TEAM BUSINESS APRIL/MAY 2012

ATHLETIC DIRECTORS PROVIDE UPDATED OUTLOOK IN ANNUAL SURVEY

NEW NFL UNIFORM PARTNERS PROVIDE NEW OPPORTUNITIES - AND

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VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2 APRIL/MAY 2012

X’s AND O’sSOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT

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14 Nike Rooted in Football 16 NFL Uniforms Get A MakeoverWhile more radical looks are expected to come in the future, Nike believes its performance technologies in its uniforms for the NFL will give players an edge in the 2012 NFL season

20 NFL Makes A Change with New 5-Year Licensing Deal with Nike

24 Cheering Them OnTeam Business takes a look at recent trends in cheerleading and the cheer market

30 Cheer Uniforms & Apparel

32 Cheer Footwear

34 Cheer Accessories & Equipment

36 Athletic Director Annual 2012 Survey

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DEPARTMENTS 8 NSGA Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Cliff Keen & Randy Ruch10 Giving Back - Good Sports 47 Industry Calendar48 I Am…Team Business - John Gagliardi Maverik Lacrosse founder and president

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8 APRIL/MAY 2012

service during World War II and became a full commander in the navy. Under his command were Bear Bryant, the legendary coach of Alabama; George Halas, regarded as the founder of the Chicago Bears, and Bobby Dobb, the legendary Georgia Tech football coach.

“I’m in junior high,” recalled his son Jim Keen in an interview with TEAM Business. “And I can remember calls from all these guys. ‘How should I do this?’ ‘How should I do that?’ They really looked up to Dad as a confidant and someone who could give them good advice.”

While obtaining a law degree from Michigan in 1933 and initially envisioning his career as a lawyer, Coach Keen couldn’t get away from the mat.

“He did what he loved,” said Rick Bay, a famed athletic director as well as presi-dent of the Cleveland Indians who, at one point, wrestled for Coach Keen at Michi-gan in the early sixties. “He had a law degree. He was just going to coach while he went through law school and until he could hang a shingle. But he loved coaching. He loved the challenge of it and the opportunity to influence young men who were starting to develop not only physically but psychologically as well.”

He became a P.T. Barnum-like promoter of wrestling on both the local and national scale. On the eve of the 1937 Big Ten Tournament, a local Michigan

The Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame honors the pioneers, innovators and leaders who built the sporting goods industry and is designed to recognize and encourage excellence within the industry. Among the criteria for manufacturers to be elected to the Hall of Fame are the development and successful production of products that either significantly improve sports performance or contribute significant safety factors for sporting goods products. Retailers and dealers must demonstrate innovation and leadership as well as participation in industry-wide activities. Monetary success is not a determining factor.

The following pages pay tribute to the latest inductees Coach Cliff Keen and Randy Ruch.

CLIFF KEEN & RANDY RUCH

he late Cliff Keen’s accomplishments in wrestling are numerous. As the head wrestling coach at the University of Michigan for 45 years from 1925-1970, Keen’s teams went an amazing 268-91-9, won 13 Big Ten team Champi-onships, and had 68 All-Americans. Individual wrestlers he coached won 11 National Championships and 81 individual Big Ten Championships. He also coached the 1948 U.S. Olympic wrestling team, served on the U.S. Olympic Com-mittee, and wrote a book on the fundamentals of amateur wrestling, Championship Wrestling.

But beyond his success on the wrestler’s mat, his true legacy was in molding boys into men. Some of them be-came legends themselves.

Also spending 33 years as an assistant football coach, Keen coached Gerald Ford, who played center for the Wol-verines from 1932 to 1934. Ford said he considered Keen “his coach” and maintained a friendship with Keen through-out his life. In 1942, a 41-year-old Keen volunteered for

T

By Thomas J. Ryan

9SPORTSONESOURCE.COM

andy Ruch is the founder, and retired CEO of Schuylkill Valley Sports, a 19-store retail chain based in Pottstown, PA. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from Villanova University, Ruch founded Schuylkill Valley Sports in 1971, building the company from one-store to a well established 19-store regional chain with a thriving team business servicing Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Ruch was working as a systems programmer for Philco, a division of Ford Motor Co. and best known for its car radios, when he decided he had to launch his own business to avoid the Philadelphia morning commute.

“I was looking at a real estate or sporting goods business and I thought sport-ing goods might be good,” said Ruch. “For one thing, we didn’t have a sporting goods store in town. I did some homework, put some friends and family inves-tors together, and started the business.”

Asked what drove the success of Schuylkill Valley Sports, Ruch said, “I think we were very conservative in nature. We didn’t spend money for ego purposes, only for practical reasons. We were very conservative buying inventory and we were always very low on inventory. On the team side, you could go after the business and I hustled. I was a referee so I used those contacts to my advan-tage. But it was just making a lot of phone calls to the local leagues and we had a baseball show every January that seemed to spark the team side. Retail really took off when we got the Adidas line. Adidas was on fire in the early seventies and at the time everybody was selling at the same price. So people knew we had it.”

Known as a hard worker with tremendous business acumen Ruch’s efforts, not only within his own company but throughout the industry, are well docu-mented. He served on NSGA’s Board of Directors for six years, on the Athletic Dealers of America Board for 10 years (one term as Chairman), on the Editorial Advisory Board for Sporting Goods Business Magazine for more than 10 years, and was the chairman of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Committee for six years.

“Randy committed much time to the sporting goods industry sitting on many committees, speaking on panels, and Chairing the Hall of Fame committee,” said Jerry Williams, the current president of Schuylkill Valley Sports. “Randy hired quality people and let them go. He had a long leash, but when you did

something wrong he let you know. I miss most the camara-derie and his years of experience that he conveyed in every area of mentoring. Randy had a keen sense of business and was the best negotiator I ever met.”

He was also dedicated to his community, serving on various boards and committees. For over 20 years, Ruch served on the Board of the Phoenixville Area YMCA, and as its chairman in 2005-06. Awards included Volunteer of the Year in 1993 and the Humanitarian Award in 2005. His other local service included serving as a board member of Phoenixville Federal Bank and Trust, as a girl’s softball coach in the Babe Ruth baseball league, and as treasurer of his alma mater’s Philadelphia Alumni Club. Jay Schaeffer, president and CEO of the Freedom Valley YMCA, said, “Dur-ing my 40 years as a professional YMCA director, Randy Ruch has been, and continues to be, one of the best volun-teers with whom I have had the pleasure and opportunity to be associated.”

Asked what he misses since retiring, Ruch said it’s the personal relationships but that he still stays in contact with many friends formed over the years. Said Ruch, “It turned out to be rewarding financially as time went by – certainly not in the early days. I think the most significant thing is the people I got to know and became friends with, including the customers. Some team customers liked to play hard ball around price but once we satisfied delivery over the years, they softened up and we got to be pretty good friends. That happened on numerous occasions.”

paper quoted him exclaiming, “We have the greatest show on earth! It’ll be the most stupendous sports affair that ever hit this fair countryside! It’s the world’s greatest contact contest amongst the toughest he-men in the Big Ten!”

The inaugural president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, he long presided over the national rules committee and for many years pioneered the development of safe and effective wrestling equipment. One of his biggest accomplishments was inventing the first wrestling ear guard to protect wres-tlers from “cauliflower ears”, a deformation caused from repeated blows to the ear. His invention has become mandatory for wrestlers to wear in practice and matches today.

In 1958 Keen and his son, Jim, started Cliff Keen Athletic and turned the company into the largest provider of protective equipment, uniforms and work-out gear for wrestlers in the U.S. Today, Jim, Jr. and Tom Keen, the sons of Jim Keen, now handle day-to-day operations of the company. Tom Keen added on his grandfather, “He was a builder of men. He influenced so many people throughout his life that have had lasting impacts on not only the sport of wres-tling, but society as a whole.”

RRandy Ruch founder, and retired CEO of Schuylkill Valley Sports

10 APRIL/MAY 2012

During tough economic times, it has become increasingly difficult for schools to fund their athletic programs and for children and their families to afford pricey athletic equipment. However, a charitable organization connecting the sporting goods industry to young athletes in need is working to overcome financial hardships. Representing the true spirit of giving back to the community, Good Sports is aptly-named.

Good Sports is a non-profit organization based in Massachusetts that provides athletic equipment to disadvantaged young people in an effort to promote healthy, active lifestyles. The organization features two main charitable initiatives: the Youth Sports and Fitness Program and the Community Health Program. As part of its Youth Sports and Fitness Program, Good Sports takes sports equipment, footwear, and apparel donated by sporting goods companies and distributes the items to community organizations serving disadvantaged youths aged 5 to18. For the Community Health Program, Good Sports partners

with community health centers to provide fitness equipment to children being treated in diabetes or obesity-related programs. Since its founding in 2003, it has donated equipment worth millions of dollars to more than 750 organizations, reaching hundreds of thousands of youths.

“We’re trying to ensure that kids who come from high-poverty, low-income backgrounds aren’t being closed out of the marketplace, because it’s be-come expensive for kids to participate in sports and fitness programs,” said Melissa Harper, CEO of Good Sports and one of its founding members. “And that extends from the budget cuts we’re seeing in PE in schools all the way through to user fees for school sports and after-school recreational programs. Increasingly, there are costs associated with playing. For kids from low-income backgrounds, it’s become harder and harder to address.”

The founders of Good Sports originally set out to find a way to get used, surplus, and donated sports equipment to those who needed it. Since then, the organization has developed strong relationships with sporting goods companies, while also looking further into the plight of young people who cannot afford to play certain sports. “What we did is look at the market and ask ‘What’s driving up those costs?’ and ‘What are some of the big barriers that these programs are

GOOD INTENTIONSGood Sports gives back to communities by providing youths in

need with athletic equipment

Good Sports donation of softball uniforms to Massachusetts high school softball program

By Fernando J. Delgado


facing?’ And one of the big barriers is equipment,” stated Harper.

Harper went on to explain that oftentimes schools and organizations do not have enough equipment to provide to all the kids who want to play, that those organizations are forced to charge fees to secure the proper equipment, or that kids are being required to bring their own gear, which they may not always have the means to purchase. That’s where Good Sports steps in. “We partner with the sporting goods industry to get donated and deeply-discounted sports equipment, and then get that into the hands of kids that need it the most,” she added.

