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FEBRUARY 2013 DIGITAL
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Copyright 2013 SportsOneSource, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors to TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles appearing in TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher. TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL is published monthly by SportsOneSource, LLC, 2151 Hawkins Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28203; 704.987.3450. Send address changes to TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL , 2151 Hawkins Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28203; 704.987.3450
FEBRUARY 2013 DIGITAL
12
NEWS4 ADIDAS, Warriors to Launch Short Sleeve NBA Uniforms
5 SFIA Forms Football Council6 MLB Delays Decision on Protective Caps for Pitchers
8 WRESTLING Dropped From 2020 Olympic Games
TEAM PROFILE10 DR. DEREK OCHIAI, Orthopedic Surgeon,
addresses sports-related hip injuries
TEAM GUIDE12 TIPS FOR SELLING SPRING YOUTH BASEBALL
17 2013 BASEBALL RULE CHANGES
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4 2013 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
Adidas and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors unveiled the first modern short sleeve NBA Uniform System - the team’s lightest uniform to date - at a press conference at Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. The adizero short sleeve NBA Uniform System will debut for the first time when the team faces the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, February 22 on ESPN and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area at 10:30 p.m. EST / 7:30 p.m. PST.
Adidas developed the uniform system to allow for optimal performance on the court while providing fans with a new and unique apparel option. The uniforms stand out due to their lightweight construction, as the adizero NBA Uniform System is 26 percent lighter than the Warriors’ current uniforms. Adidas believes that the Warriors are an ideal partner for the launch due to the organization’s aggressive and creative approach to designing its uniforms.
The Warriors will wear the uniforms for two additional Friday home games during the 2012/13 season, including a March 8 game against the Houston Rockets and a March 15 tilt against the Chicago Bulls.
“Players on every court like to have a unique sense of style,” said Lawrence Norman, vice president, Adidas global basketball. “We were excited to work side-by-side for the last 18 months with the Warriors, one of the NBA’s youngest and most exciting teams, to develop this unique uniform system that helps maintain peak player performance while ensuring com-fort, fit and style.”
The adizero short sleeve NBA Uniform System features the first-ever super light-weight stretch woven short, which provides the player comfort through maximum ven-tilation. The jersey includes armhole insets with 360-degree stretch fabric that fa-cilitates free range of motion for the arms and shoulders. Throughout the evaluation process, Adidas received positive feedback from players at all levels on the uniform’s performance and style.
The uniform system is made from 60 per-cent recycled materials. It also features Adi-das’ Revolution 30 technology found in current NBA uniforms. Launched in the 2010/11 sea-son, Revolution 30 technology is a lightweight uniform system that dries twice as fast to improve performance. The new uniforms also include a ClimaCool system and Formotion technology that combine to increase comfort for the players.
NEWS
“Partnering with Adidas on this new uniform demonstrates the Warriors’ commitment to innovation and the progressive culture of the Bay Area,” said Rick Welts, president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors. “The jerseys complement our players’ style on the court, but are also a nod to the style of our fans and the spirit of the Bay Area – innovation is ingrained in our culture.”
Swingman versions are available for pre-sell on NBAStore.com and on WarriorsTeam-Store.com, the official online team shop of the Golden State Warriors. Limited Edition Boxed Authentic Jerseys will be available for purchase at the Warriors Team Store inside Oracle Arena beginning February 20. Swingman Jerseys will be available for purchase at the Warriors Team Store inside Oracle Arena beginning February 22 and at the Adidas Sport Performance Store in downtown San Francisco, CA and the NBA Store by February 25.
Click to view the Warriors and adidas unveiling the first-ever modern short sleeve NBA uniform
ADIDAS, WARRIORS TO LAUNCH SHORT SLEEVE NBA UNIFORMSAdizero Short Sleeve NBA Uniform System Offers Lightweight Performance
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In order to support the game of football, leading football product companies recently worked together to establish the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) Football Council. The primary goal of the Council will be to organize the football equipment industry, provide a venue for advancement of best practices and promote the safest game possible for all players.
The inaugural meeting of the SFIA Football Council was held at the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention in Nashville, TN in January. More than 23 individu-als representing 13 companies participated in the meeting, while representatives from USA Football and the National Federation of High Schools and National Operating Committee for Safety in Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) gave presentations.
At the meeting, Art Chou, senior vice president of product at Rawlings, was elected as the Council’s first Chairman. “We are very excited to announce the formation of our football council," said Chou following the gathering. “This council is a forum where companies that are competitors on the field can join together to discuss and help promote the best interests of the game and its participants along with the positive attributes of the sport. I look forward to working with our industry’s leaders to help benefit our great game of football.”
Industry executives have agreed that a need exists for companies with a stake in football to gather and address issues affecting the game. Initiatives under consideration by the Council include industry support for coaching education and certification programs, the creation of educational programs for athletes and athletes’ parents, advertising guidelines, and enhanced representation of the industry’s interests with standards organizations.
“The Football Council is great for the industry,” shared Chou. “It’s really the first time that we’ve gotten together to discuss the things we have in common. It’s important for any industry to find some common ground and talk about the pressing issues. We’re not always going to agree on everything, but I think we do agree on several key points – building the game, what’s good for the game, what’s good for the players and the game’s constituents. We have to work together to pool our collective abilities to help promote those issues.”
