NSGA NOW - March/April 2024

OVERCOMING HURDLES

OFFICIATING SHORTAGE HAZED AND CONFUSED KEEPING KIDS IN THE GAME

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Expanded Speed Networking

Big Part of NSGA 2024 Leadership Conference 24

INSIGHTS NOW

2023 Holiday Shopping Retail Recap

NEWS NOW

USA Hockey Mandates Neck Laceration Protection; NOCSAE Winter Meeting Recap

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Augusta, Founder

Purchased by Private Equity Group

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Grace Schettler Joins

Chipply from Cap America; Dakota Sports, Dauby’s Merge, High School Football Jersey

Clarification

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Give Me Five with Chris Wegner, Brick Wheels

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CEO NOW NSGA OFFICERS

Astudy by Scandinavian scientists which came out just before Christmas made a case that exercise and physical activity were not necessarily beneficial to a long and healthy life. One of the conclusions of the study, which had not been peer reviewed, is a healthy lifestyle may be a bigger key to longevity than exercise. Wouldn’t exercise be considered part of a healthy lifestyle? Other research illustrates a direct, and positive, link between mental health and sports participation. I scratch my head with the conclusion reached in the Scandinavian study.

Then, after Christmas, California lawmakers made a legislative attempt to ban tackle football for kids under age 12. California and other states such as Illinois and New York have made similar proposals that have failed. This proposal made it out of a committee but never went ahead to a vote because Gov. Gavin Newsom declared he would veto the legislation. Even so, NSGA objected to the ban, stating that parents should retain the ability to make that determination.

While it’s a long way from Scandinavia to California, these two issues underscore some of the hurdles the sporting goods industry continues to face when it comes to its lifeblood of participation. Put too many hurdles in front of people when it comes to their ability to participate in sports and there is the risk they will just drop out of the race.

This issue of NSGA NOW takes a deeper look at some of the hurdles such as the shortage of sports officials, the problem of hazing and making sure the experience at a young age keeps kids coming back each year. The declining numbers in officiating are a serious problem and the residual effects are games that

can’t be played, or in more and more cases in high school football, a loss of the “Friday Night Lights” experience because games must be moved to a Thursday or Saturday.

Hazing is a centuries-old issue that won’t go away despite the negative attention from high-profile incidents. Some of them are damaging enough to make both parents and kids question the value of participating in sports, end coaching careers, and destroy community sports programs.

And too often, so much value is placed on results for our youngest participants. The biggest victories are making sure the earliest experiences for kids in sports are enjoyable enough so they stay in the game. The same concept applies to outdoor sports and activities just like it does for team sports.

Now you may be wondering what can members of the sporting goods industry do to help? This issue of NSGA NOW offers some guidance. The story on the officiating shortage talks with a couple of members of the industry who are long-time officials. With hazing it could be hosting activities that emphasize positive team building. And for our youngest participants, the retailer can make buying that first bat, basketball, hockey stick, or snowboard an unforgettable experience.

In these and other instances, it’s important we all do our part to remove the hurdles that cause participation growing pains.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

PAT DONNELLEY

Twin Falls, ID

TREASURER/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

COLE JOHNSON

Johnson-Lambe Sporting Goods Raleigh, North Carolina

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

NSGA attended the NOCSAE Winter Standards Meeting in Arizona and has a recap on page

of this issue of NSGA NOW.

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NSGA SUPPORTS CREDIT CARD COMPETITION ACT

BY JULIE PITTS NSGA DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) monitors legislation in Washington, DC which may impact our members’ business operations. For the past several years, the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) has been debated in Congress. NSGA supports the CCCA and believes it could reduce operating costs for our members.

WHAT IS THE CREDIT CARD COMPETITION ACT (CCCA)?

Reintroduced in 2023, the CCCA is a bipartisan, bicameral bill (S 1838/HR 3881) which would increase competition in the credit card network market and, as a result, lower card credit fees for merchants. NSGA is an active supporter of this legislation, including membership in the Merchants Payments Coalition, an advocacy group promoting competition in the transaction networks. In October 2023, NSGA also made visits to the Washington, DC offices of several officials to lobby for the passage of the bill.

The CCCA would benefit every merchant in America as it intends to lower interchange fees, or “swipe fees,” which can range between 1% and 3% of every transaction and are set by the credit card companies. Visa and Mastercard control approximately 80% of the credit card market and function as a duopoly using their market share to require processing on their own networks and setting the fees to do so.

The impact of these fees is significant. NSGA signed on to a January 2023 letter to members of Congress stating that in 2022, US merchants and consumers paid $160 billion in debit and credit card swipe fees.

Gordon Geiger, owner of Geiger’s in Lakewood, Ohio and Treasurer/ Chair Elect of NSGA said, “The cost of credit transactions is becoming an

increasingly noticeable expense. Unlike restaurants who are charging an extra 3% for credit card use, we have not passed these costs on. The CCCA would bring us some much-needed relief.”

Should the CCCA pass, banks with more than $100 billion in assets would have to offer a choice of at least two networks to process credit transactions, and Visa and Mastercard cannot control one of the networks. By injecting competition into the transactions marketplace, fees should come down and benefit merchants and consumers. CMSPI, a payments consultancy, estimates the CCCA would provide nearly $15 billion in annual savings for merchants and consumers.

This is not the first time Congress has stepped in to ensure competition and to protect merchants and consumers. Effective October 2011, interchange fees for debit card transactions were limited by the Durbin Amendment of the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which affected about two-thirds of all debit transactions.

