the sports concussion crisis.
6 2012 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
With new Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) regulations now in place at the high school level across the country, baseball bat per-formance is standardized from the collegiate ranks all the way down to youth leagues. As a result, it has become more difficult to differentiate between bat brands available for Spring 2012. It is now essential for sellers to familiarize themselves with bat features such as feel, balance, and appearance, while also adopting an approach to help customers, as finding the right bat may not be as easy as it once was.
Due to the regulation of performance, bat designers and manufactur-ers now focus on other areas in order to distinguish their bats. “What’s really cool about the new bat performance limitations is that they give us the ability to spend more time on the way a bat feels, how comfortable a bat feels in your hands, and the balance of the bat,” said Anderson Bat Company President and CEO Steven Anderson. “Up until now, perfor-mance was king. If you take performance away, there’s a whole different set of parameters that you should pay attention to when you’re designing a bat.” Identifying such parameters will help sellers find unique features for different brand offerings, making it easier to connect to their cus-tomer with a bat. Feel, balance, handle features, graphics and aesthetic appearance are just some of the bat characteristics which sellers can better familiarize themselves with in order to help their customers.
Mike Miros, owner of First Team Sports in Greenville, SC, approaches selling bats by first identifying the type of hitter. “We try to find out who the customer is and what he’s looking for, and guide him from there,” he explained. “Are you a line drive hitter? Are you a power hitter? Figur-ing that out eliminates certain types of bats.” Miros takes advantage of the batting cages and demo bats in his store, allowing customers to hit with various bats to get a feel for each one, making it easier for them to come to a decision on what bat to purchase. “We put three or four bats in their hands and let them go hit,” he said.
Matt Mitchell, buyer of baseball/softball equipment for Hibbett Sports, believes that brand loyalty is important for players, and that sellers should help their customers by recognizing the player’s preferred brand of bat. According to Mitchell, customers have also become more knowl-edgeable about bats. “For the most part, the player is very loyal to what he perceives is the best brand,” he said. “If I’m an Easton guy, you’re not going to cross-sell me to a DeMarini bat. It’s just not going to happen.
I’m going to go somewhere else and find that bat I’m looking for. I believe when the customer comes in, they already know what they want. They’ve done the research before they get here.”
Despite similarities in performance for BBCOR bats, sellers should continue to keep track of which bats are popular among players. “Word of mouth is probably driving BBCOR sales more than anything simply because it doesn’t take long for the players to figure out which is the ‘hot bat’, and for that word to get out,” said Travis Copley, VP of sales & marketing for Old Hickory. “Word of mouth with the BBCOR’s, in my mind, trumps brand loyalty to a point.”
A hitter’s physical attributes are also necessary for a seller to take into account. Sam MacDonald, retail operations manager Kimmel Athlet-ic, believes that determining the customer’s size and weight is an impor-tant initial step. Doing so helps determine the ideal size of the bat barrel and weight distribution of the bat, two key aspects in finding the right bat for each individual. “It’s all about what they’re like swinging the bat, to see what their reaction is with the bat, and help them go from there,” said MacDonald. The hitter’s previous experience with specific bats must also be taken into consideration. “Have they used the bat at all? That plays a big part as far as aluminum versus composite,” MacDonald shared. He also recommended that sellers watch the hitter swing the bat to see how comfortable the customer is with the bat in his hands.
Aside from the BBCOR alloy and aluminum bat universe, wood bats continue to be used at the amateur level in competition and for training. Sellers can consider wood bats as either complements or replacements for aluminum BBCOR bats. Some players are switching over to wood due to aluminum BBCOR bats having a much higher price point. Old Hickory’s Copley said that he had seen a big increase in wood bat usage at the high school level as players and parents have decided that spending $50 to $100 on a wood bat is better than spending $400 on a BBCOR aluminum bat, especially since the BBCOR regulations were implemented to make aluminum bats perform more like wood bats. “All their showcases in the summer are with wood bats, and their ultimate goal is to be a professional baseball player with a wood bat,” he said. “They’re starting from an earlier age with wood bats even if that means they’re introducing them into their high school games.”
