Look-Ahead For Spring Team Sportsd4ex6pvli7xof.cloudfront.net/sgbweekly/2014/SGB_14... · 6 Sport...

ISSUE 1427JULY 7 2014

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Sporting Goods Industry

SPRING 2015

Look-Ahead For Spring

Team Sports

Come See Sgb and SportsoneSource at

oR Summer Market 2014

booth 16041

2 SGBWeeklycom | JULY 7 2014

SportScanInfocomA Service of The SportsOneSource Group

Achieve Your GoAls

SportScanInfo is the only weekly retail sales trend reporting solution for the active lifestyle market

To learn more call 3039977302 or SportScanSportsOneSourcecom

BreAdTh Of dATA depTh Of dATA TImelIneSS Of dATA

JULY 7 2014 | SGBWeeklycom 3

Copyright 2014 SportsOneSource LLC All rights reserved The opinions expressed by writers and contributors to SGB WEEKLY are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers SGB WEEKLY is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts photographs or artwork Articles appearing in SGB WEEKLY may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher SGB WEEKLY is published weekly by SportsOneSource

Senior Business Editor

Thomas J Ryan

tryansportsonesourcecom

9173754699

Contributing Editors

Scott Boulbol Fernando J Delgado Bill Kendy

Charlie Lunan Ryan Sullivan

Editorial amp Creative Director

Teresa Hartford

teresasportsonesourcecom

Senior Graphic Designer

Camila Amortegui

camilasportsonesourcecom

Director Media amp Event Development

Candice L Smith

West Coast and Rockies

candicesportsonesourcecom

6033615762

Advertising Sales Account Managers

Buz Keenan

Northeast

buzsportsonesourcecom

2018875112

Katie ODonohue

SoutheastMidwest

katieosportsonesourcecom

8282443043

Circulation amp Subscriptions

subssportsonesourcecom

Group PublisherEditor In ChiefJames Hartford

jamessportsonesourcecom

3039977302

2151 Hawkins St bull Suite 200 bull Charlotte bull NC bull 28203SportsOneSourcecom

SportsOneSource Publications

Print Magazines SGB SGB PerformanceDigital Magazine SGB Weekly

Newsletters The BOSS ReportSports Executive Weekly

News Updates SGB SGB Footwear SGB Outdoor SGB Sportsmanrsquos SGB Team Sports

Job Market SOS Research

SportsOneSource ResearchBrand Strength Report OIA VantagePoint

SOS Research SportScanInfo

Career ServicesSportsJobSourcecom

JulY 7 2014issue 1427

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the sporting Goods industry

mAKInG neWS4 Finish Linersquos Glenn Lyon Joins Special Olympicsrsquo Board

Nike Q4 Revenues Climb Double-Digits5 USA vs Belgium Sets World Cup Record for ESPN6 Sport Chalet Finds a Buyer in Vestis Retail Group

7 Ugg Launches New Tween Brand I Heart Ugg24 Industry Calendar

GIVInG BACK8 High Sierra Helps Distribute 1750 Backpacks to Bostonrsquos Homeless

TeAm BUSIneSS13 Spring Forward

2015 Look-Ahead for Spring Team Sports

ON THE COVER Photo courtesy Easton

5Soccer fans at a viewing party watch the USA versus Belgium World Cup Soccer match

Finish Linersquos GLENN LyON JOINS

SPECIAL OLymPICSrsquo BOARD

The Finish Line Incrsquos Chairman and CEO Glenn S Lyon has joined the Special Olympics International board of di-rectors He will begin his term on January 1 2015 joining Harvard Law School Professor William lsquoBillrsquo Alford who was re-elected and Peter Mazunda Managing Di-rector for Xtra Solutions Communications Group who also joins the Board as the Africa representa-tive to the International Advisory Committee

ldquoFrom high fives to hugs my interaction with Special Olympics athletes always inspires me I value the compassion drive and commitment of Special Olympics and all that it is accomplishingrdquo said Lyon ldquoI just learned for example about a Finish Line associate who this past week-end at a Special Olympics event gave his own shoes to an athlete in need Its that passion that our team has at all levels that fuels me to devote time and energy to Special Olympics Internationalrdquo

In April of 2012 Finish Line announced in partnership with its Finish Line Youth Foundation a multi-year pledge to support Special Olympics as part of the retailers ongoing mission to celebrate the everyday achievements of athletes everywhere Finish Line associates across the country have provided support and volunteer participation at Special Olympicsrsquo events in dozens of communities Recently more than 200 associates from Finish Linersquos Indianapolis-based headquarters and surrounding stores spent a rewarding day of volunteering at the Special Olympics Indiana Summer Games in Terre Haute IN

Since the partnership was announced Finish Line has also held in-store fundraising campaigns Including partici-pation from valued customers Finish Line has contributed more than $35 million to Special Olympics

ldquoIt is an honor to be involved and I look forward to our team at Finish Line continuing to make a difference in the lives of others through our ongoing partnership with Spe-cial Olympics and now with my involvement on the boardrdquo Lyon added

Lyon became CEO of Finish Line in 2008 In May 2010 he was also named chairman of the board

Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 44 million athletes in 170 countries With the support of more than 13 million coaches and volunteers Special Olympics delivers 33 Olympic-type sports and more than 81000 games and competitions throughout the year

4 SGBWeeklycom | JUNE 30 2014

Glenn S Lyon Chairman and CEO The Finish Line

Nike Inc reported a modest gain in earnings in the fourth quarter ended May 31 slowed by World Cup marketing investments But results topped Wall Streets estimates by 3 cents a share More im-pressively revenues grew 109 percent to $743 billion and 13 percent on a currency-neutral (C-N) basis thanks to strong sales in North America and Western Europe

And sales momentum continues to be strong Nike Brand futuresrsquo orders advanced 12 percent on a C-N basis again led by continued strength in North America and Europe despite its futures window moving beyond the World Cup

Excluding year-ago losses from discontinued operations net income in the quarter inched up 12 percent to $698 million or 78 cents a share but came in ahead of Wall Streets consensus esti-mate of 75 cents Net earnings rose 54 percent

Gross margins improved to 456 percent from 439 percent a year ago but SGampA expenses in-creased to 330 percent from 303 percent with the bump up largely due to spending around the World Cup Nike officials estimated that changes in currency exchange rates including the im-pact on gross margin other expenseS and PampL translation reduced its year-on-year EPS growth by 7 percentage points for the fourth-quarter

The strong fourth-quarter performance brought sales for the full year to $28 million up 10 percent With a 120-basis point improvement in gross margin helping to offset the loss of 8 points of growth to currency headwinds EPS rose 11 percent to $297 for the full year

ldquoWe introduced great products launched new consumer experiences expanded our digital eco-system and developed engaging retail concepts that drove excitement and energy for our brands in the marketplacerdquo said President and CEO Mark Parker on a conference call ldquoBy staying true to the Nike spirit we continued to deliver great results like those were reporting todayrdquo

On a reported basis Nike Brand sales climbed 108 percent to $702 billion and advanced 13 percent on a C-N basis Conversersquos revenues were ahead 158 percent in the quarter on a re-ported basis to $410 million and ahead 16 percent on a C-N basis

In North America sales for Nike Brand in the quarter rose 101 percent to $329 billion and gained 10 percent on a C-N basis By category the Q4 gains were led by double-digit growth in bas-ketball and global football In Q4 DTC revenueS grew 21 percent driven by an 8 percent increase in comp store sales and significantly higher in Nikecom revenues