While player safety and awareness of concussions and other collision injuries will without a doubt be important focal points for the Football Council to address in upcoming meetings, Chou believes that encouraging a sense of community and the willingness to listen to various voices within the football industry will be important for the Council. “There’s no easy answer. I don’t think we’ll be coming into meetings with any specific agenda,” he shared. “There are a lot of different opinions, and what we need to do is come together and make sure everyone’s opinion is heard so we can advance the game.”
The idea for a council, according to SFIA President and CEO Tom Cove, resulted from several meetings, phone calls and e-mail communications conducted over the past two to three years as the sport of football and the football equipment industry have “come under increasing scrutiny.” Cove and the SFIA staff have communicated on a variety of football issues with the NFL, other football leagues and governing bodies, standards organizations, media, regulators, legislators, researchers and the public, as well as SFIA member com-panies. In a letter sent to the football industry ahead of the first Football Council meeting, Cove offered several potential topics for consideration, including: overall injury prevention; standards; industry collaboration to grow football participation; industry voice on policy and media issues; youth football issues such as tackle football restrictions and proposals such as hit counts - among many other issues.
“The SFIA was born from the sport of football in 1905 when there were concerns about how the game was played,” stated Cove. “Since then, we’ve been instrumental in creating and supporting standards, rules, and organizations that govern the sport. With this commitment of the football industry, we will be able to make tangible progress to improve the quality and safety of the sport for generations to come.”
SFIA FORMS FOOTBALL COUNCIL
6 2013 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
Major League Baseball (MLB) began spring training without an approved choice of protective headgear for pitchers after making an effort to present players with caps to wear on a voluntary basis, according to a report from ESPN. MLB officials spent the offseason considering and testing padded linings for caps.
MLB senior vice president Dan Halem told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that the league had hoped to settle on a version by the start of spring training for use during exercises and spring training games, but indicated it is now uncertain whether any product will receive approval in time for the regular season. Halem also told ESPN that MLB is currently considering proposals from six different companies, but no new cap design meets requirements the league has set for providing head protection against high-speed batted balls. Only two of the six companies have submitted actual prototypes for MLB to test at a University of Massachusetts-Lowell laboratory.
MLB’s search for protection against batted balls to the head intensified after Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy was struck violently by a line drive on September 5, 2012. McCarthy suffered life-threatening injuries from the incident, including an epidural hemorrhage, a brain contusion and a skull fracture, and needed to undergo emergency brain surgery. Fortunately, McCarthy was able to make a full recovery and will be pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks this upcoming season.
The ramifications of a protective pitchers’ cap at the major league level are intriguing, as lower levels of amateur baseball could potentially follow suit with usage of similar caps if MLB pitchers successfully wear such gear during regular season games. Art Chou, senior vice president of product at Rawlings, has been following the developments and believes it is difficult to project how a pitchers’ protective cap could be used by younger players. “It’s tough,” Chou told Team Business. “NOCSAE has tried to address the issue for years. But the stance really has been that if you’re protecting against head injuries, the 1200 SI standard that they have in place is there for a reason.
“They’ve done the research on skull fractures and such. If you’re going to protect at that level, essentially what you’re talking about is something that looks like a batting helmet. And the pitchers don’t want to wear something that bulky. The question will be:Is there some sort of intermediate or lower standard that leagues and associations are will-ing to adopt? Can [major league baseball or manufacturers] find a cap that is less protective than a batting helmet, but better than nothing? That’s where we’re at right now.”
Despite the attention gruesome injuries such as McCarthy’s have re-ceived and the urgency MLB has in finding a solution, the league will make sure to greenlight only a cap that works effectively. "We're not going to approve a product unless our experts say it provides adequate protection," MLB’s Halem said to ESPN. "It may take multiple iterations."
MLB DELAYS DECISION ON PROTECTIVE CAPS FOR PITCHERS
▲
Click to play video of Doug Fister getting hit in the head by a Gregor Blanco line drive
NEWS
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8 2013 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
The Olympics will be losing one of its original sports. In a surprise move last week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) dropped wrestling from the 2020 Summer Olympics. The IOC board made its unexpected decision after reviewing the 26 sports on the current Olympic program. Wrestling has been an Olympic event since the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens, Greece in 1896.
Both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling will still take place at the 2016 Summer Olympics, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, the sport is now cut from the 2020 Games, which have yet to be awarded to a host city. Eliminating one sport gives the International Olympic Committee the capability to add a new sport to the program later this year.
Wrestling was voted out from a group that also included modern pentathlon, taekwondo, canoe kayaking and field hockey, according to ESPN.
“This is a process of renewing and renovating the program for the Olympics,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams told the Associated Press. “In the view of the executive board, this was the best program for the Olympic Games in 2020. It’s not a case of what’s wrong with wrestling, it is what’s right with the 25 core sports.”
Adams shared that the decision was made by secret ballot over several rounds, with members voting each time on which sport should not be included in the core group.
The decision was made after a review of a report by the IOC program commission re-port that analyzed 39 criteria, including tele-vision ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping policy and global participation and popularity. The final decision by the 15-member board was also subject to political, emotional and sen-timental factors.
A New York Times article said the IOC has in recent years been concerned about the grow-ing size of the Summer Games and preferred
to limit the number athletes to 10,500. The IOC has also expressed a desire to attract a young-er audience worldwide, but wrestling does not feature the number of recognizable stars that other sports do.
The IOC has followed up on its efforts to capture younger fans by adding emerging sports such as beach volleyball and BMX to the Olympic Games. On February 12, the committee said in a statement that it wanted to ensure that the Games remained "relevant to sports fans of all generations."