BAT SELLERS GUIDE SPRING 2012By Fernando J. Delgado
LA Angels First Baseman, Albert PugolsPhoto courtesy of Marucci
SPORTSONESOURCE.COM 7
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1. Akadema’s Apocalypse BBCOR Bat is made of 100 percent Scandium Alloy dipped in Glycol to cool down the bat for strength and durabilty. The Apoca-lypse also features Counter Balance technology for a lighter feeling barrel. “The biggest thing about this bat is price, since with the new regulations, all bats have to be similar,” said Kevin Barrett, sales repre-sentative for Akadema. “Our prices usually beat the competition, and because of where we make it, they tend to hold up better.” MSRP $250 2. Anderson’s Ignite XS-3 Adult Bat features a single-wall, all-metal alloy design. Sellers can emphasize the bat’s Enhanced Hitting Area (EHA), as the new alloy has a greater yield value and added strength for a lighter, more responsive and larger EHA. “The bat was de-
signed specifically for BBCOR,” said Steven Ander-son, president and CEO. “We created a bat that’s as near to the limit as we could make it while making it comfortable.” MSRP $299 3. DeMarini’s CF5-3 BBCOR Bat is one of its lightest and strongest. Two independent composite walls with thin layers and tight weave are separated by Flex Film to create a dynamic springboard hitting surface with maxi-mum trampoline effect and sweet spot. MSRP $400
4. Easton’s Power Brigade XL1-3 BBCOR-certified Bat employs extra-long barrels unique to the XL Series to give players expanded hitting zones and more mass in the barrel for more swing power. The bat also features an IMX composite barrel. MSRP $400
5. Louisville Slugger’s TPX Vertex Senior League Bat uses technology that optimizes the bat’s com-posite/alloy hybrid design. The Vertex design consists of Louisville Slugger’s LS-2X Compos-ite which uses thinner high-strength and light-weight graphite fibers to create the optimal feel-ing handle. MSRP $260 6. Marucci’s AP5 Premium Pro Maple Bat is the signature model of All-Star Albert Pujols. The AP5 has a tapered handle and moderate-to-large barrel. Originally designed to give Pu-jols total control at the plate, it is engineered for hitters who look for balance and power in their swing. The AP5 is hand-crafted and bone rubbed. MSRP $125
BASEBALL
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7. Mattingly’s Demon-3 Adult BBCOR Bat boasts a huge sweet spot and a stiff handle design. “It’s made of a MB5500 atomic alloy, which is a higher grade alloy that performs better,” said Jim Bel Bruno, VP of sales & marketing. “The difference in the bat is the grip. The Demon is a round-handle version. In production, we spend a lot of time making sure the bat isn’t top-heavy. When a player swings it, there’s a high comfort level and a balanced swing.” MSRP $200 8. Old Hickory’s Custom Pro Bats are available in maple and ash, and are the same bats sent to the pros. “The big thing with Old Hickory is the quality of the wood and the craftsmanship,” said Travis Copley, VP of sales & marketing. “Everything is graded out to pro quality, whether it’s going to a big league player or to a sporting goods store.” The GB2 features a long barrel with thin handle. Old Hickory uses a unique sanding process to strengthen and harden the wood and recommends sellers have customers hold and feel the Custom Pros before making a decision. MSRP $120 (maple), $90 (ash) 9. Rawlings’ Bone Rubbed Big Stick Wood Bat has a larger hitting surface and increased sweet spot for power. The bone rubbing process is done with a machine at a constant pressure. The purpose is to seal the grains and harden the ash. All Rawlings’ Big Stick bats have big barrels for power, as opposed to the Velo bats which are designed for bat speed. MSRP $90
13. Easton’s Power Brigade S3-3 BBCOR Bat uses a THT100 scandium alloy for greater durability and expanded sweet spots. An ultra-thin 31/32” handle allows for maximum power through the hitting zone. MSRP $200
