Sign up for Logo Insights' mailing list to get our publication delivered to your inbox bi-monthly, as well as our newsletter for more frequent updates.
As the year in team sports winds down there is no slowdown in the amount of news involving football helmets and player safety coming across our desks. Maybe it is because of all of the money involved in the sport or because it makes for good pr, but it seems a larger number of companies are... Read the full story.
So maybe it is possible for something to get done in Washington, D.C., these days except for partisan impeachment hearings. And in this case bipartisanship has the potential to really, really help the team sports business. Read the full story.
It’s official: Rawlings, which has always been closely linked to baseball gloves through its sponsorship of the annual Gold Glove Awards, is taking that partnership a step further with a recently signed licensing agreement with Major League Baseball that makes it an official glove partner in 2020. Read the full story.
Yes, we know they are the bad guys and they sometimes act like the 800-pound gorilla in the world of team sports, but you do have to hand it to Dick’s Sporting Goods for its continued commitment to funding youth sports in under-served communities. Read the full story.
Earlier this fall BSN Sports, a division of Varsity Brands, acquired David Bowen Sporting Goods, based in Pensacola, FL. Founded in 1993, Bowen also has locations in Pace, FL, and Mobile, AL, making it one of the largest team sporting goods suppliers on the Gulf Coast. Read the full story.
Bat Digest (formerly Just Bat Reviews), which operates the largest online baseball and softball bat reviews site in the world, recently announced that Easton Diamond Sports has received an industry-leading 17 awards for its 2020 bat line. Read the full story.
Illustrating just how important sublimation technology has become to the team sports business, Augusta Sportswear, one of the industry’s largest and most important brands, last month launched its highly sophisticated but user-friendly sublimation design platform, called FreeStyle Sublimation. Read the full story.
OrderMyGear, which late last month announced a groundbreaking technology partnership with the Sports Inc. buying group, used he occasion of the groups’ Fall Meeting in Las Vegas last week to launch its Live Inventory feed built from partnerships with five of the biggest brands in the team dealer industry... Read the full story.
It’s the holiday season so it is nice to put a feel-good article in this issue of Team Insight Extra. As part of its “A Canvas for Good” initiative highlighting the company’s belief that “business is personal,” last month SanMar held a fundraiser for Virginia Mason Hospital’s Bailey-Boushay House in Seattle. Read the full story.
Every year at this time – right before the holidays hit full stride – we head to Las Vegas for the Sports Inc. Team Dealers Fall Show and we always look forward to getting an up close and personal look at the state of the independent team dealer. Read the full story.
As it does every year as a service to its members, NSGA recently conducted its annual check on rule changes by contacting more than 40 sports governing bodies in the United States and Canada. Read the full story.
Delta Apparel is doubling the size of its Clinton, TN, distribution center that will enable the company to service its expanded product line. Delta intends to add retail packaging operations to service its Direct-to-Retail business and integrate its... Read the full story.
Illustrating just how far the role of technology is playing in the world of team sports, OrderMyGear and Sports, Inc. have entered into a first-of-its-kind official technology partnership. Read the full story.
Do you sell football helmets? Then you have to read one of the best articles on the challenges this multi-billion dollar industry faces in the November 18-25 issue of Sports Illustrated where, in a story entitled “When Helmet Safety Meets Capitalism,”... Read the full story.
When it comes to writing playing rules for major sports in the United States, it’s all in the acronyms. In football, you have the NFL, NCAA and NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations)... Read the full story.
The garment decorating experts at Stahls’ have launched Stahls’ Spirit Sale to allow team dealers and apparel decorators to create online stores to sell more custom shirts to groups, schools, causes, teams and businesses. Read the full story.
Our little world of team sports has certainly changed significantly in the past few years and no where was that more evident than at the BSN Sports annual sales meeting in Phoenix, AZ, last week. Read the full story.
Spalding is launching a collection of limited-edition basketballs and equipment, including collaborations with SLAP, BAPE, Just Don, Kobe Bryant and Damian Lillard on Nov. 24. Read the full story.
Speaking for many in the team sports industry worried about the future of its number one sport, USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck testified late last month to the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health... Read the full story.
In case you want to go visit the folks at the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA), don’t head to their old offices in Mount Prospect — as of the first of this month you will have to head to their new location in Downers Grove, a western suburb of Chicago. Read the full story.
Under Armour founder and chief executive Kevin Plank will step down from the company's top role in January, handing over the reins to its president, Patrik Frisk.
Plank founded Under Armour in 1996 in Baltimore. Read the full story.
The National Lacrosse League recently renewed its sponsorship deal with Team 22, the manufacturer of Under Armour lacrosse gear, for another three years as the league continues to team with corporate partners to try to grow its revenues...
Read the full story.
A few days after I had learned that he had died, I woke up at 5 a.m. thinking about Curt Mueller. That’s usually not how you want to start a day. But it is testament to the impact and influence the man and his personality had on... Read the full story.
DeMarini is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the introduction of its Ultimate Onslaught Series, inspired by some of its most popular bats over the past three decades. Read the full story.