On a conference call with analysts Trevor Edwards president of the Nike Brand noted that the geography had its most profitable year with reported EBIT expanding faster than reported revenue to reach $3 billion for the year

ldquoFor the last decade weve heard that our opportunities in North America are tapped out but as we continue to demonstrate nothing could be further from the truthrdquo Edwards added He at-tributed the success to its ldquocategory offenserdquo strategy that not only led to building on its leadership position in basketball and running categories but also gains in e-commerce as well as in its apparel womenrsquos and young athletersquos businesses

nike Q4 reVenUeS ClImB dOUBle-dIGITS


UsA vs BeLgiUm SETS WORLD CUP RECORD

FOR ESPN

ESPNrsquos telecast of the USA vs Belgium World Cup match averaged a network record 96 overnight rating according to Nielsen That marked the highest overnight rating for a World Cup match on ESPN or ESPN2 Belgium earned a 2-to-1 victory in extra time

The figure eclipsed the previous World Cup rating record on the network of a 91 rating for the USA vs Portugal match on June 22 of the tournament Making it more impressive was that Tuesdayrsquos rating was accomplished with a weekday afternoon game (4 pm EST start) unlike the ideal game time of Sunday afternoon for US vs Portugal

The only World Cup matches to rate higher on English-language television were on ABC a 128 for the 1994 final between Brazil and Italy and a 104 for USA vs Brazil in that tournamentrsquos second round

Nielsen said ESPNrsquos television coverage peaked from 545 ndash 6 pm EST with a 141 rating while WatchESPN peaked at 15 million concurrent viewers

The Top-10 metered markets were New York (150) HartfordNew Haven (132) Washington DC (128) Richmond (123) Boston (122) West Palm Beach (120) Baltimore (114) Cincinnati (114) San Diego (110) Columbus (108) Norfolk (108) and Orlando (108)

To date through the USA vs Belgium match the highest-rated markets on ESPN ESPN2 and ABC are Washington DC (45) New York (42) San Francisco (39) Los Angeles (36) San Diego (35) Orlando (35) HartfordNew Haven (35) MiamiFort Lauderdale (34) West Palm Beach (34) Richmond (33) and Boston (33)


sport ChALet FINDS A BUyER IN VESTIS RETAIL GROUP

Sport Chalet which has spent the last year seeking investors agreed to be acquired by the same PE-backed company that owns Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) and Bobrsquos Stores

Vestis Retail Group LLC will acquire all the outstanding shares of the 51-unit California-based full-line sporting goods retailer for $120 per share Based on the total number of out-standing shares listed in its 10K filing the sales price would be $17 million The company had $524 million in debt at the end of the quarter according to a securities filing Including debt the deal would be worth about $70 million

Vestis was created in 2012 by the Philadelphia private equity firm Versa Capital Management LLC to acquire EMS and combine its back-office operations with those of Bobrsquos Stores which Versa acquired in 2008

In a statement Versa indicated it plans to combine Sport Chalets back-office and online logis-tics operations with the EMS chain in the Mid-Atlantic States and Bobs Stores in the Northeast to create one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the US The combination will have more than 150 stores that generated $800 million in total sales for the 12 months ended December 31

Versa said it would borrow $180 million to support the combined chains ldquoSport Chalet greatly strengthens our position in the active lifestyle and outdoor categories

provides scale from which to grow and diversifies our geographic footprint said Mark Walsh Vestis CEO ldquoWe believe that Sport Chalet will benefit greatly from its addition to Vestis With the talent and resources that already exist within the Vestis family we envision a multitude of programs that will leverage the knowledge talent and relationships of our three retail companies to the benefit of customers and vendors alike

No Sport Chalet stores are expected to close as a result of this transaction Sport Chalet as is the case with Bobs and EMS will continue to operate under its existing brand name

Craig Levra chairman CEO and president of Sport Chalet will remain in his position as CEO at Sport Chalet and continue to run this business out of Los Angeles

For the past year we have methodically explored a wide range of options to position Sport Chalet for growth and to further our strategic initiativesrdquo said

Levra ldquoWe believe Vestis is the ideal partner given its base of stores in the Eastern US and synergistic vendor relationships marketing focus and inventory platforms We believe we will be very well positioned to compete in todays retail environment as part of a larger organization with significant scale advantages and broad geographic reach

Sport Chalet expects the transaction to close before the end of the calendar third quarter 2014Sport Chalet has struggled in recent years due to the recession as well as the housing crisis that

impacted its western statesLast week Sport Chalet reported it lost $101 million in the fiscal year-ended March 30

when sales declined 48 percent to $3435 million The company said the decline was due largely to a 31 percent decline in comp store sales which it attributed largely to the unseason-ably warm and dry winter weather throughout much of its markets The company also closed four underperforming stores while sales at its Team division slid 21 percent due to turn over in its sales staff


A Service of The SportsOneSource Group

your Daily Online News Source For All The Latest

Breaking News

SGBUpdATecom

Log on its Free


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Ugg LAUNCHES NEW TWEEN BRAND I HEART UGG

On July 14 Ugg Australia will launch I Heart Ugg a premium tween brand for girls with a product line that includes footwear lounge-wear accessories and handbags

The new brand incorporates colors prints patterns and construction elements made for the tween consumers taste and lifestyle I Heart Ugg has been designed to not only tap into the lucrative tween market but also to foster brand loyalty The debut collection will launch in the US Japan and China

This an important time in a young girls life and her tastes and needs are different than in any other life stage said Ugg Australia President Connie Rishwain The key was to make this product uniquely different from the Ugg brand yet also very recognizable as Ugg

Distinct design elements include I Heart Ugg

logo heel plate a red heart rivet on all footwear Kiss stitching on seams and a cell phone pocket in select boots

I Heart Ugg will be sold on a new e-commerce site iheartuggcom which will launch simultaneously on July 14 at Nordstrom Zappos Dillards and other retailers Two dedicated I Heart Ugg concept stores in Waikiki HI and in San Francisco are set to open in early September 2014

ClICK TO plAY


High Sierra Helps Distribute 1750

Backpacks to Bostonrsquos Homeless

On June 19 High Sierra partnered with The CITYPAK Project to distribute 1750 specially designed CITYPAK backpacks to Boston area homeless

Through a partnership with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless High Sierra a division of Samsonite LLC and The CITYPAK Project hosted health fairs at six locations that day The CITYPAKs were offered as incentives to encourage attendees to take advantage of on-site health services

ldquoWe are proud to add Boston to the list of cities wersquove reached with The CITYPAK Projectrdquo said Dawn Sicco vice president and general manager High Sierra ldquoOur mission to provide the homeless with a dignified solu-tion to carrying their belongings grows with each new city added to our distribution schedulerdquo

Health fairs were held from 9-11 am at New England Center for Homeless Veterans St Francis House Woods Mullen Shelter and Jean Yawkey Place and from 1-3 pm at the Pine Street Inn The fairs offered services including general health screenings vital sign readings dental and eye exams dermatological screenings HIV testing and nutritional counseling

High Sierra retail partner BJrsquos Wholesale Club based in Westborough MA donated bottled water and non-perishable food items to be served as snacks during the health fairs while High Sierra licensee Planet Sox donated 3600 pairs of socks for the Boston area homeless to be given out at the events

Founded by Chicago businessman and philanthro-pist Ron Kaplan in 2012 The CITYPAK Project pro-vides a safe convenient and versatile backpack designed to meet the constantly changing needs of the homeless Working with exclusive manufacturing partner High Sierra The CITYPAK Project has distributed over 10000 PAKs to the homeless throughout the United States including Chicago Boulder Maui Austin TX San Jose and Venice CA and others Boston marks the first east coast distribution site

ldquoWe donrsquot pretend that itrsquos any kind of solution to the complex issue of homelessnessrdquo said Ron Kaplan ldquoBut itrsquos something we can do to make a small difference for individuals who are in this difficult situation In addi-tion it provides an opportunity to continue the impor-tant dialogue about how our communities can best help our homeless neighborsrdquo