Good Sports receives applica-tions from community organizations, schools, recreational programs, and grassroots sports and fitness pro-grams from all across the country. It then evaluates the applicant organi-zations in an effort to help youths in need. “We really try to put the equip-ment where it’s going to have the greatest impact,” explained Harper. “So we’re looking for ways to increase the capacity of these organizations to get more kids playing.” In order to apply for an equipment grant, commu-nity organizations are asked to dem-onstrate how the equipment would help, whether it is to develop a new sports program, increase the number of participants in an existing program, decrease the cost of programs for youths and families, or enhance the experience of youth participants. “Fun-

MELISSA HARPER has been the Chief Executive Officer of Good Sports, Inc. since it was founded in 2003. During that time Good Sports has grown from distributing equipment to impact 2,500 kids to over 350,000 today. In addition to roles in nonprofit fundraising and consulting, she also spent nearly 5 years in the management consulting business with Gemini Consulting and Treacy & Company. Melissa is a lifelong athlete participating in team sports and marathons as well as backyard games with her four children.

damentally what we’re trying to accomplish is more feet on the field, more feet on the court – more kids participating,” said Harper.

The organization receives the most requests for equipment related to basketball, baseball, football, and soccer. However, Good Sports supports all sports played at the youth level in the U.S. According to Harper, lacrosse is the sport with the most increased demand for support, along with girls’ sports in general, particularly girls’ soccer, lacrosse, tennis, and swimming. “We’re seeing more and more of an effort by community organizations to get girls active,” she commented. Good Sports has also seen an increase in requests for fitness equipment, as a growing amount of schools, clubs, and organizations are emphasizing flexible physical activity programming.

Good Sports’ first charitable effort came in 2003 with a donation of 500 basketballs from Spalding. It was able to distribute the basketballs in the greater-Boston area, impacting 2,000 kids. Since then, Good Sports has grown substantially. In the nine years since its founding, the organization has donated over $6 million dollars in equipment to more than 350,000 youths. Good Sports’ vision of charity continues to grow, as it has a stated goal of reaching 500,000 children by the end of 2014.

“The way that we’re looking at it is that we’re solving a problem for both the sporting goods industry, and a problem for the community,” said Harper. She explained that the organization helps sporting goods companies manage their charitable donations, making

Good Sports donates of uniforms to the Roberto Clemente basketball program in Boston

Former Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek lining up kids for a chance to bat against him at a charity wiffle ball game

12 APRIL/MAY 2012

the complicated task of reaching kids across the country much simpler. “Rather than fielding calls from hundreds of organizations that each need 50 bats, for example, they can make one donation to Good Sports,” she stated. “We take all of the logistics and administration off of their plates. It makes their life easier to do one charitable donation, rather than many.”

Several prominent sporting goods companies and national foundations have partnered with Good Sports, helping it grow from an organization that aided only Boston-area youth to one that services all of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Partner sporting goods companies include Brine, Easton-Bell Sports, New Balance, Nike, Reebok, Schutt Sports, and the Spalding Corporation. Partner foundations such as The Coca-Cola Foundation, the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, and the National Recreation Foundation, among others, also assist in the giving effort.

Individuals can make personal donations on Good Sports’ website at goodsports.org/donate.shtml. The organization asks for donations as little as $20 per child, and persons wishing to donate gifts can make payments via PayPal. ■

Above:Mike Cameron, former Red Sox player, doing a little Q&A with kids at a fundraising event for Good Sports

Left:David Ortiz, swinging for the fences in a charity wiffle ball game to support Good Sports

Philadelphia Eagle, Jason Avant, posing with kids from local Philadelphia football program at an equipment donation

New England Patriot, Kevin Faulk, posing with kids from a Boys and Girls Club equipment donation in the Boston area

Olympic Gold Medalist, Kristine Lilly, teaching skills to a local girls soccer club Photos courtesy of Good Sports

14 APRIL/MAY 2012

NIKE ROOTED IN FOOTBALL

More than 30 years ago I began working at Nike as a product designer in our original R&D center in Exeter, NH. My role back then was to find new ways to serve athletes and help them perform better. And that’s still a big part of what I do today.

At Nike, our nature is to innovate. And we create a relentless flow of product and services that serve athletes that celebrate the sport and create a deeper connection with consumers around the world. There is no better opportunity for us to do this than in partnership with the NFL in a sport that is at the very heart and soul of Nike.

Football is one of those great sports that balance tradition and innovation. And the games’ greats, coaches like Lombardi and players like Unitas and Rice,

In his opening statements at the NFL uniforms unveiling in Brooklyn on April 3rd, Mark Parker, CEO of Nike, Inc., heralded Nike’s deep commitment to innovation and serving the needs of athletes over the last four decades. He also emphasized the critical role the sport of football has played in the brand’s development. The following are the unedited remarks.

I want thank you for joining us on such a significant day for the Nike brand. And I want to welcome our special guests from the NFL, in particular the commissioner Roger Goodell and the representatives from each team.

By Thomas J. RyanP

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come to mind when thinking about the contributions that football has made to our culture and to the world of sport.

But at the same time football embraces change at a rapid pace. The game becomes faster and more explosive every year. The training advances. The playbook gets more and more complex. And the product athletes wear has an infinite opportunity to be refined and redeveloped. And this is where Nike comes in.

The notion of respecting the past and embracing the future is something we strongly believe in. So we are incredibly excited for this next chapter in our journey in the game of football.

You know, it’s a story that goes back some time for Nike. Bill Bowerman, one of our co-founders who was a personal mentor for me, and in my opinion the greatest American track & field coach ever, was a master of the competitive response. And he never relented in his pursuit of speed, strength and performance. What you might not know is he formed these commitments on the football field, in high school and then in college.

Now some of you may know our other co-founder Phil Knight and if you do know Phil, then I think you are very well aware of his incredible passion for football. But more than anything, Phil has been about listening to the voice of the athlete. And when these two men founded Nike on a handshake over 40 years ago, they created a company committed to athletes and fixated - obsessed - on innovation. And that’s how we live and work today.

Nike CEO Mark Parker talks to guests during the presentation in New York on April 3rd. Photo courtesy of NIke

We find new ways to inspire athletes and help them see their potential and then push them to reach it. It’s really what I call the ‘Bowerman’ in all of us. And working with the best makes us better. The insights for the inspiration we get from world class athletes is at the center of how we improve the performance of athletes and then promote the power of sport around the world. That’s what Nike does.

And today is opening day for a new era of potential. Today we kick off our partnership with the NFL. Today we begin to deliver product innovation in a way the game has never seen. Amazing on-field, base layer, sideline and practice wear that I believe will reset expectations. Football is a sport that demands excellence from its athletes and no company is more able to serve 1,600 athletes across the league and inspire millions of fans around the world than Nike. The NFL is a league like no other and together we will drive growth across our business and create momentum in the marketplace. We are immensely proud of this partnership and the innovation you will see here today. So I want to thank you for your time and with you all the best for the morning. Enjoy. ■

16 APRIL/MAY 2012

By Thomas J. Ryan

NFL UNIFORMS GET A MAKEOVER

While more radical looks are expected to come in the future, Nike believes its performance technologies in its uniforms for the NFL will give players an edge in the 2012 NFL season.

Photos courtesy of Nike


ome seemed disappointed but other loyalists were relieved that except for a complete redesign for the Seattle Seahawks, Nike stuck to the 92-year-old NFL’s traditional look of nearly all of the 32 teams for its new

Elite 51 uniform launch. Although the uniforms looked more tailored and form-fitting, the big changes largely came from the promised improve stretch, breathability and lightweight technologies.

More radical designs were seen as a possibility considering the cutting-edge looks Nike had recently brought to the college level, such as adding a feather print to the shoulders of University of Oregon’s Ducks uniforms and a lizard-skin print on the pants of Texas Christian University’s Horned Frogs.

One hurdle for Nike designers was that changes to the uniforms, which the league will start using in the 2012 season, were in some cases restricted by NFL rules that allow teams to change their jerseys only once every five years.

Many teams also just opted for a more traditional look. Five teams - Carolina, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Oakland and Green Bay - passed on the Nike design completely, including

the technologies. Nike will manufacture their uniforms using the previous design. Of course, the Nike swoosh replaces the Reebok vector across all 32 teams.

Other redesigns were subtler. The Kansas City Chiefs moved players’ numbers from the sleeve to the shoulder pad, while the Chicago Bears increased the thickness of the stripes on their sleeves. Several teams had to change collar designs to accommodate Nike’s new Flywire collar. The Bears also chose to continue to honor its legendary coach George Hallas by enlarging his GSH initials on the jersey sleeve.

But a sign of things to come for many could be seen in the complete uniform makeover for the Seattle Seahawks, with the uniforms incorporating the cultural elements of the Northwest both in color and detail, Creative Director of Nike Football and Baseball Todd Van Horne said at the unveiling event.

Overall, a striking seahawk still serves as the focal point for both the uniform and the helmet. But the design of the helmet has a new wing pattern and the horizontal graphics across the front of the shoulders replicate the American Indian thunderbird totem poles of the Northwest. The font used for the numbers are now pulled from the Seahawk logo. On the pants, 12 winged icons down the side honor the “12th man,” the team’s fans.

The colors are also “rooted in the hues of the Seattle environment,” Van Horne stated, pointing to the blues of the nearby Pacific Ocean water, the greens of the evergreen trees and Washington pines, the gray clouds, and the bright white axis

S

NFL players stand in their new uniforms during the presentation in New York.

18 APRIL/MAY 2012

inspired by the snowcap peaks of The Olympic Peninsula and Mount Rainier.

With the time it takes to come up with designs and gain team approvals, a lag was expected before other teams likewise underwent a radical overhaul and Nike officials said to expect more notable redesigns in coming years. Rumors were in the market that some alternative uniform takes were already in the works.

But Nike assured the crowd that the fabrication and performance-led design in the Elite 51 already represent a major change. Beyond tapping into its over 40 years of R&D research, processes like body mapping, motion capture, thermal regulation and sweat mapping guided construction.

Designers also spoke in depth to numerous players, including Rams running back Steven Jackson, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson to find out what they want in a uniform. They were told players want what they wear to be as lightweight as possible. Added Van Horne, “They want a lockdown fit but with full range of motion.”

The result- the base layer is 22 percent cooler while the uniforms are 8 percent tighter in fit, 5 percent drier and are made of more flexible material. Nike officials also said uniforms are 20 to 30 percent lighter than Reebok’s 2011 version, despite padding being built into parts of the jerseys and pants.

The biggest changes in the uniform reportedly involves the collars, many of which now feature Nike’s Flywire design, which has been used for the past few seasons on the college level. The technology promises to eliminate layers, reduce weight, and provide “a lockdown fit for zero grab points from opposing players,” said Van Horne.

Nine teams chose not to adopt the Flywire collar. For those teams, Nike’s press releases said they chose “to stay with their traditional design aesthetic as well as their former uniform fabrication for the coming season.”

OTHER FEATURES IN THE JERSEY INCLUDE:

• Zoned mesh ventilation providing cooling zones for optimal thermoregulation;

• Zoned high tenacity, stretch material for light weight lockdown strength. Van Horn said that while the typical industry standard has two layers of material, the Elite 51 incorporates a single layer that’s stronger, lighter, and more flexible;

• Four-way stretch, hydrophobic materials for full range of motion wet or dry;• Four-way stretch twill numbers;• Customizable Nike Pro Combat Hyperstrong baselayer with integrated,

lightweight deflex padding offering flexible protection;• Lightweight, flexible deflex padding for impact protection integrated into the

top “hit zone” areas;• Aircraft-grade aluminium D-ring belt to reduce weight

In the baselayer, lightweight padding is integrated directly into the “hit zones” in the Nike Pro Combat. Players also have three baselayer options, “Hypercool,” “Hyperwarm,” and “Hyperprotect,” the last with flexible pads sewn right into the garments.

Nike also introduced the Nike Vapor Game Sock, a knee-high design with arch support, mid and heel fit, and zone cushioning for additional protection, said Van Horne.

The Nike Vapor Jet 2.0 Gloves feature an articulated fit combined with Magnigrip on the palms and between the fingers for a tacky grip suitable for all weather conditions. The team logo is featured prominently on the palm when athletes interlock both hands.

Finally, the Nike Vapor Talon Elite features adaptive traction, Hyperfuse construction and carbon fiber strength.

Not surprisingly, the star athletes Nike brought to the event backed up the attributes, with the talking points including lightweight, breathability, the improved stretch properties that improves a player’s mobility, and the sleek fit.

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said, “They’re really comfortable, and they can’t be pulled or tugged.”

“I love them,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said of the uniforms at the launch event. “In talking to the players, they don’t want to take them off.” ■

Marshawn Lynch , running back for the Seattle Seahawks


The following athletes representing each of the 32 NFL teams were in attendance:

AFCBaltimore Ravens, Ray Rice / Cincinnati Bengals, Andy Dalton Cleveland Browns, Joe Haden / Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger Houston Texans, Andre Johnson / Indianapolis Colts, Robert Mathis Jacksonville Jaguars, Rashean Mathis / Tennessee Titans, Nate Washington Buffalo Bills, George Wilson / Miami Dolphins, Karlos Dansby New England Patriots, Wes Welker / New York Jets, Shonn Greene Denver Broncos, Champ Bailey / Kansas City Chiefs, Dwayne Bowe Oakland Raiders, Darren McFadden / San Diego Chargers, Ryan Matthews

NFC Chicago Bears, Brian Urlacher / Detroit Lions, Ndamukong Suh Green Bay Packers, Jermichael Finley / Minnesota Vikings, Percy Harvin Atlanta Falcons, Justin Blalock / Caroline Panthers, Deangelo Williams New Orleans Saints, Pierre Thomas / Tampa Bay Buccaneers, LaGarrette Blount Dallas Cowboys, Jason Witten / New York Giants, Victor Cruz Philadelphia Eagles, Michael Vick / Washington Redskins, Brian Orakpo Arizona Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald / San Francisco 49ers, Alex Smith Seattle Seahawks, Kam Chancellor / St. Louis Rams, Cortland Finnegan

Detroit Lions' Ndamukong SuhPhoto AP/Seth Wenig

New Orleans Saints' Pierre ThomasPhoto AP/Seth Wenig

Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Nike

The Denver Broncos' Champ BaileyPhoto AP/Seth Wenig

NIKE BRINGS OUT NFL STAR POWERNike brought out some of the biggest names in the NFL to celebrate its launch of the NFL deal and to showcase its Nike Elite 51 football uniforms for the 2012 NFL season.

20 APRIL/MAY 2012

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell cutting the store-opening ribbon at the grand opening of the NFL Shop at Draft.

NFL MAKES A CHANGE By Thomas J. Ryan

Photos courtesy of the NFL


ith boisterous “fan” fare, the National Football League initiated its new five-year licensing deal, with Nike - not surprisingly - bringing all the noise. At the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Steiner Studios,

smoke machines, lasers and a host of NFL endorsers including Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Larry Fitzgerald and Victor Cruz were brought out to thumping hip-hop beats to celebrate the unveiling of Nike’s new uniforms for the NFL on April 3rd.

The event even overshadowed the NFL’s biggest merchandise effort to date – the opening of a 10,000 square-foot pop-up store located on 6th Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets in Manhattan.

“I have high expectations,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the Nike launch event. “When you look at Nike and you look at the NFL, one thing we share in common is we believe in better. We believe we can make football better. We can make athletes’ performance better. And we can make fan apparel better. So when you look at these two brands, this is an opportunity for us to do that.”

The five-year licensing deal led by Nike and New Era as well as a few other vendors replaces a ten-year deal with Reebok. The deal was first announced in October 2010.

Some Wall Street analysts pegged the annual revenue opportunity for Nike at $500 million with the bonus of Nike’s marketing might, although Reebok churned out about half that last year. Adidas said the loss of the license agreement will result in an estimated revenue loss for Reebok of $200 million to $250 million a year.

Last year’s NFL sales for Reebok were said to be held back by the potential NFL strike as well as an admitted strategy by Reebok to less aggressively grow the business during its last year to avoid being caught with excess, unsellable merchandise at the deal’s abrupt conclusion.

Charlie Denson, president of Nike brand, told Team Business that sell-ins are ahead of expectations. “When we first started

Wthe project, we had high expectations. But we’ve been thrilled with the initial sell-in and we’re very bullish about the future of the program,” he said.

While Nike got most of the attention, the deal was also significant for New Era, which landed the exclusive rights for all on-field, sideline and locker room caps. Said Chris Koch, CEO of New Era Cap Co., at the NFL Shop opening, “It’s another great extension of our brand. But I think more important is that players and consumers are going to be able to wear the finest headwear in the world.”

Also gaining co-exclusive rights for fan apparel will help New Era build on that side of the business. Koch said New Era had been one of the original NFL licensees on the cap side and sees the deal driving its core business.

“It’s been a long 18 months since we signed the deal and we’re locked and loaded,” said Koch. “The product speaks for itself. It’s top-of-the-line whether it’s fitted, snap-back or stretch fit. And there’s great performance stories in the on-field stuff and the training collection.”

Leo Kane, the NFL’s SVP of consumer products, told Team Business at the pop-up opening event that the new structure combines the “best of the old model” adapted for some shortcomings of the changes

The NFL Shop at Draft, a 10,000 square-foot pop-up store located on 6th Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets in Manhattan

22 APRIL/MAY 2012

under the Reebok model. According to Kane, Reebok was the “right partner 10 years ago” when the licensed product marketplace was oversaturated at retail. Marked mostly by the bankruptcy of Starter Corp., many large licensees were struggling with price points and product innovations suffered.

Among the changes under the Reebok structure that he believed worked was the decision to shift from four manufacturers of team uniforms to one. Said Kane, “That part of the model we really like. We think it makes sense that there’s going to be only one because you know you’re going to have the Super Bowl winner every year. Some retailers initially didn’t like the move but I think 10 years later they would tell you it’s the right model.”

At the same time, Kane said that “Reebok maybe had too broad rights” under their deal. Added Kane, “Under the Reebok model, they did end up sublicensing out a lot and we didn’t really feel that was the right model for us. There will be little or no sublicensing in this new model.”

For example, rights to kids, a typical sub-licensed category, was given to Overstuff. Added Kane, “We’ve really gone to almost a totally direct model.”

The move also comes as the NFL looks to build a “365-days-a-year

brand” given not only the growing popularity of the game globally but growing excitement over the NFL draft in the spring. When the draft went to prime time television on ESPN on Thursday nights in 2010, “the first thing we realized was that retail didn’t go with it,” said Kane.

Draft euphoria inspired the pop-up store. Said Kane, “We’ve got great partners like Modell’s and Champs right here on the street, but we felt we were the only one who could give that immersive, total NFL experience.”

The NFL also began looking for new partners such as Nike and New Era “to bring the kind of energy that makes sense for us now,” including launching advertising efforts in the typically quiet month of April. Across its licensees, the new structure similarly reflects a search for more “category leaders” to partner with those best positioned to bring top-notch product to each area and better drive each opportunity.

“As much as we wanted Nike on the field and on the sidelines, we thought it was important to have New Era for headwear. And while we looked at New Era for sideline headwear, we also wanted to have ’47 Brand for fan gear,” said Kane. “We want to give our fans more choices and we want to give retailers more choices. In every case we wanted to do it with category leaders.”

The other four companies involved in the new licensing structure are Under Armour (NFL Combine apparel), G-III (outerwear); VF (T-shirts and fleece); and Outerstuff (youth apparel).

Carl Banks, president of sports licensing for G-III Apparel, said G-III already had the outerwear license but the new deal expands distribution rights to include sporting goods and mid-tier department stores. The company had more expansive distribution rights under the Reebok-led structure but distribution had become “really restrictive” in recent years.

“We’re excited about it,” said Banks. “Obviously the league feels we’re the top outerwear manufacturer out there and we’re able to grow our business at sporting goods and mid-tier again.”

Regarding Nike/New Era taking over the deal, Banks said, “I think the NFL has aligned themselves with partners that truly know and understand the culture of sports.”

VF Corp. added player and international rights to their former deal. Jim Pisani, president of VF Licensed Sports Group, said the company is looking to build on “strong growth” seen in NFL team apparel sales over the last few years, bolstered by success in more fashionable offerings for fans.

“Some of our strongest success has been in women’s,” said Pisani. ”Fashionable styles and graphics, stronger retail commitment and the NFL’s marketing power have teamed to energize an underserved market.”

With its media blitz, however, Nike received all the attention last week. The company reportedly paid a premium of $1.1 billion for its five-year uniform deal. In the doldrums of sports licensing space at the time, Reebok had paid $250 million for its 10-year deal that also included headwear.

But Nike officials at the launch event detailed its dedication and long commitment to football – beginning with its first cleat – “The Nike” - in 1972 that led to the Astro-Grabber that Dan Fouts wore in the mid-70s to a continuing streak of further innovations on the cleat side over the following three decades. And while the brand’s beginnings started in running and rose to world dominance in basketball, Nike’s tour-de-force last week demonstrated that gaining more authenticity in the sport of football through the uniform deal was critical for the brand.

“The NFL has done a tremendous job building their brand and building their game and as we looked at opportunities for our business here in the U.S. that are material, this represented one of the biggest opportunities that we didn’t truly have access to,” said Denson. “That was something that got us pretty revved up.” ■

Esteem Athletic encourages young women to

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celebrate our inspiration: the unstoppable

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24 APRIL/MAY 2012

Team Business takes a look at recent trends in cheerleading and the cheer market

CHEERING THEM ONBy Fernando J. Delgado

Backflips, tumbles, pyramids, jumps, daggers, cartwheels, scorpions, and scissor kicks are all moves and skills that can be seen in a high school game or cheerleading competition. Such a list may sound dangerous or difficult to anyone unfamiliar with cheerleading. That’s because the sport does indeed pose danger and difficulty to those involved. Cheerleading is much more of an intense sport than the casual observer may know, and recent rules changes fo-cused on preserving the safety of cheerleaders execut-ing risky moves have resonated within the cheerleading community.


Cheerleading is a steadily growing sport. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association’s (SGMA) 2011 U.S. Trends in Team Sports study, cheerleading saw approximately 3.2 million individuals aged 6 and above par-ticipate in the sport during 2010, a 6.5 percent increase from the prior year. The figure represented a nearly 23 per-cent increase over a 10-year period. SGMA’s 2011 Single Sport Report on Cheerleading revealed that 81 percent of all cheerleading participants are female, while 74 percent were less than 18 years old. The report found that the re-gions with the highest percentage of participation were in the South Atlantic (Florida and all coastal states up to Mary-land), Middle Atlantic (PA, NY, NJ), and East South Central (KY, TN, MS, AL) regions.

Cheerleading is often distinguished by two distinct levels: school cheerleading and all-star cheerleading. School cheerleading occurs at high schools, grade schools, and youth recreational leagues across the country, and is a year-round activity with cheerleaders participating at athlet-ic events, practices, pep rallies, camps and competitions. All-star cheerleading, meanwhile, is a competitive team style of cheerleading focused more on skills, stunts, and fashion and incorporating gymnastics, dance, and stunt-ing. Sport cheering is governed by the USA Federation for Sport Cheering (USA Cheer), while all-star cheerleading is overseen by the United States All Star Federation (USASF). “High school cheerleading and all-star cheerleading are re-ally like apples and oranges,” said Sheila Noone, VP of public relations for the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA). “All-star is more technically closer to a sport. The purpose is competition against other teams. Whereas with high school cheerleaders, while they have an opportunity to compete, their main purpose is to support the school and build school spirit. They’re more than just athletes.”

It is essential for team dealers and retailers to recognize the differences between the two groups, as the product needs of cheerleaders depend heavily on the nature of their participation. Uniforms for school cheerleading, for example, are often much more restricted by state and local regulations compared to those of all-star cheerleaders, which are more performance-oriented and visually appealing. “Cheerleading has become a big-time competitive activity in high school,” observed Mike May, SGMA’s director of communications. “Demand for top-quality products has increased in recent years. It has become another sport which team dealers cater to - just like football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and lacrosse. Collegiate cheerleading is very competitive, too.”

SAFETY RULES IN CHEERThe National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) announced a major rule change, among 18 others, in late March which caused a stir among the cheerleading community. Effective for the 2012-13 season, a double twist to a cradle (double down) no longer will be permitted in high school spirit activities, which includes cheerleading, dance, drill, and pom. The rules were approved by the NFHS Spirit Rules Committee at its March

3-5 meeting in Indianapolis. While the banning of the regularly-used move caught many cheerleaders by surprise, the rule change was made with the safety of participants in mind. “NFHS has been involved in writing rules for cheerleading since 1988, and the reason we got involved with it in the first place was to minimize risk,” explained Kent Summers, director of performing arts and sports for NFHS. “Our cheerleading rulebook is really the only rulebook – and we publish rules for 17 different sports - that we have in place solely to minimize risk for the kids.”

Many of the rules changes approved by the Spirit Rules Committee bring NFHS rules in closer alignment with the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators (AACCA) rules. In a show of cooperation, AACCA will be revising some of its rules in other areas to align more closely with NFHS rules.

The USASF also announced major rules changes for the upcoming 2012-13 season of all-star cheerleading. The announcement came as a surprise to many involved at the all-star level. Three new rules for tumbling were introduced, in-cluding a rule that standing fulls and standing double fulls are no longer allowed. Several other rules pertaining to age grid and image etiquette were also ap-proved. “The primary mission of USASF are to promote the safety of the all-star cheer athletes and to help grow the sport,” said USASF President Jim Chadwick in an e-mail statement announcing the rules changes on March 28. “[The USASF Board of Directors] felt the safety of their athletes and the long term health of the sport was at risk so they acted very quickly and without following their normal procedures.”

Jim Lord, executive director of AACCA, helped shed some light on the recent flurry of rules changes. “There were two big rules changes, and both of them came out on the same day [March 28], and that was not by design at all,” stated Lord. “We were releasing our high school rules, and a few hours later the USASF released their new changes for the all-star group. Some of the confusion was that certain individuals didn’t understand that a rule applied to one particular group, while another rule applied to another group.” With governing bodies for different levels of cheerleading announcing major changes on the same day, it is understandable that many cheerleaders became confused with the application of the rules – depending on whether they were a school or all-star cheerleader. Oth-ers voiced displeasure with the new rules and the way they were decided upon. “For 10 days, I think we heard from every cheerleader in America,” joked UCA’s Noone regarding the cheerleading world’s reception to the new rules.

For the high school level, the AACCA introduced two new restrictions: one removing the double-twisting dismount, which had been causing head injuries and collisions, and another eliminating released stunt transitions. “Speaking for AACCA, when we make a rule change, it’s from a safety standpoint,” explained Lord. “It’s something that we’ve been looking at for years. We’ve tried to address

26 APRIL/MAY 2012

safety problems through education and warnings to coach-es and people running competitions in a way that will pro-mote safety and the safe execution of skills. If that doesn’t work, and we continue to see safety issues, then we end up having to pull a particular kind of skill out.”

Lord said that while a majority of injuries occur to an-kles and wrists, serious injuries such as concussions and bone breaks resulting from collisions and falls are a ma-jor concern. The AACCA had looked at data from NFHS’ Injury and Surveillance System over the past few years, and while cheerleading had proven to be one of the safest team sports overall, a more concerning trend came to light. “At practices, cheerleading was third in head-injury rate only behind football and wrestling,” stated Lord. “So we looked at that and realized that, of those head injuries, a majority of them were body-to-body contact.” It is with such injury con-cerns in mind that the AACCA and other governing bodies have made the recent rule changes to improve the safety of cheerleading participants.

Rules ensuring the safety of cheerleaders are particularly important since protective gear is largely absent from the sport. “I don’t think there’s any protective equipment that cheerleaders have that they would wear on a regular basis,” said NFHS’ Summers. “It would sort of go against the image of a cheerleader. You wouldn’t expect to see a cheerleader on the floor or the field wearing goggles or helmets.” As a result of the lack of protective gear, using proper tech-niques and removing the more dangerous routines from the sport have become critical. “It’s solely technique,” added Summers regarding how cheerleaders can ensure their safety. “The rules of the game have to be written in such a way so that protective equipment isn’t necessary.”

Protective gear not only often restricts movement, but can also actually pose a hazard to the athletes, as the con-tact resulting from jumping and catching involved in the sport would be complicated by any gear made with hard materials. “The concern that we have is that if something is created that is hard enough to protect one athlete, it’s the type of thing that can usually injure another athlete,” said AACCA’s Lord. “If they were to have helmets on, that helmet is going to be crashing into other people’s heads and shoul-ders. If everyone has a helmet or other piece of protective equipment on, that changes techniques and how they do things such as spins and catches.”

USA CHEER/AMSI CHEERSAFETY SYMPOSIUMSafety in cheerleading continued to take center stage at a recent symposium.

The American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI) and USA Cheer, the national governing body for sport cheering, recently partnered to plan the first annual Cheer Safety Symposium. Over the past year, the two organizations worked together to prepare a curriculum aimed at trainers,

physical therapists, and coaches to address prevention and management of common injuries associated with cheerleading. USA Cheer’s efforts to study and prevent injuries in the sport of cheerleading, and their relationship with ASMI, took root nearly two years ago when USA Cheer enlisted the expertise of Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas, M.D., partner in the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, AL and fellowship director at ASMI. “USA Cheer really felt that they had to take a leadership role in safety and injury prevention,” explained Dugas. “So that’s where we [ASMI] came in. They asked me to be involved – and to get ASMI involved - because we’ve done a lot of this kind of work with baseball, football, golf and other sports.” Dugas has been the medical director for USA Cheer ever since, working in a non-paid, volunteer capacity in addition to fulfilling his regular duties with both ASMI and the Orthopaedic Center.

The genesis of the symposium came as a result of a desire to emulate baseball and football injury courses taught by ASMI. Eventually, USA Cheer and ASMI announced plans for similar courses taught within a symposium set-ting. The first ever Cheer Safety Symposium was originally scheduled to take place from April 27-29 this year in Orlando, FL. However, as a result of fewer than expected participants, the planned 3-day symposium was scaled back to a one-day event which took place on April 28 and occurred concurrently with the second annual meeting of the Cheer Safety Council. As part of the event and council meeting, leaders took steps to plan next year’s 3-day symposium and discussed rule changes, injury patterns, and other important trends from the past year.

Several doctors, trainers, and experts participated in the April 28 sympo-sium and council meeting, offering their experience and insight in dealing with cheerleading injuries. Experts of note included Gerald S. George, Ph.D., and Dawn Comstock, Ph.D., both members of the Cheer Safety Council. George is senior editor of all three AACCA Cheerleading Safety Manuals, while Comstock is the principal investigator at The Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Many within the industry had been looking forward to the findings of the cheerleading injury studies conducted by the researchers, including results from Comstock’s high school RIO (Reporting Information Online) surveillance system. Dugas explained that, despite cheerleading ranking as one of the saf-est of about 20 sports tracked by Comstock’s system, the rate of injuries sustained during practice was significantly higher. Addressing that trend and finding ways of limiting serious injuries in practices were among many impor-tant issues discussed at the symposium.

The increasing technical difficulty of cheerleading was also an issue dis-cussed at the symposium and council meeting. “The thing that cheerleading faces, that a lot of other organizations don’t, is that cheerleading is growing so fast, and there’s a desire by some people – some parents, some coaches, some trainers, and some athletes – to keep doing tougher and tougher stunts,” shared Dugas. He added that, as a result of the many new rules designed to keep cheerleading safe, many unregulated, unsanctioned cheering events have been occurring involving those who want to see the difficult and oftentimes dangerous stunts performed. “That’s not the safest thing to do in our mind, and USA Cheer does not endorse those events,” Dugas stated.

“Right now, we’re almost in the infancy of trying to find out things that are specific to cheerleaders and their injuries,” offered Dugas. “It’s like a wide open field that we’re trying to cover. We know so much more about baseball, football, and sports like that, but we don’t know an awful lot specifically about cheerleading. And that’s really why I got involved and that’s what we’re trying to learn.”

A NEW SPORT TO CHEER ON

A new competitive sport based on cheerleading is making a potentially ground-breaking impact on the cheer market. Called STUNT and created by USA Cheer, the sport focuses on the technical and athletic aspects of cheerleading such as partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, jumps, and tumbling skills, all of which are scored in a competition format. Each STUNT game comprises four quarters in the following categories: Partner Stunts, Jumps and Group Tumbling, Tosses and Pyramids, and Team Routine. Within each quarter, teams will perform skill sequences. The fourth quarter is the “Team Performance” period, which allows teams to incorporate their entire team and arsenal into a 2 minute and 30 second routine.

USA Cheer created STUNT to provide more opportunities for high school and col-lege level cheer athletes, and envisions the sport gaining NCAA Emerging Sport status while meeting the requirements for Title IX in the process. In its first season, 22 college cheerleading teams participated in STUNT during the spring of 2011, with the University of Louisville winning the first STUNT Championship in April 2011 in Mem-phis, TN. One of the criteria to qualify as an emerging sport requires that there must be 20 or more varsity teams and/or competi-tive teams that currently exist on college campuses in that sport. By securing more than the minimum requisite teams for the inaugural 2011 STUNT season, USA Cheer has ensured that the sport has gained suf-ficient participation to be considered by the NCAA as an Emerging Sport.

While the ramifications of STUNT as a new sport for team dealers, retailers, and the cheer market in general remain to be seen, the increased participation and po-tential for STUNT to be a recognized NCAA sport are promising for cheer-related sales.

Scott Treiber, owner of New Jersey-based team dealer Sports Paradise, be-lieves that a new sport like STUNT can have a positive effect on sales in the future for team dealers and retailers offering cheer products. “Any time you have a group of athletes getting together, showing their school colors, and showing camaraderie, you have potential,” Treiber said. “I think it could definitely help the team business.” ■

Photo courtesy of Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA)

28 APRIL/MAY 2012

UNIFORMS & APPAREL


“HIGH SCHOOL UNIFORMS ARE TRADITIONAL… ALL-STAR UNIFORMS ARE FLASHY… THE OLDER THE GROUP THE MORE ‘EDGY’ THE UNIFORM” LYDIA HICKS, Cheer sales manager, Motionwear

epending on the age and level of any given cheerleader, performance, fit, and aesthetic appearance – while all are important – have varying

degrees of emphasis in cheerleading uniforms and apparel. Sellers offering shells, tops, skirts, practice wear, and warm-ups for the upcoming fall selling season must take into account the demanding nature of the sport, as well as how changing rules and trends in cheerleading are affecting cheer products.

Just as it is important for sellers to distinguish school cheerleading from all-star cheerleading when servicing their customers, it is necessary to understand the differences in uniforms between the two levels. “High School apparel is typically your traditional top and skirt uniform with school or mascot name in the school colors,” explained Lydia Hicks, cheer sales manager for Motionwear. “All-Star apparel is a more flashy uniform ranging from full length, cut-out shoul-ders and backs, to cropped tops and halters. Skirts, skorts, and shorts are the bottoms we are seeing with any of those top silhouettes.”

Sellers can also expect uniform preferences to change as a cheerleader gets older. “Typically the older the group, the more complicated and ‘edgy’ is the uni-form,” said Hicks. “The color combinations chosen by gym owners and teams can range from traditional to funky with lots of flash and sparkle.”

According to Hicks, Motionwear’s approach to school uniforms and apparel is to stick to the traditional and offer some of the new trends such as color blocking for shell top and skirt designs that do not use traditional braid applications. Another focus for cheer apparel with Motionwear is the company’s unique ability to keep everything in-house and offer a custom pattern to any squad that is willing to pay for a patterning fee. Similar to other manufacturers, Motionwear is using Dri-Line fabric in applications where traditional polyester fabric was used before.

Just as governing bodies for cheerleading at both the school and all-star levels have recently introduced new rules focusing mostly on safety, new guide-lines pertaining to uniforms have emerged. “The rules in uniforms changed as well,” said Sheila Noone, VP of public relations for the Universal Cheerleaders

D

Left - Dehen's Poly Shell Performax Slimmer and Skirt MSRP $66 (Shell); $54 (Skirt); $100 (Shell & Skirt)

Right - Dehen's Performax All-Star Uniform MSRP $80 (Slimmer); $53 (Skirt)

Motionwear’s Men’s Performance Top and Cheer Pants (left) and Women’s Performance Top/Skirt (right) feature custom lettering. Available in Adult and Youth sizing. MSRP $70 (Men’s Top), $60 (Men’s Pants), $130 (Women’s Top), $44 (Women’s Skirt)


Association (UCA). “The National Federation of State High School Associations has banned bare midriffs for junior cheerleaders starting in 2015.” With regards to trends seen in uniforms, Noone added that materials have been gradually changing. “New materials are being used more,” she stated. “There’s more lycra, whereas old-fashioned uni-forms were made with heavier polyester. Now the trend is more towards a micro-fabric and super-stretchy materials.” She also pointed to new production methods such as subli-mation, which is the direct dyeing of colors, numbers, em-blems and names into fabric, being used more frequently in uniforms.

Mike Dehen, VP of sales & marketing for cheerleading at Dehen, further elaborated on some of the stylistic dif-ferences between different levels. “Probably the competi-tive segment of the market for cheerleaders – both from high schools and all-star gyms that go to competitions a lot more – those uniforms differ more in the sense that they’re usually more performance-based fabrics,” observed De-hen. “There’s more stretchy fabrics as opposed to the more traditional polyester uniforms that the sideline cheer-leaders have typically worn. The advantages of the tradi-tional uniform are that it’s durable and keeps it’s colors, doesn’t wrinkle and stain, and it’s a real hearty uniform. The all-star stuff is not quite as long-lasting, but they get new uniforms on a regular basis anyway. The competitive cheerleading aspect has probably grown the most in the past half-dozen years.”

All-star cheerleading uniforms have a far more pro-nounced emphasis on color, appearance, and aesthetics which make them stand out. “Just by the competitive na-ture of all-star, there’s a lot more glitz to it,” added Dehen. “There’s shinier fabrics, rhinestones, and bright colors. It’s a more showy uniform compared to the traditional high school uniform.” ■

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1. Pizzazz’s SuperNova Uniform Shell is made of 100% double knit polyester with an asymmetrical neckline. The shell features a unique embroidered star design and includes a three stripe braided trim in white sparkle with metallic silver. Available in 7 colorways. MSRP $19

2. Nfinity’s 3” Shorts are designed to keep the athlete cool, dry, and unrestricted with a 1” elastic waistband for comfort. Made of 92% NfiniDry polyester and 8% spandex. MSRP $25

3. Kaepa’s Flare 100% Polyester Jacket is tailored for a closer, femi-nine fit. Includes hidden zip pockets with white pulls and white accent main zipper, insets, and piping. Available in Black, Navy, and Purple (shown). MSRP $35

4. Boxercraft’s Racer Tank is the brand’s longer length tank and fea-tures a built-in shelf bra (on adult sizes only) and narrow racer back. MSRP $18

5. Badger Sport’s B-Core Ladies’ Sleeveless Tee has a sleeveless lap v-neck and is made with 100% polyester moisture management/antimicrobial performance fabric. A Badger heat seal logo is located on the center of the back neck. Available in 14 colors and sizes XS-2XL. MSRP $12

6. Soffe’s Teeny Tiny Shorts are low rise and available in junior sizing. Made of 100% polyester birds eye mesh and 100% polyester tricot liner. Available in 15 colors. MSRP $10

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nlike cheerleading uniforms, apparel, and accessories, cheer footwear doesn’t feature much color and isn’t meant to stand out. Trends in the footwear category are based on performance, comfort, and functionality, as lighter shoes allowing for greater flexibility and speed have become very popular at the most competitive lev-els of cheerleading. As such, sellers can expect to focus less on appearance and more on fit and feel for cheer shoes compared to other products they may offer.Sheila Noone, VP of public relations for the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA), explained that cheerleaders seek out the best performance from their foot-wear. And whereas school cheerleader uniforms display school colors and all-star cheerleaders feature showy apparel, cheer shoes boast far less visual appeal. “Cheerleaders want to have the lightest shoe,” said Noone. “And I would say that shoes are 99 percent white.”

