A host of team dealers, sporting goods retailers and the brands that serve them – along with Team Insight – will converge on Nashville, TN, next week for the NSGA Team Dealer Summit and Management Conference. The event runs from May 21-23 at the W Nashville in Nashville.

In an effort to work directly with equipment manufacturers to review products in a collaborative, professional and timely manner and to avoid disruption to manufacturers and consumers, USA Lacrosse has instituted an interim process to review potential new women’s lacrosse stick heads for approval.

Cap America has promoted Grace Schettler to senior VP–sales. Schettler, an industry veteran and award-winning salesperson, joined the Cap America team as director of sales in 2017.

People taking advantage of opportunities to participate in a wide range of sports and activities in 2022 was reflected in the 10 segments tracked for the 2023 edition of the National Sporting Goods Association’s (NSGA) Sports Participation in the U.S. report.

With a number of state and federal lawmakers looking to ban the sale of kangaroo products, Nike reportedly plans to stop using kangaroo leather in its shoes.

The University of Cincinnati Athletics Department has entered into an apparel agreement with BSN Sports and at the same time has elected to equip its programs with Jordan Brand and Nike products.

In what will surely provide a big push for the growth of flag football at all levels, the National Football League, GENYOUth and NFL Flag are celebrating the 10th year of GENYOUth's NFL Flag-In-School program with the opening of national applications for the 2023-2024 school year.

Play It Again Sports has become the official resale partner of CCM, with sales running through the company’s more than 2809 franchised locations in North America.

In our regular pickleball news in TeamInsightExtra comes word that none other than the largest retailer in the world, Walmart, has partnered with the racquet sports booking platform, Break the Love...

In more flag football news, RCX Sports, the official operating partner of NFL Flag, has entered into a new partnership with NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation aimed at increasing flag football participation...

Love them as a big sporting goods store or hate them as an all-powerful competitor, you have to hand it to Dick’s Sporting Goods for investing some significant resources into growing youth sports participation.

People taking advantage of opportunities to participate in a wide range of sports and activities in 2022 was reflected in the 10 segments tracked for the 2023 edition of the National Sporting Goods Association’s (NSGA) Sports Participation in the U.S. report.

After 45 years of business – and after conferring with its financial and legal advisors – Omega Sports has confirmed it is going out of business, including its e-commerce operation.

In a significant move at the professional level that will certainly trickle down to youth sports, the NFL and NFL Players Association recently approved a Vicis helmet for quarterbacks that is the first for the position specifically designed to reduce concussions.

In a major step forward for the sport, the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) delegate assembly recently voted unanimously to adopt girls’ wrestling as a sanctioned sport, starting with the 2023-24 school year. It is the first sport the OSAA has added since softball in 1979.

With baseball and softball season already underway in most parts of the country, Little League and Easton Diamond Sports have extended their Official Partnership through 2028.

In a true sign of the times – and in a move that would certainly impact sales by team dealers in that state – some senators in North Carolina have proposed eliminating participation trophies for youth sports.

In a rare report on actual sales at the company, BSN Sports president and COO Terry Babilla recently told a local business magazine, D CEO, that the company recorded $1.5 billion in annual sales in 2022.

Putting (almost) all of its sponsorship and athlete dollars in one very large basket after a number of other partnerships didn’t work out so well, Under Armour has both extended and expanded its contract with the Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry...

In what may make more than a few team dealers across America smile just a little bit, Varsity Brands, the parent company of BSN Sports, has reportedly agreed to pay $43.5 million to settle a federal lawsuit that alleged the producer of cheerleading events abused its industry dominance...

Five-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 11-time World Champion swimmer Missy Franklin highlights a trio of speakers with diverse backgrounds who will share stories of leadership and success at the NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit on May 21-23 at the W Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gared Holdings this week reported that its board of directors has hired Marcus Johnson as chief executive officer of Gared Holdings, LLC (DBA Gared and PSS), effective immediately. He succeeds Kevin Hinkamper.

Consolidating its position in the baseball market, Marucci Sports recently acquired Baum Enterprises, the manufacturer of composite wood bats.

In a move that won’t make many sporting goods stores or team dealers – and apparently a lot of hockey fans – very happy, the National Hockey League and Fanatics have entered into a 10-year agreement...

In a significant move in a state with the largest number of high school athletes, California recently approved a plan to make flag football a girls’ high school sport.

In a continued effort to make youth sports and other recreational activities more affordable, this week the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act was re-introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) recently asked its members and others in the industry to indicate how the association should respond to the recent proposed ban of non-compete agreements by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

James M. Chick, a powerful and well-respected retailer in sporting goods before he sold his southern California chain to Dick’s Sporting Goods in 2007, passed away March 7 at age 76.

OrderMyGear (OMG) has named Mykayla Goodwin as VP–strategy, where she will play a pivotal role in identifying growth opportunities for OMG and guiding company strategy through market research and strategic planning.

True to its entrepreneurial spirit, NexTex Innovations, an Atlanta-based textile technology developer that builds strategic partnerships with brands, entrepreneurs and manufacturers to bring textile innovations to market, has teamed up with Lzrd Tech...

In one of the more successful and long-running partnerships in professional sports, Major League Soccer and Adidas recently signed a multi-year extension that continues Adidas’ role as the official supplier for the league, its clubs and youth academies.

With a commitment from all parties towards developing a fruitful partnership, the wildly popular Savannah Bananas began their world tour last month sporting a bunch of new equipment thanks to a partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods.

Augie Nieto, a 2008 inductee of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame and one of the most successful innovators in the fitness industry who turned his efforts toward finding a cure for ALS after he was diagnosed with the disease 18 years ago, passed away February 22 ...

In this issue’s pickleball news, Selkirk Sport has entered a partnership with US Sports Camps, the official provider of Nike Sports Camps.

In one of the more important meetings on the team sports calendar, the SFIA, NFHS and NCAA will be hosting the annual Team Sports Conference April 17–18 in Indianapolis, IN.

The recent NBA All-Star Game was the setting for the unveiling of a truly unique new product — the Wilson 3D Airless Prototype Basketball. It was used during the first round of the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest by the Houston Rockets’ KJ Martin.

Jumping feet first into the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) game, Augusta Sportswear and its Russell Athletic brand have entered into an NIL player partnership with All-American NCAA champion softball player Tiare Jennings.

A number of important rule changes that will impact team dealers were recently passed by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

ASICS and BSN Sports recently launched a nationwide Sound Mind, Sound Body Contest targeting youth programs. Four awards of $12,000 each will be distributed with a focus on teams who support the sports of cross-country, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.

This news certainly got our attention — and should pique the interest of team dealers as well. Recent news out of Denmark – yes, Denmark – announced that TinyMobileRobots...