GIVING BACK

Photo courtesy High Sierra


BrandStrength

Report

Comprehensive Nationwide Survey Brand Strength Index Listing

In-Depth Consumer Behavior Analysis Detailed Individual Brand Analysis

Customizable Format

2014

brandStrengthReportcom

Overview amp Information

ldquoA brand for a company is like a reputation for a person You earn

reputation by trying to do hard things wellrdquo - JEFF BEzOS

ADVERTISEmENT

10 SGBWeeklycom | JULY 7 2014Proprietary Questions Customized Cross Tabs and Tailored Reports available upon request

Brand Strength report ndash Active lifestyle ConsumerMeasures Active Lifestyle brands among consumers who purchased sports or outdoor footwearapparel in the past yearRelease Dates June 2014 and June 2016

Brand Strength report - Specialty Outdoor ConsumerMeasures Outdoor and Active Lifestyle brands among specialty outdoor consumersRelease Dates August 2014 and August 2016

Brand Strength report - Sportsmanrsquos Consumer Measures Sportsmanrsquos and Active Lifestyle brands among hunt and fish consumersRelease Dates October 2014 and October 2016

Brand Strength report - performance ConsumerMeasures Performance and Active Lifestyle brands among performance consumersRelease Dates December 2014 and December 2016

Proprietary Questions Customized Cross Tabs and Tailored Reports available upon request

Climbing camping backpacking snow sports paddle sports etc

BRAND STRENGTH REPORTSMeasures how consumers feel about the brands they are buying and using Includes specific brand-by-brand rating system to determine Brand Strength Index

ADVERTISEmENT


Brand Strength IndexThe Brand Strength Index is an indicator of how consumers view brands The Index was built on a formula that mea-sures both aided and unaided awareness brand purchases and the intent to purchase the brand again The greatest indicator of a Brandrsquos Strength is the consumerrsquos unwilling-ness to compromise on a brand

Brand purchasingThis section assesses the brands that respondents mentioned purchasing in the last year both overall and by demographic Conversion rates were also calculated as a percentage of respondents that indicated purchasing a particular brand in the past year

Influences On footwearApparel equipment purchasingThese sections define the factors which drive consumers to make either a footwear apparel or equipment purchase Respondents were asked to rate the importance of a list of factors when making either a footwear apparel or equip-ment purchase Each section examines respondents by detailed demographic equipment groupings

purchasing habitsThis section assesses the purchasing habits of respondents when purchasing for themselves or their children Ques-tions range from how much do you spend on average pur-chases to future purchase plans

AidedUnaided Brand AwarenessThese sections assess the brands that consumers are aware of either unaided or aided

Brand Specific detailsThese sections analyze the individual respondents that mentioned purchasing each brand Questions range from the reasoning behind purchasing a particular brand to a rating for certain aspects of a brandrsquos footwear ap-parel or equipment products Brand reports range from three to five pages depending upon which products each brand produces

footwearApparelequipment ratings By AttributeThese sections assess the strengths and weaknesses of brands with regard to their footwear and apparel prod-ucts For each brand respondents mentioned purchasing in the past year they were asked to rate the footwear ap-parel andor equipment products purchased

All versions of the Brand Strength Report provide Brand Awareness levels by specific demographic segments For details contact

Bethany Cooner Director Market Research The SportsOneSource Group 3039977302 x7107 or email

BSRSportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT


To order the Brand Strength Report or to customize your personal report contact Bethany Cooner Director market Research

The SportsOneSource Group3039977302 x7107 or BSRSportsOneSourcecom


1075 E South Boulder Road bull Suite 300 bull Louisville bull CO bull 80027

SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT


By fernando J delgado

Spring Forward

Athlete demands for innovation comfort and eye-catching graphic designs are influ-encing next yearrsquos product lines from lead-ing manufacturers of baseball softball and lacrosse equipment

TEAm BUSINESS

WPhoto courtesy Schutt

ith the NCAA Championships for several spring sports recently wrapping up - including the College World Series for baseball and softball as well as the NCAA Menrsquos and Womenrsquos Lacrosse Championships

ndash and crowning new champions college athletes are getting a well-deserved break But right as those seasons are winding down manufacturers are gearing up their product lines for 2015



Some brands used the 2014 season championships as platforms for launching or testing their newest products while other brands took notes on the trends and preferences of players in their choice of equipment And all the while younger players at the high school and youth levels paid close attention to collegiate athletes After all younger players are oftentimes influenced and inspired by players in the collegiate ranks This seasonrsquos new niche trend could become next seasonrsquos status quo

Retailers and team dealers meanwhile are also just starting a new season of their own With the 2014 spring selling season for baseball softball and lacrosse in the rearview mirror decisions about which product lines to stock for 2015 must be made after

weighing which items generated big sales as well as the trends which emerged this season that could impact buying habits ahead of next season SGB caught a glimpse of the newest 2015 products and the future shows no signs of a letdown in fresh product technologies and bold aesthetics aimed at grabbing the attention of the serious team sports player

Diamond Sports Serious Baseball and Softball Players Expect moreThe 2014 baseball-selling season got off to a slow start which was disappointing for many retailers and team dealers The main reason wasnrsquot a lack of demand but rather a factor out of the control of sellers Mother Nature ldquoThe bad weather earlier in the year got spring sports off to a very slow startrdquo explained Neil Schwartz

Photo courtesy mizuno


VP of business development and consumer insights at SportsOneSource ldquoPeople were not thinking about playing baseball while there was still snow on the ground long into April in many parts of the countryrdquo

Excessive snow and rain did delay the start of many seasons as the lingering winter weather postponed practices and regular season games The Baseball Gloves and Baseball Protective Gear categories were particularly hard hit According to point-of-sale data compiled by SportScanInfo Baseball Bats year-to-date (YTD) as of May 16 was down 39 percent in units sold while Baseball Gloves was down 129 percent and Baseball Pro-tective Gear fell 125 percent As a result of pric-ing year-to-date dollars in the Baseball categories were not as adversely affected with the exception of Gloves Baseball Bats were up 117 percent in total dollars and Baseball Protective Gear was down 4 percent The hard-hit Baseball Gloves category was down 137 percent in total dollars

Softball Hardgoods year-to-date sales as of May 16 2014 fared better Softball Bats were up 109 percent in units and up 4 percent in dollars Softball Gloves also saw brisk sales up 45 percent in units and up 10 percent in dollars Softball Pro-tective Gear despite being down 74 percent in units was up 177 percent in dollars

Bats Pushing the High-End Envelope With a third full selling season of BBCOR on the books sellers have a better idea of what to expect from their customers Bat manufacturers mean-while are still finding ways to improve bat per-formance despite a restrictive bat standard ldquoWith

performance being limited by the BBCOR standard therersquos a greater focus on optimizing other aspects of the bat like how comfortable it is to hold how light it is to swing or how it feels on impactrdquo said Ryan Lawrence product marketing manager Easton ldquoThose aspects are becoming more important because you canrsquot just get the bat that makes the ball go the furthest as therersquos a lot less of a performance gap now In general looking at details like the barrel feel ndash how it feels when the batter makes contact with the ball ndash people want it to be as cushioned and comfortable as possible and they want no stinging of the hands Personal preference has become key and trends in feel and swing weight are more important with the performance being more limitedrdquo