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) quickly issued a response to the IOC Executive Board's decision to drop wrestling from the 2020 Games. "We knew that today would be a tough day for American athletes competing in whatever sport was identified by the IOC Executive Board," USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said in a statement. "Given the his-tory and tradition of wrestling, and its popular-ity and universality, we were surprised when the decision was announced.”
"It is important to remember that today's action is a recommendation, and we hope that there will be a meaningful opportunity to discuss the important role that wrestling plays in the sports landscape both in the United States and around the world,” continued Blackmun. “In the meantime, we will fully support USA Wrestling and its athletes."
Wrestling featured 344 athletes competing in 11 medal events in freestyle and seven in Greco-Roman at 2012's London Olympics. Women’s wrestling was added to the Olympics at the 2004 Athens Games.
The last sports removed from the Olympics were baseball and softball in 2005. Golf and rugby will be joining the program at the 2016 Games.
News of the decision was met by confusion and disappointment by athletes and wrestlers
WRESTLING DROPPED FROM 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES
across the globe. Part of the fallout was the resignation of the president of FILA, wrestling’s world governing body, less than a week after the IOC decision. Switzerland’s Raphael Martinetti, who had served as president since 2002, announced he was stepping down at a FILA Executive Committee meeting in Thailand on February 16. Martinetti quit after receiving a vote of no confidence following wrestling’s mandated exit from the Olympics.
Before news of Martinetti’s resignation, IOC President Jacques Rogge was expected to meet with the head of wrestling's governing body to discuss ways the sport could save its place in the Olympics. Rogge has faced substantial criti-cism from wrestling organizations around the world in the wake of the IOC’s decision.
USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport in the United States, expressed dismay in a statement released in response to the decision. “USA Wrestling is surprised and disappointed about today’s announcement concerning the International Olympic Committee Executive Board recommendation that wrestling not be a core sport included in the 2020 Olympic Games,” said Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling, in the statement. “We look forward to telling the story about wrestling to the International Committee leadership and the entire world about our great sport and why it should be part of the Olympic movement forever.”
Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020, headlined by a combined bid by baseball and softball. The other sports are karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. All of the bids will be vying for a single opening in 2020.
The IOC executive board is scheduled to meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to decide which sport or sports to propose for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Games.
NEWS
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10 2013 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
What is the state of hip injuries right now in both professional and youth sports? I think the awareness of hip injuries - and definitely the treatable ones – has grown by leaps and bounds. Injuries that used to be blown off as chronic hip strains or hip flexors, or tendinitis, would last through athletes’ careers, or that would stop them or make them not as fast, or not be able to perform at the same level as before – that’s become a lot less prevalent than even 10 years ago.
Our understanding of hip pathology, and especially labral tears and impingements, has blossomed. That’s because of a lot of hard work and research directed at these injuries. At the professional level, it’s not overlooked that long. There are many pro athletes – professional baseball to football to golf to hockey goalies – who are diagnosed with labral tears or impingements, or other issues. It has become commonplace for them to have these issues cor-rected arthroscopically.
On the other end of the equation – with kids sports and the rec-reational type athlete – there’s not as high of a consciousness of a high school athletic trainer, or maybe a family physician who is volunteering at a high school game. From a diagnostic standpoint, I don’t think it’s as ingrained in the consciousness as it is at the professional level, but even that’s changing.
What can be done to change awareness from a youth standpoint? What can be done to raise general awareness, and what do you recommend for travel teams, high school teams and other youth leagues in order to better diagnose / prevent hip injuries? One thing that’s already been happening is increasing awareness and education from the nation’s standpoint. If you watch ESPN, every few days you’ll see stories or articles about athletes getting hip arthroscopies. That’s increasing the awareness from the athletes’ side that athletes can get injured in their hip and they can suffer issues that cause them problems. From my standpoint, which is the hip arthroscopy and sports medicine side, we’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing, which is continuing our research, continuing to get better at both the surgical treatment, the diagnosis, and prevention of these injuries.
Femoral Acetabular Impingement [FAI] is not something that you catch, it’s not something that you come ‘down’ with, it is the way that a young athlete’s hip forms. With impingement, you have parts of the hip that are out-of-round, where it’s not a round-on-round joint in certain areas, and that causes increased pressure on the labrum and can lead to labral tears in the hip.
One question is: how do we identify these athletes who have impingement in their hips, but who do they not have a labral tear yet and they don’t have any symptoms from FAI? The intent is to identify them early and see if there is anything we can do so
Hip injuries are often overlooked and can cause painful complications for young athletes.
Team Business interviewed Dr. Derek Ochiai, an orthopedic surgeon based in Arlington, VA, to get a better understanding of these injuries and to find
out what athletes can do to better treat them.
By Fernando J. Delgado
HIP TALKADDRESSING HIP INJURIES IN SPORTS
TEAM PROFILE
Dr. Derek Ochiai is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and specializes in injuries to the upper and lower extremities including the hip, knee and shoulder arthroscopy
TEAMBUSINESSDIGITAL.COM 11
they can avoid having issues in the future, and there is a lot of early research going on with that. [Questions researchers are asking include] ‘Can you change the natural history of FAI by doing different types of stretching exercises or increasing core strength?’ and ‘Is it reasonable if somebody has a large amount of impingement to do an FAI surgery on them preemptively before they actually get a labral tear?’ Nobody is doing that right now, but that may be a way to go in the future because labral tears and FAI are not benign.
