CEO NOW

Voicing opposition to a couple of significant sports-related issues in the last decade was not a problem for NSGA.

One was a lawmaker’s effort to remove the physical education requirement in Illinois schools. The other was a bill to require schools to develop a policy to limit tackling in Illinois high school football practices to once a week.

It was not a challenge for us to be aware of these situations since they occurred in the proverbial backyard of NSGA’s headquarters in suburban Chicago. They were hot-button topics that received significant attention from our local media. But a lot happens outside of our window to the world. NSGA does its best to stay on top of important legislation, but it is a big country and media cutbacks have limited local coverage and attention some of these issues used to receive.

We urge you to reach out and let us know if there is a pending piece of legislation that could affect your business in your region. It could be an issue for other NSGA members in other states, too.

In many cases, legislation at the federal level that could impact members grows from a state issue. Knowing about it gives our team the opportunity to examine, prepare and respond to the issue at hand. It also allows us to collaborate with other organizations, like the National Retail Federation (NRF), to achieve a better outcome. A couple of years ago, we were made aware of a proposal in Maine to increase the minimum salary threshold for overtime pay, which would have a significant impact on families and businesses. NSGA joined the NRF, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) to amplify its opposition. We also encourage you to check out the advocacy pages on NSGA’s new website at nsga.org/ current-initiatives/. It is a great resource where you will find contact information for NSGA staff regarding corporate and rulemaking questions and how to contact your local senators and representatives. The NSGA advocacy pages illustrate what we are monitoring with details on some of the current issues in play and others that came to a successful resolution.

Nobody wins them all in the advocacy arena. But we cannot get a win if we’re not on the field. We are ready to help where we believe we can. Help us amplify your voice.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

PAT DONNELLEY

BSN Sports, Twin Falls, ID

CHAIRMAN-ELECT

GORDON GEIGER

Geiger’s, Lakewood, OH

PAST CHAIRMAN

DAVID LABBE

Kittery Trading Post, Kittery, ME

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

KEVIN BEZANSON

Cleve’s Source for Sports, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

BOB FAWLEY

Capitol Varsity Sports, Oxford, OH

TROY FREEMAN

Play It Again Sports, Minneapolis, MN

MICK MONTGOMERY

Denver Athletic Supply, Englewood, CO

RON RUGAL

B&R Sporting Goods, Shelby Charter Township, MI

JOHN SCIPIO

SV Sports, Pottstown, PA

NSGA TEAM LEADERS

MATT CARLSON

President & CEO

MARTY MACIASZEK

Director, Team Dealer Division, Communications

JULIE PITTS

Director, Public Affairs and President, NSSRA

NICK RIGITANO

Director, Insights and Analysis

JENNIFER SHAFFER Comptroller

Best regards,

MATT CARLSON PRESIDENT & CEO

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