Lawrence explained further that manufacturers have undergone a learning curve for BBCOR bats The first wave involved some trial-and-error and improvements needed to be made Bats for 2015 perform better thanks to research and development ldquoWhen BBCOR

first launched the first generation of bats from every manufacturer left a lot to be desiredrdquo said Lawrence ldquoThey were heavy and end-loaded-feeling So not only were the bats not performing well but you couldnrsquot swing them as fast That was further making performance worse Se we developed a system of bats ndash our Speed Series and our XL Series The Speed Series was geared more towards somebody that was looking for a faster-swinging bat The XL Series was a result of talking to our older college players They asked for something that had a little bit of weight to it Once we did that we learned a lot about what people preferred after they swung all our bats and after we looked at sales So we were able to narrow the story down The next request was lsquoWhat if they want a nice big barrel but they also want a light-swinging batrsquo That was the challenge to our engineers how do you extend the barrel without making it heavier We used a new thermo-composite thatrsquos different from a typical composite Having an advanced understanding of the thermo-composite allowed us to stretch the barrel out and also make it lighter swinging

ldquoOur S1 was our lightest-swinging bat until we launched the Mako which was even lighter And the XL1 was our longest barrel The Mako had the same barrel as the XL1 but was much light-er-swinging So it was the best of both worlds That was the mentality from BBCOR on down - how do we make the barrel longer but still perform wellrdquo

That brings us to one of the hottest selling bats of the past year Eastonrsquos Mako Many retailers and team dealers were taken by its popularity ahead of the 2014 season and with the willing-ness of baseball players to pay top dollar for it With a retail price ranging from $350 to $450 the Mako pushed the en-velope of high-end bat pricing

ldquoItrsquos interesting that from a sales standpoint it sold no matter what channel yoursquore talking about whether

Eastonrsquos mako


itrsquos Little League Senior League high school college softball itrsquos really resonatedrdquo said Lawrence about the Mako ldquoAll in all itrsquos because wersquore able to have longer barrels than our competitors and a lighter swing The Mako is the lightest-swinging bat out there right nowrdquo

The 2015 the Mako will feature a graphic update and is expected to be available for Fall 2014 Easton also recently introduced the Mako Torq a new model that could make waves in 2015 similar to how the Mako took the market by storm this year ldquoThe Mako Torq has been seen on TV with our NCAA players and it has an interesting technology in the handlerdquo said Lawrence who pointed out that specific product details for the Mako Torq are not yet available

Matt Mitchell senior buyer baseballsoftball cleats and equipment at Hibbett Sports is intrigued by the potential of the Mako Torq The bat is expected to test the boundaries of pricing even further with an expected retail price to exceed $500 ldquoFrom a performance technology standpoint the Mako Torq could potentially be game-changing when it comes to the bat businessrdquo said Mitchell ldquoWith that said how many $550 batd can I sell I have no idea I believe that the customers are there but wherersquos the ceiling Everybodyrsquos always worried about the barrel but this is the first time somebodyrsquos worried about the handle Theyrsquove been able to push the envelope on price points for several yearsrdquo

Kyle Schlegel VP of marketing at Louisville Slugger at Hillerich amp Bradsby Co the parent of Louisville Slugger further explained the technology story that bat manufacturers have worked hard to gradually improve product lines over the past three years ldquoThe transition to BBCOR was definitely a reset button for a lot of people in the industryrdquo commented Schlegel ldquoIt required RampD organizations across each company to rethink the way that we were approaching the development of the bat When exit velocity of the bat is governed therersquos a lot of ways to get thererdquo

Schlegel detailed one specific technology that available in its 2015 line ldquoOne way that wersquove gotten to now that we feel makes a really big difference is our FlexBandrdquo

he said ldquoRather than thicken the wall of the bat throughout the barrel or in pockets throughout the barrel we just put a one-inch graphite band in the center of the barrel That keeps the bat balanced and keeps the bat lightweight It gives the barrel the strength and the spring that the player likes but also keeps it within the guidelines set by BBCOR There are a lot of dynamics still at play that speak to the experience of the consumer Some include how the bat feels and the balance that it has When a ball comes off the bat what does the player experience Do they feel a sting in their hands when itrsquos off-center or do they feel pure hits on true hits

ldquoWhat wersquore proud of in the 2015 line is that wersquove worked with players for about 18 months to arrive at the technology thatrsquos in the line We feel that what theyrsquore going to experience especially in the multi-piece bats and the three-piece bat is that the design allows for a great feel when they hit it square but they donrsquot feel the negative vibrations down into their hands when they donrsquot hit it right Wersquove some bats in the past that deaden the vibra-

tions so much that the hitter doesnrsquot know what happened They might think they got a hold of it but itrsquos a pop fly to shallow right So itrsquos really important that the player gets the vibration that they need while also blocking out negative vibrationsrdquo

Schlegel also pointed out that the BBCOR standard has resulted in a smarter baseball player ldquoThe other thing that the BBCOR change has done is that itrsquos driven players to be more educatedrdquo he noted ldquoTheyrsquove had to get more familiar with the different kinds of bats that are available So whether itrsquos a multi-piece composite bat a hybrid bat or a full alloy bat we get a lot of questions about which bat is right for the player Therersquos not a uniform answer to that

ldquoIt really has everything to do with what the playerrsquos swing is like and how strong they are You want to be able to swing the heaviest bat that you can get through the zone quickly enough to catch up with the pitch Speed plus mass equals power What wersquove seen from our college teams is a lot of guys still using full alloy bats Itrsquos a little bit of a heavier bat and it brings more mass to contact because college hitters are big enough and strong enough to swing it But at the senior league levels and some of the high school levels a composite bat is a much better fit for those players because itrsquos lighter weight and allows them to get it through the zone more quickly As certain elements of the industry become more governed it causes all of us to get that next layer deeper with the player to figure out whatrsquos really going to make a difference to them What used to be secondary benefits are now primary benefitsrdquo

Louisville Sluggerrsquos 2015 bat line is highlighted by three key mod-els the Prime 915 Select 715 and Omaha 515 bats

Eastonrsquos mako Torq

Louisville Slugger Prime 915


Robertson also shared that several engineers and managers have been brought over from Japan to help facilitate and oversee RampD for Mizunorsquos bats They include Yohei Yamashita bat design engineer Brendan Kays product testing engineer and David Llewellyn RampD manager ldquoThese engineers and managers are here in the US and primarily focused on batsrdquo explained Robertson ldquoWe still have a full team in Japan helping from that side as well but itrsquos very nice to have the US Bat RampD Center along with the new engineering support located here in our corporate offices in Norcross GArdquo

ldquoWe have been working on the baseball bat project for over 7 yearsrdquo he continued ldquoWe are excited about the launch but we are more excit-ed about the future potential for Mizuno in the overall bat category

For wood bats Old Hickory continues to do good business in the category ldquoFrom our per-spective wood bats can be summed up in one word and thatrsquos lsquoboomingrsquordquo said Travis Copley VP sales amp marketing Old Hickory ldquoWersquore see-ing more amateur leagues make a move to wood Obviously your showcases and summer tourna-ments for elite high school players are wood A majority of menrsquos senior leagues have gone to wood and wersquove started seeing that trickle down to the little kidsrdquo

The Tennessee-based manufacturer has expe-rienced much success with its wood MT27 Mike Trout Bat $120 ldquoWe officially added the Trout model to our catalog as a stock item in 2014 and thatrsquos been far and away our best seller on the wood side since it came onlinerdquo With Trout add-ing to his reputation as one of the most talented players in Major League Baseball the bat model is expected to see continued success in 2015

Copley also revealed that Old Hickory would introduce its first BBCOR bat for 2015 ndash the 9914 BBCOR Aluminum Bat $250 ldquoMoving forward into 2015 we will release our new BBCOR Alu-minum Batrdquo he said ldquoWersquoll be rolling it out in early July 2014 Itrsquos given us a way to put a twist on our image so wersquoll be put-ting out a new logo and color scheme that will be exclusive to our new bats