Labral tears and FAI predispose athletes to getting arthritis at a much younger age. You expect people to get arthritis from their hip in their sixties and seventies, yet some of these athletes who are having untreated FAI and labral tears are getting arthritis in their thirties and forties. Enough that they require hip re-placement at a much earlier age than you can expect. There is a big downside – a potential downside – to those issues.
What specific protective equipment is the best in terms of preventing these types of hip injuries? Is there any new emerging technology and equipment that you think will be effective when it comes to the prevention of hip injuries? I haven’t seen anything that would work well in preventing hip injuries. Most athletes who have hip conditions are getting it because their sport is highly dependent on hip rotation and explosive power coming from the core and lower extremities, or they are in a sport or performance activity that places a high demand on extreme range of motion – like ballet dancers, figure skaters, or gymnasts. Obviously in that calculation there is no way that that [protective gear] could be tolerated by a ballet dancer, so that could be counted out.
For a football player – in positions that you get excessive rotation – you could theoretically limit that with hip-thigh braces that work similarly to the shoulder-harnesses that linebackers will play with if they’ve had a dislocated shoulder. Those are very cumbersome to use for hips. You can imagine that a linebacker can deal with not having full range of motion of their shoulder, since they can still tackle somebody, but if you put something big and bulky that goes naturally around their waist and a little bit down their other leg as well – that’s not going to be well-tolerated and I don’t know if there is anything new that would be more ‘acceptable’.
Are there any sleeves or braces that can help an athlete to rehabilitate an injury? Is there anything that can help with the healing
process itself or to ease pain? Compression products can help. There are compression ice machines, and they have pads for hips, and those can be very helpful - either in an acute injury setting or in a post-operative setting. A compression ice machine pumps super cold water around the hip and it also adds a compressive dimension to it, which has proven to be very useful in controlling early post-operative pain or pain from when you have officially injured your hip and you are trying to calm down the hip to decrease pain and superficial inflammation.
Is there such a thing as a “cascade injury” resulting from hip injuries? Can an athlete with a minor tear or hip pointer – but who can still play with the injury - injure other parts of their body in the process of compensating for pain? I see that all the time, it’s very common. Hip and lower back issues go together. If you are trying to compensate for the hip, one of the common things to do is to compensate with your lower back.
What would be important for the athlete to do in order to avoid cascade injuries, or is it just a matter of responding to the pain quickly and seeing a physician right away? What can athletes do in order to prevent those compensation injuries? I would recommend seeing a physician or surgeon who has experience in the treatment of hip conditions. Realizing that it is actually a hip problem, or if it might be something else. Diagnosing a hip injury is not necessarily straight-forward. Patients tell me when they come in that they do not have hip pain, but have pain in their groin. And that is typically hip pain.
The people who have pain on the outside – if you put your hand on the side of your knee and slide up the side of your leg to the top of the hip bone – that is normally not where people have pain when they have a hip condi-tion. It’s normally when you sit down - its right in front of the middle of the thigh and even medial or closer to the center of the body.
In youth sports, and in sports at the high school, college, and professional levels, rules and regulations related to athlete safety are extremely important. Protocol for coaches and athletic trainers in diagnosing concussions is also key. Can anything be done to prevent hip injuries from a rules standpoint? How can coaching and athletic training staffs increase awareness of hip injuries? Research is still in the early stages. Athletes who are predominantly or nearly exclusively playing one sport year round are more predisposed to
Note: Dr. Derek Ochiai is a graduate of Cornell University, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and is fellowship trained in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons and specializes in injuries to the upper and lower extremities including the hip, knee and shoulder arthroscopy. Dr. Ochiai has extensive experience in the arthroscopic treatment of hip injuries and pathology. He is a member of the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy, AANA, American Orthopedic So-ciety for Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
having hip issues, and there are many reasons for that. One being that if you are doing something year round, the young athlete likes to do it and are probably extremely good at that sport to the point where they are pushing themselves more so than maybe somebody who was just trying out for a soccer team just to hang out with their friends. The higher the level the athlete at whatever sport it is, the more predisposed they are to getting hip issues because of the time, the intensity, and practicing regularly. They will more likely push through minor pains. They think, ‘Well this is what everybody feels and it’s not a big deal,’ and keep pushing through that and end up injuring themselves more just because of the mentality that they have.
So that’s really a hard thing to legislate. Baseball pitchers in little league have pitch counts - in which they can only pitch a certain number of pitches or a certain number of innings - with the intent being to limit the number of elbow injuries. I could foresee trying to limit hip injuries with ‘ice-counts’ or ‘ice-minute-counts’, where you can only play a certain number of minutes of the game or a certain number of minutes on the ice per week if we are talking about ice hockey for example. However, there is no research that I could make a specific recommendation on, but I think that if people cross-trained, listen to their bodies, realize that if something has been nagging them for a couple of weeks, that it might be something that they want to get checked out as opposed to just pushing through it. Those are just a few general recommendations.
What online resources could you recommend for anyone interested in further information on hip injuries? The website for the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) (aana.org) and also the Wikipedia page for FAI (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femoral_acetabular_impingement) is accurate.” ■
12 2013 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
Now that pitchers and catchers have reported to big league spring training, kids will be walking into sporting goods stores with their parents in tow, eager to buy baseball equipment for the new season. Many times, it will be a child’s first time playing baseball, meaning that their parents will often be looking for help in the store. For retailers and their sales representatives, understanding the needs of various age groups of youth players under the age of 13 will help kids and their parents find the equipment that makes the playing experience safer and more enjoyable.
Tom Luke, general manager at Modell’s Sporting Goods in Parkville, MD, helps guide young players with their purchases at his store location every spring. Luke shared that his store identifies age groups and organizes products by those groupings, making the buying experience simpler and more convenient. “T-ball is the starting point for almost everybody,” he said. “We sort the various age groups out so that, for example, people who are looking for t-ball merchandise will find it all in one location, so that they’re not looking through a bunch of adult
gloves to find t-ball gloves. T-ball balls are also together, and close to the other t-ball products. We try to group youth-sized batting gloves together with the youth bats. And then it goes into the older youth groups and, again, it’s all arranged together so that the customer that comes in looking to outfit, for instance, a 9-year old baseball player, can find everything in the one location. That’s the main thing.”
Luke stressed that the key to his store’s approach is to make sure that sales associates are hands-on when assisting kids and their parents, and to know that each player will have different needs based on their age, size and experience. Furthermore, sellers should be prepared for the fact parents may not be familiar with baseball products, especially if their child is getting ready for their first season. “We try to make associates understand that, when the customers are coming in to purchase something, a lot of the parents are first time buyers,” said Luke. “A lot of times it’s mom coming in with no baseball experience whatsoever. Sometimes dad’s at work and can’t make it there, so they might not know much. We try to walk them through what
When parents and their kids trek down to the local sporting goods store in search of the right baseball equipment, the process can be overwhelming. TEAM offers tips for selling youth baseball and t-ball equipment.
SELLING SPRING YOUTH BASEBALLBy Fernando J. Delgado
RESOURCE GUIDE
TEAMBUSINESSDIGITAL.COM 13
they need to buy. If they’re buying a baseball glove, we’ll let them know that perhaps they need glove oil to help break the glove in because we don’t want the child to show up to practice or a game and the coach says, ‘Hey, your glove is too stiff, you need to buy glove oil.’ And then the player comes back to us upset because we didn’t tell them what they needed.”
In addition to a sales approach rooted in customer interaction, it helps for salespeople on the floor to know their product offerings and the state of youth t-ball and baseball – as obvious as it sounds. Chris Barry, a certified baseball sales associate at Sports Authority in Nottingham, MD, grew up playing competitive baseball and shared some selling tips culled from his time covering the retail floor. “For t-ball bats, the best thing to look for is the weight and the inches of the bat,” observed Barry. “Most of the bats are probably going to be about the same in terms of grip, but the height and length of the bat are important. A shorter kid who’s around four or five, they’re not going to want to use a 29-inch bat. A 25 or 26-inch bat is probably going to be the best thing for them.”
“You also always have to watch out for the rules which affect bat specifications,” continued Barry, who noted that the rules-making bodies for the youngest league levels such as the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) will approve certain bats with stamps on the bat barrel that certify that the bat’s weight and size meet USSSA standards. Barry also advises that young players stay away from wood bats for safety reasons. “I don’t recommend wood bats for kids because you don’t want them to get splinters, and the sweet spot on the wood bat barrel is smaller than the sweet spot of a metal bat,” he said.
According to Barry, effectively selling gloves is rooted in identifying which positions players play, and understanding the nuances of the game as players get older. “What I usu-ally look out for, because I was a baseball player myself, is how the players actually catch and field the ball,” offered Barry. “For example, an outfielder won’t want to buy a short-er glove, because an outfielder needs a big glove to catch fly balls.” Barry also pointed out that the youngest players, especially those under 10 years of age, are less likely to play one specific position in the field until they are older. Coaches at t-ball and the youngest rec league levels often move their players around the field in order to give each player experience at a variety of positions so that the kids better understand the game. “Younger players are going to be more versatile,” Barry explained. “They’re going to be pitching, playing shortstop, first base, second base, and the outfield - many times within the course of one game. Most parents aren’t going to be spending a lot of money just for their kid to play 10 or 15 games a season, so they want to get a generic glove - usually one that’s 12 inches - that can be used for any position.”
Barry singled out the Mizuno Max Flex Fielding Glove with V-Flex technology in particular as a very popular model with young players making purchases at his location. “It’s easier for you to close your glove on the ball, and you don’t have to break it in as much,” he stated.
14 2013 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
Sizing is also essential when helping a kid find the right equipment. Bats from t-ball through youth levels and all the way up through Little League are labeled with sizes, measurements, specifications and certifications, and big box retailers will often display sizing charts or color-coded systems to help customers identify the appropriate bat for the player’s age group and body size. Such sizing charts - as well as sizing information on various manufacturers’ product packaging - are similarly used for helmets and other protective equipment like catcher’s gear and cups.
Modell’s Sporting Goods’ Luke said that sizing charts also come into play for play-ers and parents who are repeat buyers and more familiar with equipment purchasing. “More experienced customers can update themselves, and there’s a lot of information on the sizing charts and product packaging that will guide them to the right glove,” said Luke. “But, again, we try to get one-on-one with the customer.” He added that Modell’s will often request sizing charts directly from manufacturers. “We tell them what we want and our specifications, and they design it for what we’re asking for, so that’s why the charts work so well. A sizing chart can be a silent salesman that stands here, so that if an associate isn’t handy nearby for whatever reason, the customer can guide themselves a little bit.”
At Luke’s store location, a glove sizing chart provided by Rawlings is prominently displayed at the end of an aisle to assist customers. Entitled “How to Size a Glove”, the display breaks down three categories: age (5 and under, 6 to 8, 9 to 10, and 11 to 13), glove size (4 different size ranges) and position (infield, outfield, and both). The chart then corresponds the three categories to a color-coded system which identifies the level of play: light blue for t-ball; red for youth baseball; green for regular baseball; and two other colors for fastpitch softball and slow-pitch softball, respectively. Using the chart, customers can find gloves by looking for the colored labels, making the search easier.
When it comes to determining the best-fit-ting fielding gloves, having kids try on gloves in the store is the best way to find the perfect fit. “Our general rule of thumb that we use is that we take the player, along with their parents, over to the glove section and pull
out several different sizes - which are almost always marked either right on the thumb or on the little fin-ger,” stated Luke. “We pull out a few sizes because a lot of times parents think the gloves are either too large or too small when the kid is trying them on. He pointed out that young players will try on different gloves and parents mistakenly think that the glove is too small because their child’s palm will “stick out” too much from the base of the glove. However, according to Luke, the key to determining the right glove fit is based on the positioning of the player’s second knuckle of their index finger upon the bridge of the glove. “We explain to them, ‘Try it on, and then when the child finds the glove where their second in-dex knuckle is sitting right on the edge of the bridge, that’s the right size glove for them.’ We walk them through the process, and we don’t let them stand in the aisle without our help, trying to figure it out for
Wilson’s A500 Game Soft Youth Glove line is the lightest all-leather glove on the market. Designed for youth players, the 10.75" model (pictured) features an H-Web which works well at all positions, MSRP $50.
Louisville Slugger’s Helix Youth Glove Series features gloves with a pro mesh back for an ultra-lightweight feel and easy closure. Made with oil-treated steer hide leather which is strong and du-rable. Pictured is the HXY1052 model, MSRP $45.
Mizuno’s Prospect Glove Series helps youth players learn to catch the right way - in the pock-et. The multiple technologies in the series make it easier for younger players to close the glove and catch the ball. Pictured is the new GPL1154 model, MSRP $69.
DeMarini’s Versus Batting Gloves make hit-ting more comfortable for youth players with a one-piece leather palm and a compression back designed to move with the hand. The gloves fea-ture an embossed “D” logo and a neoprene wrist strap with custom molded closure, MSRP $25.
TEAMBUSINESSDIGITAL.COM 15
themselves.”When selling bats, sizing and finding the
right bat for each individual player is extremely important. Luke said that he puts each player through a bat holding test to determine if a bat is the correct length and weight. He places the bat in the child’s hand, and asks the child to straighten his arm and hold the bat straight out so that it is parallel to the floor. He then times the hold for 10 seconds. “If they are still holding the bat straight [and parallel to the ground], it’s just the right weight. But if they’re struggling to keep their arm straight, it’s too heavy, and if they can easily lift the bat [over the plain of the child’s shoulder], then it’s too light,” Luke explained.
As a young player gets older and more experienced, he will often demand a better performing bat, and as a player gets taller, he will need a longer or heavier bat. BBCOR-certified bats will also dent very easily over the course of a season. Thus, every new season, sellers should be prepared for players coming into the store to be ready to buy a new bat. Luke shared that his Modell’s location sees a lot of business with Easton bats, while for gloves his store sells through a high volume of Rawlings products. He also noticed that Mizuno gloves are in demand with “upper end” players.
Retailers, team dealers, and sales associ-ates on the floor should also be mindful of add-ons and complementary items when sell-ing to youth baseball players. Luke explained that it’s a good idea for sellers to find out if a young player has already purchased socks, as first-time baseball players and their par-ents might not consider certain uniform ac-cessories. Another key complementary item for players buying bats is, of course, batting gloves. Luke recommends finding out if the youth player being helped is aware of the comfort a batting glove provides throughout
Louisville Slugger’s TPX Attack Tee Ball Bat is Slugger’s newest high performance bat. The Attack is made from a composite material and has a lightweight, balanced design to keep players in control and inspire confidence at the plate, MSRP $50.
Rawlings’ Velo Youth Bat (-13) is designed with a comp-lite end cap with Bifusion technology for the ultimate bat speed. It is 1.15 BPF- approved for Little League, Babe Ruth, Pony League, AABC, Dixie League, USSSA, and all other associations, MSRP $170.
the course of a baseball season, and to also find out if the player plans to work on their hitting in batting cages. “If they’re old enough to go into batting cages, we always try to direct them to use batting gloves, because batting cages will tear their hands up, especially young hands that aren’t used to the wear and tear,” he said. “I don’t like to see people buying bats without thinking about the batting gloves, because repeated swings in a cage can lead to soreness and calluses, and batting gloves help prevent that.”
Sports Authority’s Barry said that it’s a good idea for sellers to suggest to young players that they consider purchasing a cup. “I don’t want to have a little kid out there on the field without a cup for protection, so I always recommend it,” he said.
Breaking in gloves is important for newly-initiated kids and experienced youth players alike, so that stiff new gloves are softer and easier for the player to handle once they get to the baseball diamond. For that, retailers have glove treatment products that sellers should keep in mind. “There are different technology levels to be aware of when we’re talking to customers about
16 2013 TEAM BUSINESS DIGITAL
Schutt’s AiR Maxx T Youth Batting Helmet utilizes the TPU Cushioning Technology from Schutt’s football helmets and is one of the most innovative batting helmets on the market, MSRP $50 (graphics and helmet finishes available at extra cost).
glove treatment,” said Modell’s Sporting Goods’ Luke. “We have to explain the differences.” He went on to say that players buying fielding gloves have three options for breaking them in and softening the leather: glove oil, conditioning cream, and heat treatment sprays.