What happened because of debit card reform? It is believed that retailers passed on savings by shielding customers from higher prices that would have resulted from other increases in operating costs such as transportation or food costs. The Merchants Payment Coalition notes the Producer Price Index (PPI) vs. the Consumer Price Index (CPI)

NSGA’s mission is to support its members’ efforts to grow the business and advocate on their behalf.

in the years post-implementation provides evidence that this is the case. From the time reform went into effect in October 2011 through the end of 2016, the PPI rose 9.4 percent, while the CPI rose only 4.3 percent.

A 2014 study from Georgetown University Professor Robert Shapiro examined the then-recently passed Durbin Amendment. Shapiro concluded the cap on debit interchange fees saved merchants and consumers almost $8.5 billion in 2012 and nearly 70% of those savings were passed along to consumers. The study further suggests that those savings could have supported roughly 37,000 American jobs.

“There were measurable benefits of debit card reform. There is no reason to think credit card reform would be any different.”

- Matt Carlson, NSGA President & CEO

WHO OPPOSES THE CCCA?

The credit card companies and big banks are strongly opposed to the legislation. This opposition effort is wellfunded and organized. The following are a few arguments often posed against the CCCA and why merchants believe these arguments are not necessarily correct.

If the CCCA passes, credit card points and loyalty programs will end. Reward programs are not a function of network transactions, rather they are determined by the banks to incentivize consumers to use their bank-issued cards. In other countries where swipe fees are lower, credit card rewards still exist. According to the Merchants Payments Coalition, many retailers offer their own loyalty programs with a profit margin of less than 3%. The big banks that offer most of the credit cards in the US have an average profit margin of 27%. CMSPI states banks have “more than sufficient margin” to offset lost swipe fee revenue and “maintain current reward levels.” JP Morgan Chase, the largest credit card issuer, posted record profits for 2023.

By introducing more networks, the US is exposing itself to security risks. There are other networks, beyond Visa and Mastercard, that safely process debit card and ATM transactions every day. The CCCA legislation also prohibits networks supported by some foreign countries, such as China, from entering the US processing market. The current conditions are are a point of security exposure.

This legislation will hurt community banks and credit unions.

The CCCA only applies to financial institutions with $100 billion or more in assets and will affect 32 banks in the United States. Only one credit union, Navy Federal, meets the $100 billion threshold. Community banks are untouched by the CCCA.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Please promote the CCCA by contacting your elected officials and asking them to support and co-sponsor this important legislation. You may find your elected officials at nsga.org/advocacy.

For more information about NSGA’s advocacy efforts, please contact advocacy@nsga.org

NSGA ADVOCACY UPDATES

The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) weighed in on two significant areas in the last few months, regarding tariffs and youth tackle football, that affect the sporting goods industry.

TARIFF EXCLUSION EXTENSION

NSGA and the National Ski & Snowboard Retailers Association (NSSRA), who are members of the Americans for Free Trade Coalition, were signatories to a letter sent to certain members of the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance requesting the release of the USTR’s 4-year review of the Section 301 tariffs and requesting an extension of certain exclusions which were to expire on December 31, 2023.

The exclusions were extended until May 31, 2024, providing some relief for American businesses who rely on the exclusions for business operations.

In the last five years, American importers, including members of our coalition, have paid more than $198 billion in section 301 tariffs on products imported from China.

The cost of the tariffs has been borne almost entirely by U.S. businesses and

consumers, and their continued imposition harms U.S. competitiveness and contributes to persistent inflation in our economy. At the same time, these harmful taxes have failed to change China’s use of unfair trade practices relating to intellectual property rights, forced technology transfers, and innovation.

CALIFORNIA’S PROPOSED BAN ON TACKLE FOOTBALL

In January, California state legislator Kevin McCarty authored a bill to ban tackle football for kids under age 12 for health concerns. The bill advanced out of a committee but was withdrawn after Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would veto the legislation.

This was the second attempt in California for a ban on tackle football for certain age groups. New York and Illinois have also made unsuccessful attempts to ban tackle football.

NSGA sent a letter to McCarty shortly after Gov. Newsom’s veto announcement that agreed with Newsom’s decision because strict measures limiting contact in practice are already in place, the decision to play tackle football should be left up to parents and emphasized concerns of more and more kids opting for sedentary lifestyles.

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OFFICIAL BUSINESS: DECLINING NUMBERS PENALIZING TEAMS, ATHLETES

BY BRUCE MILES

In times that seem almost quaint, the cry of “kill the umpire” was a regular part of the sports scene and one nobody took literally.

In the spirit of good fun, fans in the leftfield lower deck of Chicago’s Comiskey Park would unfurl a bed sheet with an eye chart depicted on it when a call went against their beloved White Sox. Sometimes even the umpires laughed. Umpires and referees never have been beloved figures, but they are necessary to maintain order on the field or on the court and to ensure fair play. After all, without the “men and women in blue” or the “zebras,” we have no game. Things, unfortunately, are different nowadays.

Accounts of verbal and sometimes physical abuses of game officials are chronicled across the social media landscape. One need only search YouTube to see coaches, players and parents behaving badly against officials, especially at the youth, middle school and high school levels.

Those episodes, along with other factors — including costs of officiating equipment, COVID, compensation, an aging group of officials, combined with a lack of young people going into the profession — have led to a nationwide shortage of referees and umpires.

“We’re here largely because the treatment and the working conditions for sports officials are not good and have not been good for many decades,” said Bill Topp, president of the National Association of Sports Officials. “There’s been a slow decline in the number of people who have interest in becoming a sports official.

“It has to do with sportsmanship, No. 1. Every survey that we’ve done at the National Association of Sports Officials over the last 40-plus years, sportsmanship comes back as the No. 1 reason people have trouble with sports officiating and end up quitting or not even starting. There’s been a lot of focus on fixing it, but we need a lot more focus if we’re going to turn these numbers around.”

Topp and NASO have extensive data to back up their assertions.

Continued on page 12

Bill Topp

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Continued from page 11

A 162-question survey conducted in 2023 by NASO generated nearly 36,000 responses from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

According to the survey, “the officiating industry is an aging one, supporting the need for recruitment and retention. The average age of those surveyed was 56.68 years, up from 53.29 years in 2017. In every sport represented by survey respondents, the average age climbed over 50 years for the first time in any NASO survey effort.

“Sportsmanship continues to worsen. In response to the question, ‘Is sportsmanship getting better or worse?’ respondents answered: 68.81% worse, 21.25% no change, 10.14% better. Among those officials who indicated they worked at the high school level, 69.48% said (sportsmanship) was getting worse, 20.73% no change, 9.79% better.

“More than 50 percent of all respondents have feared for their safety at some point in their career because of administrator, coach, player or spectator behavior. Sadly, nearly 12 percent of all officials who responded have been physically assaulted during or after a sporting event.”

This has led to officiating shortages continuing to be an industry-wide issue.

“We were thrilled with the data because when you have 36,000 people voice their opinions, that’s a really good sample size,” Topp said. “So we were excited with the turnout that we had. Probably the thing that jumped out the most: One, we’re getting older. That’s considering all sports at all levels.

“That’s concerning, obviously, because those 57-year-olds aren’t going to be doing this forever, and we’ve got to worry about who’s coming up behind them.”

Anyone who has officiated for any length of time has encountered poor sportsmanship. As the survey results indicate, the situation is worsening.

“It’s horrendous,” said Doc Claussen, general manager of Coaches Corner Sporting Goods in Terre Haute, Indiana, and a longtime official. “For instance, I was at a wrestling tournament (recently). Brand new official. Twenty years old. Match is going on. The opponent’s teammate didn’t like his call. He called him an ‘effing retard.’ That’s what we’re dealing with today.

“The way kids approach officials is way different than what we grew up with. We’re supposed to absorb that and be professional.”

Most officials do their best to try to defuse volatile situations.

“There’s all kinds of levels of defusing situations,” said Topp, who has worked football, basketball and baseball. “The first we try to use is what we call preventative officiating, if you will. It’s just a quiet word, some open communication, open dialogue with the coach or the administrator to see if they can take care of a problem quietly and softly. And then if it doesn’t work, we have to turn it up a notch, and we have penalties in the rule books that allow us to do so. We have to enforce those penalties without fear or favor, and we have to get support to do that.

“At the end of the day, nobody wants to be in a situation where we’re canceling games or sending teams to the locker room for a cooling-off period.

The great schools and conferences have great administrators who are in place to take care of problems before they escalate to that level. We’re happy to support them. When we point out a problem or we’ve got to deal with something, when we feel like they’ve got our back and they’re taking care of it with us and not fighting against us, it goes a long way to curbing everything before it implodes.”

Most sports officials at all levels, including the major sports leagues, say they do the job because they love sports and the athletes who play them.

So how can they attract more young people to become officials and is there anything sporting-goods dealers can do to make barriers easier to overcome?

Mac Clark, who represents Tim Maloney Sales in the greater Seattle area, says he works up to 200 basketball games a year. He points to another sport for a possible answer to alleviating shortages of game officials.

“I think soccer does a really great job of bringing in younger kids, of doing a better job of bringing in younger kids to ref,” he said. “They’ve got kids reffing kids, which I think is really important. I think kids reffing kids and parents understanding what the heck is going on is really good.

“I think you really need to approach that college market and partner with intramural programs.

Doc Claussen

Mac Clark

And once they go home, they start reffing in the summer or the winter on their breaks and really preach that it’s the first step in gig work. It’s true gig work. You don’t have a boss. You show up. You leave. You’re an independent contractor. You build your own schedule, how much you want to work, how little. If we added 100 guys in the next month and all they did was 10 games apiece, that’s 1,000 games. That’s what we need.”

All sides agree, costs, particularly start-up costs for equipment, can be prohibitive.

“I think sporting-goods manufacturers need to step up,” Clark said. “We’re charging $48 for a sublimated shirt with their association logo on it. Come on, man. There are systemic issues. I ask this a lot: “Why are we as an organization trying to make money off the back of a 16-year-old. Two hundred bucks is a lot of money to a 16-year-old. How can we avoid that? And there are some insurance costs and other stuff. But we’ve got to step up to the plate.”

Added Topp of NASO: “If you think about some of the sports, bat-and-ball sport, baseball and softball, or even hockey, the expense is quite significant. You can be well over $1,000 in equipment to start as a baseball or softball umpire. If you’re making $50, $60, $75 a game, that can take quite a bit to even recoup the money you’ve invested. We need to come up with programs that help people get into those sports.

“Some sports are a little bit easier to get into financially, but it’s still quite an investment to get started when you consider all the continuing education and the local associations you join, the registrations you have to pay, plus your uniform, plus your equipment. So if there is a way to find a program or support for programs — scholarships or other opportunities to offset some of those costs for young folks who are getting into officiating, that would be wonderful.”

Of course, brick-and-mortar sportinggoods stores have increased online competition, as do all retailers.

“We used to carry football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball products,” Claussen said. “But everything has gone such Internet driven, that we stopped buying the product. Everything has gone sublimated. Indiana had a different patch every year. You had to sew it on. Then you had to buy extra because in my case, I had two football, two basketball, two wrestling and four baseball (shirts). What they’ve done in the state of Indiana, they’ve gone to one logo on the sleeve. It’s on the football shirt. It’s on the volleyball shirt. So everything is sublimated in. So there’s many outlets to get that product out.”