“The slam dunk at the moment is lightweight, super-lightweight, and ultra-light-weight,” shared Russell Shimomura, product and creative director at Kaepa USA. “The lighter the weight, the better. It helps cheerleaders move their feet higher and faster, and feels more comfortable. Lighter weight shoes tend to be less durable, so there are some downsides, too.” Shimomura has also found that cheerleading shoes, while usually lasting only a year or so for most competitive cheerleaders, can have varying life spans. “We hope that they can keep a shoe that will last a year. But we’ve heard of some shoes that last less than that,” he said. “It’s very dif-ficult for us to determine because we’ll have a report from one person that they’re using a shoe the same way that a second person is using it, but the shoe might last twice as long for the second group. Why is that? We don’t really know. Your mileage will vary.”

Shimomura echoed UCA’s Noone’s observations that a vast majority of cheer-leaders stick with white as their primary shoe color. “The basic white is traditional. I believe people have tried to add a little more color, a little more sparkle, to the

shoes, but there’s a certain amount of market acceptance or rejection. I don’t think that the white shoes will be changing any-time soon.” Kaepa’s shoe line includes the Touch and Prism, which are both new this year and will be available for the fall selling season. Additional core Kaepa models include the Spec-trum, Starlyte, and Stellarlyte, among others. All models are available in Women’s and Youth sizes.

According to Patrice Stec, owner and gym director of Allstar Athletics, a cheerleading training center in Tinley Park, IL, shoes are getting lighter, but they are also getting pricier. “What I’ve noticed is that the shoes weigh less and less, but they cost more and more,” observed Stec. “The less it weighs, the less it’s going to last, and the more money it costs. Which seems a little contradictory to me.” Stec said that with a cheerleading shoe being lighter, it will offer girls less support, and that the life of the lightest shoes on the market will only last about three months for the more competitive and active cheerleaders. She also added that a typical shoe for a competitive cheerleader of high school age or above should last a whole season, which is usually about nine months. Stec mentioned that Nfinity cheer shoes were among the most popular shoes used by girls in her gym over recent months.

Ultimately, functionality and fit are the underlying trends for cheer footwear, and they can go unnoticed by the casual ob-server. “Most all-star cheerleaders and sideline cheerleaders don’t want to bring attention to their feet,” commented Kaepa’s Shimomura. “But trends can change.” ■

"…SHOES ARE 99% WHITE" SHEILA NOONE, VP public relations,Universal Cheerleaders Association


30 APRIL/MAY 2012

Kaepa’s Prism Women’s Shoe is a new shoe for 2012 and will be available in the fall. The Prism features lightweight materials and flexible construction combined with sleek toe bumpers for unrestricted tumbling. A dual density EVA midsole provides lightweight cushion and comfort. Patented snap-in logos allow for multiple color combinations. Available in 15 team colors, with 120 multiple color combinations in each box. MSRP $34 (Women’s); $30 (Youth)

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1. Kaepa’s Starlyte Women’s Shoe is designed for competition and recommended for indoor use only on blue mat, spring floor, wood and similar surfaces. A secure-fit system adjusts to the foot’s arch height and tightens around the heel for better fit, comfort and stability. A Dynamic Stability Cradle system absorbs impact and provides a solid foundation for maximum control. Also available in Youth sizing. MSRP $55

2. Kaepa’s Touch Women’s Shoe is a 100% tactile shoe that provides an immediate sensory connection between base and flyer plus a stable platform for all tumbling and stunting. The Touch allows for improved performance and added safety on any surface. Features Agion anti-microbial lining for comfort. Also available in Youth sizing. MSRP $55

3. Nfinity’s Vengeance weighs an ultra-light 3.9 oz., providing a comfort-able fit and advanced technology to ensure a long life. The Vengeance features comfort fit cushions in the heel and BioniQ technology, with a supportive midsole to keep the foot in an ergonomic performance en-hancing position. A nylon mesh upper with interior and exterior skeleton is designed to give the athlete a better fit without sacrificing weight. MSRP $85

4. Kaepa’s Stellarlyte Women’s Shoe weighs only 6 ounces and is de-signed for the competition level. A secure-fit system adjusts to the foot’s arch height for better fit, comfort and stability, while ultra-light materials allow for superior flexibility, comfort and durability. For indoor only (blue mat, spring floor, wood and similar). Also available in Youth sizing. MSRP $55 5. Kaepa’s Spectrum Women’s Shoe is geared for both the sideline and competition levels, and can be worn on all indoor and outdoor surfaces. A low profile leads to better control, while antimicrobial Aegis lining is permanently treated to kill bacteria and odor. Snap-in color changes are possible, or the shoe can be left white. MSRP $49 (Women’s), $45 (Youth)

6. Nike’s Sideline II Shoe is crafted to deliver exceptional performance, and features a combination synthetic/leather upper for both exceptional support and long-lasting durability. Internal grooves in the midsole provide maximum flexibility, and medial pivot points in the non-marking rubber out-sole allow enhanced movement. MSRP $65 (Women’s), $45 (Youth)

7. Nfinity’s Passion is its first hybrid cheer shoe. Designed for both competition and sideline cheer performances, it weighs just 6.7 oz., providing flexibility and durability in its rubber/EVA outsole. BioniQ technology helps guide and support the foot in an ergonomic perfor-mance-enhancing position during jumping and landing. MSRP $65

8. Adidas’ Women’s Cheer Flyer Shoe provides traction that is essen-tial for stunting and cheering in general. The Flyer’s low profile is sleek and accommodating. Featuring flex grooves in the outsole for solid footing, an upper made of smooth leather for comfort and durability. MSRP $55

9. Zephz’s Stratoscheer Shoe is an ultra-lightweight 5.7 oz. shoe for balanced comfort and support. The microfiber skeleton provides sup-port and stability for the nylon upper. An injected EVA mid-sole with stunt heel cushions impact, while a rubber outsole with pod design pro-vides traction. Available Fall 2012 in Adult and Youth sizing in White/White, White/Blue, White/Black, and White/Red. MSRP $70

1. KAEPA STARLYTE 2. KAEPA TOUCH 3. NFINITY VENGEANCE

5. KAEPA SPECTRUM4. KAEPA STELLARLYTE

6. NIKE SIDELINE II

7. NFINITY PASSION

8. ADIDAS CHEER FLY

9. ZEPH STRATOSCHEER

32 APRIL/MAY 2012

heerleaders express themselves when it comes to their acces-sories, often picking bows, scribbons, backpacks, and poms which stand out and accentuate their uniforms. Sellers can offer colorful accessories that feature more of a personal touch than other as-pects of cheerleading uniforms and shoes. On the equipment side, mats continue to be a staple piece for cheerleaders in a sport that does not rely heavily on equipment.

Once again, as with other cheer product categories, the differ-ences in high school and all-star cheerleading come into play with ac-cessories. High school cheerleaders, for example, make heavy use of pom poms, while all-star cheerleaders usually do not use poms. Poms in particular have been very large in size in years past, but are now usually much smaller.

One key accessory is considered essential for many cheerleaders – the hair bow. “As far as accessories, you can never have enough bows,” said Patrice Stec, owner and gym director of Allstar Athletics, a cheerleading training center in Tinley Park, IL. Bows from manu-facturers such as Alleson Cheerleading and resellers such as Team Cheer come in a variety of colors and designs. “Hair bows for all-star tend to be really shiny and really flashy, while high school bows tend to be in their school colors,” commented Sheila Noone, VP of public relations for the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA).

Bags and backpacks for storing and carrying apparel, footwear, and personal items are also popular among cheerleaders, and again provide an opportunity for them to show their team colors or indi-vidual fashion preferences. “For bags, some girls like bags that can carry more stuff, but what seems to be really popular right now are smaller bags and backpacks that are useful to take to events and throw some extra clothes in,” said Russell Shimomura, product and creative director at Kaepa USA.

According to Allstar Athletics’ Stec, aside from mats, tumble tracks, modular pits and - for school cheerleaders - megaphones, there are not too many pieces of equipment associated with cheer-leading. UCA’s Noone agreed, pointing out that cheerleading de-pends more on skills and teamwork more than anything else. “What makes cheerleading such a great sport for schools to take on is that there’s really not much overhead,” said Noone. “Mats would really be the only consideration for schools. All-star cheerleading competes on a spring floor, while high school stick mostly to foam mats.” Com-panies such as Tiffin Mats offer a variety of portable and folding mats for competitions and practice for both the school and all-star levels.


ACCESSORIES AND EQUIPMENT

1

6

2

3

4

5

1. Alleson Cheerleading’s CPOMM Metallic Convertible Pom is a pre-fluffed 6” plastic pom with a two-color scheme with a convertible “twist” baton handle. Sold separately.MSRP $20 (per pom)

2. Team Cheer’s In-Stock Youth 2 Color Pom is a youth-sized pom with a dowel handle and 768 ½” wide strands. Sold sepa-rately and available in more than 15 colors. MSRP $6

3. Alleson Cheerleading’s CPOM2 Two Color Plastic Mix Covertible Pom is a pre-fluffed 6” plastic pom with convertible “twist” baton handle. Two colors are intermingled within the pom, and it consists of 2,500 ¾” stream-ers per pom. MSRP $16 (per pom)

4. Team Cheer’s In-Stock Zebra Pom is a 5” pre-fluffed pom with a baton handle and 1,024 ¾” wide strands. Sold separtely and available in 7 colors. MSRP $15

5. Alleson Cheerleading’s CPOM1 Solid Plastic Convertible Pom is a pre-fluffed 6” plastic pom with a convertible “twist” baton handle. Consists of 2,500 ¾” streamers per pom. MSRP $16 (per pom)

6. Flexer’s Scribbons are stylish ponytail holders. Available in more than 10 colors. MSRP $4-$6 each

"YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH BOWS"PATRICE STEC, Owner and gym director, Allstar Athletics

C


7

8

9

10

11

13

14

12

7. Team Cheer’s Fusion Bows are customizable 6” L x 7” W bows. One team name can be displayed, along with up to three fusion colors and up to two glitter colors. MSRP $10 (not including customization)

8. Alleson Cheerleading’s CHB2 Hype Hair Bow is a traditional style made of 100% polyes-ter ribbons. The two-color bow has covered black elastic and no metal ponytailer. One size fits most. MSRP $8

9. Flexer’s Scrunchies are available in more than 10 bright colors. MSRP $4-6 each

10. Nfinity’s Backpack is designed to hold gear within four compartments. It includes a padded sleeve for a laptop, a detachable purse to add convenience to the rigors of travel on the road, mesh padded shoulder straps and back for comfort and support. Made of 100% nylon. MSRP $65

