CEO NOW

NSGA OFFICERS Chairman of the Board

Pat Donnelley Donnelley Sports, Twin Falls, ID

Treasurer/Chairman-Elect

Greg Miller Universal Athletic, Bozeman, MT

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 Gordon Geiger Geiger’s, Lakewood, OH David Lynn Dunham’s Sports, Troy, MI Mick Montgomery Denver Athletic Supply, Englewood, CO Ron Rugal B&R Sporting Goods, Shelby Charter Township, MI Jerry Williams Schuylkill Valley Sports, Pottstown, PA

NSGA TEAM LEADERS

Matt Carlson President & CEO Marty Maciaszek Team Dealer Division, Communications Julie Pitts Director, Public Affairs and President, NSSRA Nick Rigitano Director, Insights and Analysis Jennifer Shaffer Comptroller

NSGA will attend and have a report of the NOCSAE Summer Standards meeting on July 23.

Increased background noise at sporting events is a good barometer of knowing our lives are getting back to normal.

The cheers and a few jeers add so much to the fun and games we enjoy. There is nothing like a group sharing the excitement of a big moment - whether it is thousands of fans at a professional event or a group of parents at a youth baseball game. Here in Chicago we enjoyed having both Major League Baseball teams in first place in their divisions toward the end of June. It’s a scenario that does not happen often and fans of the Cubs and White Sox enthusiastically responded and returned to the ballparks in large numbers. These are scenes we are thrilled to see across the country from baseball to the NBA and NHL playoffs to the Indianapolis 500. Although crowds will be much more controlled at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo it will still be exciting to see this worldwide spectacle take place later this month after a one-year delay. I can’t wait to watch the competition and follow athletes’ stories, including 15-year-old swimmer Katie Grimes.

Fans’ ability to come out and see their favorite athletes and teams in action is another big step in our return toward normalcy from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is often said we don’t know what we’ve had until we’ve lost it and that was true with sports and our ability to witness the excitement in person. It was a needed and welcome sight when sports returned last year. Even then it was strange to see games in mostly empty arenas and stadiums with piped-in crowd noise, amidst the backdrop of uncertainty whether teams and leagues would finish their seasons because of COVID-related health issues.

A year ago at this time we didn’t know what would happen with the college football playoffs or if March Madness in college basketball would be wiped out for a second straight year. High school sports, a place where communities truly rally together, also faced serious questions last summer and well into the school year in some areas. Fortunately, college and high school sports are returning to normal schedules with fans adding to the excitement once again. The Tokyo Summer Olympics will not have the same feel as previous years because of spectator restrictions. But the Games are scheduled to go on and give thousands of athletes the chance to fulfill dreams they have worked for years to achieve. It is always a thrill to see athletes from different countries and backgrounds come together in competition that captivates millions of people around the world. It is another positive sign that we are closer and closer to how our lives were more than a year ago.

Best regards, Matt Carlson | President & CEO

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 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.