News on the football helmet front just keeps coming and coming as this all-important product category for team dealers struggles to keep up with changing regulations... Read the full story.
Although it doesn’t have a direct impact on team dealers, a recent surprise move by run specialty chain JackRabbit early this month to acquire Olympia Sports certainly does raise a few questions about who is buying who next. Read the full story.
There is both good and bad news concerning concussions in high school sports, according to a new study on the always controversial topic. Read the full story.
The following is a letter TeamInsightExtra received from Herb Markwort, president of Markwort Sporting Goods, following an article in the October 3 issue. Read the full story.
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Wilson Sporting Goods recently signed a multi-year deal that focuses on education for the high school, travel ball and youth coaching communities. Read the full story.
Although certainly not a favorite among independent team dealers, Riddell should receive some kudos for taking some significant steps to make its key sport of football safer. Read the full story.
As if the football helmet business hasn’t had enough problems to worry about the past few years, now comes word that Mayfield Athletics... Read the full story.
Technology continues to increase the capabilities of apparel suppliers to the team business along with the services team dealers are able to offer to their steams.
Read the full story.
Extending its significant reach into all aspects of school sports, Varsity Brands, the parent company of BSN Sports, has launched its 2020 Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards... Read the full story.
When the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey was released by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in August, many headlines across the country focused on... Read the full story.
Miro, a company rooted in computer vision and artificial intelligence, won the 2019 SFIA Start-Up Challenge last month for its complex algorithms that capture valuable athlete data from various athletic competitions, such as races and sporting events. Read the full story.
Stahls’ will host a “Spark: New Heat Printing Ideas,” on Workshop Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 11. It will cover the latest decoration methods, new heat printing techniques, and provide a sneak peak at what’s new from Stahls and Transfer Express. Read the full story.
Looking to recognize the most qualified and experienced independently owned team dealers and retailers, the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) has granted four more retailers and dealers Verified Independent Dealer status. Read the full story.
BSN Sports is partnering with Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman to help elevate girls’ sports by providing curated coaching resources, content and support.
Read the full story.
The Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame will induct three sporting goods industry pioneers into its Class of 2020 next May. Peter Capolino, Robert Greenberg, and Klaus Obermeyer, will join more than 170 retailers... Read the full story.
We are not happy about it, but we do feel compelled to report that the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), the national governing body of two-year college athletics, has created NJCAA Esports. Read the full story.
Just when you thought all of the bat battles of the past two years were behind you, here comes news that the United States Sports Specialty Association (USSSA) has announced baseball bat standard changes... Read the full story.
Xenith has named Buffalo Bills running back, Frank Gore, as a brand ambassador. Gore will be wearing a Xenith helmet and apparel this season. Nick Chubb Continues to Choose Xenith as Brand Ambassador. Read the full story.
In what has to be classified as nothing but bad news for the team sports business, participation in high school sports declined in 2018-19 for the first time in 30 years, according to the annual High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Read the full story.
With much of the NFL pre-season discussion centering on who is wearing what certified or non-certified helmet – and with a lot of bad publicity swirling around it – the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) felt compelled last month to go public to detail the sometimes confusing rules related to football helmets.
Read the full story.
Team dealers can view them as the big bad wolf in team sports competition, but you have to give credit to Dick’s Sporting Goods for putting its money where its mouth is with the launch last month of a national campaign aimed at providing access to sports for one million young athletes nationwide by 2024. Read the full story.
After delaying a new rule mandating in-season bat testing in 2017 because of cost and availability concerns, the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee recently established protocols for in-season bat testing that will take place in Division I during the 2020 season. Read the full story.
Founder Sport Group has nationally launched its Teamwork Flash program that caters to the apparel needs of athletic programs at all levels.
Read the full story.
Okay, now I’m really annoyed. It’s not enough that e-Sports has commandeered the word “sport” into its sedentary activity, now it has made a big deal out of taking over an actual sport.
Read the full story.
Adding to its steadily growing stable of team dealers – and offering team dealers looking to sell an option beyond BSN Sports – Trivest Partners and its ASB Sports affiliate this week acquired The Graphic Edge (TGE). Read the full story.
Who would have thought NFL rules designed to make it safer to play football would end up in the headlines because two major stars would rather not be safe than switch? At least that’s the takeaway from the controversy this week...
Read the full story.
Team dealers certainly are aware of its success, and once again Inc. magazine has joined the chorus by naming team sports tech company OrderMyGear as an honoree on its annual Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. It is the third year in a row OMG has made the prestigious list. Read the full story.
Looking to up its game with female athletes, Easton Diamond Sports last week teamed with Jen Schroeder, a Team Easton ambassador as well as instructor and founder of Jen Schro Catching, to launch a catcher’s gear collection made specifically for female bodies. Read the full story.
Shoulder pads, commotio cordis chest protectors and the crosse are the focus of new high school lacrosse rules team dealers need to be aware of for next season.
Read the full story.
SanMar Corporation, a supplier of apparel and accessories, recently unveiled a new Vision Statement – “A Canvas for Good” coupled with a new Mission Statement...
Read the full story.