11. Kaepa’s Circuit Backpack is generously sized with main and front compartments that are large enough for shoes, a change of clothes, or small equipment. Both compartments are made of 100% 420D nylon with PVC backing. MSRP $33-$50

12. Tiffin Mats’ Short Roll Flexible Carpet is made with 26 oz. needle punch carpet that is permanently flame-laminated to lightweight, durable crossed-linked polyethylene foam rolls. The lightweight combination is ideal for fast, easy, daily set ups in gymnasiums/multipurpose rooms. MSRP $230

13. Kideapolis’ Team Wrap Spiritwear Blankets are wearable fleece blankets ideal with easy-on, easy-off styling. The blanket rolls into the hood with the neck tab as a handle. A favorite team name can be displayed on the back using sewn-on lettering, screen-printing, heat transfers or embroidery. MSRP $30 (Adult), $26 (Youth)

14. Pizzazz’s Multi-Sport Travel Bag features a zebra print design on 300D polyester with heavy vinyl backing and a large rectangular storage pocket. Includes an I-Pod or MP3 player pocket with access for headphones. Available in 5 colors. MSRP $28

2012 ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

SURVEYPART I


n conducting its annual survey of high school athletic directors TEAM Business has found a shifting landscape and priorities in the market. While surveys over the past few years have primarily surfaced angst over annual budget cuts and how to deal with them, the 2012 survey conducted in March this year also focused on the impact of regulations that are hav-ing a material effect on budgets. Newly established regulations and specifications on uniforms, protec-tive gear and other sports products have created a quasi-Sarbanes-Oxley Act (the 2002 law created by Congress to regulate public company reporting prac-tices) headache for the team sports business. Ven-dors, team dealers, roadmen and schools now seem to need their own teams of lawyers and accountants to keep the rules and regulations straight.

For 2012, TEAM Business partnered with the SOS Research division of The SportsOneSource Group and Sports Marketing Surveys to produce an annual study that provides updated insight into the thinking behind the scenes at high schools around the country. Ath-letic directors from across the U.S. were surveyed over the Internet in March 2012. More than 260 ath-letic directors from 42 states responded to the e-mail survey questionnaire.

This issue of TEAM Business presents Part I of a two-part series, touching on key take-aways from the 2012 survey and comparisons the 2010 survey pub-lished in the April/May 2010 issue of TEAM Business.

While the 2012 survey focuses on many of the same questions about budgets, pay-to-play and other issues, a series of new questions were added to mea-sure thoughts on how increased regulations were im-pacting schools. Much of that discussion, along with how the team dealer relationship is perceived, will be presented in Part II of the AD Study coverage in the June/July issue of TEAM Business .

I

36 APRIL/MAY 2012

SCHOOL BUDGETS

BOYS 54.8% BOYS 52.0%

2010

2010

2012

2012

BUDGET SPENDING BY GENDER2011/12 SCHOOL YEAR VS

2009/10 SCHOOL YEAR

ATHLETIC BUDGET CHANGES2012/13 SCHOOL YEAR FORECAST VS 2011/12 SCHOOL YEAR ACTUAL

SOURCES OF ATHLETIC BUDGET 2011/12 SCHOOL YEAR VS

2009/10 SCHOOL YEAR

GIRLS 45.2% GIRLS 48.0%

64.7%

59.8%

24.1%16.1%

24.4%

10.9%

35.5%

31.3%

39.4%

34.6%

9.1%

9.1%

31.6%

29.5%

38.4%

31.5%

37.1%

33.0%

53.2%

56.6%

50.6%

55.8%

69.7%

60.6%

57.9%

61.1%

47.9%

56.2%

52.6%

52.6%

11.3%

12.10%

10.0%

9.5%

21.2%

30.3%

10.5%

9.5%

13.7%

12.3%

10.3%

10.3%

OVERALL 2011/12 ACTUAL

2011/12 ACTUAL

2011/12 ACTUAL

2011/12 ACTUAL

2011/12 ACTUAL

2011/12 ACTUAL

2012/13 FORECAST

2012/13 FORECAST

2012/13 FORECAST

2012/13 FORECAST

2012/13 FORECAST

2012/13 FORECAST

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

SMALL (<450 STUDENTS)

MEDIUM (450-950 STUDENTS)

LARGE(>950 STUDENTS)

DECLINESTAY THE SAMEINCREASE

SCHOOL BUDGETSFUNDRAISINGOTHER

HOW DO EQUIPMENT RULE CHANGES BY THE NFHS EFFECT

YOUR BUDGETS ANNUALLY?

A GREAT DEALABOUT THE SAMENOT MUCH

DON’T FOLLOW NFHS RULES

34%

46%

19%

1%

thletic directors are getting hit from all sides these days as they deal with an increasing number of rules and regulation changes that can affect everything from softball bats and football helmets

purchased to the turnover rate on uniforms. Increased participation by parents in the conversation about injuries and prevention are also driving buying decisions. All this comes as school budgets continue to decrease. Any cuts that may have been offset or deferred by federal stimulus dollars during the early part of the latest recession are now a sore subject as the stimulus money dries up.

However, the survey conducted this year does indicate some increased feeling of stability among athletic directors versus the 2010 results.

For 2012, 57 percent of athletic directors are anticipating school budgets will remain the same versus just 44 percent that felt that way in 2010. On an even more positive note, 12 percent of the ADs surveyed this year anticipated a budget increase this year compared to just 7 percent that forecasted an increase in 2010. Conversely, 31 percent of the ADs are anticipating a decrease in their budgets for the 2012/13 school year, which is a clear improvement from the 49 percent that expected a decrease in 2010 (and the 44 percent who saw an actual decrease in the 2009/10 school year). The high percentage of negative forecasts was driven primarily by ADs managing public school programs. Only 9 percent of private school athletic directors are anticipating a budget decrease for the coming year.

Decreased budgets led to 12 percent of public schools reducing program offerings in 2011/12. The most affected sports were volleyball (4.9 percent) and lacrosse (4.4 percent) for men and golf (4.2 percent) and field hockey (3.7 percent) for women. Private schools reported no reductions in programs in 2011. Some of the affected programs were a surprise as strong participation growth numbers appear to contradict the reasoning. However, much of the growth in sports like lacrosse are coming from club programs and schools may find it easier to eliminate programs with perceived high liability that are supported outside of the school.

38 APRIL/MAY 2012

A

19.5%

21.5%

6.1%

10.0%

10.6%

6.1%

8.4%

9.2%

3.1%

22.8%

24.3%

12.5%

27.3%

29.6%

12.1%

8.9%

9.7%

3.2%

9.9%

10.0%

9.4%

31.3%

35.1%

6.1%

32.6%

36.1%

9.1%

47.0%

46.5%

25.8%

23.9%

39.4%48.5%

33.2%57.9%

55.5% 34.8%

22.6%74.2%

71.8%

68.8% 21.9%

18.3%

72.1% 17.9%

55.8% 12.8%

53.2% 11.7%

72.7% 21.9%

37.5% 29.9%

37.4% 26.4%

36.4% 54.5%

60.7% 19.8%

60.5% 18.0%

60.6% 33.3%

74.7% 15.3%

11.9%77.5%

39.4%54.5%

57.6% 34.0%

59.8% 31.0%

40.6% 56.3%

72.2% 5.0%

4.9%70.8%

81.3% 6.3%

19.5%

21.5%

6.1%

10.0%

10.6%

6.1%

8.4%

9.2%

3.1%

22.8%

24.3%

12.5%

BUDGET CHANGE BY CATEGORY2011/12 SCHOOL YEAR

UNIFORMS

PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT

SPORTS MEDICINE

FIELD EQUIPMENT

TRAVELEXPENSES

FIELDMAINTENANCE

COACHES PAY

PERSONNEL/TRAINERS/REFS

AUDIO/VISUAL

OVERALL

OVERALL

OVERALL

OVERALL

OVERALL

OVERALL

OVERALL

OVERALL

OVERALL

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

PRIVATE

PRIVATE

PRIVATE

PRIVATE

PRIVATE

PRIVATE

PRIVATE

PRIVATE

DECLINE STAY THE SAME INCREASE


BOOSTER CLUBSooster clubs continue to have an expanding influence on overall athletic budgets as schools look to offset bud-get declines with school budgets. Fundraising repre-sented over 24 percent of the total athletic budgets for

the athletic directors surveyed, about even with the 2010 survey. However, more schools are relying on booster clubs. In this year’s survey, nearly 56 percent of public school ADs indicated that they had support from a booster club compared to over 49 percent that in-dicated similar support in the 2010 survey. Even the private schools saw an increase in booster club support, growing from 50.0 percent

40 APRIL/MAY 2012

B


WILL YOU ASK BOOSTER CLUBS FOR MORE SUPPORT

IN 2012-2013?

TOTAL 36.7%

40.2%

35.0%

5.9%

45.5%

32.5%

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

URBAN

SUBURBAN

RURAL

13.9%

19.1%

16.3%

14.3%

22.2%

14.3%

10.8%

26.3%

73.6%

54.3%

12.5%

26.6%

65.1% 18.6%

71.4% 14.3%

72.2% 5.6%

38.1% 47.6%

78.3% 10.8%

47.4% 26.3%

ESTIMATED BOOSTER CLUB DONATION CHANGE FOR COMING YEAR

TOTAL

URBAN

SUBURBAN

RURAL

2012

2012

2012

2012

2010

2010

2010

2010

DECLINE STAY THE SAME INCREASE

of schools in the 2010 survey to just over 53 percent in this year’s report.

Of the athletic directors that indicated that booster clubs supported their programs, 37 percent said they would ask the boosters to provide additional support in the coming school year, but nearly 74 percent expected that funding from the clubs would remain the same. It appears that public schools are anticipating the biggest need once again, with 40 percent of those public school ADs responding to the survey indicat-ing that they would be looking for additional support in the 2012/13 school year, while only 6 percent of private school ADs indicated they would be looking for more support from the clubs.

Of the public school ADs, 12 percent expected to see an increase in funding support next year and 13 percent expected to see a decrease. On the private school side, 12 percent expected to see an increase in booster club support for the 2012/13 school year but nearly twice that percentage expect-ed the support from booster clubs to decrease next year.