The Prime 915 bat priced at $400 BBCOR and $200 for Youth features three-piece construction and is 100 percent composite ldquoWe feel that the Prime 915 is the perfect combination of speed power and balance within our lineuprdquo said Schlegel ldquoThe composite design allows for the speed to get through the zone really quickly The graphite composite that wersquore using is really strong and really durable giving the hitter the powerrdquo

The Select 715 $300 for BBCOR and $150 for Youth is a hybrid bat ldquoItrsquos a composite handle with an alloy barrel so you get a more of that lsquopingrsquo than you do with the composite batrdquo stated Schlegel ldquoSound is another one of those things that means a lot to a hitter The way that the ball sounds when it comes off the barrel indicates to the hitter how the bat is perform-ing It brings more of that mass to contact because it is an alloy barrel For

the power hitter whorsquos looking for more of that balance and less negative vibration the Select 715 becomes a great choice It is the bat that most of our teams used in the College World Series this yearrdquo

The Omaha 515 $300 for BBCOR and $100 for Youth is a returning staple Its one-piece construction and 100 percent ST+20 performance al-loy is the source of its power The bat is available in 29 30 31 32 325 33 34-inch lengths ldquoItrsquos a tried and true classic that wersquove continued to try to improve uponrdquo said Schlegel

2015 marks a big year in the bat category for Mizuno USA The bat-mak-er which has long produced wood baseball bats will enter the non-wood baseball market for the first time ldquoWhat wersquove been hearing from consum-ers is that they want technology innovation for batsrdquo shared Chad Robert-son business unit manager bats and batting gloves Mizuno USA ldquoTo do that wersquore introducing two new bats Theyrsquore going to launch in limited release for Fall of 2014 and then wersquoll really get after it in Spring 2015rdquo

The first of Mizunorsquos two new non-wood bats is the Generation $200 BBCOR and $150 Youth ldquoThe Generation will go all the way down from BBCOR to Tee Ball and the story there for us is maximizing the sweet spot With the BBCOR limit in place you can only make the bat so hot We wanted to get it to swing as light as possible and the buzzwords wersquove been hearing from the baseball community are lsquosweet spotrsquo lsquoMOIrsquo and lsquoswing weightrsquo We made the walls thicker and we thinned out certain spots of the barrel to make the sweet spot as big as possible And what wersquove done versus some of our competitors is taken it to five different distinct zones in wall thicknesses along the barrel The sweet spot is very forgiving so that the players can see maximum performance across the barrelrdquo

Mizunorsquos second non-wood model is the MaxCor and retails for $400 Avail-able in August 2014 the bat features an innovative VP Sleeve a rebound sleeve that provides optimized backspin and increased performance at high speed ldquoThis bat is very unique in that itrsquos never been seen or done beforerdquo explained Robertson ldquoItrsquos not aluminum and itrsquos not composite Japanrsquos had this technol-ogy for maybe a decade that theyrsquove used in their market Once BBCOR was introduced it opened the door for Mizuno to use this technologyrdquo

The upward movement in price points is something that has not gone unnoticed by Mizuno as they expand into the non-wood market ldquoWersquore new in this channel but from the things wersquore hearing and seeing itrsquos a growing trend that the higher-priced more-technology bats are starting to drive thingsrdquo said Robertson ldquoOut-of-the-gate it seemed that the $200 range seemed to be more popular but now it seems to be shifting up in the price zonesrdquo

Louisville Slugger Omaha 515

mizuno USA Generation (above) and maxCor (below)

Old Hickory mT27 mike Trout Bat (left) and 9914 BBCOR Aluminum Bat (right)


This is really a bat that college players have helped us build over the last six monthsrdquo The 9914 which is manufactured in the US features a one-piece construction and is designed using state of the art technology such as exclusive ID-channeling to the interior barrel wall maximizing bat speed and resulting in extreme pop With a wide selection of wood bats in addi-tion to the new BBCOR model Old Hickory provides team dealers with an opportunity to expand their inventory and better reach serious young baseball players

Gloves Colors and Customization Taking OverWhen it comes to ball gloves for baseball and softball players athletes more than ever want to express themselves on the diamond resulting in bold colors and customization dominating the category in 2015 ldquoThe big-gest thing at least recently is colorrdquo shared Tim Rumer director of prod-uct management for Mizuno USA ldquoPeople are getting away from the tra-ditional browns and blacks and moving into team colors Colors like reds royals and orange combinations Blackorange blackred ndash anything that gives the glove pop or a different look than everybody else is what players want You can look at it as a little bit of customization and a little bit of a personal statement Wersquove seen it at MLB for a while but now itrsquos starting to trickle down into high school and itrsquos just started to trickle down into the youth levels Youth used to be the most conservative thing out there but now color pops in youth are doing really wellrdquo

Mizunorsquos Prime SE Glove $140 is a great example of color taking over in the category ldquoYoursquore starting to see everyone have some sort of ball glove version in colors And itrsquos at all price points Whereas it used to be here and

there ndash a little but in MLB and change in lace color but nothing really with the shell leath-er This past season itrsquos definitely spiked and people are looking to build on it for next year Players have more design and color options than they did even a couple years agordquo

Another notable baseball glove from Mizuno 2015 is the Pro Axiom Cut a high-end style at $500 Available in traditional black and caramel colorways and made of Deguchi kip leather the design closes from thumb to pinky

creating a wider channel for a larger catching surface The glove was designed with input from several major league players including Ian Desmond and Jimmy Rollins The patterns were created specifically for middle infielders utilizing a funnel shape and pocket for quick transition from the glove to the throwing hand

Color options are also a important for fastpitch softball players next year In-terestingly their sensibilities in demand trend in an almost completely opposite di-rection than those of their counterparts in baseball Mizunorsquos Rumer observed that after years of the color pink dominating gloves fastpitch players who donrsquot want to be pigeonholed into a specific color are buying gloves of differ-ent colors ldquoWithin the last nine or 10 years [Mizuno] launched the first blackpink gloves with Jennie Finch and that started the trend of pink in glovesrdquo he stated ldquoThere were really no pink gloves up until that point With Jennie being the ultimate brand ambassador for us it really took off

For the first two or three years it was very strong All the other brands starting making pink gloves And then what happened was that everyone moved to optic So yoursquod have a pink version for the little kids and then yoursquod have a blackoptic version for the older kids And the retailers liked the optic because it showed fastpitch on the wall without having to neces-sarily merchandise the wall into baseball and fastpitch The kids would understand it ndash theyrsquod see the optic and theyrsquod go right for it For the manufacturers the easiest thing to match with optic was black And the easiest color to match with pink was also black So all the gloves were black and something That started to change around the time that color hit with the MVP Prime over the last couple years The consumerrsquos gotten tired with the blacksomething combination whether itrsquos blackpink or blackoptic Theyrsquore moving towards more traditional browns and away from black-based gloves Because of that last year we introduced the Prime SE in fastpitch and that did very well Therersquos a lot more in design options out there than there has been in years pastrdquo

Louisville Sluggerrsquos Schlegel emphasizes that the ball glove is perhaps the most personal item for baseball or softball players The saying ldquofits like a gloverdquo has never rung more true than for the newest gloves that manu-facturers are offering ldquoThe glove is an incredibly personal choice for the playerrdquo explained Schlegel ldquoThatrsquos really an extension of them With a bat you want to be able to swing it and check it out But with a bat you might be able to get a sense for whether you like it in half a dozen swings The glove is more of a considered purchase You want to pound a little bit and you want to wear it a little bit You want to break it in the way you want it broken in We see a lot more superstitions and idiosyncrasies when it comes to a glove and how personal it isrdquo

Because of the personal nature of the glove retailers have a unique oppor-tunity to increase sales via customization ndash one of the most important growing trends in team sports ldquoWersquove been doing a lot of work recently with consum-ers especially that 14-to-18-year old travel ball athlete and I see a few things over and over again which span all the baseball equipment categoriesrdquo ob-served Schlegel ldquoCustomization is huge Players want to be able to feel that the product is something that only they have - whether they buy it off the store shelf or not It might be changing the grip of the bat or it might be custom-izing their glove - which could be anything from having their name stitched on it to picking every color panel on the glove With protective gear players can match it to their schoolsrsquo colors or have their names put on it Therersquos a core insight that wersquove continued to hear from this player They want to stand out Itrsquos a team sport that doesnrsquot provide a lot of opportunities to stand out as much as other sports like basketball There are subtle things that they want to do to be different So that lsquostand outrsquo insight has been a real driving force behind our 2015 line Whether we redesigned the whole product or redesigned elements of it to allow for that customizationrdquo

Louisville Slugger works with its network of team dealers to provide a customization program for a group of travel baseball teams known as Prime Baseball Clubs which are some of the top travel teams in the country Those clubs work with Louisville Slugger to customize their gear - including gloves protective gear and wood bats - with select team colors and logos ldquoItrsquos a shared presence combining their branding and oursrdquo said Schlegel The majority of consumers can reach out to team dealers to order customized products The brand also has an option for consumers to customize directly via the myEvolution website - myEvolutionsluggercom - a customization tool for fielding gloves where players can design every element of their glove from the ground up

mizunorsquos Prime SE Glove

mizunorsquos Pro Axiom Cut


Louisville Sluggerrsquos Pro Flare Glove $200 will be reintroduced for 2015 The success of the Flare line lies in the functionality and design of the glove ldquoWhen I was a kid we would bend in the corners of the glove One of the things wersquove seen players do-

ing a lot more over the past four or five years especially Latin ballplayers at the major league level is that theyrsquore bend-ing out the corners of the gloverdquo ex-plained Schlegel ldquoOne of the reasons is that it allows them to get their hand in and out of the glove more quickly And it also allows the ball to funnel into the pocket a bit better What wersquove been able to do is take that flare design and give the player that wants that design a leg up by

pre-molding the glove We now have that in three or four differ-ent glove lines throughout the brand giving players of all differ-ent skill levels the opportunity to experience that design The Pro Flare glove is still the workhorse in the line Thatrsquos what our col-lege teams and most of the travel ball teams that we work with are using The word that we keep hearing from players is lsquoquickrsquo he ball is quick in and out of the gloverdquo

Old Hickory will also return a popu-lar model to the line next season - the OH Pro Glove Series The OH115 and OH1175 Pro Gloves both retailing for $205 are two of eight models featuring oil-infused kip-tanned leather smooth welting thick lacing contoured finger stalls and an added palm pad for impact protection ldquoWe added more oil while itrsquos being tanned so that it doesnrsquot take so long to break in once you get itrdquo stated Old Hickoryrsquos Copley ldquoAs

picky as players are with their bats theyrsquore even more picky with their gloves So what we have to do espe-cially since wersquore a smaller company is produce a glove that hits across the board Wersquove come up with a standard line of gloves that includes all the things that players at the profession-al level have spoken to us about and want in their gloverdquo

Protective Gear Technology Still Key to SafetyWhen it comes to protective gear players want the maxi-mum protection with as little restrictions as possible And they want to look good Customization just as with gloves plays a big role in the category Ultimately the trends most influencing protective gear start with comfort and end with protection

ldquoLightweight is always top of the priority listrdquo said Glenn Beck-mann director of marketing communications at Schutt ldquoPlayers want everything lighter and stronger They want their cake and

they want to eat it too And we try our best to deliver it to them The biggest trend that we see in baseball and softball equipment is customization and I mean across all product categories For example we recently introduced customizable catcherrsquos gear With our new line next year you can come out with leg guards chest protector and your catcherrsquos helmet all decorated in the same way Wersquove seen customization requests for batterrsquos helmets Chrome is in huge demand right now Customization is where I see the biggest change and the biggest change right nowrdquo

Protective has become quite a balancing act for manufacturers with technology the ultimate trump card for brands to differentiate themselves and stand out ldquoIn terms of technology I think everybody is still just trying to figure out how to do protective with better smarter materials that help players not only absorb impact and control injuries but also to help them manage heatrdquo commented Beckmann ldquoBaseball and softball are summer sports It gets really hot so helping players maintain their core body temperatures is a big deal And of course one of the oth-er things wersquore seeing is very high-profile Major League Baseball pitchers getting hit with batted balls So wersquore all scrambling to try to find that piece of protective equipment that pitchers are not only willing to wear but also are willing to wear comfortably while still getting protection We think wersquove got a start with a new product wersquove introduced called the Pitcherrsquos Protector Itrsquos designed for youth and high school level pitchersrdquo

ldquoAs we watched everyone including us try to develop a cap we found that what pitcherrsquos want is a cap that acts as a helmetrdquo Beckman continued ldquoThe major leagu-ers were given one but they didnrsquot like the way it felt and they didnrsquot like the way it looked We took it from a different approach We just said lsquoListen until we can develop a cap that behaves like a helmet why donrsquot we just use a helmetrsquo We have very good helmet technology and we know how to make helmets So basically what we did is that once that thought triggered in our product development team we took our catcherrsquos helmet and we tweaked the design and added the carbon steel faceguard to the front And it works really well Being a former pitcher I was very surprised to see that the college players that we put it on really liked it It was very secure on their heads and their peripheral vision wasnrsquot affected

ldquoUltimately the only way wersquore going to get this kind of protection on young baseball players is if the major leaguers do it In the meantime until that day hap-pens wersquore just trying to offer an alternative for those individuals who want that extra protection for their child With the skill level of young hitters today and their ability to hit balls as hard as they do at a young age I think this type of protection is needed at the youth level

Louisville Slugger Pro Flare Glove

Old Hickory OH115 Pro Glove


Photo courtesy Easton


Schuttrsquos Pitcher Pro-tector $57 is similar to a catcherrsquos helmet with a lightweight but heavy-duty carbon steel faceguard attached The protector stays securely in place and has virtu-ally no movement on the pitcherrsquos head it will

stay put even during a pitcherrsquos motion or while covering a base Treated with an anti-microbial system the helmet is avail-able in sizes XXSmall through Large and four colors black scar-let navy and royal blue

Shock Doctor will continue to emphasize technological innova-tion for the 2015 sea-son with several key protective items for baseball players Its 704 Ultra Padded Sliding Short $50 is designed spe-

cifically for the elite baseball player The short which is made of anti-microbial moisture-wicking fabric fea-tures an exclusive Bio Shape Design that matches the the athletersquos natural stance It also implements an Ultra Cup

Retention System to secure the bio-shaped cup pocket in a natural position for a closer fit Another key item will be its 779 Ultra Batters HandWrist Guard for $35 The 779 is the first baseball guard that protects the hand and wrist and

epitomizes the surge in the cat-egory towards the combination of lightweight flexible and pro-tective The guard incorporates a patented high impact ShockSkin protective padding in critical im-pact zones and its flexible design

allows full range of motion Its design is highlighted by an open palm and finger-loop elastic comfortably fitting with the batterrsquos hand while not interfering with the bat or bat-terrsquos grip

Shock Doctor will also be launching a protective piece for 2015 that includes a flavored mouthguard The Gel Nano Flavor Fusion Mouthguard $25 offers baseball and fastpitch softball players mouth and teeth protection against impacts It will be available in five flavors RocketPunch BlueRaz ShockOrange LimonTensity and Bubblegumm

Lacrosse Positioning for Bigger Sales in 2015Lacrosse retailers are hoping to rebound from a difficult 2014 selling season According to point-of-sale data compiled by SportScanInfo as of May 16 Lacrosse Equipment was down 181 percent in total units sold and down 288 percent in total dollars Bad weather negatively im-pacted sales but some industry observers hope that the figures donrsquot reflect a slowing growth rate in the sport as a whole

Despite sluggish sales in 2014 retailers can take heart in the strength of lacrosse participation According to US Lacrosse over 746000 players competed on organized lacrosse teams in 2013 a growth rate of 34 percent from the prior year Youth participation exceeded 400000 for the first time The popularity and growth of the sport remains strong at the high school and college levels According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) lacrosse continues to be the fastest growing sport at the high school level boasting a 34 percent increase in the number of boysrsquo programs and a 36 percent increase in the number of girlsrsquo programs from 2008 to 2013 the highest percentage growth of any team sport over that period Lacrosse is also the fastest-growing sport at the NCAA level with 35000 players participating on varsity club or junior college teams in 2013 The sportrsquos increased popularity was reflected by the eight new NCAA Division I programs that were added during 2013 a part of 60 new overall varsity programs Lacrosse it appears is here to stay and it represents potential big business for retailers

In order for retailers to stock their inventory and maximize efficiency staying on top of the newest trends and hottest products is paramount Unlike other team sports trends in la-crosse can be more influential from one season to the next and a retailer maintaining a well-stocked and precise inventory can mean the difference between a successful selling season and a disappointing one Whereas retailer can rely on a sheer number of teams and customers to sell-through for football baseball and softball equipment lacrosse inventory can be tricky especially in areas of the country where the sport is relatively new Stocking the right equip-ment and the right brands are essential And staying on top of trends helps make stocking and selling much easier

One important narrative that is evident among the leading manufacturers is a new con-certed effort to connect more closely with the desires of serious lacrosse players ldquoThe biggest change this season in what wersquore in the midst of making is building our line around the con-sumer and the way consumers play on the field and what they ask for from the equipmentrdquo

Schuttrsquos Pitcher Protector

Shock Doctor 704 Ultra Padded Sliding Short

Shock Doctor 779 Ultra Batters HandWrist Guard

Shock Doctor Gel Nano Flavor Fusion mouthguard

photo courtesy easton


said Tom Burns senior product manager for Warrior Sports and Brine ldquoFrom Warrior and Brine yoursquore going to see more consumer focus on the product and the product story-telling In the past we would come to market with a smattering of products and new names everything had a new name and everything had a new story What wersquore doing this year is compartmentalizing those stories around two main types of athletesrdquo

Burns explained that Warrior will feature a Speed line and a Power line The goal is to appeal to players based on style of play ldquoThe Speed line is for the guys that are fast and run players on the field theyrsquore looking for light flexible equipmentrdquo he said ldquoAnd the Power guys are the lsquoIrsquom going to run through you and over yoursquo players Theyrsquore looking for more durable tough equipment When you think about it any athlete in any sport can fit in one of those two segments Developing equipment and re-thinking our lines from the base up helps to tell a story as to why you buy a certain line now from us Thatrsquos the biggest change ndash this consumer focus and the story telling around the Speed and Power lines What those lines mean and what theyrsquore for as well as what technologies come with it and how it benefits those players Itrsquos quite a big change from where we were just a season agordquo

As part of their efforts to connect directly with players Warrior and Brine have also embraced the trend of specialization as more lacrosse players purchase their equipment based on the specific position they play

ldquoYoursquore going to see more focus on positionrdquo offered Burns ldquoLacrosse equipment will continue to become more specialized when it comes to that What an attackman wants from his equipment versus a defender is very different Yoursquore going to see a further emphasis on understanding what each position demands from the equipment Manufacturers are going to be building around those positions as a key focus Part of that will be thinking about the consumer first and how players see themselves Position-based equipment is very important in the game of lacrosserdquo

The two most anticipated products for 2015 from Warrior and Brine are part of the two brandsrsquo Pro lines From Warrior the Rabil 2 Head launch-ing fall 2014 ldquoItrsquos really a performance-based headrdquo said Burns which will retail for approximately $110 ldquoWe boiled it down to pure performance and we worked with [Major League lacrosse superstar] Paul Rabil and studied his shot By understanding what he was looking for in a head we were able to develop the Sym Rail Twist technologyrdquo

The sidewalls of the Rabil 2 Head have a twist feature that keeps the side and head stiff while simultaneously reducing weight ldquoWhen yoursquore doing weight reduction in the head itrsquos a really precise processrdquo said Burns ldquoYou have to be very careful about where you take weight outrdquo

From Brine the newest head is the RP3 developed in conjunction with professional lacrosse player Rob Pannell the NCAArsquos Division 1 all-time leading scorer ldquoWe worked with Rob to come up with a strategic Core-Tech designrdquo said Burns ldquoLittle things like that are big technologies these days where and how position stiffness is key with performance lacrosse headsrdquo The Core-Tech design has precision-engineered depths in the side-wall to control the amount of flex and cut weight With the RP3rsquos tight face shape players get the best possible ball control in the pocket and a consistent channel release

Another trend which continues to impact new product is the demand for innovation and groundbreaking technologies According to Greg Tate menrsquos marketing manager at STX lacrosse players want technologies that not only improve performance but also offer durability during a season of wear-and-tear ldquoPlayersrsquo demands and product technologies go hand-in-handrdquo said Tate ldquoWe definitely want to be looking to the players and trying to give them what they want One of the things that wersquore hearing from them is a focus on lighter That can go across every category from heads and handles all the way to protective

ldquoAnother thing lacrosse players demand is durability especially with heads and a little bit with handles With players making investment in the sport they want something thatrsquos going to last We have new technologies that address both the lightweight and the durability issuesrdquo

Tate also observed that todayrsquos players are more serious and dedicated than ever Lacrosse players are making more of an effort to play year-round and young players have their sights set on playing the game at the highest levels and approach the game by buying equipment that can help prepare them for competition in the future that they wonrsquot actually see for several years ldquoAn interesting trend is the growth of universal spec headsrdquo stated Tate ldquoIn the past people playing high school lacrosse were stick-ing with the NFHS-legal heads Now wersquore seeing younger kids switch to universal heads I believe itrsquos because of they have a goal of already being familiar with those heads and how they perform when they get into high school and on their way to college Wersquore seeing an increase in universal heads popularity-wiserdquo

With that trend toward preparation in mind retailers and team dealers would get a leg up on generating increased sales for next year by ordering more universal heads in addition to heads approved specifically for high school or youth league play Leading STXrsquos newest line of heads is the universal StallionU 500 It is 5 percent lighter than the NFHS model yet manages to maintain the same level of performance C-Channel technology

provides extra strength for checking and ground balls while STXrsquos signature open sidewall in the rear of the head flexes on checks and ground balls to preserve durability The bottom rail of the head is specifically-designed for high pocket placement creating additional power when shooting

STXrsquos Surgeon 500 Head launching this fall emphasizes a balance between lightweight and durability It is designed to maximize its ACP (All Climate Performance) technology which maintains head shape and allows for a light-weight and strong head The ACP technology makes the Surgeon ideal year-round play pre-venting the head from wilting in the heat dur-

ing the summer The stiff with pointed scoop and an aggressive ldquosmilerdquo helps define a channel for increased accuracy while the headrsquos bottom rail is designed for a low pocket allowing for a smooth quick release The new design of the Surgeon 500 is 10 percent lighter than the previ-ous model ldquoItrsquos the lightest head in our linerdquo said Tate ldquoItrsquos designed for an attackman but any offensive player thatrsquos look-ing for something lightweight is going to gravitate towards this productrdquo