Claussen, Topp and Clark all agree that the factors affecting the shortage of officials are myriad and complex. But if they can get younger officials hooked early they have a fighting chance.

“Our surveys indicate once we get officials past Year 3, we tend to keep them,” Topp said. “They fall in love with it. They make lifelong friends, and they see the long-term benefits. It’s really those first three years when we’ve got to do a better job of protecting them, educating them, supporting them and creating sportsmanship environments that make it worthwhile to be a sports official.”

BRUCE MILES

Bruce Miles has covered sports in the Chicago area since 1979. He was the Daily Herald’s beat writer covering the Chicago Cubs from 1998-2019. He currently works as a freelance writer. This is his third piece for NSGA NOW.

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EXPERIENCE IS IMPORTANT TO KIDS’ SUSTAINED INTEREST IN SPORTS

BY TOM VAN JACOBS NSGA MARKETING COORDINATOR

The key to the retention of young kids in sports is the experience.

The experiences from purchasing their first sports gear, to attending their first practice with their new coach and team, to the feeling of their first game are essential for getting kids to fall in love and continue to play in sports.

KEVIN

Retailers and team dealers are sometimes the first interaction a kid has before they start organized sports. It is important that kids have this first great experience to set the foundation in their minds. Are they going to be excited, or will a feeling of nervousness and regret take over?

Coaches also play a vital role in shaping a positive and rewarding sports experience for kids. Their influence extends beyond the field, impacting various aspects of a child’s development by encouraging teamwork or becoming a mentor, teamwork or becoming a mentor and significantly and subsequently affecting his or her interest in sports.

Sports organizations also play a notable role in the overall experience. They offer a structured and supportive framework for kids to participate in sports. Through qualified coaching, team environments, competitions, skill progression and community engagement, these organizations contribute to keeping children interested in sports and fostering a lifelong love for the game. Continued on page 18

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Continued from page 17

NSGA asked Jason Sacks of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and Kevin Erlenbach of USA Hockey a few questions about their thoughts on how to keep kids interested in sports:

Q: What are a few things your organizations are doing to keep young kids interested in sports?

JASON: PCA believes that all kids, regardless of social or economic circumstance deserve a positive youth sports experience. People often say that sports develop character or teach life skills, but sports on their own do not. Sports done right is what leads to these positive experiences. The key to unlocking the many benefits that sports provide, such as skill development, resiliency, leadership, teamwork, etc., is an intentional, consistent and supportive coach. Training youth sports coaches is so important because training will give them tangible tools to help their athletes get the most out of the sport.

At PCA, our workshops set coaches up to develop athletes as competitors, while also helping them develop the life skills mentioned above and many more. We also know that the entire youth sports ecosystem (organizational leaders, coaches, parents, athletes) needs to be aligned to keep kids interested in youth sports. PCA takes a system approach by partnering with schools, youth sports organizations and communities to provide training, resources and content for each audience in this ecosystem to help ensure a positive youth sports experience.

KEVIN: One of the things is making sure to stay connected with local youth hockey leaders that work with kids at the 8-and-under age group. This is an age group where we see the highest level of turnover as it typically is a time of a child’s life where they sample many activities. By staying connected with the local youth hockey leaders,

we provide them with best practices on how to stay connected with these families, make sure they have their up-todate contact information and provide them with opportunities to stay in the mix for these new family’s youth sport activities. The other component is an extensive digital marketing campaign that keeps the 8-and-under families connected with our messaging so they have youth hockey on their mind throughout their online experience.

Q: What is the importance of good coaching to help keep young kids interested?

JASON: One of the foundational elements of a positive youth sports environment is the ability for coaches to build trusting relationships with their athletes. Research shows that trusting relationships are fundamental for learning and development. Even further, when coaches build these strong relationships, they are better able to understand their athlete’s perspectives, motivations and reactions and can better support them to help them achieve success.

When coaches are properly trained, they are more likely to create a positive sports experience for athletes that encourages learning, acceptance, growth and connection. Athletes will be more likely to return to play each season and could even entice others to join in. When a sport program is dedicated to creating a positive youth sports environment, all stakeholders engaged (athletes, parents/caregivers, coaches, officials, etc.) have an opportunity to contribute to the lasting impact that sports can provide.

KEVIN: It might be one of the most essential ingredients to high retention. Making sure the coaching matches the needs of a certain age group and experience level makes all the difference. Making sure a coach isn’t teaching outdated, boring drills, applying the lessons best left for a 16-year-old and trying to teach it to a 6-year-old,

or leaving too much time to stand around instead of getting a high level of reps, will chase away players.

Q:

What can retailers/hockey pro shops do to keep young kids interested in sports?

JASON: Retailers are an important part of the youth sports experience. When you think of all the things needed for youth sports — retailers are involved in so many things from uniforms to equipment to facilities and more. All those things help provide the platform for kids to compete and participate. And while those are important, what will often keep kids coming back (or not) is their experience, which often comes down to the coaches and parents. The more retailers can help invest in ways to ensure the best possible experience for kids playing sports, the more likely those kids will come back — which in turn is good for retailers as it means returning customers.

KEVIN: Working with your local sports organizations to add information about special fitting opportunities or equipment sales, to make sure that the consumer is aware of everything available to them with their regular communication to make sure that any hurdles are minimized.

Jason Sacks of PCA

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NO FUN AND GAMES WITH HAZING

BY NICK VLAHOS

Hazing almost cost Todd Hollis one of the best high school football players he’s coached. That the departure didn’t materialize might be a testament to the power of breaking the hazing cycle.