14. Louisville Slugger’s TPX Vertex Senior League Bat uses technology that op-timizes the bat’s composite/alloy hybrid design. The Vertex design consists of Louisville Slugger’s LS-2X Composite which uses thinner high-strength and light-weight graphite fibers to create the optimal feeling handle. MSRP $260 15. DeMarini’s M2M-3 BBCOR Bat has the feel of a solid aluminum bat with the performance of a precision-engineered two-piece. The bat flexes before impact and re-coils with a burst of ball-launching energy. A special M2M end cap is scientifically tuned to absorb vibration while maximizing power. MSRP $250
16. Mattingly’s Saber-3 Adult BBCOR Bat has an extended barrel with a massive sweet spot. “A lot of time energy was spent on the feel and balance of this bat,” said Jim Bel Bruno, VP sales & marketing. “We want to give a different offering that’s $50 cheaper with compelling graphics, while still performing at a high level. We feel the price point was the right place for a majority of ballplayers and con-sumers - definitely in this economic climate.” MSRP $150
Milwaukee Brewers Right Fielder, Corey HartPhoto courtesy of Louisville Slugger
10. Anderson’s NanoTek XP-10 Youth Baseball Bat offers a two-piece design and utilizes the patent-pending LaunchPad technology. “With the NanoTek XP, you’re limited in performance by the rules. We get as close as possible to the rules and make the bat usable,” said Steven Anderson, president & CEO. “We improved the moment of inertia so it’s easier to swing.” Anderson balanced the NanoTek XP-10 by putting the weight in specific places. Now that the bat can be split in half and made from different materials, “it’s very comfortable, very light-weight, and very high-performing,” concluded Anderson. MSRP $379 11. Rawlings’ Machine BBCOR Bat features Precision-Optimized Performance Barrel Technology and is used more at the college level than any other bat in the Rawlings line, including the University of South Carolina and the University of Virginia, among other NCAA baseball programs. The bat gets its balance through the composite handle, which adds twice as much flex as a stiffer, 100 percent aluminum bat. MSRP $300
12. Rawlings’ 5150 Velo BBCOR Bat is a one-piece aluminum bat designed to in-crease velocity with balance and feel. The bat has a new, longer barrel and end cap design for increased bat velocity, while the stiff alloy handle and barrel technology allows for consistent feel at the plate. MSRP $250
SPORTSONESOURCE.COM 9
www.oldhickorybats.com • www.oldhickorybaseball.com
OWN THE GAMEOld Hickory Bat Co., Inc.
(866) PRO BATS toll free(615) 285-0588 phone
OLD HICKORY
Old Hickory’s Custom Pro Bats are available in maple and ash, and are the same bats sent to the pros. The GB2 features a long barrel with thin handle. The TC10 has a medium barrel and thin handle with a flared knob. Old Hickory uses a unique sanding process to strengthen and harden the wood and recommends sellers have customers hold and feel the Custom Pros before making a decision. MSRP $120 (maple), $90 (ash)
GB2
TC10
“The big thing with Old Hickory is the quality of the wood and the craftsmanship. Everything is graded out to pro quality, whether it’s going to a big league player or to a sporting goods store.”
Travis Copley, VP Sales & Marketing Old Hickory
Machine BBCOR Bat features Precision-Optimized Performance Barrel Technology and is used more at the college level than any other bat in the Rawlings line, including the University of South Carolina and the University of Virginia, among other NCAA baseball programs. MSRP $300
Bone Rubbed Big Stick Wood Bats have a larger hitting surface, increased sweet spot, and big barrels for power. The Bone Rubbed Velo bats are designed for bat speed. MSRP $80
5150 Velo BBCOR Bat is designed to increase velocity with balance and feel. The bat has a new, longer barrel and end cap design for increased bat velocity, while the stiff alloy handle and barrel technology allows for consistent feel at the plate. MSRP $250
5150 VELO BBCOR BONE RUBBED BIG STICKAND
BONE RUBBED VELO
MACHINE BBCOR
RAWLINGS
“It’s one of the most balanced one-piece
aluminum bats on the market.”