Continuing its oft-stated goal to become a head-to-toe supplier to team dealers, Augusta Sportswear this week acquired Pacific Headwear, a privately held company with headquarters in Oregon.
Read the full story.
Team dealers can continue to get involved in an industry-wide effort to combat the obesity pandemic in America through PHIT America’s efforts. Since September 2015, PHIT America GO! Grants have been awarded to 730 elementary school P.E. programs in 39 states that...
Read the full story.
In the first piece of good news in a while concerning the safety of children and young adults playing football, a recent study from JAMA Neurology suggests that former high school football players do not face an enhanced risk of Chronic Traumatic Encephelopathy (CTE) from playing high school football. Read the full story.
A significant change in rules regarding sticks and eyewear for girls’ lacrosse will take effect for the 2020 high school season. The rules changes recommended by the joint National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and...
Read the full story.
As the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) celebrates its 100th anniversary this year it came up with a new logo that was unveiled to the membership last month at the close of the NFHS Centennial Celebration.
Read the full story.
I am technically on vacation this week but I felt the need to check in on a few topics that have been on my mind while I work on my tan (with plenty of sunscreen, of course).
Read the full story.
He’s back!!!! Former Alleson Athletic president Todd Levine is rejoining Founder Sport Group, the company that purchased Alleson in 2017, as president of the newly formed Digital Apparel Lab, formerly known as Teamwork Athletic Apparel.
Read the full story.
Team dealers certainly need to be aware of two subtle but important rules changes – one at the college level and the other for high school play – for the upcoming season.
Read the full story.
Proving that it is possible to actually have a bipartisan agreement on something everyone agrees is a good idea, Congressmen Ron Kind (D-WI) and Mike Kelly (R-PA), lead sponsors of the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act...
Read the full story.
Yes, pickleball is a real thing and it is happening at a health club, tennis facility or school near you. It even has a Tournament of Champions and Selkirk Sport, so far the leading pickleball equipment and accessories brand...
Read the full story.
With flag football and its non-contact cousin, 7v7 football, growing as an alternative to full tackle football, thankfully there is still some equipment needed and innovative companies are stepping up to fill the void.
Read the full story.
United Sports Brands has named Greg Houser to its senior leadership team as senior VP–design and product development overseeing the company’s full brand portfolio: Shock Doctor, McDavid, Nathan and Cutters.
Read the full story.
The team sports industry now officially has its very own certification program that is making every attempt to build up the authenticity and reputations of its team dealer members.
Read the full story.
Taking a cue from the ultra-popular “Shark Tank” concept, the SFIA Start-Up Challenge returns to SFIA’s annual Industry Leaders Summit on September 25, 2019 in Baltimore, MD.
Read the full story.
Football Canada, the sanctioning body for American football in the country, has approved a full-squad tackle football ban for kids under 13 starting in 2022. Read the full story.
The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) is warning lacrosse players, coaches and teams to avoid purchasing or using lacrosse balls with the “KSONE” brand. Read the full story.
It is really quite remarkable that two companies that arguably have most changed the face of the team sports industry sit just 18 miles apart as the crow flies in the Dallas area. Read the full story.
With all the talk about launch angles and home runs in Major league baseball, one of the more novel new products we have come across lately makes a lot of sense. Read the full story.
Two hot new women’s sports – acrobatics/tumbling and women’s wrestling – have been recommended by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics to be added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program...
Read the full story.
Are there opportunities for team dealers in the rapidly expanding world of E-sports? That was the question debated by a room full of team dealers at the recent NSGA Team Dealer Summit. Read the full story.
Team dealers would do well to listen to some of the advice recently offered by Mike Cosentino, from Big Peach Running Company in Atlanta, if they are looking for ways to up their own games. Read the full story.
Easton Diamond Sports is making a big push at the College World Series in Omaha, NB, this month, laying claim as “the number one bat in College World Series History...”
Read the full story.
Cathy Pryor, senior VP-store operations at Hibbett Sports, made history on June 1when she officially began her three-year term as NSGA Chair of the Board of Directors...
Read the full story.
You certainly have to hand it to the team sports buying groups — Sports Inc. and Nation’s Best Sports — as the glue that is holding together the independent team dealers in America...
Read the full story.
As if the football helmet business didn’t have enough challenges, a jury recently awarded a major win to Riddell over rival Schutt Sports for patent infringement.
Read the full story.
Numbers on basketball jerseys can no longer be the same color as the jerseys, effective with the 2024-25 season...
Read the full story.
The NSGA Management Conference and Team Dealer Summit, held May 21-23 in Braselton, GA, can more accurately be called the Team Dealer Summit and Management Conference...
Read the full story.
Having just returned from the NSGA Management Conference and Team Dealer Summit in the sort-of-out-of-the-way Braselton, GA... Read the full story.
Shock Doctor has entered into a partnership with Odell Beckham Jr. for the launch of the new Interchange Lip Guard.
Read the full story.
Team Insight® is a trademark of Formula4 Media, LLC. ©2020 All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to Team Insight are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. Team Insight is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles appearing in publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher.