NSGA NOW - JAN/FEB 2021

Volume 10 | No. 1 | January/ February 2021

A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL SPORTING GOODS ASSOCIATION

Discussions With Apparel Suppliers NSGA Roundtable: High School Athletic Directors New Year’s New Challenges for Retail

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

16

>> The warehouse at Founder Sport Group in Statesville, North Carolina.

OPERATIONS NOW NSGA spoke with representatives of eight apparel suppliers for their perspectives on inventory and supply chain issues, support for dealers and retailers, the impact of the uncertainty of sports and more.

CEO NOW 4 Management Conference Date Change, Emphasis on Diversity Big in 2021

RETAIL NOW 6 SV Sports Aims for Different Look of Sporting Goods Retail

RETAIL NOW 8 Resolving to Consider New Approaches in 2021 PARTICIPATION NOW 10 NSGA Roundtable with High School Athletic

24 26 27

Directors

INDUSTRY NOW

James Keen of Cliff Keen Athletic Passes Away; Bison Renews Partnership with NFHS; Dick’s Announces Leadership Changes

LOCKER ROOM NOW

Hockey Equipment Certification Council Verifies Use of Some Spit Guards; US Lacrosse Commotio Cordis Protection for Goalies Takes Effect in 2021

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT NOW

Give Me Five With Sig Fossum, Sporthaus Yakima

>> ON THE COVER: A look inside the warehouse of Augusta Sports Brands.

NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021 | 3

INow· NSGA OFFICERS Chairman of the Board NSGA OFFICERS Pat Donnelley ChairmanSports, of theTwin Board Donnelley Falls, ID David Labbe

Kittery Trading Post, Kittery, ME Treasurer/Chairman-Elect Greg Miller Treasurer/Chairman-Elect Universal Athletic, Bozeman, MT Cathy Pryor Hibbett Sports, Birmingham, AL

Past Chairman Past Chairman David Labbe RandyTrading Nill Post, Kittery, ME Kittery

Nill Bros. Sporting Goods, Kansas City, KS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kevin Bezanson BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cleve’s for Sports, KevinSource Bezanson Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Cleve's Source for Sports,

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Rhett Johnson Pat Donnelley Johnson-Lambe Co., Raleigh, NC

Donnelley Sports, Twin Falls, ID

David Lynn Rhett Johnson Dunham’s Sports, Troy, MI Johnson-Lambe Co., Raleigh, NC Jeff Miller Greg Miller Scholastic Sports Sales, Ltd., Manlius, NY Universal Athletic, Bozeman, MT Mick Montgomery Jeff Miller Denver Athletic Supply, Englewood, CO Scholastic Sports Sales, Ltd., Manlius, NY Ron Rugal John Oehler B&R Sporting Goods, Shelby Charter Dunham's Sports, Troy, Ml Township, MI Jerry Williams Jerry Williams Schuylkill ValleySports, Sports,Pottstown, Pottstown, Schuylkill Valley PAPA NSGA NSGATEAM TEAMLEADERS LEADERS Matt Carlson Matt Carlson President President&&CEO CEO Marty Maciaszek Marty Maciaszek Team Dealer Division, Director, Team Dealer Communications and HDADivision and HDA Julie Pitts Julie Pitts Director, Business and Research Director, Public AffairsDevelopment and President, NSSRA Larry Weindruch Director, Public Affairs Nick Rigitano Director, Insights Dan Wiersmaand Analysis Chief Financial Jennifer ShafferOfficer Comptroller

CEO NOW One year ago, NSGA NOW was among the many It is not a secret that many independently owned sporting publications andbeen media outlets creatively goods retailers and dealers have under siege over theusing the last several years. term “2020 Vision” to look at the start of a new year and decade. None of us could have envisioned the Consumers turn to the internet, thinking it's a better option enormous challenges the horizon. for their purchases.

The labor market isonincreasingly tight.

Manufacturers try to go directly to the consumer andUnited narrow The global pandemic which hit the States in their distribution of products.

March altered all of our lives in ways we could not have Racial andindependent political unrest added to the Those are a few of theimagined. biggest challenges retailers and dealers face. The effects are evident throughout the industry as struggling uncertainties and anxieties which generated personal businesses consolidate or close their doors entirely. Our colleagues at NSGA's benchmark and professional stress. associations, the American Booksellers Association and the North American Retail Hardware Association, echo those concerns, none ofsignificantly us is throwing in the and towel!

Sportsbut were also affected, as a result, so was our industry. Professional and college games We always search for ways to help our core members in their ongoing battle to succeed. put on hold when The theyidea returned, Our new 'Verified Independent Dealer were Program" hits theand bullseye. for thethey were inprogram empty or near-empty arenas.

High school and youth sports came to a halt was sparked by a group of NSGA-member team dealers who wanted and to in some emphasize how their experience, knowledge and service differentiates them from states still are yet to resume. their competition.

We are all hoping for better days ahead in 2021. There is optimism about the distribution Getting the public understand the importance of working with a us quality and effectiveness ofto vaccines and COVID-19 treatments that can get backindependent on track toward dealer is one of the critical components to the NSGA Verified Independent Dealer a normal lifestyle again.

Program. NSGA will assist Verified Dealers by sharing and explaining what it means to be part of thisNSGA program with their current customers.

As a result, decided to push back and our potential annual 2021 Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit four months to September 26-28 in Naples, Florida. Your voice was heard in The details about the criteria for the MVP and All-Star feedback from a survey conducted.

Respondents they would be more likely to travel categories of the NSGAwe Verified Independent Dealersaid Program, along withevents applications important and attend if they and wereother held later in the information, year and a vaccine was readily available. Please canthose be found You can also read put datesatinwww.nsga.org/verified. your calendar today! more about it on page 22 of this edition of NSGA NOW. We Hopefully the COVID vaccine will be widelyand available very soon because we know you are encourage team dealers, full-line retailers specialty retailers involved in hockey, skiing,communication running and other toof apply. ready for more in-person aftersports months zoom calls and virtual trade shows.

Switching the conference to early Fall was our best option and the management of the RitzAnother benefit of the NSGA Verified Independent Dealer Program will be programming st th Carlton Resort Naples hasManagement been very understanding usTeam makeDealer the change.

Annual Annual Conference &in21helping for the Golf group at thein55 Summit. will beset anup excellent opportunity for verifiedimportant dealers toquestion get together The safety This protocols by the resort address another aboutand attending share concerns that wasideas citedand in our survey.with their peers.

Thetuned Management Conference & Teamand Dealer Summit held May 19-21 in 2021 Braselton, Stay to NSGA for more information updates on what’s ahead for the Management Georgia, is right around the corner. of the best aspects the sporting goodsdates as Conference.

We are developing virtualSome programming around theoforiginal May 17-19 industry's premier event are illustrated on page 11 of this issue. Register now by there are many important topics we know you will find valuable. completing the form in the magazine, or, online at www.nsga.org/events.

A big one is racial justice, equality and diversity. It is an area we must take a deeper look at We hope everyone had a happy holiday season with family and friends and that you asclosed an industry, asking canDon't do our partthat to build inclusiveness.

This in is making especially out 2018 on ahow highwe note. forget NSGAmore is here to support you important since sports participants, fans and customers come from such diverse backgrounds.

2019 even better!

Fight the good fightl Everyone at NSGA wishes you the best as a new year begins. Please know that although the Best regards, challenges will continue we are here to help.

Matt Carlson I President & CEO Matt Carlson | President & CEO

NSGA NOW® (ISSN 1045-2087) is published bi-monthly for members of the National Sporting Goods Association, 1601 Feehanville Dr., Suite 300, Mount Prospect, IL 60056-6035; Phone: (847) 296-NSGA (6742); Fax: (847) 391-9827. Subscription price of $50 per year is included in membership fee. Non-member subscription information available from publisher. Periodical postage paid at Mount Prospect, IL 60056 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NSGA NOW,® NSGA NOW (ISSN 1045-2087) is published bi-monthly for members of the National Sporting Goods Association, 3041 Woodcreek Drive, Suite 210, Downers Grove, IL 1601 Feehanville Dr., Suite 300, Mount Prospect, IL 60056-6035. © by NSGA 2019. Printed in the USA. 60515. Phone: (847) 296-NSGA (6742); Fax: (847) 391-9827. Subscription price of $50 per year is included in membership fee. Non-member subscription information available from publisher. Periodical postage paid at Downers Grove, IL 60515 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NSGA NOW®, 3041 Woodcreek Drive, Suite 210, Downers Grove, IL 60515. © NSGA 2021 all rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

NSGA, its members and the industry are stronger when they are working together.

4 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

RETAIL NOW New Look SV Sports Aims to Diversify Sporting Goods Retail

By Marty Maciaszek NSGA Director of Communications Schuylkill Valley Sports is rebranding with a new logo featuring a

to a 19-store regional chain in central and eastern Pennsylvania

gold medal as it is approaching its golden anniversary.

and New Jersey.

Coincidence?

Both Lutz and Scipio were familiar with Schuylkill Valley. Lutz led

“To a point it’s coincidental this is happening with our 50th anniversary next year,” said SV Sports president Jason Lutz, who has been with the company for a year. “Naturally it’s a great part

Sneaker Villa from a two-store operation run by his parents in Reading, Pennsylvania into urban fashion retailer Villa with more than 125 locations in 10 states and $250 million in sales when he

of the story.”

sold the company and it merged with DTLR in August 2017.

It is a story where Lutz and John

Scipio started a 25-year career with Nike as a team rep in Florida and was promoted to its team sales division with Schuylkill Valley as

Scipio, who came on board as CEO in

one of his accounts. Scipio eventually moved into Nike’s city specialty

July, are focused on the possibilities for the next half-century with

channel with $2 billion in wholesale and $4 billion in retail sales.

Pottstown, Pennsylvania-based SV

Lutz joined Schuylkill Valley as a consultant in November and

Sports. A new logo, new website and

became president and CEO in January.

revamped stores are part of their plan toward developing a cuttingedge, company-owned sporting

“I saw a sporting goods company that had been around for almost >> Jason Lutz

goods retail model.

50 years and feel like there is an opportunity to evolve it,” Lutz said. “I saw the opportunity to inject culture into the sporting goods industry. A lot of philosophies on the lifestyle side of the business

Lutz and Scipio are actively seeking

could translate to sporting goods and the team business.”

capital to fund their concept of

Scipio left Nike for the basketball brand AND1 and oversaw all

eventually growing into a national

aspects of its business as executive vice president and general

player. They are looking to raise

manager. He left AND1 a year ago and was doing consulting work

money and restructure SV Sports

when he heard from an old friend from his days at Nike.

with a new philosophy, which in essence makes it a startup from that angle, according to Lutz.

“Jason started to do an analysis of the overall business and wanted >> John Scipio

“There’s a great book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There,” Scipio said of the 2008 book by Marshall Goldsmith. “Schuylkill Valley has been able to establish a great regional footprint the last 50 years.

For us to expand that footprint, and take it to the next level, we have to do something different.

“That’s how you create the narrative, how we’re not just competing, but how are we dominating in the next 50 years, as we start to roll out all that’s planned. I think the sporting goods market is going to take notice.”

connected with me and said there is something here. After being here and seeing what he mentioned they have a good base, and if it’s done properly and starts to evolve we could get to a place where we could deliver to the marketplace something no one has seen in sporting goods. That infusion of culture.”

Scipio took over the CEO role in July. He has seen the stores that have disappeared from the sporting goods landscape from his time on the manufacturing side.

“It’s more important than ever to create a much more dynamic, experiential component to sporting goods so we can bring these

Joining a Familiar Name Randy Ruch started Schuylkill Valley in 1971 with one store in suburban Philadelphia. Ruch, who was inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 2012, led Schuylkill Valley’s growth 6 | NSGA NOW ®

an injection of culture into sporting goods,” Scipio said. “Jason

>> January/February 2021

folks back,” Scipio said. “We need to let them know they don’t need to go to Amazon for everything.”

That would require some significant and visible change since SV Sports has closed all but one of its stores. Lutz said most of the

stores were in malls with occupancy typically less than 50 percent. Their plan includes returns to some areas where stores were closed with a new look.

Lutz and Scipio believe SV Sports can fill an opportunity opened by Modell’s bankruptcy and exit from the industry on the east coast.

Foundation for Success Diversity has been a major topic across the country during a tumultuous year turned upside down in mid-March by the COVID-19 pandemic. Diversity is also a crucial part of SV Sports plan.

“What took me aback was a complete lack of diversity on the vendor side and more importantly the retail side,” Lutz said. “I

Future Vision for SV Sports

saw organizations that all looked alike and tended to think the

Change was coming as SV Sports approached its 50th anniversary.

same way. There is a lack of activity and a herd mentality where we need to do it the same way.

“I think we’ve got a great way to build an organization that embraces diversity. We’re the only African- American led retailer (Scipio) in the industry. That’s the overall direction (diversity) we’re moving here and we’re excited about that. John and I bring a unique approach to the industry.”

Scipio said the lack of diversity in retail, particularly sporting goods, was not lost on him.

“That’s proven to be an important thing for me as well,” Scipio said.

“A lot of it has to do with access and how do you make it accessible.

We have four key pillars to the organization and it revolves around creating diversity at every level of the organization. Not just ethnicity but diverse thinking as well.”

The Four Pillars of SV Sports: • Love of Sport (You have to love what you are doing) •P lay For Each Other (When we talk about the diversity initiative, once we put on a jersey we are all playing together) •S etting Goals and Smashing Them (Go out every day to take them out)

Lutz said it was accelerated by COVID-19.

He even sees another industry facing significant struggles – newspapers and their ability to cover high school sports – as an area of opportunity. One where SV Sports can use social media to shine a spotlight on their successes, stories and style.

“Smaller sporting goods retailers have been challenged over the years,” Lutz said. “We want to build an ecosystem for the local high school athlete. It’s how we keep them coming to us for all the latest gear and supplying them new uniforms.”

Creating a Division I college type of recruiting experience with a lot of flair is another component to the SV Sports vision.

Lutz said SV Sports has target dates of Spring 2021 for its new website and Fall 2021 for the new store design. Scipio said the rebranded logo is a collaboration between members of its team and an outside agency.

“We wanted to be modern and wanted to be simple and we wanted to represent what sports is,” Scipio said. “SV Sports represents the gold medal and gold medals represent championships.”

And SV Sports is not deterred by the potential degree of difficulty it faces to achieve its ultimate goal.

•R ise to the Challenge (Make sure you are doing something

“We’re not on board just to compete, we’re on board to win,” Lutz

that might be outside your comfort zone, never turn away from

said. “We want to build a dominant sporting goods brand in the

a fight and never let anything intimidate you)

United States.

“We are two guys who understand the industry and between John and I we’re two seasoned guys,” Lutz said. “We’re actively seeking

“We feel we can compete and win locally, we can compete and win regionally and we can compete and win nationally.”

investment and equity partners that align with similarly shared visions and ideas.”

NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021 | 7

RETAIL NOW

New Year Means New Challenges to Review

By Ritchie Sayner Advanced Retail Strategies I’m sure I speak for many of you by stating I am happy to close out 2020 and begin a new year. Given my chronological positioning such that it is, I’m not looking for ways to expedite life’s journey.

However, with the numerous well-documented challenges endured by all this past year, who wouldn’t be ready and willing to embrace a new beginning?

Last year’s hardships are hopefully in the rearview mirror as we await whatever the new year challenges may bring. What lessons have been learned that might serve us well in the upcoming 12 months?

Many retailers discovered new ways of doing business. The creation of online shopping options and virtual presentations on social media platforms to name two.

The new year blesses all of us each calendar cycle with an opportunity to pause, reflect, learn from the past and reset in all areas of life.

From a business perspective, it’s a time to review our merchandising approach. What worked that we can build on and what didn’t that we should change? Areas to be scrutinized include merchandising, store operations, expenses and personnel.

8 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

Merchandising Merchandising is a broad area. It can refer to how goods are presented and marketed, as well as vendor relationships. Will the upcoming year require the same protocol of masks and social distancing requirements of 2020 or will things settle down to where they were pre-COVID? Time will tell. Will a higher percentage of business be transacted online versus instore? If so, is your business ready to accept a “new normal” in 2021?

Some vendors might be expanded while others are reduced or in some cases eliminated. This past year affected all of us and the wholesale world is no exception. Production problems caused late or canceled deliveries, bankruptcies forced supply chain interruptions and changes in sales personnel affected customer service. In spite of all of the issues, most of you not only survived, but in many cases, ended up stronger than you might have thought possible.

As difficult as it may be, review the current merchandising metrics.

How cash flow was handled, how merchandising problems were

dealt with, as well as the freshness of the inventory are all questions that should be answered objectively. January is also a great time to review the current classification structure. Are there categories in the current merchandising structure that have become obsolete? If so, replace them with emerging categories that might yield more upside potential and commit to adhering closely to your merchandise plan.

Revisions may need to be made in sales forecasting both up and down to adequately reflect current trends. This is key to a successful merchandising strategy and should be done regularly.

Marketing, Operations and Personnel Does your current marketing strategy reflect any changes to your business? Perhaps more funds need to be devoted to online marketing and social media. Perhaps adding online marketing is now justified as the percentage of e-com business continues to grow.

were rewarded with profitable full price sales as customers began

This year brought about safety protocols never before imagined.

to emerge from isolation.

Evaluate how your customers and employees are reacting to them

Customer service became much more than a trite slogan when I saw

and determine if any changes need to be made.

store owners walking purchases out to customers in waiting cars,

Finally, review year-end financials carefully. Determine if current

delivering them to their homes or working with them individually after

expenses are in line not only with industry norms, but with your

hours in the store out of safety precautions. Product classifications

projected volume. Since operating expenses can consume up to

such as running shoes, exercise equipment, treadmills, exercise

43 percent of total sales, it is important to budget them just as you

bikes, bicycles in general and golf equipment sustained many a

would your merchandising plan. Go over every line item in your

sporting goods merchant when gyms locked down due to local

operating budget and take any action needed.

health mandates.

The first of the new year is the opportune time to review current staffing

These are just a sampling of the positives that came from this year.

and decide if changes to the lineup are warranted. It is important to

Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize good if we don’t know

follow through with year-end reviews if promised and document same

what bad looks like. I sincerely hope all of you have learned lessons

in personnel records. If job opportunities exist, will you promote from

from the past year that will help you become better retailers in the

within or go outside of the organization? Sometimes new ideas from

coming year.

the outside can bring about a fresh perspective.

“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger” The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s aphorism from the 19th Century pretty much sums up 2020. Though this year has been disruptive to put it mildly, most retailers learned valuable lessons that will serve them well for years to come.

Many learned which vendors were partners in the true sense of the word by supporting them with inventory, price adjustments and modified payment schedules that were palatable. Others discovered that landlords really did care about their well-being with rent relief.

Ritchie Sayner Sayner has spent the past four decades helping independent retailers improve profitability.

In addition to speaking to retail groups nationwide, Sayner is a regular contributor to retail industry publications. Prior to embarking on his retail consulting career, he was the general merchandise manager for an independent department store in the Midwest. Ritchie is a graduate of

From my vantage point, focusing on inventory control, I saw retailers

the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. He is also the author

learn they could actually sell the same or more with a streamlined

of the book, “Retail Revelations-Strategies for Improving

vendor mix and less inventory. I witnessed how those who kept cash

Sales, Margins, and Turnover.” He can be reached though

available and a constant flow of new merchandise arriving regularly

his website at www.advancedretailstrategies.com.

NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021 | 9

PARTICIPATION NOW NSGA Roundtable: Challenges for High School Athletic Directors

By Marty Maciaszek NSGA Director of Communications

Andrew Drennen

Brent Barker

Matt Laur

Ari Liberman

Assistant Athletic Director

Athletic Director

Director of Athletics/PE/Health

Vistamar School El Segundo, California

Eagle Mountain Saginaw Independent School District Fort Worth, Texas

Athletic Director/ Boys Basketball Coach Freeburg High School Freeburg, Illinois

Liverpool Central School District Liverpool, New York

High school sports across the country have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic since it started in mid-March of 2020. Spring sports came to a screeching halt with the hope of a return to normalcy in the fall. But as the pandemic dragged on so did challenges with re-starting sports.

Michigan postponed football to the spring, opted to restart in September and saw its playoffs halted because of a three-week pause in activities ordered by the state. Illinois pushed football, soccer and volleyball to a mid-February start and as of December was still embroiled in a tug-of-war with the state over starting basketball. California delayed the start of all high school sports until late December and early January.

The uncertainties have made the high school athletic director’s job more challenging than normal. NSGA talked with four athletic directors from across the country to look at what they’ve faced and what’s ahead from participation to budgets to sporting goods purchasing.

What impact have you seen COVID-19 have on sports

Approximately 72 percent of our student body competes for us,

participation at your school and others in your area?

so it had a tremendous impact on those students. Seniors were

Barker: The UIL (University Interscholastic League in Texas) allowed

obviously disappointed because it is a year they were not getting

us to do more in the summer than ever before. We have three high

back. Everything in our area shut down.

schools and six middle schools and our numbers were down a bit in

Laur: For basketball we’ve had more kids come to stuff than we

football. I think some of that is from a fear of contact and some of

generally have. Kids have that need to get some normalcy in their

that has to do with concussions. They’re down a little but not a ton.

lives. Across the board our numbers are about the same. Kids

Drennen: Our student-athletes are as eager as ever to participate

need some activity and engagement.

in their sports, so the COVID-19 mandated shutdown of high school

Liberman: Participation in our area has changed significantly

sports in our county has hindered us temporarily, but not forever.

based on guidance from the NYSPHSAA (New York State Public

When school shut down last March, we canceled everything. We

High School Athletic Association) and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s

had been practicing and started our competitions, but we followed

office and Section 3 Athletics (there are 11 sections in New York

state guidelines and county guidelines and went fully remote.

State). However, our athletes that normally play soccer, run cross

10 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

country and play field hockey did so this fall. In our area there are many districts that chose to not play at all this fall. This was for a variety of reasons such as budgets, safety, ability to keep up with the protocols outlined to return to play given by the NYSPHSAA, or superintendents and AD’s who simply felt it was not in the best interest of their communities.

Are you in a situation where changes in sports seasons gave kids an opportunity to participate in other sports? In Illinois, with football pushed back to the spring, athletes had a chance to golf or run cross country?

Barker: We’ve seen it more in middle school with football, where we used to have three teams and now have two, but some of that is middle school gymnastics and soccer keep growing. We have a lot of kids doing middle school golf and our numbers are up in baseball.

Drennen: There will be a couple of students who will be able to compete in sports they otherwise would not have been able to because of the change to the schedule. They’re excited because it’s giving them a chance to try something new. Our school has a “no-cut” policy so we welcome students who want a new challenge.

Laur: We had some kids play golf who normally played football and the guys I talked to really enjoyed it. It gave them an opportunity to participate in another activity and another sport. They never would have done that. Our golf coach enjoyed having these guys out.

Liberman: We have seen this in only 3 or 4 cases. I believe that has been affected by travel sports continuing to try and move throughout the country to play.

athletes for each sport, given that we’re a small school where everyone typically gets a chance to play. Plus, throwing in the other extracurricular activities (performing arts, club sports) that our student-athletes are also involved in makes it even more challenging.

Laur: Initially it was scheduling and everything getting moved and trying to get officials rescheduled that we hired. For a while it was only playing two games a week and then the IHSA (Illinois High

What are the most unique challenges you have faced with

School Association) said they would lift that restriction. Then we

COVID-19?

have to stay in our COVID region. We don’t know if basketball or

Barker: We had some quarantining and had three volleyball teams

football will get played in Illinois.

have to sit out two weeks. There is a lot of adjusting. Every day I get

Liberman: The most challenging thing we are faced with daily is the

a phone call I think what do we have to do now? Big-school football

unknown. Parents, athletes, coaches and families are so invested in

in Texas started a month later and it was probably a good idea.

athletics and want to know what the next season will bring. In New

They started all the 1A-4A on a regular schedule. We learned from

York state, we just wait for the answers. We are constantly saying

the small schools to see how they were doing things in all of their

things like, “Maybe we will hear something from the Governor’s

stadiums, from taking temperatures to making announcements

office on high-risk sports today (basketball, ice hockey, wrestling).”

and sending information to opponents on what to expect. If people

As positive cases pop up in our schools, the contact tracing that we

were sitting without a mask on, we’ll tell them to put it on and if

engage in is certainly a first for me.

they don’t, we’ll call the officers and they’ll escort them out of the stadium. Most districts around us are pretty similar.

Drennen: One of the biggest challenges will be in the spring, where some students will have to choose only one sport among the ones they normally compete in. Baseball, basketball and soccer in California are now “Spring” sports. That is a challenge for the athletes. Our challenge will be ensuring we have enough student-

What effect do you think COVID-19 will have on sports participation in the future?

Barker: I don’t think it will have much of an effect in our areas.

The concern in Texas is the numbers are down some in football and some other sports, but the UIL just approved lacrosse and water polo so kids are doing other sports. Tennis is really big in our area, too.

NSGA NOW ®

Continued on Page 12 January/February 2021 | 11

>>

PARTICIPATION NOW Continued from Page 11

Drennen: I think health and safety measures have taken and will

Laur: The longer we go and we’re not able to have sports in schools,

take on new meaning for everyone involved in high school sports.

kids will go to other states and that could potentially in the long-

It’s not just our parents and coaches who understand that some

term have a little bit of an effect. We’re certainly nowhere near out

sports can be played more safely than others in the COVID-19 world;

of the woods yet with COVID. Being this close to St. Louis kids go

our students are generally responsible and taking care as well.

there for travel and club.

Outdoor, lower-to-minimal contact sports are clearly the easiest to implement safety measures for playing and for spectators; figuring out how to bring back indoor sports in a safe way is taking much more planning. I believe once people see that sports can be done as safely as possible the fears may ease, but I do think concerns will be in the back of people’s minds for some time.

Laur: The biggest fear most of us as ADs have is if we continue to not play in our school, kids in bigger sports will go to club and

Volleyball, baseball and softball participation in clubs is extremely high. We have some in basketball and soccer. They will be able to do both (in Illinois this year) and the schedule is arranged so we get as many games as we could during the week and no games on weekends. We have to make sure the kids are telling their programs what they’re doing and we’re working together.

Liberman: Travel sports may also hurt school participation if they face different mandates specific to what and how they play in terms

select teams.

of social distancing and use of masks. I am nervous about this if we

Liberman: I don’t think we know this yet, but if school budgets

do not give the students the school experiences we are used to.

in New York state take a tremendous hit, it may have a significant impact on some districts.

Do you think more kids may opt to solely focus on the club/ travel level (in sports where that applies)?

How has COVID-19 affected your purchasing habits for your teams compared to normal circumstances?

Barker: We had to hold on some line items but with athletics, but there is so much participation and it’s important to our school

Drennen: Club sports have many of the same issues that high

board, so we didn’t cut our budget at all. We didn’t increase it. We

school sports have. I think the big difference, though, is the amount

probably spent more because we had so much money left over

of travel that club sports often require (hotels/rental cars/airplanes).

that we didn’t spend in the spring. We bought pole vault pits and

That may bode well for more kids opting to play high school. We

mats in the spring because we had budget funds available that we

have some athletes who play high school and club and they told

normally wouldn’t have.

us they would prefer to play for the school. There will be others

Drennen: We are more budget conscious. While we have everything

who would rather play for a club.

budgeted for whatever the year will look like we expect to find ways to save in some areas where we can. We also know we need to spend to ensure health and safety. We may have to contract for more buses to bring students to games so we can meet the safety guidelines for lowered bus capacity. We already know we have to buy more equipment in some cases so that students aren’t sharing equipment. Ultimately, we want our student-athletes to get back to competing as soon as feasible and we’re prepared to take the steps to make that happen as safely as possible.

Laur: We’re purchasing far less. We’re in sort of a holding pattern where we don’t want to commit to spending on equipment or things where we’re not sure we’re going to use them. We’re at maybe 20 percent of what we would be purchasing. On the flip side, if we’re able to have all spring sports we’ll do our normal amount of spending. We had to purchase some stuff, but for football, volleyball and boys soccer we haven’t made any purchases.

Liberman: At this point my purchasing habits are unchanged.

However, travel costs have changed as we do not travel outside of our region.

12 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

How valuable has the guidance of the sporting goods dealer you work with been during the uncertainties of this time?

Barker: Dan Carey (Carey’s Sporting Goods) helps a ton. Dan is someone I’ve always trusted and he’s a straight shooter. Most of ours we work with do that as well. Our cross country coach didn’t have the right-colored uniforms and Dan got them to us within a week. He helped one of our teams recently with their basketball uniforms because with another company they were backordered to December and we had to have them by the first game. It was a different style but the same brand of adidas. A little different style but both jerseys were really good and the coaches said they were really great.

How much have your school’s purchases of cleaning and

When I got the job (2 high schools at the time) all the coaches had to

sanitizing products for athletics changed as a result of

use one vendor but our CFO said he didn’t want to use one vendor.

COVID-19?

He wanted to use multiple vendors. It’s all about relationships and

Barker: We spent $50K just to prepare for COVID. Signage, stickers

trusting people and also about money and a budget. So, you try to

on stadiums, thermometers, cleaning solution, sprayers. When it

get a good price and with multiple vendors you get a good price.

comes to sporting goods, we haven’t seen a change in anything

We also use BSN, Athletic Supply and Cardinal.

we’re doing. Our folks have really good booster clubs where we

Drennen: When it comes to purchasing uniforms (we have a

may buy one set of uniforms and the booster club buys a second

couple of teams we are doing that for this year) we were told

set (before the uniform rotation time). So that doesn’t come out

what companies can get us what we need and when we need

of the school budget

it. Overall knowledge of the supply chain is key so it helps us as

Drennen: These purchases have increased for the entire school

an athletic department plan accordingly. Also, our vendor, Kim

as a whole, not only for athletics. Added cleaning and disinfecting supplies are all part of our overall school plan.

Laur: We’ve been spending the majority of our money on having to clean things and purchasing electronic whistles. A lot of cleaning and sanitizing products fall to the maintenance staff and building and grounds budget. But it’s a group effort to keep everything sanitized and safe. We do a multitude of things to keep balls and equipment sanitized. We use sprayers and buckets. We’ve had to buy several thermometers (infra-red) and masks. We’re all on the same page with the recommendations, the state and national guidance on what does work with having different detergents on equipment.

Liberman: We are a very large district and all cleaning and sanitizing products and purchases go through our Director of Facilities. Sanitizer for equipment and supplies, hand sanitizer, rags for wiping down our basketballs and volleyballs and Physical Education equipment are distributed to us through our head

Karsh at California Pro Sports, is a great source of information regarding best practices in other schools in the area that our vendor works with. That information is invaluable because our entire division supports each other and we can report to our school’s administration what we hear, with greater information leading to more informed decisions.

Laur: I worked with Chris Braun and Winning Streak before I got here. We’ve known each other a really long time and he’s done an unbelievable job of building that brand and company. He’s been really good and we work with some other folks down here in Lee Sports and BSN. They’ve definitely been very helpful. I’m fascinated how quickly they went from getting people to buy football and basketball products and got masks, electronic whistles and sanitizing equipment. They’ve done a tremendous job.

Liberman: I have a great relationship with the team at Scholastic Sport Sales and their regional sales manager Larry Collins.

custodians in our various buildings across the district.

NSGA NOW ®

Continued on Page 14 January/February 2021 | 13

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PARTICIPATION NOW Continued from Page 13

What do you foresee for budgets and purchases for your

Liberman: My biggest challenge ahead will be to give our athletes,

athletic department in future years?

families and fans the experience that we are capable of giving them.

Barker: Now with the new budget year starting September 1st we’ve had to watch our money a little more. But we’re not spending on travel as much so our budget will still be good. We’re blessed. We’re considered a fast-growing district and our board, superintendent and CFO have done a really good job. The only way I’d see a significant change is if the state legislature changes the way they do business.

Drennen: We are always budget conscious. As an independent school, budgets are reliant on enrollment so we are used to our budget changing slightly year over year. If anything, this year’s budget was the trickiest because of all the unknowns. But for Fiscal Year 2022 and beyond, I don’t anticipate any major changes.

Laur: I don’t know when we’ll get back to normal, but once we get through this I think everything will fall back in line and we’ll have the normal budgets we’ve had.

Getting the “OK” to return to “normal” in athletics is the biggest challenge as we await new guidance for the winter season.

What makes you optimistic about how high school sports will emerge after COVID-19?

Barker: We know how important athletics is in Texas. There will be some challenges and things that will be different about athletics.

And we’re also talking about fine arts and bands. We have people that believe they will have to continue to move forward if they’re doing better in school. It’s huge that we have the facilities and numbers of coaches who will follow the right protocol where I believe we’ll make it.

Drennen: I continue to be optimistic about the enthusiasm of our student-athletes, and their positive attitudes about wanting to get back to their teams and playing their sports. In the short term, though, it is sometimes hard to find optimism now, especially when

Liberman: It’s tough to answer right now, but I do not see drastic

we get some mixed information on what we can and cannot do.

changes specific to purchases.

There are days when I think we will be able to start competing in

What do you see as your biggest challenges ahead because of COVID-19?

January, but then there are other times when I think we will start competing in the spring. I am optimistic that we will compete this season, but when, I am not sure. When we do though, we just

Barker: The uncertainty. Every day you don’t know what’s going to happen. The ADs and districts are meeting constantly about how are we going to reschedule games if this scenario happens. Our schools need to be prepared for going all virtual, but we did it with the athletes all summer long and there wasn’t one positive case in our district. Most of our athletes were outdoors but once we began school, we’ve been hammered pretty good with positive cases and quarantining. A lot of people say if you’re not in school you don’t need to be playing sports.

But you also need to get out and exercise and compete.

Drennen: Trust that people are adhering to local guidelines and doing their part to keep everyone safe. Hope that if a vaccine/ therapeutic does become available, there will be trust to take it. Another challenge will be overcoming some level of fear that many have of being exposed to the virus. Eventually, we are going to have to open up as safely as possible, understanding there will still be some risks involved. The biggest challenges will be trust and overcoming fear.

have to be prepared for scheduling changes and react accordingly.

Laur: Coaches and athletes are a resilient group. This is certainly not anywhere near ideal for any of us involved. We have to find ways to work through it and keep kids involved. We have to keep working together and do whatever we can do for these kids. Hopefully we’ll be very appreciative of the opportunities we have a little more. Once we get through it all we’ll look back and we’ll be more appreciative of the season we have and the times we have together. Not just playing games but things like spending time in the locker rooms and on the buses.

Liberman: My optimism comes from the lessons and experiences that interscholastic athletics brings, along with the relationship-building with coaches, teammates and fans.

School events such as pep

Laur: Our most important challenge is getting these kids to some

rallies, staff appreciation days

sort of normalcy and getting them able to play. Their safety and

and senior events, including

those around them should be the No. 1 topic. With hybrid learning

themed game nights to

and interacting with them we do see them two times a week. With

promote school spirit, will bring

contact days it was huge to get some hands-on training with our

us back to hopefully some

guys. Every day is different. Every hour is different. We have different

sense of normal.

things but we have to keep plugging along.

14 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

OPERATIONS NOW Apparel Suppliers Discuss Challenges Ahead From COVID-19

By Marty Maciaszek NSGA Director of Communications

Marc Held

Derek Ernst

alphabroder

Augusta Sportswear

Senior Vice President of Sales

Michael Hamilton EG Pro

Chief Commercial Officer

Russ Neale

Dusty Rhodes

Founder Sport Group

PROLOOK SPORTS

Senior Vice President of Marketing

President/ Founder

Rob Iorio Augusta Sportswear

Sales Manager

Luke Ott Ripon Athletic Sales Manager

Chief Financial Officer

Ashley Nielsen

Rachelle Manning

S&S Apparel

SanMar

Senior Director, Marketing and Merchandising

Channel Manager – Sporting Goods

COVID-19 raised questions for apparel suppliers in the sporting goods industry that include supply chain and inventory issues, support for dealers and retailers and the impact of the uncertainty of sports. The National Sporting Goods Association team dealers and retailers to be successful with their customers and understanding critical supply chain issues helps achieve that goal.

NSGA conducted conversations with representatives of eight apparel suppliers in the industry to get their perspectives on this unprecedented situation.

Q: What do you foresee with supply chain issues the next

dynamic. We also expect the market for indoor sports this winter

6-8 months?

to be difficult, especially with cases and hospitalizations already

Held: The relationship between alphabroder and our supplier

increasing. Many leagues and teams will be purchasing much

partners has never been stronger. We pride ourselves with communicating and providing accurate forecasting to them to support the manufacturing process. There are going to be areas where inventory may be challenged, and certain aspects of the supply chain may not return to normal until the 2nd quarter of 2021.

The challenges will not be across all brands and categories. Our website, alphabroder.com offers alternatives and comparable product suggestions to help support your needs if your first style choice is unavailable. My suggestion, try to get an early commitment from your customer. Offer some alternative suggestions; Work with our sales and customer service teams for product suggestions and ideas - they can help suggest product alternatives for out-of-stock products.

Ernst: Augusta believes the market will continue to be highly 16 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

later than they have historically and more orders than ever will be last minute. As a result, inventory and agility will be critical for manufacturers like us. We have designed programs that guide our customers into the products that we plan to stock heavily and can respond quickly. Moreover, we’ve continued to invest in inventory throughout COVID to make sure we have products available for our customers no matter what direction the market takes.

Iorio: Augusta is somewhat isolated from service hiccups that other suppliers experience with 60–65% of product produced in our own factories. COVID had a pretty significant impact in February and March in China, halting the supply chain there for a period of time.

The other issue over there has been freight. Getting product out of China has taken some delays. However, our heavy stock levels have largely insulated us from these issues.

Hamilton: The interesting part is EG Pro is a manufacturer also so we have no supply chain problems.

Neale: On March 16, when COVID officially took hold, Founder Sport Group was gearing up for sports as normal. We were loading up for the upcoming season. When mask orders and stay-at-home guidelines began taking effect, we pivoted early and quickly to PPE masks. In a few days, we launched a new product line, including Stock Masks, Sublimated Masks and accessories.

We had to press pause on uniform manufacturing because nobody wanted them. However, through the pandemic, we’ve focused on

>> The PROLOOK SPORTS factory in the Philippines.

keeping deep inventory in must-have basic styles. We are prioritizing

America is so much closer to the US, we are able to get product

production with our plant in Nicaragua. This lets us quickly adjust

back on our shelves within weeks instead of months. Due to the

to the marketplace needs. We think we’re in a good position. There

pandemic, all supply chains in our industry have been significantly

will be a few holes across our entire catalog but we want to make

impacted. We’re doing everything we can to ensure we have what

sure we’re deep in the styles, sizes and colors dealers and teams

you need when you need it. We are receiving containers every day

need most.

from our factories to keep up with demand.

Rhodes: At PROLOOK we have never put all of our eggs in one

Q: How important is flexibility?

basket. We don’t like doing that. Preparation and execution are key and it’s important to be super-diverse and flexible. We made sure we have backups to our backups and it goes back to the recession of 2008. We got our butts handed to us and we weren’t prepared.

We understand downturns are going to happen and we had better be prepared. Your supply chain had better be diverse. I’m most thankful for 2008 now because it set us up to be able to not just survive but thrive in this environment.

Ott: We’re a little nervous at Ripon about our fabric suppliers as there will most likely be a bit of a delay there. It’s hard to say how long the delays will be or how long they will last but it’s definitely something we need to keep our eye on. We haven’t been told anything concrete, but with the different levels of global shutdowns we’ve seen over the last 8 months, delays over the short and long term are something we need to be prepared for. There’s a good amount of our fabric suppliers that are located overseas so that’s where we expect to see the biggest hiccups in the supply chain.

Nielsen: The next quarter or two are definitely going to be challenging as the effects of COVID are really hitting the overall supply chain. As manufacturers do their best to produce the

Held: It’s important. I would suggest doing your homework prior to suggesting product ideas to your customer. Offer alternatives.

Get sizes early. At alphabroder, we offer free returns on orders under $1,000 within 30 days of ordering using our website. This gives you flexibility if sizes are unknown and you have to estimate.

I would also suggest focusing in on our core Primeplus and Prime styles, these are a collection of our most in-demand, bestselling styles, across all key product categories. These styles are perfect for programs and offer our deepest inventory.

Ernst: It’s incredibly important. Dealers rely on us for inventory flexibility as the market changes. For instance, in football, we knew that many of the companies that typically book football several months before the season would struggle. We had dealers as early as May and June telling us that those manufacturers were already cancelling orders.

As a result, we decided to go big on football. It paid off. We saw a tremendous amount of late orders in September and October as football seasons shifted out and everything moved “last minute.” We’re doing the same thing for basketball, softball, soccer and baseball.

necessary goods to service our channel, they are also being hit

Hamilton: You have to be flexible. If you are going to be stuck on

with transportation and distribution issues. It’s going to take time

this jersey, or this logo on it, you might be playing in underwear.

for everything to get ironed out and seemingly back to “normal” so

You have to find dealers who will give options to guys and let them

strong planning, communication and transparency is going to be

make their choice. In no way can a school or organization be able

key throughout this time.

to dictate what they want. I could be wrong, but I don’t see it.

Manning: We are a vertical manufacturer where a lot of other

Neale: That generally has to be the order of the day for the industry

distributors are not manufacturers. To have control of the entire

— for us, for our teams and for coaches. Coaches and teams may

manufacturing process will benefit us in the coming months. We

have less lead time than they are used to before the games start.

have a large manufacturing facility in Honduras. Because Central

They don’t have the three months they’re used to having. Dealers NSGA NOW ®

Continued on Page 18 January/February 2021 | 17

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OPERATIONS NOW Continued from Page 17

may have to be creative and we have solutions for them. We’re

really help us support our customers through these challenging

holding to a 10-day lead time for screen printing and have custom

times. Our inventory position continues to help our customers as

sublimation options as fast as 5 days. We’re focused on having

we navigate through this.

solutions dealers can count on. We’re doing our best to have them for customers.

Rhodes: Retailers and dealers have options for which brands they carry and suppliers they work with. I would explore every one of those options as deeply as possible. Look for the best terms and product with the best life span. We don’t require booking and we allow for all sports to be made at any time. We have our own factory so we’re able to do that. Retailers and dealers really should evaluate who they are working with because there are a lot of great manufacturers out there.

Ott: With how uncertain times are right now, flexibility is a huge part of being successful. That’s reflected across the board with all components to the process. Since we do all our manufacturing in house in Berlin, Wisconsin, we are able to be much more flexible than others. We don’t have to depend much on outside factors. We have to be able to adjust with change and find ways to continue to meet the needs of our customers. These principles have always been at the core of Ripon Athletic and we continue to strive to keep

Q: Do you have concerns about holes in inventory?

Held: At alphabroder we have seven of our own private brands (Ultra Club, Team 365, Core 365, Harriton, North End, Devon & Jones and Extreme). We feel very confident in our inventory, but we could be out of a specific size or we could be out of a particular color. I would ask our customers to work with us prior to putting products in programs, or orders that might be a few weeks out.

Utilize our sales and customer service team’s product knowledge.

The more we know the more we can help and support you.

Iorio: We have a little bit of inventory holes right now but it’s not grossly different than what happens historically. The good thing is we have our own production that we can fall back on pretty quickly.

We’ve focused on scenario planning more than in the past. We have significantly improved our ability to ramp up and ramp down as the demand fluctuates. That’s only possible because we have our own factories located here in North America. Our Mexico facilities can react within days to get us back on schedule.

them at the forefront in our relationships. From our standpoint, we

Ernst: The planning process before was a monthly process. It was

are always willing to work with customers if a situation comes up.

driven largely by historical data that has almost been rendered

Nielsen: Prebooking business will definitely help put dealers in a stronger position when it comes to securing the inventory they need, as long as they don’t feel it is putting them in a vulnerable position if business is to fall through at a later date due to events not happening.

Manning: Not one customer makes up more than 1 percent of our business and I agree with (NSGA President & CEO) Matt Carlson on the concepts of not putting all distribution eggs in one basket and the importance of keeping the independent dealer in the process. If you called today and said I need a waterproof jacket and we asked what price point you want, we probably have 30 different options to offer you. Our breadth of assortment will >> Ripon Athletic’s production facility in Berlin, Wisconsin.

irrelevant because of the COVID case count peaks and troughs.

Now we are meeting every two weeks for shorter periods, focused heavily on market sensing and scenario planning. The key is to have strong communication with our customers. They are on the front end of the sales cycle and have a better view of market conditions.

We ask them what they’re seeing and what they’re hearing. It’s really allowed us to be more agile than ever before.

This market is incredibly difficult to forecast. No one can really predict it accurately. As an “At Once” vendor, we typically have 6 months of inventory across all of our categories and ship 99.8% of products the same day it’s ordered. We’ve held to those standards throughout COVID. Hamilton: Our inventory is very strong. We have plenty of inventory and we’re doing private label products for people and special makeups. The challenge for us becomes, being the new kid on the block, getting the dealer to understand just because our prices are competitive, it doesn’t mean from a quality standpoint you have to back down. We’re as good or better than anyone out there. We have more customers coming to us. A lot of people realize they can come to us and they can get product.

Neale: We’re not crazy concerned about holes. For our basics, we have a set of guaranteed styles that are best-sellers that we guarantee will also be in stock. We may see an order that takes

18 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

across the US. We all just want the same thing – keeping everyone healthy, while also allowing our kids to stay physically, mentally, and socially balanced. As a business that supports youth sports, all we can do is be ready to supply when the conditions are right.

That’s been our focus. Control what we can control and support our customers as much as we can.

Hamilton: If you can’t have sports without problems at the university level, where you have control of the athletes, how are you going to do it at the high schools? You’ve got dealers who aren’t doing a lot of business. In California you have no sports so you have nobody placing orders. There’s no reason for them to.

The bigger challenge, and what will happen next year, is a lot of schools have product or ordered product and didn’t use it. I think >> A warehouse for Pennsylvania-based alphabroder.

up all available inventory of a 4XL Safety Yellow, for example, but we will quickly adjust and replenish. We are also building inventory

you’ll see carryover of certain items that won’t sell as quickly as they would like to have them sell and the end user knows it.

Neale: We have to stay flexible and so do the reps and dealers.

on new styles that were just coming in stock when the pandemic

In a normal year, you’re going through the calendar and making

started. The dealers we talk to get it, understand it and appreciate

sure you’re really deep in football, then you pivot to basketball and

us telling them what styles they can rely on and when the new

then you pivot to the spring. To some degree, we have to shrink

items will be ready.

our focus because we’re not going to have every football jersey

Rhodes: I’ll bet every supplier and manufacturer will always have concerns with inventory. Are we prepared enough? Do we have enough or do we have too much? I don’t know if you can ever sit there and say this is great and we’re satisfied. Even for us, we manufacture some fabric and we buy some because we try to stay diverse.

Nielsen: Absolutely. A number of our partners are faced with inventory issues at the moment, but we are working with them to try and get back on track so we can be in a solid position to service the market.

Manning: Our goal is to never be out of stock. You can’t sell what you don’t have. If there are holes in inventory we do everything we can to stay on top of the demand. We try to remind customers if we’re out of something in the morning, check with us multiple times throughout the day, because we are checking in product as fast as we can. If it’s our proprietary brand we control what we make. If we run short with white medium hoodies we can change a line and make white medium hoodies immediately.

in stock for teams playing in the spring, but we’re going to have the best-selling jerseys in stock. It’s always challenging. We have to make sure we have a good selection for all sports almost at the same time. Having sports playing at unusual times is different from what we’ve done in the past but we’re up for it.

Rhodes: Staying up to date is a key component for our survival and to theirs as well. We have to find products that will sell and serve those customers’ needs and remove their pain points. At the beginning of March we pushed our face masks and that was one way to try to help the dealers and the end users. We’re still going out and masking up and meeting with people to have discussions on what they need.

Ott: One of the biggest concerns is the uncertainty and unknowns.

High school sports have been chaotic over the last four months with last-minute decisions being made for teams playing or not.

It’s been helpful for us in that we could rearrange production and shipping to better align with teams that were getting out on the field versus others that weren’t playing during their normal time frame. Moving forward, schools might be more hesitant to spend

Q: What are some of the biggest concerns with the

money and order uniforms with the uncertainty of what’s going to

uncertainty of sports across the country?

happen in the future. On the other hand, we could see a reselling

Ernst: COVID has made youth sports a complicated business.

Schools, leagues and teams are all trying to follow state and local guidance, secure fields and courts, implement sanitation protocols, balance the risk of playing against the risk of not playing, and all the while trying to stay in business. And every zip code is different

of football uniforms for the teams that will be playing in the spring.

With this possibility, it’s most definitely an advantage producing our uniforms in house from start to finish, in the United States. We’re better able to work with our customers, dealers and reps with a much quicker response than if we outsourced.

NSGA NOW ®

Continued on Page 20 January/February 2021 | 19

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OPERATIONS NOW Continued from Page 19

Rhodes: You need to find good suppliers who still offer what you need. I don’t think anything changes for us in this scenario. There is still a high sense of urgency and we’re still trying to solve a customer’s needs. None of that changes. There are plenty of people out there who can still give them what they want. It may be a little uncomfortable at first but I would encourage them to expand and diversify their portfolio. I don’t think you have to accept less color offerings or products because something isn’t available. You need find somebody who was prepared for this possibility.

Ott: If I was still on the road I’d tell my guys to look at all vendors as possibilities. You have to be open to looking at all avenues. We hope >> SanMar’s manufacturing facility in Honduras.