Luke also suggests that glove-buying customers look into buying a baseball to help break the glove in. “For first time buyers, I always recommend that they buy a baseball with their glove for a breaking-in purpose. Even though their team has baseballs, the player has to have something to practice with at home,” Luke shared.
Meanwhile, products safeguarding against players getting jammed are another add-on item sellers can offer their customers. “Little kids are going to be swinging at everything that they possibly can when they’re first playing the game, so they’re going to get jammed a lot and feel that uncomfortable vibration in the bat,” said Sports Authority’s Barry, who suggests youth players get a power pad to reduce bat vibration and stinging. He has also noticed that kids enjoy eye black, while batting gloves and glove oil are also staple complementary products at his store. ■
Franklin Sports’ Deluxe 3-Position Batting Tee To Go lets kids practice their swings without need-ing a pitcher. Includes a high impact rubber post, durable rubber ball holder, and built in carrying handle for easy portability, MSRP $20-$30.
Shock Doctor’s 201 Bio-Flex Cup is a protec-tive item suggested by retailers for youth players when they shop for bats and gloves. The vented bio-shape cup is designed to shield areas where protection is most crucial, MSRP $9.
Franklin Sports’ MLB® Dr. Glove ® Oil Conditioner is great for breaking in fielding gloves. The conditioner softens, enriches, and preserves leather gloves, Made in the U.S.A. and available in a 4-ounce bottle, MSRP $3.
Easton’s Natural Grip Two Tone Junior Batting Helmet offers performance, comfort and protection for kids. The helmet comes with a high grade ABS shell for strength and an EVA impact foam for durability and protection, MSRP $40.
Mizuno’s Youth Samurai Chest Protector G3 is designed with an inno-vative construction for durability, comfort, and very lightweight perfor-mance. Made for youth ages 9 to 12, the Samurai employs a low rebound technology to keep bounced balls close to the catcher, MSRP $94.
NFHS BASEBALL RULES CHANGES FOR 2013New rules for the upcoming baseball season adopted by the The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) - the leading rules-mak-ing body for high school sports across the nation - will have a trickle-down effect on youth baseball leagues in subsequent years.
Rule 3-3-1f restricts the use of any video monitoring or replay equipment for coaching purposes during the course of the game.
Rule 3-3-1i restricts the use of any electronic devices in the coach's box. The above rules prohibit the use of any object in the coach’s possession in the coaches' box other than a stopwatch, rule book (hard copy), or score-book. Use of video monitoring or replay equipment for coaching purposes is prohibited during the course of the game
Exception to Rule 6-2-2c clarifies that an incoming pitcher be treated equally. If a pitcher is ejected, an incoming pitcher should be afforded the same warm-up criteria as if he were replacing an injured player. Note for Rule 1-3-2 clarifies and places additional emphasis on the impor-tance and legal repercussions of altering non-wood baseball bats. Rules courtesy NFHS
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL RULES CHANGES FOR 2013Rule 8.01(f) has been amended to read: A pitcher must indicate visually to the umpire-in-chief, the batter and any runners the hand with which he/she in-tends to pitch, which may be done by wearing his/her glove on the other hand while touching the pitcher's plate. The pitcher is not permitted to pitch with the other hand until the batter is retired, the batter becomes a runner, the inning ends, the batter is substituted for by a pinch-hitter or the pitcher incurs an injury. In the event a pitcher switches pitching hands during an at-bat because he/she has suffered an injury, the pitcher may not, for the remainder of the game, pitch with the hand from which he/she has switched. The pitcher shall not be given the opportunity to throw any preparatory pitches after switching pitching hands. Any change of pitching hands must be indicated clearly to the umpire-in-chief. This rule applies to the Baseball Rulebook.
Summary and Implementation - For the 2013 season, language was added mandating a pitcher must indicate which hand the player intends to pitch with to a batter.Rule courtesy Little League
RECENT USSSA BASEBALL BAT MARKS AND GRANDFATHERING RULESThe United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) has recently approved new specifications for bats used by several youth and t-ball leagues. Official USSSA marks are found on many bats manufactured for use in such leagues.
Big Barrel Bat Rules (2” or 2¾”) – 14U and Below - Effective Janu-ary 1, 2012 - Bats must have the new permanent USSSA Mark on its taper OR be a qualified BBCOR bat OR be a Wood Bat. All of the above bats must be manufactured by an approved USSSA Bat Licensee. This rule applies to all Big Barrel Bats, including Coach Pitch bats.
Small Barrel Baseball Bat Rules (2¼” or less) for 2012 and 2013 - Bats must have the new permanent USSSA mark on its taper OR have the old permanent USSSA mark (“USSSA 1.15 BPF”) OR be a Wood Bat. All of the above bats must be manufactured by an approved USSSA Bat Licensee. This applies to tee ball bats longer than 23”.
For 2014 - Bats must have the new permanent USSSA mark on its ta-per OR be a Wood Bat. Both of the above bats must be manufactured by an approved USSSA Bat licensee.Rules courtesy USSSA
BABE RUTH LEAGUE RULES CHANGES FOR 2013Bat Rule for the Cal Ripken Baseball Division (ages 4 to 12), the bat may not exceed 33 inches in length, and the bat barrel may not exceed 2¼ inches in diameter. Only 2¼ inch barrel non-wood bats marked BPF 1.15 will be allowed. Wood 2 ¼ inch barrel bats are allowed.