“The bone rubbing process is done with a machine at a constant pressure. The
purpose is to seal the grains and harden the ash.”
“We focused on balance. The way we get better balance is
through the composite handle, which adds twice as much flex as a stiffer, 100 percent
aluminum bat.”Quotes by Tim Lord, VP of Bats for Rawlings
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BASEBALL
1. Louisville Slugger’s Z1000-3 BBCOR Bat employs Bat Swing1 inner Disc (S1iD) Barrel Technology, which allows the barrel to flex to its maximum allowable performance level. The Z1000 has a synthetic grip, a 31/32” tapered handle, and meets high school and college BBCOR standards. MSRP $380 2. Mattingly’s Ripped-3 BBCOR Bat has a patented grip technology which promotes proper hand alignment for increased bat speed. “The Ripped has our V-grip handle which increases bat speed an average of 7 percent,” said Jim Bel Bruno, VP sales & marketing. MSRP $200
3. Marucci’s CAT 5 Squared-3 Adult BBCOR Baseball Bat is a stiff one-piece construction and utilizes the most responsive metal in the industry. The CAT 5 is balanced, just like a Big League bat, to produce more bat speed and control. MSRP $200
4. Worth’s Prodigy Legit -3 ABPRO Bat has Rapid Edge BBCOR technology that combines the strength of Worth’s exclusive Lithium alloy and 30 percent thinner end design to give the batter the edge by maximizing swing speed versus other heavier BBCOR designs. The Flex 50 composite handle technology provides 50% more flex than a one-piece alloy. MSRP $300
5. DeMarini’s Voodoo Black-3 BBCOR Bat combines an advanced SC4 Alloy barrel with an exclusive Tri Strut TR3 Composite Handle. The BBCOR-certified bat has a unique weight advantage over other aluminum bats, since the patent pending Taper Ring Technology adds weight closer to the taper of the bat, resulting in a huge sweet spot and faster swing speeds. MSRP $300
6. Marucci’s Black-3 Adult BBCOR Baseball Bat is a two-piece bat that offers a combination of barrel size, balance point and feel, which leads to bigger sweet spots and maximum swing speeds. MSRP $300
7. Combat’s Pure Gear YB Youth Bat uses localized reinforcement technology for the ability to perform longer. Features single wall construction and several technologies, including blended fiber and variable stiffness. Available in -10 and -12 drops. MSRP $250
8. Combat’s Grifter AB-3 Adult Bat is made of titanium-enhanced alloy and mongrel composite construction. A resonance-proof taper provides zero sting, and the 100 percent alloy barrel and composite handle make the bat durable. MSRP $250
9. Mizuno’s Classic Bamboo Bat is an excellent training bat with an extended life span and exceptional durability. The BESR-certified bat features a sanded handle for better grip. MSRP $77
10. Mizuno’s Classic Maple Bat is hand-selected from premium maple wood. Cupped for balanced swing weight, the bat is used by some of the game’s premier players. MSRP $78
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1. Worth’s FPEX Composite-12 FPFPX Fastpitch Bat features 100 percent composite construction, optimized handle flex, and balanced loading for a consistently high performing softball bat. A Silencer Grip provides maximum sting and vibration reduction for better feel. MSRP $100
2. Easton’s Stealth Speed-10 Fastpitch Bat has a patented two-piece ConneXion technology for optimized feel at impact while maximizing energy transfer. The IMX Composite barrel optimizes the sweet spot for maximum performance. MSRP $300
3. Worth’s Legit 454 Fastpitch Bat is a 100 percent composite, balanced bat that provides maximum bat control and consistency at the plate. “The 454 technology is all about the barrel and the sweet spot
size,” said Tim Lord, VP of Bats for Rawlings who also oversees bats for Worth. Several top programs including the University of Oklahoma, University of Tennessee, University of Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech use the bat. Various weight drops include -8, -9, -10 and -12. MSRP $300 (-8, -9, -10), $250 (-12)
