7 minute read
INDUSTRY NOW
by NSGA
NJCAA Partners on Headwear, Awards
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) announced partnerships with Zephyr to continue as its official headwear provider and with Levy Recognition to be its official awards supplier. The NJCAA renewed its partnership with Zephyr, which partners with major companies such as Lids, Fanatics, and Fanzz to offer exclusive styles. Zephyr will provide the official NJCAA National Championship hats for winning teams while providing discounted team prices for NJCAA members throughout the regular season. The partnership with Levy Recognition is new for the NJCAA. Levy Recognition is also the awards supplier for the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Big East Conference, Sun Belt Conference and Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN).
Spalding Introduces New Line of Basketballs
Spalding® introduced its new TF® line of performance basketballs that are engineered for professional, collegiate, and high school leagues, in addition to recreational and outdoor use. To announce the launch, Spalding tapped brand ambassador Damian Lillard to star in a campaign focused on his love for the game. The Spalding® TF® line today is structured for use from outdoor to indoor, featuring rubber, composite leather and genuine leather basketball options. The Spalding® basketballs that carry the TF® shield are made with exclusive materials engineered for performance, so athletes can play their best anytime, anywhere. Spalding®'s TF® line of basketballs will be used in 20-plus high school state adoptions, NAIA, NJCAA, NCAA Men's and Women's Conference Championships for the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference, Atlantic 10, Mid-American Conference and Big South, in addition to international leagues and federations, such as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. TF® basketballs will be the focus of Spalding's grassroot engagements, such as the Pangos All-American Camps, AAU World Championships, Lakepoint, Hoophall Classic, and many others. From past to present, Spalding® peak performance basketballs carry the TF® name and Spalding will use the TF® basketball platform to continuously innovate to move the game forward. The core TF® line of basketballs, ranging in price from $24.99 to $149.99, can be purchased at www.spalding.com and select retailers.
Mueller Announces Refresh of Quench Sports Gum
Sports drinks are commonly thought of as a way for athletes to quench their thirst but there is another kind of product that's been available since the 1970s – Quench® Electrolyte Sports Gum. With a new formula, look and campaign, Mueller Sports Medicine is announcing a refresh of the Quench Electrolyte Sports Gum product line. Packed with electrolytes and bursting with flavor, the new Quench Electrolyte Sports Gum is a go-to option for many athletes. "We know that every athlete is looking for an edge," said John Cayer, President of Mueller Sports Medicine. "The New Quench Electrolyte Sports Gum quickly eliminates dry mouth so each athlete has an opportunity to achieve the level of performance they desire. This great-tasting gum helps them reach their new peak of performance." The relaunch featured a new and improved product that acts fast to quench the thirst of athletes with more electrolytes, longer-lasting natural flavors and a softer chew. It is available in variety packs that include fruit punch, grape, orange and lemon. Mueller Sports Medicine has been a member and supporter of the National Sporting Goods Association since 1966 and the late Curt Mueller is a member of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame.
Amer Sports Names Salomon CEO
Amer Sports Corporation announced the appointment of outdoor sporting goods and sportswear industry executive, and seasoned global operator Franco Fogliato to the role of President and CEO for Salomon, the global outdoor brand specializing in footwear, apparel and winter sports equipment. The appointment is effective no later than March 15, 2022. In this new role, Fogliato will lead the Salomon global expansion to become a leading outdoor, mountain-inspired brand. Fogliato brings more than two decades of sporting goods and sportwear industry expertise and executive leadership experience to Salomon. He has a proven record of innovative brand-building and omni-channel transformation at leading global brands, including VF The North Face, the Billabong group and Columbia Sportswear Company and has been based in both Europe and North America. Most recently, he has served as Executive Vice President Global Omni-Channel for Columbia Sportswear based in Portland, USA.
Fogliato succeeds Jean-Marc Pambet who returned from retirement as interim Leader for Salomon in January 2021.