A fullback and linebacker, Clayton Powers helped lead Elmwood (Ill.) High School to consecutive state-playoffs appearances his junior and senior years. But as a freshman, Powers was subject to abuse from his upperclass teammates at their school located about 25 miles west of Peoria.

Hollis has coached at Elmwood for 25 years, but he admitted he was a bit naïve his first few seasons. He wasn’t hazed as a high school student in suburban Chicago.

As a first-time head coach, Hollis didn’t realize he inherited a program that had a robust hazing culture among its players.

What happened regarding Powers — things like lining up freshmen like bowling pins and knocking them over before practice — was an eye-opener.

“If you told me to go build a team, I’d take 22 of him and we’d win a bunch of games,” Hollis said. “All-American kid. Valedictorian. But after his freshman year, he told me he wasn’t going to play. I said, ‘If this kid isn’t going to keep playing football…’ You look at him and he’s a football player.

“He had the guts to tell me what was going on. We were shocked.”

Others who work with high school athletes on a national level aren’t shocked about how enduring and pervasive hazing is.

About 1.5 million high school students experience hazing each year, according to the Hazing Prevention Network, a national not-for-profit organization. That’s out of about 12 million young

people who participate in prep athletics and activities, according to Elliot Hopkins. He’s the director of sports, sanctioning and student services for the Indianapolis-based National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

“It’s huge. It is absolutely huge,” Hopkins said about hazing.

Over the past 30 years, Hopkins has made more than 350 anti-hazing presentations, he estimated. Still, he suggested the hazing trend is up.

Continued on page 22

Todd Hollis

Elliot Hopkins

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Continued from page 21

“More and more kids are looking for a way to establish their program or themselves,” Hopkins said. “We have proof (hazing) doesn’t create a better bond. It doesn’t make you want to be a part of that program.”

Hopkins said hazing might take relatively benign forms initially — making freshman boys dress like girls in front of their classmates to sing the school fight song, for example. But hazing can become more intense and more problematic if allowed to fester.

“We don’t know what we’re triggering inside kids,” Hopkins said. “We’re planting a seed where we don’t know how it’s going to grow. If we plant the wrong seed in the wrong kid, it’s disastrous for them as well as their families and their teammates.

“Walking freshman girls around the track after field-hockey practice in dog collars — what does that have to do with them being a good teammate?”

Not much, according to Todd Shelton, executive director of the Indiana-based Hazing Prevention Network.

When the group was founded about 16 years ago, most of its focus was at the college level. Research has shown about half of incoming college freshmen were exposed to hazing in high school, Shelton said.

Most disturbing to Shelton, perhaps, is the form some modern hazing is taking. It often is sexual. New members of a team might be forced into various stages of nudity. In some cases, sodomy has been reported. Forced consumption of alcohol also is common. All of it suggests a warped perspective regarding rites of passage, according to Shelton.

“I think it’s the power dynamic and young students not recognizing the consequences of their actions,” he said. “Hazing occurs when there’s that differing power dynamic between people who are on the team and people who want to be part of the team.

“You have the older members who are doing the hazing who are saying, ‘I went through this, so you have to go through this.’”

Hopkins and Shelton believe that doesn’t have to happen.

Simply being nice and obeying the Golden Rule can provide a firm base from which to counteract hazing, according to Hopkins. In more tangible ways, sporting-goods organizations can be among entities that help influence that prevention effort.

They can sponsor team-bonding exercises that focus on efforts to improve the community, Hopkins and Shelton suggested. Clearing refuse from a vacant lot in town can become a competition that pits freshmen and sophomores against juniors and seniors.

“We’ve built camaraderie, competitiveness and toughness, but we’re doing it as a team,” Hopkins said. “Silly things like that, they carry so much weight in a team. Who can raise the most money? Who can read more books to little kids? The opportunities to really promote your program and create camaraderie are endless.”

Constant education also is important, according to Shelton, because students come and go every year. Shelton believes coaches, teachers

and school administrators should set a zero-tolerance tone and promote a culture of transparency.

“If a new student to the team reports hazing activity, they can have a level of confidence that it’s going to be taken seriously,” Shelton said.

That sounds a lot like what happened in Powers’ situation in Elmwood. His meeting with Hollis prompted the coach to gather his seniors for a chat.

“’Guys, if this program is going to survive, we can’t lose guys because they’re not treated right, and we need you guys to put a stop to it,’” Hollis said. “I give that group a whole lot of credit that they did that.”

Two years later, with Powers in the vanguard, Elmwood was in the playoffs for the first time in Hollis’ tenure. The Trojans have returned to the postseason 16 times since then. And hazing has faded as an issue.

As Hollis sees it, treating underlying issues regarding hazing might be the best approach to eliminating or mitigating it.

“We need to get our coaches to take as many courses or read as many books on coaching a person as we do coaching the game,” he said. “Getting our coaches the resources they need to allow them to start coaching the hearts and souls of our players.”

NICK VLAHOS

Nick Vlahos has spent most of the last 40-plus years covering sports for newspapers in Illinois, Missouri and North Dakota. He was a columnist and high school sports editor at the Peoria (Illinois) Journal Star, where he worked for more than 34 years. Vlahos is a graduate of Bradley University and the University of Missouri. He also is a hopeless Chicago Cubs fan, as if there is any other kind.

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HOLIDAY SEASON RETAIL RESULTS FOR 2023 REVEAL GROWTH IN LINE WITH EXPECTATIONS/INFLATION

BY NICK RIGITANO NSGA DIRECTOR OF INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS

With another holiday season in the books, the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) kept an eye on the 2023 holiday sales results released by multiple organizations. The overall sentiment from the retail holiday results was modest growth for this past season in line with forecast expectations and inflation.

Mastercard reported US retail sales grew 3.1 percent this holiday season (Nov. 1 – Dec. 24), according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures overall retail sales across all payment types. Online retail sales were up 6.3 percent year-over-year, while in-store sales were up 2.2 percent. Mastercard noted even though online spending is increasing at a faster pace than in-store, shopping in-store still makes up a considerably larger portion of total retail spending.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) announced retail sales continued to grow in December, completing a strong holiday shopping season,

according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions. The Retail Monitor calculation of core retail sales — excluding restaurants in addition to autos and gas — showed an increase of 2.4 percent year-overyear in December, compared with an increase of 4.17 percent year-over-year in November.

NRF also noted total retail sales for all of 2023 were up 5.32 percent over 2022 and core retail sales were up 4.46 percent. December marked the third month the Retail Monitor has provided data on monthly retail sales. Prior to that, NRF referenced data from the US Census Bureau.

According to the estimates provided by the US Census Bureau, core retail sales during the 2023 holiday period, November and December combined, grew 3.8 percent vs. the corresponding period in 2022, supported by continued inflation and despite high interest rates. The Bureau also mentioned sales for the full year (2023) grew 3.6 percent over 2022 to a record $5.13 trillion.

USA HOCKEY REQUIRES NECK LACERATION PROTECTION

The USA Hockey Congress approved legislation requiring neck laceration protection for players in all age classifications other than adults in games and practices as well as for on-ice officials under the age of 18, effective August 1, 2024.

USA Hockey has long recommended neck laceration protection and cut-resistant socks, sleeves or undergarments. The USA Hockey Board of Directors asked the organization’s Safety and Protective Equipment Committee in November 2023 to begin the process of recommending potential rule changes related to neck laceration protection.

Adam Johnson, an American professional hockey player, died after his neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in Europe on October 28, 2023.

“Safety is always at the forefront of our conversations and the action of our Congress reflected that,” said Mike Trimboli, president of USA Hockey.

“We appreciate the significant work done by our Safety and Protective Equipment Committee, led by Dr. Mike Stuart, and the many others who were instrumental in the overall evaluation process.”

“I know throughout our organization, the overwhelming opinion was that the time is appropriate to modify our rules related to neck laceration protection,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey. “We’re also encouraged that the hockey industry is committed to continuing to work to improve the cut resistant products that protect players to help influence the safest possible landscape for the game.” The legislation that passed also strongly recommends the use of neck laceration protection by adult players.

NOCSAE WINTER MEETING RECAP

The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) held its Winter Standards Meeting on Feb. 2 in Litchfield Park, Arizona. NSGA attended the meeting and has this recap:

Revisions and modifications for four standards were passed and will be effective on March 3, 2025:

• ND004-24 — Standard Performance Specification For Recertified Football Helmets The revision updates the exterior warning labeling language to match ND002

• ND026-24 — Standard Performance Specification for Recertified Baseball/ Softball Batter’s and Catcher’s Helmets The revision updates exterior warning labeling language to match ND022 and ND024

• ND043-24 — Standard Performance Specification for Recertified Lacrosse Helmets The revision updates exterior warning labeling language to match ND041

• ND087-24 — Standard Method of Impact Test and Performance Requirements for Football Faceguards

The revision moves the faceguard recertification procedures and requirements to a new document ND089

The ND089-24 Proposed New Document for Standard Performance Specification for Recertified Football

Faceguards passed and will become effective March 3, 2025. No language was changed and it was just moved to a different place.

NOCSAE executive director Mike Oliver said the recertification standard is pretty simple where people can recoat the faceguard but “don’t have to unless you have exposed metal.” Oliver said if the faceguards aren’t bent or have broken welds they can be recertified.

A draft standard of ND024-24 Standard Performance Specification for Newly Manufactured Baseball/ Softball Catcher’s Helmets added test parameters for helmets intended for use in softball only.

Also discussed were softball-specific helmet/faceguard labeling requirements to ensure softball-specific catcher’s masks are kept off the baseball field. The labeling considerations included on the back of the helmet shell with a softball-related signal word placed where it would be spotted by a home-plate umpire. On the facemask would be some type of color visible to everyone if it was missed by the plate umpire but wouldn’t be distracting to the pitcher.

Dr. Robert Cantu also gave a Scientific Advisory Committee report on the NFLsponsored Cantu Concussion Center Summit on the prevention of concussions and the long-term effects of repetitive traumatic brain injury (TBI).

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EQUITY FIRM ACQUIRES AUGUSTA SPORTSWEAR BRANDS, FOUNDER SPORT GROUP

Platinum Equity acquired Augusta Sportwear Brands and Founder Sport Group in early January. Both companies are suppliers of team uniforms and off-field performance wear and fan apparel for the youth and recreational sports markets.

Financial terms of the private transactions were not disclosed.

“Youth sports play an important role in society and participation has been shown to provide important psychological and social health benefits,” said Platinum Equity Co-President Louis Samson. “The core market for youth sports apparel and accessories has grown steadily over the past decade, but the ecosystem is highly fragmented and, in many ways, inefficient. We saw the potential to combine two established companies very rapidly and orchestrate a transaction that we believe leverages our unique integration and operational capabilities with the goal of improving those industry dynamics and ultimately bringing to life a better customer experience.

“This complex transaction is another example of how Platinum’s creativity and out-of-the-box approach to M&A helps us find opportunities to create value even in choppy or dislocated markets.”

ASB’s current portfolio comprises a comprehensive line of complementary

and versatile brands, including: Augusta Sportswear, Holloway, High Five, Pacific Headwear, Russell Athletic and CCM. FSG goes to market with a diverse portfolio of brands including: Under Armour, Badger, Alleson, C2, ProSphere, Garb Athletics and Flash.

The integrated portfolio of brands will allow the combined company to serve the full range of on-field and off-field or fanwear needs of youth sports teams, clubs, schools and leagues.

“We believe bringing ASB and FSG together will create meaningful benefits for the company’s customers, end consumers, and the youth sports apparel industry as a whole,” said Platinum Equity Managing Director Jason Price. “Joining forces will create an expanded portfolio of brand and product offerings across the full sports and lifestyle apparel industry. It will make more brands available to more consumers in more communities.”

Both companies have made significant investments in sublimation printing, an ink-on-fabric technology that provides

better image quality and customization, with quick turnarounds to meet customer needs.

“We believe that over time, integrating the two companies has the potential to further reduce customer turnaround times, create a more efficient supply chain, and accelerate the impact of sublimation and other technologies throughout the ecosystem,” added Price. “We have a lot of experience with apparel businesses and are excited about the opportunities ahead.”

In 2020, Platinum Equity acquired Mad Engine, a premier omnichannel provider of licensed, branded and private-label apparel and accessories. In 2022, the firm acquired international apparel company Hop Lun. Jostens, a trusted partner in the academic and achievement channel serving the K-12 educational, college and sports segments, is also a current Platinum Equity portfolio company.

Business is expected to continue as usual for both companies as they work together with Platinum Equity on transition and integration plans.

Augusta Sportswear Brands and Founder Sport Group are supporters of the NSGA Leadership Conference.

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DAKOTA SPORTS, DAUBY’S SPORTS CENTER MERGE AS MRG HAUFF

Dakota Sports and Dauby’s Sports Center have been fixtures in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota sports and business scene since the 1930s. That will continue as the friendly competitors merged as MRG Hauff, LLC at the start of 2024.

Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Famer Dwight Hauff (Class of 1986) started Dwight Hauff Sports in 1933 and it grew into Dakota Sports, Hauff Sports and Dakota Lettering with additional locations in Sioux City, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. Dauby’s Sports Center opened in Sioux Falls in 1934.

“We’ve been intertwined really since the 30s, a lot of people maybe didn’t realize that,” said Jerry Hauff, MRG Hauff owner to Sioux Falls TV station KELO. “We’d just work together and really be able to be as efficient as possible for our customers.”

MRG Hauff owner Mike Gorsett told KELO that he took over Dauby’s about 3½ years ago and was somewhat surprised at the close relationship of the Sioux Falls businesses.

“People would say we were probably competitors, but this company has been working together for 90 years,” Gorsett said. “So it was really cool to see the history of the two companies not necessarily being competitors but being allies in this industry.”

Hauff and Gorsett told KELO the merger will not affect their customers and the businesses will continue to operate out of the same facilities and will not change their brand names.

MRG Hauff is a longtime member of the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA).

CHIPPLY HIRES GRACE SCHETTLER AS SENIOR VP OF SALES

Chipply announced the hiring of Grace Schettler as Senior Vice President of Sales. Schettler will manage the customer journey, create the go-tomarket process, accelerate growth and double-down on Chipply’s focus on customer service and support.

As Senior Vice President of Sales, Schettler will continue to work alongside the rest of the Chipply leadership team, based out of the Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin, Wisconsin, to implement strategies to ensure that the company continues to provide best-in-class service while continuing to experience the accelerated growth it has seen in recent years.

Schettler, an industry veteran and award-winning salesperson, joined the Cap America team as Director of Sales in 2017. Schetter was instrumental in implementing Cap America’s sporting goods division, the growth of the promotional division and launch of the company’s CA Premium Line.

Schettler was instrumental in implementing Cap America’s sporting goods division, the growth of the promotional division and launch of the company’s CA Premium Line. During her 6-plus years at Cap America, Schettler was instrumental in the company’s significant growth. In 2021, Schettler was promoted to Vice President of Sales, the first female to hold that position in company history.

Schettler will report to Angie Hardwick, CEO, who said, “We are incredibly excited to welcome Grace to the Chipply team. Her proven leadership and approach to sales strategy will be pivotal in driving our company’s success in the months and years ahead.

We look forward to bringing Grace’s experience and passion to Chipply as we expand our market presence and deliver exceptional value to our customers.” Chipply was founded in 2016 by siblings Lynn, Carl, and Brian Burghardt. The Burghardt family has owned and operated a sporting goods store, Burghardt Sporting Goods (BSG), for more than 140 years. The Chipply platform was built upon their deep industry knowledge and with the common experience they share with many in the industry. The Chipply solution was commercialized in 2018 and has grown dramatically since, processing hundreds of millions of dollars of gross merchandise value for hundreds of dealers nationwide.

Chipply is a supporter and member of the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA).

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HOME JERSEY COLOR REQUIREMENTS CLARIFIED

Language in the 2024 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Book will be changed to ensure consistent interpretation of the rule regarding requirements for home team uniforms in high school football. Next season, all home team jerseys must be the same dark color(s) that clearly contrasts with white.

This uniform change in Rule 1-5-1b(3) was recommended by the NFHS Football Rules Committee at its January 14–16 meeting in Indianapolis and subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. The Football Rules Committee is composed of one member from each NFHS member state association that uses NFHS playing rules, along with representatives from the NFHS Coaches Association and NFHS Officials Association.

Previously, the rule regarding home team jerseys stated that the jerseys of the home team “shall be a dark color that clearly contrasts to white.”