10th Hitter Rule for the Cal Ripken Baseball Division, a team may elect to add a tenth hitter to the batting order for district, state and regional tournament competition as well as the Cal Ripken 10-Year-Old World Series, Cal Ripken Major 60 World Series and Cal Ripken Major 70 World Series. Prior to the beginning of the game, this player will be indicated in the line-up as the "EH". The "EH" will be treated as any other starter, and cannot be eliminated during the course of the game. NOTE: If a team's line up starts with 10 players, the team must finish with 10 players. Penalty shall be a forfeit.Rules courtesy of Babe Ruth League
2013 BASEBALL RULES CHANGES A RUNDOWN OF KEY RULES CHANGES THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY
VARIOUS GOVERNING BODIES AND YOUTH LEAGUES
CALENDAR For full year calendar go to sportsonesource.com/events
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FEBRUARY
1-5 NBS Spring Semi - Annual Market Fort Worth, TX
3-6 ISPO Munich 2013 Munich, Germany
5-7 FFANY New York, NY
6-8 ASI Dallas Dallas, TX
13-15 Magic Marketplace Las Vegas, NV
13-16 Sports Inc. Outdoor Show Phoenix, AZ
14-17 ASA-ICAST Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Sport Show Oaks, PA
17-20 WDI Worldwide Spring Show Reno, NV
23-25 Atlanta Shoe Market Atlanta, GA
26-28 MRA On Snow Demo Boyne Mountain, MI
28-3 ASA-ICAST World Fishing & Outdoor Exposition Suffern, NY
MARCH
6-10 ASA-ICAST Fred Hall Shows Long Beach, CA
15-17 ASA-ICAST Saltwater Fishing Expo Somerset, NJ
21-24 ASA-ICAST Fred Hall Shows San Diego, CA
22-24 ASI Long Beach Long Beach, CA
APRIL
12-14 SGB Golf Outing Charleston, SC
MAY
2-5 SOS Leadership Development & SGB 40 Under 40 Awards South Beach Miami, FL
5-8 N.S.G.A. Mgmt. Conference Palm Beach Gardens, FL
8-9 ASI New York New York, NY
JUNE
18-20 Licensing International Expo Las Vegas, NV
26-28 TAG Spring/Summer Show St. Charles, MO
27-29 Sports Inc. Athletic Show Denver, CO
JULY 2013
10-12 BCA International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo Friedrichshafen, Germany
11-14 European Outdoor Trade Fair Friedrichshafen, Germany
12-14 A.D.A. Spring Show Milwaukee, WI
16-18 ASI Chicago Chicago, IL
17-19 NBS Specialty Outdoor Market Fort Worth, TX
18-19 NBS Summer Market Fort Worth, TX
31 Outdoor Retailer Open Air Demo Salt Lake City, UT
AUGUST 2013
1-4 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Salt Lake City, UT
1-4 SGB Active Lifestyle Investors Conference Salt Lake City, UT
Athletic Dealers of America1395 Highland AvenueMelbourne, FL 32935t 321.254.0091f 321.242.7419athleticdealersofamerica.com
National Shooting Sports FoundationFlintlock Ridge Office Center11 Mile Hill RoadNewtown, CT 06470t 203.426.1320 f. 203.426.1087nssf.org
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 817.788.8542nbs.com
Outdoor Industry Association4909 Pearl East Circle / Suite 300Boulder, CO 80301t 303.444.3353f 303.444.3284outdoorindustry.org
SFIA 8505 Fenton StreetSilver Spring, MD 20910t 301.495.6321f 301.495.6322sfia.org
Snow Sports Industries America8377-B Greensboro DriveMcLean, VA 22102t 703.556.9020f 703.821.8276snowsports.org
Sports, Inc.333 2nd Avenue NorthLewistown, MT 59457t 406.538.3496f 406.538.2801sportsinc.com
Sports Specialists Ltd.590 Fishers Station Drive / Suite 110Victor, NY 14564t 585.742.1010f 585.742.2645sportsspecialistsltd.com
Team Athletic Goods629 Cepi DriveChesterfield, MO 63005t 636.530.3710f 636.530.3711tag1.com
Worldwide 8211 South 194thKent, WA 98032t 253.872.8746f 253.872.7603wdi-wdi.com
Athletic Dealers of America1395 Highland AvenueMelbourne, FL 32935t 321.254.0091f 321.242.7419athleticdealersofamerica.com
National Shooting Sports FoundationFlintlock Ridge Office Center11 Mile Hill RoadNewtown, CT 06470t 203.426.1320 f. 203.426.1087nssf.org
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 817.788.8542nbs.com
Outdoor Industry Association4909 Pearl East Circle / Suite 300Boulder, CO 80301t 303.444.3353f 303.444.3284outdoorindustry.org
SFIA 8505 Fenton StreetSilver Spring, MD 20910t 301.495.6321f 301.495.6322sfia.org
Snow Sports Industries America8377-B Greensboro DriveMcLean, VA 22102t 703.556.9020f 703.821.8276snowsports.org
Sports, Inc.333 2nd Avenue NorthLewistown, MT 59457t 406.538.3496f 406.538.2801sportsinc.com
Sports Specialists Ltd.590 Fishers Station Drive / Suite 110Victor, NY 14564t 585.742.1010f 585.742.2645sportsspecialistsltd.com
Team Athletic Goods629 Cepi DriveChesterfield, MO 63005t 636.530.3710f 636.530.3711tag1.com
Worldwide 8211 South 194thKent, WA 98032t 253.872.8746f 253.872.7603wdi-wdi.com
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