The North Face, Spinnova Sign Agreement on Sustainable Products
Spinnova and The North Face signed a development agreement to develop new, sustainable, highperformance textiles for the outdoor apparel category. This starts a journey toward commercializing sustainable products using SPINNOVA® materials and access to the first commercial volumes of SPINNOVA® fibre.
Global textile material demand is increasing at a rapid speed and estimated to be as high as 146 million tons annually by 2030. Outdoor is a segment of the apparel industry with high growth. The announced partnership aims to reduce impacts of the textile industry on the environment and the planet’s resources. Through their work together, Spinnova and The North Face aim to provide the outdoor segment with a sustainable alternative to conventional textile materials without compromises in technical quality. SPINNOVA® fibre is produced without harmful chemicals, with minimal water usage and with minimal CO2 emissions. SPINNOVA® does not contain any microplastics and is 100% circular. "It’s our over-arching goal to build more circular products, constantly develop innovative materials and to further reduce the environmental impacts of our products. Spinnova is the ideal partner on that journey," said Oliver Lang, The North Face Global VP, Product Development, in a statement.
Wilson, YMCA Enter Partnership
Wilson Sporting Goods entered a multi-year national partnership with YMCA of the USA (Y-USA). The three-year agreement provides $500,000 in funding each year to enable access to sport for underserved youth. Wilson's programming aims to motivate youth to actively participate, through exposure to real-life experiences such as panels, career fairs and mentorship, as well as access to courts, fields, events and industry-leading sporting goods. Wilson and the YMCA started their relationship in early August in Wilson's hometown of Chicago with the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. In tandem with The Dreamville Chi-League Powered by Wilson, Wilson hosted three youth clinics led by local trainers and Chi-League organizers, and a Townhall at the South Side YMCA. Proceeds from the storied pro-am at Chicago State University benefit the YMCA.
While the partnership tipped off with basketball at its core, Wilson and the Y will expand programming into other sports in the coming months. Wilson's youth programming with the YMCA adds to the brand's ongoing allyship efforts, which also include a high school program with the Thunder Fellows, and a college program – Gigs for Game Changers – with The Winning Edge Leadership Academy. Wilson's programming with the YMCA is expected to reach three markets per year, with Los Angeles and Cleveland planned for the coming months.
Wilson, Azul 3D Partner on Creation of New 3D-Printed Pickleball Paddled Designs
Azul 3D, a 3D printing company, has partnered with Wilson Sporting Goods to create two new 3D-printed pickleball paddle designs that will change the way the sport is played. The two paddles — the Quiet Paddle, which significantly reduces the sound from ball hits, and the Custom Core Paddle, which is completely customizable to a player’s needs — represent a shift in paddle design and in how products can be completely re-thought through additive manufacturing.
Augusta Sportswear Brands announces its launch of FreeStyle Headwear, a proprietary new custom headwear design platform. FreeStyle Headwear provides Pacific Headwear customers the ultimate design experience by delivering the freedom to create their style in just four quick and easy steps. From flat or 3D embroidery, to leather patches in popular shapes and sizes, FreeStyle Headwear provides an unparalleled, immersive 3D user experience topped off with a mobile interface that enables detailed designs to come to life quickly and easily on any phone or tablet.
"We have taken the immensely successful FreeStyle Sublimation design platform and brought it over to hats for our Pacific Headwear customers," said Dave Elliott, CEO of Augusta Sportswear Brands. "We’re thrilled to expand this user-friendly platform from sublimation to custom headwear, with some exciting plans to expand it even further in the future. Bringing world-class technology to our customers so they can enhance their businesses is a focus for us." FreeStyle Sublimation and FreeStyle Headwear are found on Augusta Sportswear Brands' website. In addition, these two platforms can be embedded on customers' websites to allow for a simple, streamlined way of doing custom business. FreeStyle Headwear's official launch is September 13, 2021.