Based on school size, the larger schools appeared to be less dependent on boosters, with 49 percent of schools with enroll-ment in excess of 950 students indicating they had booster support while about 60 percent of smaller schools were reliant on the booster clubs. However, the larger schools were more likely to expect an increase in funding from booster clubs this next year.

42 APRIL/MAY 2012

PAY TO PLAY

34.4%

35.1%

16.3%

35.7%

24.5%

31.9%

NA

NA

31.4% 31.5%

NA 33.3%

NA35.5%

32.4% 34.2%

38.2%37.5%

NA40.5%

22.2% 18.2%

34.4%33.7%

NA 32.7%

30.0% 30.2%

29.7%27.3%

34.5%

36.1%

34.0%

36.0%

NA37.8%

BASEBALL ICE HOCKEY

BASKETBALL LACROSSE

BOWLING SOCCER

CHEERLEADING SOFTBALL

CROSS COUNTRY

SWIM AND DIVE

FIELD HOCKEY

TENNIS

FOOTBALL TRACK AND FIELD

GOLF VOLLEYBALL

GYMNASTICS WRESTLING

BOYS

GIRLS

he 2012 Athletic Director Survey respondents indicated that “Other Sources” of funding represented 16 percent of their total budget in the 2011/12 school year, up considerably from less than 11 percent two years ago. Much of that increase came

from so-called Pay-to-Play that require students to contribute at the individual sport level.

The growth in these programs in just two years has been dramatic. Nearly 44 percent of the athletic directors surveyed this year indicated that they currently had, or were planning to institute, a Pay-to-Play program. That percentage is up nearly 20 percentage points compared to the 2010 survey when nearly 26 percent indicated that they had, or would have, a Pay-to-Play program in place.

The student athlete is not always left holding the bag on these programs. Eighty-eight percent of athletic directors surveyed said that there were ways to subsidize the Pay-to-Play costs if the student athlete could not afford to pay the costs. Not surprisingly, less than 10 percent of private schools offered subsidies while 78 percent of public schools provided subsidies.

Lacrosse was the most expensive sport to play for students in Pay-to-Play programs, with boys paying an average of $176 to participate and girls paying an average of $155 to play.

Boys Ice Hockey had the highest percentage of schools requiring Pay-to-Play if the sport was offered, with nearly 41 percent of those schools requiring contributions from the student athlete.

Survey results found 36 percent of schools with football had a Pay-to-Play program in place for the sport, with the average cost at $102 per student athlete.

As a follow-up question in the survey, the ADs were asked if they expected to see a decline in multi-sport participation by student athletes. Only 28 percent felt they would see a drop-off in participation among those athletes.

T

WHICH SPORTS HAVE SCHOOLS IMPLEMENTED “PAY-TO-PLAY” PROGRAMS

FIND US ONFACEBOOK & TWITTER

TEAMBUSINESSDIGITAL.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/SPORTSONESOURCE // TWITTER.COM/TEAMB_MAG

PLUS TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL IS NOW AVAILABLE ON

YOUR IPAD. GO TO TEAMBUSINESSDIGITAL.COM TO DOWNLOAD THE READER.

DIGITAL

IN WHAT STATE IS YOUR SCHOOL LOCATED?

WEST27.3%

CENTRAL43.4%

SOUTHEAST11.6%

NORTHEAST17.6%

METHODOLOGY & DEMOS

ach year, TEAM Business assesses the issues facing athletic directors and coaches as they strive to do more with less and with more

influences and oversight on their budgetary decisions.The 2012 study was compiled by SOS Research, a

division of The SportsOneSource Group, in partnership with Sports Marketing Surveys. The survey was conducted in March 2012. Survey invitations were sent out via e-mail to a sample of high school athletic directors from across the U.S. Over 275 athletic directors from 41 states completed

RURAL48.7%

URBAN18.6%

6-10 YEARS

6-10 YEARS

11-15 YEARS

11-15 YEARS

16-20 YEARS

16-20 YEARS

20+ YEARS

20+ YEARS

5 OR LESSYEARS

5 OR LESSYEARS

24.3%

42.2%

15.2%

7.6%

10.6%

33.5%

26.7%

14.7%

9.9%

15.2%

SUBURBAN32.7%

IS YOUR SCHOOL CONSIDERED URBAN,

SUBURBAN OR RURAL?

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN AN ATHLETIC DIRECTOR?

2012

2010

PUBLIC87.5%

PRIVATE12.5%

IS YOUR SCHOOL PUBLIC OR PRIVATE?

the survey, giving the survey a response rate slightly under 2 percent which is acceptable for a survey of this length. Each survey, conducted exclusively through the Internet, was estimated to take 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The response rate gives a confidence interval range between 2.6 percent and 6.0 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

The mix of schools was 87.5 percent public and 12.5 percent private with a relatively equal mix of annual budgets of less than $10,000 to more than $75,000. Urban schools comprised 18.6 percent of the survey sample and suburban schools represented 32.7 percent of the total. Athletic directors rep-resenting rural schools made up the 48.7 percent balance of respondents. ■

E

44 APRIL/MAY 2012


GET INSIDE THE GAMETHE ANNUAL AD STUDY FROM SOS RESEARCH GETS INSIDE THE LINES WITH HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DIRECTORS

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE AD STUDY, CONTACT SOS RESEARCH AT 704.987.3450 OR [email protected]

A SERVICE OF THE SPORTSONESOURCE GROUP

5 OR LESSYEARS

Where Strategic Decisions Begin

A service of The SportsOneSource Group

[email protected] 704.987.3450

SportScanInfo.com

Athletic Dealers of America1395 Highland AvenueMelbourne, FL 32935t 321.254.0091f 321.242.7419athleticdealersofamerica.com

National Sporting Goods Association1601 Feehanville Drive / Suite 300Mount Prospect, IL 60056t 847.296.6742f 847.391.9827nsga.org

Nation’s Best Sports4216 Hahn Blvd.Ft. Worth, TX 76117t 817.788.0034f 817.788.8542nationsbestsports.com

SGMA 8505 Fenton StreetSilver Spring, MD 20910t 301.495.6321f 301.495.6322sgma.com

Sports, Inc.333 2nd Avenue NorthLewistown, MT 59457t 406.538.3496f 406.538.2801sportsinc.com

Team Athletic Goods629 Cepi DriveChesterfield, MO 63005t 636.530.3710f 636.530.3711tag1.com

TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

CALENDAR

MAY

4-5 Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) Columbus, OH

6-9 NSGA Management Conference and Team Dealer Summit San Antonio, TX

JUNE

12-14 Licensing International Expo Las Vegas, NV

21-22 NBS Specialty Outdoor Market Austin, TX

28-30 Sports Inc. Athletic Show Indianapolis, IN

30-1 TAG Spring/Summer Show St. Charles, MO

JULY

11-12 NBS Summer Market Indianapolis, IN

20-21 A.D.A. Spring Show Orlando, FL

AUGUST

9-11 Sports Inc. Outdoor Show Indianapolis, IN

12-14 Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) Las Vegas, NV

17-19 Atlanta Shoe Market Atlanta, GA

SEPTEMBER

7-8 Imprinted Sportwear Show (ISS) Atlanta, GA

7-9 NBS Semi-Annual Market Fort Worth, TX

27-29 Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) Fort Worth, TX

NOVEMBER

3-4 NBS Fall Athletic Market Indianapolis, IN

8-9 TAG Fall/Winter Show N. Charleston, SC

13-14 A.D.A. Fall Show Las Vegas, NV

18-20 Sports Inc. Athletic Show Las Vegas, NV

For full year calendar go to sportsonesource.com/events

I AM... TEAM BUSINESS

48 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

JOHN GAGLIARDI

DID YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM? I liked the Denver Broncos and John Elway was, and still is, a legend to me.

WHAT WAS THE SMARTEST MOVE OF YOUR CAREER? Giving up working on Wall Street when I realized I didn’t have a passion going to work each day. I decided to work in lacrosse full time, playing professional lacrosse indoors and outdoors as well as running lacrosse events. In 2005 I launched Maverik Lacrosse.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT WORKING IN THE TEAM INDUSTRY? Working with my friends and game planning with them. It is almost like we are in a huddle figuring out how we are going to beat the other team.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN? I like going to the beaches on Long Island and Florida.

WHAT SPORTS OR ACTIVITIES DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN TODAY? I enjoy running in Central Park or playing basketball to stay in shape.

NAME ONE THING (INTEREST, HOBBY, PASSION) THAT THE INDUSTRY MAY BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU? I like to read… magazines, books, newspapers, everything.

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM VACATION? Go to Bora Bora or Banff in Canada to just sit on a lounge chair and read all day.

WHO’S THE BUSINESS PERSON YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY? I admire a lot of people who started their own businesses. Jake Burton at Burton, Steve Jobs at Apple, my father with his own athletic retail stores, the Bishop Family who started Sobe Beverages and Blue Buffalo Dog Food.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU WERE NOT DOING YOUR JOB? Living and snowboarding in Colorado.

HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS DESCRIBE YOU? Loyal, honest, hardworking and passionate about everything I’m involved with. Plus, I don’t like to lose.

MAVERIK LACROSSEFOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

WHEN DID YOU BECOME A SPORTS ENTHUSIAST? My father introduced me to football, basketball and baseball when I was young. I lived in Brooklyn until I was 10 years old and baseball was the most popular sport. But when I moved to Long Island, I was introduced to lacrosse. At first my dad didn’t want me to trade baseball for lacrosse. After he watched the sport once he was hooked. I loved playing lacrosse and all the physical aspects of the sport and my dad also loved watching all of the action. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? Carrying grocery bags to cars for people at a Walbaum’s supermarket in Brooklyn. I was in the 4th grade and I would make $8 to $10 over a few hours.

“ MY GOAL WILL ALWAYS BE TO HELP DEVELOP AND GROW THE GAME OF LACROSSE NATURALLY THROUGH MY COMPANY... AND MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR KIDS EVERYWHERE TO ENJOY THE SAME EXPERIENCES I HAD PLAYING LACROSSE...”

WWW.MAVERIKLACROSSE.COM

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TEAM BUSINESS APRIL/MAY 2012