4. Easton’s Synergy Speed-10 Fastpitch Bat provides a lighter swing weight and faster swing speed. The bat uses Single System Technology for increased bat control and balance. MSRP $260
5. Combat’s Avaritia-10 Fastpitch Bat represents state of the art in modern multi-piece bat design. The design is centered around Combat’s Handle Isolation Technology with a barrel that responds quickly to the hitter’s swing while absorbing vibration feedback. MSRP $300
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SPORTING GOODS INDUSTRY LEADERS LOOK FORWARD TO 2012 NSGA MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE & TEAM DEALER SUMMIT By Fernando J. Delgado
he 2012 NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit will be held May 6-9, 2012 at The Westin La Cantera
Resort in San Antonio, TX. Now in its 48th year, the event is an excellent opportunity for top leaders within the sporting goods industry to network and take advantage of educational sessions, workshops, and presentations by keynote speakers.
Attendees will have a chance to participate in two distinct tracks at the event: the Conference Track and the Dealer Track. Matt Carlson,
NSGA’s president & CEO, offered thoughts on the benefits of each track. “I feel very confident that attendees who follow the Conference Track will leave better informed and ready to apply what they learned when they return from the event,” he said. “This year’s Dealer Track includes more nuts and bolts training on a variety of relevant topics, which is what we heard attendees wanted in our post-event evaluations following our 2011 event.”
Returning attendees are looking forward to this year’s Conference & Summit. “When I
T
SPORTSONESOURCE.COM 15
Rob DeMartini, president & CEO of New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.
Daymond John, founder of FUBU
come to the event, the primary reason I attend is for the opportunity to network with others in the industry, and find out what’s going on in different parts of the country,” said Adam Blumenfeld, CEO of BSN Sports. “I think NSGA does a great job hosting receptions and gatherings that give everyone an opportunity to see each other once a year. And they traditionally have good speakers that address issues that might be on the front of industry players’ minds, like the growing Pay-To-Play movement and helmet concussions.”
The Event Schedule will include new featured activities:• The Inaugural All-Star Awards Luncheon on Monday, May 7, will
celebrate companies who have made outstanding contributions to the industry over the last year.
• The event will also bring back Retail Workshops on Monday. Three topics chosen by registrants will be discussed, and outcomes will be implemented when attendees return to their offices.
• For the second year, educational content will be offered for non-golfers while the NSGA Golf Tournament takes place on Tuesday, May 8. This year’s speaker is Dartmouth College professor Sydney Finkelstein, presenting “Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions.”
• Non-golfers can participate in the first-ever Table Tennis Tournament, scheduled to take place after Finkelstein’s presentation.
The keynote speaker for this year’s opening session on Monday, May 7, is NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who will provide lessons from his life to highlight how teamwork, overcoming adversity, discipline and other virtues lead to success in business. Some of the other keynote speakers, all influential and successful within the business community, will highlight the Conference & Summit as follow:
• Rob DeMartini, president & CEO of New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., will speak on May 8, exploring his company’s long-term commitment to providing American manufacturing jobs as well as New Balance’s role within the U.S. and the global economy.
• Also on May 8, Daymond John, founder of FUBU and TV personality on ABC’s Shark Tank, will draw upon his unique experiences as a successful businessman and share his “Shark Points” in a presentation called “Five Essential Rules Every Business Needs to be Successful.”
