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 Troy Freeman Play It Again Sports, Minneapolis, MN Gordon Geiger Geiger’s, Lakewood, OH 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 Team Dealer Division, Communications Julie Pitts Director, Public Affairs and President, NSSRA Nick Rigitano Director, Insights and Analysis Jennifer Shaffer Comptroller

The Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony is a highlight of our annual conference every year. The event is so meaningful and significant, especially to the inductees and their families. The 2023 event will be no different! We are excited to introduce James Clifford Keen, Jeff Lynn and Kent McKeaigg as the three new inductees of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Each of them has a great story behind their significant contributions that led to this recognition. James Clifford Keen joins his father Cliff (Class of 2012) in the Hall of Fame. Cliff Keen Athletic is the most recognizable brand in amateur wrestling products because of the hard work and vision of Jim and Cliff Keen. Jim Keen wrestled for his father at the University of Michigan, and after graduating with a business degree, set out to grow the family business. His innovative ideas led to the invention of products that have made wrestling safer and more appealing. Jim also understood the importance of his involvement with some of the major wrestling organizations to ensure the vitality of the sport. Jeff Lynn helped fuel the growth of Dunham’s Sports into the Midwest’s largest sporting goods chain with nearly 250 stores in 23 states. Lynn realized Dunham’s could fulfill a demand for big-name athletic products in smaller markets. He ensured Dunham’s became ingrained in those communities as its employees participated in local charities and sporting events. Those community connections helped many view Dunham’s as a career and not just another job. Numerous key employees and managers have been with the company for decades because Lynn built a culture where innovative ideas and involvement in the industry are strongly encouraged. Kent McKeaigg saw his dad Ronnie, a team dealer in Oklahoma, struggle with the tedious and time-consuming manual labor of organizing paper order forms for high school teams. Kent believed there was a better way for everyone – team dealers, coaches, athletes and parents – to navigate the process and the concept for OrderMyGear was formed. McKeaigg developed an eCommerce platform to simplify the ordering process for everyone involved. OrderMyGear allows team dealers to spend more time on other areas of their business and it allows coaches to focus on what they truly enjoy most in helping their athletes succeed. You can learn more about the careers of James Clifford Keen, Jeff Lynn and Kent McKeaigg and their contributions to the sporting goods industry, along with how to nominate deserving candidates for the Class of 2024, on pages 10 through 14 of this issue of NSGA NOW. I also encourage you to check out our Hall of Fame page on the new NSGA website. It contains all the nomination criteria and has the biographies and photos of all the inductees, so it is an excellent way to learn more about the men and women who have done so much for this industry. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Keen, Mr. Lynn, and Mr. McKeaigg and everyone close to them on this wonderful honor!

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 2022 all rights reserved. Printed in the USA.