When it comes to gloves STX is a leader with its new Cell 3 using dual-density foam through-out with strategic placement of polyethylene (PE) plastic board offering added protection in key areas A new stretch-thumb provides improved thumb flexibility and rotation ldquoThe great thing about these gloves is that theyrsquore really broken-in right awayrdquo shared Tate ldquoWe wanted to wow the consumer when they put their hand in the glove for the first time Itrsquos loose itrsquos comfortable and yoursquove got great mobility right away I think itrsquos super important to not have to go through that two-week breaking-in period You can grab it for your first practice or first game and be good to go Another thing Irsquom excited about is its customizable Itrsquos got the most custom zones that wersquove ever offered on a glove before Kids are excited by all the colors and all the zones and how they lookrdquo

STXrsquos Cell 3 Shoulder Pads meanwhile feature Goe Flex technology ldquoThe really cool thing wersquore super proud of is that itrsquos a home-grown technologyrdquo said Tate ldquoItrsquos patent-pending technology that disperses stress evenly allowing for a flexible lightweight impact resistancerdquo

STXrsquos Surgeon 500 Head

STX Cell 3

STXrsquos Cell 3 Shoulder Pads


Ultra-Wide Wheel - Stabilizes movement

to carve left right and center

Performance Grips - Rubberized non-slip ergonomic grips for

stability control

Kinetic Engine - Carbon Steel Spring turbocharges abdominal and arm workouts

Foam Kneepad - High-Density foam for superior comfort

CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO

800 446 7587 | helpimpluscom | wwwabcarverprocom | wwwperfectonlinecom

copy2014 Implus Corporation Perfectreg is a division of Implus Corporation 114


TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY

8-11 nBS Summer market Austin TX

10-13 european Outdoor Trade fair friedrichshafen Germany

15-17 ASI Chicago Chicago Il

18-20 AdA Spring Show reno nV

AUGUST

6-9 Outdoor retailer Summer market Salt lake City UT

14-16 Sports Inc Outdoor Show nashville Tn

24 Tennis Industry Association The Tennis Show new York nY

SepTemBer

3-8 nBS fall Semi - Annual market fort Worth TX

4-6 Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) Orlando fl

10-12 Interbike International Trade expo las Vegas nV

16-17 SfIA Industry leaders Summit Chicago Il

OCTOBer

7-9 OIA rendezvous Asheville nC

nOVemBer

3-5 nBS fall Athletic market ft Worth TX

15-16 AdA fall Show palm Springs CA

23-25 Sports Inc fall Team dealer Show las Vegas nV

Athletic Dealers of America1395 Highland AvenueMelbourne FL 32935t 3212540091f 3212427419athleticdealersofamericacom

National Shooting Sports FoundationFlintlock Ridge Office Center11 Mile Hill RoadNewtown CT 06470t 2034261320 f 2034261087nssforg

National Sporting Goods Association1601 Feehanville Drive Suite 300Mount Prospect IL 60056t 8472966742f 8473919827nsgaorg

Nationrsquos Best Sports4216 Hahn BlvdFt Worth TX 76117t 8177880034f 8177888542nbscom

Outdoor Industry Association4909 Pearl East Circle Suite 300Boulder CO 80301t 3034443353f 3034443284outdoorindustryorg

Sports amp Fitness Industry Association8505 Fenton St Suite 211Silver Spring MD 20910t 3014956321f 3014956322sfiaorg

Snow Sports Industries America8377-B Greensboro DriveMcLean VA 22102t 7035569020f 7038218276snowsportsorg

Sports Inc333 2nd Avenue NorthLewistown MT 59457t 4065383496f 4065382801sportsinccom

Sports Specialists Ltd590 Fishers Station Drive Suite 110Victor NY 14564t 5857421010f 5857422645sportsspecialistsltdcom

Team Athletic Goods629 Cepi DriveChesterfield MO 63005t 6365303710f 6365303711tag1com

Tennis Industry Association1 Corpus Christi Place Suite 117Hilton Head Island SC 29928t 8436863036f 8436863078tennisIndustryorg

Worldwide 8211 South 194thKent WA 98032t 2538728746f 2538727603wdi-wdicom

CALENDAR For full year calendar go to sportsonesourcecomeventsa

for more information please call

3039977302 or email sportsJobssportsonesourcecom

SportsJobSourcecom reaches the most connected

best informed and highest caliber professionals in the

active lifestyle market

The KeY To FiNDiNG The riGhT JoB

FREE ACCESS to the latest job listings


With OIA Vantagepointtrade access the weekly sales landscape of the outdoor industry and be outfitted with data to guide your companyrsquos strategic decisions

OIA Vantagepointtrade is the only weekly retail point-of-sale reporting platform exclusively for the active outdoor lifestyle industry We swiftly deliver critical trend and detailed business data to brands and retailers

START SEEING CLEARLy

ShArpen YOUr perSpeCTIVe

OIAVantagePointcom bull oiavantagepointsportsonesourcecom bull 3039977302


SportScanInfocomA Service of The SportsOneSource Group

Achieve Your GoAls

SportScanInfo is the only weekly retail sales trend reporting solution for the active lifestyle market

To learn more call 3039977302 or SportScanSportsOneSourcecom

BreAdTh Of dATA depTh Of dATA TImelIneSS Of dATA




Thomas J Ryan


9173754699





Teresa Hartford



Camila Amortegui



Candice L Smith



6033615762


Buz Keenan

Northeast


2018875112

Katie ODonohue

SoutheastMidwest


8282443043





3039977302












































FOR ESPN

























Breaking News

SGBUpdATecom

Log on its Free


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K








ClICK TO plAY











GIVING BACK



BrandStrength

Report



Customizable Format

2014





ADVERTISEmENT









ADVERTISEmENT












ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer

































Thomas J Ryan


9173754699





Teresa Hartford



Camila Amortegui



Candice L Smith



6033615762


Buz Keenan

Northeast


2018875112

Katie ODonohue

SoutheastMidwest


8282443043





3039977302












































FOR ESPN

























Breaking News

SGBUpdATecom

Log on its Free


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K








ClICK TO plAY











GIVING BACK



BrandStrength

Report



Customizable Format

2014





ADVERTISEmENT









ADVERTISEmENT












ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer






















































FOR ESPN

























Breaking News

SGBUpdATecom

Log on its Free


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K








ClICK TO plAY











GIVING BACK



BrandStrength

Report



Customizable Format

2014





ADVERTISEmENT









ADVERTISEmENT












ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer
















































Breaking News

SGBUpdATecom

Log on its Free


C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K








ClICK TO plAY











GIVING BACK



BrandStrength

Report



Customizable Format

2014





ADVERTISEmENT









ADVERTISEmENT












ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer































C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K








ClICK TO plAY











GIVING BACK



BrandStrength

Report



Customizable Format

2014





ADVERTISEmENT









ADVERTISEmENT












ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer








































GIVING BACK



BrandStrength

Report



Customizable Format

2014





ADVERTISEmENT









ADVERTISEmENT












ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer































BrandStrength

Report



Customizable Format

2014





ADVERTISEmENT









ADVERTISEmENT












ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer






































ADVERTISEmENT












ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer









































ADVERTISEmENT






SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer



































SportsOneSourcecom

ADVERTISEmENT



Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer
































Spring Forward


TEAm BUSINESS






















Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer















































Eastonrsquos mako


































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer































































































































STX Cell 3






stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer

































stability control



CARVEyouR

CoRE

AB-CARVERtrade PRO




TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer































TR

AD

E A

SS

OC

IAT

ION

S |

BU

YIN

G G

RO

UP

S

JUlY





AUGUST




SepTemBer





OCTOBer


nOVemBer






























Look-Ahead For Spring Team Sportsd4ex6pvli7xof.cloudfront.net/sgbweekly/2014/SGB_14... · 6 Sport...

Documents

Transcript of Look-Ahead For Spring Team Sportsd4ex6pvli7xof.cloudfront.net/sgbweekly/2014/SGB_14... · 6 Sport...