• ESPN’s Executive VP of Sales & Marketing Sean Bratches will give attendees an inside look at the evolution of ESPN’s brand on Monday, May 7.
• Jim Hartford, president & CEO of The SportsOneSource Group, will lead a discussion on May 7 for the Team Dealer Track titled “Then and Now: Comparing Athletic Director’s Sentiments in 2009 and Today.” Hartford will compare and contrast information and feedback from research surveys conducted in 2009 and again this year with high school athletic directors across the country. Numerous topics will be discussed, including pressing issues caused by the economy and how athletic director buying decisions are affected by the internet.
Registration and additional information about the event can be found by visiting nsga.org/conference
Sean Bratches, ESPN’s Executive VP of Sales & Marketing
Bill Walton, NBA Hall of Famer
Jim Hartford, president & CEO of The SportsOneSource Group
16 2012 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE SPORTING GOODS AND TEAM BUSINESS? My wife, Kathy, and I got started in the sporting goods business when her father, Sam Allen, then owner of Allen R. Shuffleboard company, asked us if we would be interested in coming into business with him if he opened a sports store. That was in 1975. We were both school teach-ers at the time and only one year out of college. It was not real long after that the two companies were spun off into separated businesses. WHAT WERE THE EARLY DAYS LIKE? We determined early on to do no team business our first 3 years. Everyone that had gotten into trouble start-ed in the team business. Sam called on so may sports stores in Florida selling his shuffleboard product and knew almost everyone in the busi-ness in those days. That is something that really helped us early on. We both worked long hours and raised two kids, both of whom we are very proud. Our daughter and her husband are now in the business and our son has been serving in the Army for 11 years. My wife runs our embroidery department and has for years. ANYTHING UNIQUE ABOUT ALLEN SPORTS CENTER’S EVOLUTION? We got into skateboards early on. In fact at one point we sold so many out of our 575 square-foot store that two companies from California opened warehouses in St. Petersburg to stock their product for us. We put on seminars, made our own boards and assembled product for custom-ers non stop. We were the place to go for skateboarding. It carried us in the early years of the late 70s. We still have customers that bring their kids into our store and talk about buying skateboards from us when they were kids. WHO WAS YOUR MENTOR? My father-in-law was a definite mentor to both of us. He was not the sports type but a very solid business man. I still keep “Samism’s” in our store to remind me how some things never change. The lessons we learned in those early years have stuck with us for nearly 4 decades.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT WORKING IN THE TEAM INDUSTRY? I love dealing with the younger teams most of all. After all these years, they still seem the most enthusiastic and eager to learn. Even high schools today have their hands out so often and it is “what have you done for me lately?” So many times, especially in our centralized purchasing area, the relation-ships upon which our business is based are lacking. WHAT’S BEEN THE KEY TO ALLEN SPORTS CENTER’S LONGEVITY? I have been very fortunate to have a solid core of individuals that have been with us for 10 or more years. Some even into 30 years. They are the backbone of our company. We cover the west coast of Florida and have been for a lot of years. HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR TERRITORY? We do have one unique system in our main area. We are on a centralized purchasing system in 3 coun-ties. That means we sell every uniform for a sport, or we sell none. A little like playing Russian roulette. NAME ONE INTEREST THAT THE INDUSTRY MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT
YOU? I read a lot. I took speed reading for eight years and can read a book or even two on a cross country flight. When I travel I always take at least two books and have been known to reread many of them on the flight home. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO GET A JOB IN THE
INDUSTRY? Remember that even though it is fun, you still must view it as a business. It does no good to make a sale if you make no profit. One “Samism” - “I never lost a dime on a sale I didn’t make.” FAVORITE TEAM? The Indiana Pacers. I grew up in the ABA era there. I am not a real fan of professional basketball now, but do love high school and college sports. The Final Four is my favorite sporting event to at-tend in person.
I AM... TEAM BUSINESS
DON BATESOwner, Allen Sports Center Seminole, FL
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