Continued on page 33

NEWS NOW

Continued from page 31

The revised rule will state that the jerseys of the home team “shall all be the same dark color(s) that clearly contrasts to white.”

“We kind of had a loophole in the rule that we didn’t specify that everyone on the home team had to wear the same color dark jersey,” said Richard McWhirter, chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee and assistant executive director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association.

“Even though you didn’t see a major issue with it, it was a loophole in the rule that could possibly be a major issue in the future if it wasn’t corrected.”

McWhirter noted that while this was the only rules proposal approved by the committee, there was considerable discussion related to the other eight proposals that advanced to the full committee. He said there was considerable discussion dealing with sportsmanship, particularly unsporting acts in dead-ball situations. Three Points of Emphasis were identified by the committee for the 2024 season, including Player Equipment and Enforcement, Sportsmanship and Protocols, and Formation Requirements.

ILLINOIS SANCTIONS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) announced girls flag football will become an officially sanctioned sport in fall of 2024. A proposal to add girls flag football passed by an overwhelming 464–82 vote by IHSA member schools with 181 abstentions.

The rationale for adding girls flag football as an IHSA sanctioned sport included an increase in participation in the state and more than 100 schools with active teams. The Chicago Bears served as the organizing body since 2021 and established a state championship series in 2022 and 2023.

WOMEN’S WRESTLING CLOSER TO OFFICIAL NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP STATUS

Women’s wrestling took a big step toward becoming the 91st NCAA championship sport with its projected first NCAA championship occurring in winter 2026.

The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics voted to recommend Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add a national collegiate women’s wrestling championship. The Association-wide committee oversees the Emerging Sports for Women program, which includes women’s wrestling.

Following the committee’s recommendation, the projected timeline to add a women’s wrestling championship is:

• Each division is expected to review the recommendation and sponsor a proposal by its respective 2024–25 legislative cycle deadline.

• The recommendation also includes establishing a Women’s Wrestling Committee, which would begin its work in January 2025, to allow time to prepare for a championship in winter 2026.

• If sponsored, the divisions are expected to vote on the proposals during the 2025 NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, Jan. 15–18.

• If adopted on that timeline, the first women’s wrestling championship would be held in winter 2026.

Before a women’s wrestling national collegiate championship can be established, funding must be considered by the appropriate financial oversight committees among other competing priorities during the relevant annual budget development cycle. These required next steps and timeline are consistent with past sports added as national collegiate championships through the Emerging Sports for Women program.

Before the committee can make a recommendation to add a championship for an emerging sport, 40 schools must

sponsor it at a varsity level and meet the sport’s minimum competition and participant requirements. Women’s wrestling, which became an emerging sport in 2020, eclipsed that number in the 2022–23 academic year.

According to the latest sports sponsorship and participation data, nearly 800 student-athletes competed in women’s wrestling across 51 teams in 2022–23. More than 70 schools reported that they intended to sponsor the sport for the 2023–24 academic year.

LOUISIANA SANCTIONS HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING

Louisiana will be the 45th state to conduct varsity girls high school wrestling championships starting in 2024–25.

The Louisiana High School Athletics Association (LHSAA) approved the amendment by a 96–1 vote.

The Louisiana High School Coaches Association (LHSCA) held a girls state wrestling tournament for the second time this year and it was considered a junior varsity event by the LHSAA.

ORDERMYGEAR NAMES MCALISTER VP OF ACCOUNTING

OrderMyGear (OMG) named Jim McAlister as Vice President of Accounting. McAlister has more than two decades of work in financial consulting that includes OMG. He has supported the OMG team in multiple roles, including financial planning, accounting strategy and optimization, and revenue cycle management.

“After many years of providing professional consulting services, I am delighted to have found a home at OMG.” McAlister said. “The camaraderie and team spirit here are energizing and motivating. I look forward to contributing at work each day.”

OrderMyGear is a supporter and member of NSGA.

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CHRIS WEGNER

Traverse City, Michigan

BECOMING A FIXTURE WITH PRODUCT MIX IN

Brick Wheels was established in 1976 with an eye toward the outdoor lifestyle that is prevalent in Northern Michigan. Focusing mostly on bikes in the warmer months, with skis and snowshoes during our formidable winters. We have been a staple of the Traverse City sporting scene ever since, providing unmatched service

2 LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

During the pandemic we, like so many other outdoor-driven businesses, saw a boom in traffic. We were able to weather the industry-wide inventory availability issues pretty well and came out of the pandemic well-stocked. We had a little plateau in 2023 and hope to maintain steady growth into and throughout 2024.

3 SIMPLE WAYS TO KEEP CUSTOMERS HAPPY

Our best practice for customer service is pretty simple: listen to the customers’ wants and needs and treat everyone with courtesy and respect. We leave our egos at the door and all work together to do our best for the customers and their experiences.

MUD, SWEAT AND BEERS AND INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITY

Mud, Sweat and Beers is a great event. It is hosted at one of our local ski hills right here in Traverse City. There are many races there and at the attached VASA trail system in the fall that lead up to the Iceman Cometh race, which is one of the largest MTB (mountain bike) races in the country. In the winter there are the VASA ski races and high school race teams along with many other races in the northern Michigan area. We sponsor events like these through advertising, financial support, volunteer work, and services oriented to both cross country and downhill races.

BENEFITS OF NSSRA MEMBERSHIP

The benefits of being a member of NSSRA are numerous. There is the incredibly valuable binding indemnification list that is produced every year that keeps us in the know on which bindings can still be supported and serviced. It also keeps us up-to-date on the latest trends in the ski/snowboard industry and forecasting what to expect going forward. The NSSRA is a great tool for providing us with support and knowledge to best serve our customers.