Nielsen: Unfortunately this seems like a challenge that is going to be around for a while. The uncertainty and inconsistency of team sports from region to region, state to state and city to city is all over the place, which makes it extremely difficult to plan for and understand what could happen at any given moment. In the long run, sports won’t fully go away and there will always be a team element behind any organization. They just may look a little different in the immediate future.

Manning: There is a solid chance in many states football will be played twice in 2021. A Spring season and a Fall season. Supply chains will be challenged if that ends up happening.

that there’s a surge in demand for Made in the USA products as customers come to see the reliability and quality of these products.

Dealers also need to make sure that they are telling their end customer that their normal options aren’t necessarily going to be available in the capacity they always had been. Sometimes it’s forgotten that we’ve all been shut down to some degree, including here in Wisconsin, so it’s important to be aware of other brands that may fit the needs of their customers even though it’s something new. Disruptions in the supply chain could very well have an effect on future orders. It’s important for dealers and reps to be aware of options/brand other than what they might be used to selling, do research and come prepared with backup options for customers.

Manning: Forecasting has been a train wreck. It’s been extremely

Q: What are the challenges for ordering in this environment?

challenging. During a global pandemic, how do you know what is

Hamilton: I honestly don’t think anything will change with regards

going to sell? We don’t have any history to help us plan. One of

to ordering. As manufacturers you have to have product on the shelf to service dealers. We have inventory, we can service you and we can get you product.

For dealers, some manufacturers they might have always worked with might not be able to service them. It’s going to benefit guys like us who haven’t been around a long time, are trying to get their foot in the door and convince people our product is as good and we can get it to you on a timely basis.

Neale: What I would encourage dealers to do — maybe in the past you could roll in with a couple of catalogs, show the coach what it looks like and walk out with the order — is you need to do a little more prework. The coaches are dealing with some stuff like crazy schedules and other issues. I would encourage dealers to show personalized options for the coach. If their team is the Eagles with colors in blue, gold and white, try not to show the coach jerseys in red, black and white — it’s tough to visualize them.

For me, it’s an opportunity to get in and say, ‘We can get you outfitted in top-quality stuff and we have options for you.’ The lead times aren’t what they used to be. I tell our reps not to be a victim. In every crisis there is an opportunity.

20 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

things that separates SanMar from others is our deep inventory throughout our 10 warehouses in the US. Our go-to market strategy is to have the inventory you need when you need it. You don’t have to spend your money on pre-booked inventory that may or may not sell.

Basic tees and fleece are HOT right now and inventory could be challenging, my suggestion is to sell up when possible. If you can suggest a “better” style instead of a “good” style, the odds of that product being available is greater. If you use the “good, better, best” sales approach, sell the better & best for greater inventory availability.

Nielsen: Now, more than ever, people are open to trying different things and seeing what else is out there. Be open-minded and broaden your horizons in order to not pass up on a sale. You (and your customer) may be pleasantly surprised in what other options are out there that you’ve never considered before. I would only recommend up-selling when it feels necessary and advantageous for both parties involved. If you know your customer is very priceconscious then they obviously aren’t the one to try and guide into a higher price category.

Q: What advice would you give dealers for working with you?

Neale: First and foremost, there is business to be had - even in

Held: We pride ourselves in our customer relationships. Work with

states that are shut down like California. There is business to be

us, and together we can help build a program that supports your customer. Our goal is to be your first call for your promotional needs. This includes apparel on the alphabroder side, but we can also support all of your other promotional hard goods opportunities,

had selling to organizations and groups who want customized performance gear. It may mean pivoting away from the circuit of schools and travel teams and talking to companies and organizations that need what you can provide.

through primeline.com. Our sales team can help you with both your

Let’s go get some business, accept the world as it is, adapt to it and

apparel and hard goods ideas/suggestions. I suggest using a Good,

overcome. We all have to stay flexible as we get back to sports and

Better, Best approach in selling your customers. Wear what you sell

back to normal. You have to stay plugged in to what’s going on in

and sell what you like. The end user is getting pretty educated and

your schools. Teams are going to need your help now more than

understands what they want. Narrow down your focus for them

ever. We’re here to solve problems. It’s what we do.

instead of just giving them a catalog to look at. Do the research

Rhodes: I would say the reason you’re in business is you have

and give them good options.

strengths and they’re keeping you in business right now. Don’t try

Iorio: We’re all in this together. From our standpoint we’re the

to change some of your strengths and look for other opportunities.

industry’s inventory warehouse for them. We’ll be prepared to

You still want to keep that same sense of urgency and try to solve

handle the ups and downs and hopefully there are more ups in

customer needs because that will never fail you.

the coming months. We’re well positioned to support the industry

Nielsen: Try to be as best-prepared as possible. Although it’s

in the coming months. The good thing is we’ve got inventory from a service standpoint. We feel like we’re in a good position to support the dealers out there.

Ernst: We feel we’re in a pretty good spot inventory-wise and with

a tough time to navigate when things will get back to “normal,” staying in close communication with customers to ensure their needs are being met, so you can best prepare for the future to support them, is going to be what benefits everyone in the long

our breadth of product — you can get with 70K SKUs — we can

run. Letting them know that you are there for them when sports

serve virtually any opportunity. No matter the situation, we will

open back up will give them a sense of relief in knowing they can

have a solution for dealers. The product is there and we can turn

reach out once they are ready.

it around the same day. We’re ready to go. Dealers should have

Ott: Our company has been around for 100 years, we’ve learned

confidence they can come to us and we’ll find a solution.

to weather many storms and find solutions to come out stronger.

Hamilton: Eventually it’s all going to shake out and things will get

This is just another bump in the road that we’ll all have to work

back to some semblance of normal. It’s amazing how much lacrosse

together on to overcome. We’re wishing all the best to everyone in

we’re selling right now compared to football or sport packs. It’s our

the industry and looking forward to seeing what the future brings.

first season of lacrosse and it’s amazing how much we’re selling

Manning: If customers are willing to go up in price point our

right now with a reversible top. It’s a nice reversible and we can get

inventory is in really good shape. We have added to our Sport-Tek

it when you need it at a price-point that’s competitive.

tri-blend assortment and have a lot of inventory. Our opening price

This will make the dealers be salesmen rather than order takers.

points have been hit hard during the pandemic. The advantage

The dealers have to know what they can get and go to the coach

to using SanMar during these times is, If we are out of one style

or athletic director and say, I can get this product in a week, I can

or color, we have a lot of other similar items we can suggest to

get this one in two weeks and I can get this one in 3 months. Which

complete the order.

one do you want based on when you need it?

As the shoe brands supply chains continue to struggle, it will benefit the dealer community and schools to look for non-branded options like SanMar. One of our non-branded hoodies will cost the customer $30-$35 instead of $65 or $70 for a branded hoodie. As schools & sports start back up, one of the biggest opportunities for growth will be online team stores. Parents will want to buy merchandise to support the schools & teams they cheer for.

>> The S&S Activewear warehouse in Reno, Nevada.

NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021 | 21

BUILT. NOT MADE.

SUPERIOR CUSTOM TEAM APPAREL YOU BUILD THE ATHLETE WE BUILD THE UNIFORM

prolook.com

#LiveYourGame

INDUSTRY NOW James Keen Sr., Instrumental in Growth of Cliff Keen Athletic, Passes Away at 79

over last year to $830 million and revenue of $1.4 billion was flat

James C. Keen Sr., who played a

Kahunaverse Acquired by Canadian Private Equity Group

significant role in the growth of wrestling equipment and uniform manufacturer Cliff Keen Athletic, passed away November 24 at age 79. Keen’s father Cliff was inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in 2012.

James Keen was in high school when his father invented wrestling’s first protective headgear. Jim’s 65-year involvement in wrestling included competing for his father at the University of Michigan, inventing wrestling equipment and becoming CEO of Cliff Keen Athletic.

James Keen was involved with USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and served the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as chairman from 2004-2013. Keen received the Hall of Fame’s Order of Merit for his contributions and service to wrestling in 2004 and

compared to the same time period of a year ago.

Greyrock Capital Inc., a Winnipeg-based private equity group, announced the acquisition of Kahunaverse Sports Group, Inc., and its subsidiary company, Soccer Express Trading Corp. Kahunaverse operates under the Home Run Sports, SoccerX and Kahunaverse Sports banners and is a provider of team sports apparel and equipment to academic institutions, sport associations, clubs and leagues throughout Canada.

Greyrock co-founder David Blatt stepped into the role of CEO of Kahunaverse Sports Group, Inc.

supported many individual athletes and programs through the country.

Academy Partners with Three College Conferences

Markwort Acquires Arm Strong Baseball

Academy Sports + Outdoors announced multi-year partnerships as

St. Louis-based Markwort Sporting Goods Company acquired Arm Strong® Baseball - The Complete Pitching and Throwing Trainer - from David and Connie Higgins, the owners of DH Sports, Inc. The Arm Strong® Baseball Trainer is a proven steady seller and has been on the market for decades. Arm Strong® can help develop strength and improve a players’ performance through six exercises.

Arm Strong® includes three tubes for seven resistance levels, attachments for indoor and outdoor training and a travel bag.

Markwort Sporting Goods Company was established in 1931 and is the maker of sporting goods products such as C-Flap®, Game Face®, Heart-Gard®, Palmgard® and much more. Markwort has been a long-time member and supporter of NSGA.

Under Armour Ending More than 2,000 Existing Wholesale Partnerships, Focusing on Direct to Consumer Under Armour will end between 2,000 and 3,000 existing wholesale partnerships, focusing on its direct-to-consumer business, according to a report by Retail TouchPoints.

Under Armour reported a 17 percent increase in direct-to-consumer business up to $540 million, fueled by ecommerce growth, in a thirdquarter earnings call. Wholesale revenue decreased 7 percent 24 | NSGA NOW

®

>> January/February 2021

the Official Sporting Goods and Outdoor Retailer of three college conferences - the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) and SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).

Dick’s Sporting Goods Makes Leadership Changes Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc., announced that Edward W. Stack, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame inductee (2006), will assume the role of Executive Chairman and continue as Chief Merchant on February 1, 2021.

Lauren Hobart will become the first female to lead the company as President and CEO. Stack has served as Chairman and CEO of Dick’s since he and his siblings bought his father’s two small sporting goods stores in upstate New York in 1984. Under Mr. Stack’s leadership and predominantly through organic growth, Dick’s has become the industry leader, with more than 850 stores and nearly $9 billion in annual revenue. Stack has driven Dick’s omni-channel strategy and investments in logistics and technology, which in 2020 have helped the company’s eCommerce business approach $2 billion in revenue. He will continue to oversee key strategic growth initiatives for the company.

The company also announced its board of directors unanimously elected Hobart, the current President of Dick’s, as President and CEO, also effective February 1, 2021.

Customer Story

TAKING SALES AND THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TO NEW HEIGHTS

“OMG has been a game-changer for us, and has really upped our sales. I can’t remember the last time we did a paper order, and it has been a lifesaver.”

Vice President of $1.3M Dealer & Decorator

CHALLENGES

OMG DIFFERENCE

Error-prone order forms

Improved customer experience

Inconsistent processes

Tailored support & service Team

Payment frustrations

Generated new & repeat orders

RESULTS

6600+ orders placed in last 12 months

100+ online stores opened in last 12 months

See what OMG can do for you at

ORDERMYGEAR.COM

25% sales growth in last 3 years

LOCKER ROOM NOW Some Hockey “Spit Guard” Attachments and Helmets Verified by Hockey Equipment Certification Council

US Lacrosse Commotio Cordis Chest Protector Rules for Goalkeepers Begin in 2021

Hockey “spit guards” manufactured by Bauer

The US Lacrosse rule that all chest

and CCM to be attached to hockey helmets

protectors for goalies meet NOCSAE

have been verified for use by the Hockey

standard ND200 and have an SEI

Equipment Certification Council (HECC). A

certification mark goes into effect January

HECC-certified helmet with a spit-guard modification must be

1, 2021. This will be mandatory in the boys/men and girls/women

verified by HECC and meet these criteria:

rules for US Lacrosse, the National Federation of State High School

• The original helmet manufacturer must approve the use of the

Associations (NFHS) and NCAA.

Spit Guard with its product, AND • The modified product must be verified by the HECC validator to ensure that it still meets the applicable test standard.

Without meeting these two requirements the HECC Certification is voided by the addition of the Spit Guard. In order for helmets to maintain their HECC certification, only Bauer shields can be attached to Bauer helmets and only CCM shields can be attached to CCM helmets. HECC said certification of helmets modified with

Chest protectors meeting NOCSAE standard ND200 reduce the risk of commotio cordis (cardiac arrest caused by a blow to the heart area). All non-goalies will be required to wear chest protection meeting this standard starting in January 1, 2022.

Study Shows High School Sports Did Not Increase COVID Infections Among Wisconsin High School Athletes

a “spit guard” does not indicate an endorsement by HECC of any

A study conducted by the Department of Orthopedics &

particular product or a recommendation as to its effectiveness or

Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine

benefit to a consumer using one.

and Public Health concluded participation in high school sports in

USA Hockey and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) follow HECC certification guidelines. To

Wisconsin has not led to an increase in COVID-19 infections among high school student-athletes.

find HECC-certified Bauer and CCM products go to hecc.org/

The COVID-19 in Wisconsin High School Athletics study conducted

certsplashguards.html.

by Dr. Andrew Watson and his research team revealed the case

A mask or face covering worn underneath a helmet that is not an attachment does not affect the HECC certification of the helmet.

NFHS Produces Video on Electronic Whistles for Volleyball Officials NFHS debuted a new instructional video on the online NFHS Learning Center – “Official Volleyball Signals Using an Electronic Whistle.” The video provides officials with tips and techniques to assist in creating seamless signal sequences

and incidence rate of a statewide sampling, which represented 30,000 student-athletes, are actually lower than those reported by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for those 14–17 years of age.

In addition, the survey found that no sport had a statistically higher incidence rate than that of teenagers during the same period of time. Furthermore, only one case – or 0.5 percent of the reported cases – was attributed to transmission during sports activities.

Another finding of the study confirms existing literature regarding the severity of COVID-19 in children. There were no cases reported

when using an electronic whistle. Supporting

that resulted in hospitalization or death.

information in the video includes examples

An encouraging and significant aspect of the study’s conclusion

of various signals conducted by the first and

highlights the efforts of member schools to follow the prescribed

second referees in applying proper mechanics.

guidelines developed by the WIAA’s Sports Medical Advisory

Last spring, as COVID-19 information became more prevalent, the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee promptly responded to help with health and safety concerns in the sport. The committee’s response resulted in the development of rules considerations related to social distancing and limiting contact to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

26 | NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021

Committee. All schools responding to the study reported having a formal plan in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and most indicated they used a broad range of procedures to reduce risk of exposure and infection.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT NOW

GIVE ME 5 WITH

Sig Fossum

Owner, Sporthaus Yakima, Yakima, Washington

Why the Outdoor Industry?

How is interest in individualized outdoor recreation?

In high school I worked at a local sporting goods store that sold ski and

Since the end of September we have had a steady increase in customer

tennis equipment. I also worked as a ski instructor in high school and

purchasing. I am seeing new customers just starting and getting their

college. After college I was going to open my own store, but I was hired

families started. Since the competing school sports have been put on

by the owner of the Sporthaus (a small ski and tennis shop started in

hold until spring families are looking for other activities. Early snow

1952) in Yakima. Several months later, in the fall of 1975, I bought the

has also made a big difference. We had our best November ever and

store with another employee.

December is very strong.

Biggest challenges from COVID-19 At first there were no customers even after we were able to reopen and very few through August. My employees took this time to get

Benefits of membership

an eCommerce site up and running, make

We use the membership benefits from FedEx

implement some other procedures that we

freight, credit card processing and ski binding

had not had time for in the past. This will

One of our biggest challenges comes from

indemnification lists. Also, learning from other

be a great asset. Sales got back to almost

competing sports. Some team sports have

some improvements in our POS system and

What do snow sports retailers face in 2021?

member’s experiences. I see the National Ski

normal in late September. We have followed

created pressure to participate year-round

& Snowboard Retailers Association (NSSRA)

our state’s mandates (face masks, distancing,

to compete. Families have to make choices as

as our only conduit to communicate with and

25% capacity, hand sanitizer and additional

to where to spend their time. Snow is always

bring together vendors, ski areas, patrol and

cleaning). Our customers have been very

the biggest factor. If we have snow early and

instructors on a national level.

understanding and loyal.

locally business is good.

NSGA NOW ®

>> January/February 2021 | 27

Rescheduled for September 2021

Save the date

www.nsga.org/conference2021