Coming three months after a player died from a skate to the neck, USA Hockey has decided to require the use of neck laceration protection for all junior hockey players beginning this summer. The new rule will apply to all players and on-ice officials under the age of 18 in both games and practices.

A Democrat-led effort to ban tackle football for children in California is reportedly in jeopardy after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed last month that he plans to veto the controversial bill if it reaches his desk.

Led by a group of industry leaders spearheaded by Marucci Sports co-founder Joe Lawrence, SweetSpot has rebranded and relaunched to increase its footprint across various outdoor sports.

Wilson Sporting Goods has released the Wilson Airless Gen1, a first-of-its-kind 3D-printed basketball that never needs to be inflated. It builds off the success of the Airless Prototype that debuted last year.

Language in the 2024 NFHS Football Rules Book will be changed in an effort to ensure consistent interpretation of the rule regarding requirements for home team uniforms in high school football.

If you want to promote physical activity and playing sports in America a good strategy is to recruit the biggest organizations in the country to spearhead the effort. Add in the power of the U.S. government and you have quite an ambitious effort to get kids playing.

Even though team dealers don’t sell a lot of basketball sneakers any longer, it is newsworthy to note that another smaller footwear brand has invested in a big-name basketball player.

In a sign of the continued growth of girls’ flag football in American high schools, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) recently made girls’ flag football an officially sanctioned sport in Fall 2024.

United Sports Brands, the parent of Shock Doctor, McDavid, Cutters, Nathan, Pearl Izumi and Glukos, has appointed Phil Gyori as CEO.

Jonathan Ram, CEO of Clarks, Inc., was re-elected as chairman of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) Board of Directors for the 2024 term.

Making a strong move into local team sports as part of its give-back initiative, sporting goods retailer Hibbett/City Gear, in partnership with Nike, recently awarded 103 high schools and more than 2500 students with in-kind donations...

There is good and not-so-good news for the world of team sports, according to the recently released 2023 U.S. Trends in Team Sports Report from The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).

Marc Burchard is associate director of championships at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). To gain some insight into how the NAIA is looking to grow flag football at its member schools, TeamInsightExtra writer Mike May sat down for a Take Five with Burchard.

As 2023 draws to a close BSN Sports remains active with two recently announced new partnerships.

In an interesting move that brings together an established team sports brand with an aggressive new technology company, Stahls’ has entered into a partnership with Chipply, the online store software supplier for team dealers.

In a move to reinvigorate the Reebok brand in the world of team sports, Authentic Brands Group has entered into a long-term licensing agreement with Sakar International to design and distribute Reebok-branded basketball, pickleball, baseball, soccer and football equipment...

Jim Easton, a major figure in ensuring the family name became an iconic brand in the sporting goods industry and a 1994 inductee into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame, passed away Dec. 4 at age 88.

United Sports Brands (USB), the parent company of team sports brands such as Shock Doctor, McDavid and Cutters, along with active lifestyle brands Nathan, Pearl Izumi and Glukos, was recently acquired from Bregal Partners by Norwest Equity Partners (NEP). The transaction closed on November 20.

Dynamic Team Sports, a leading sublimation supplier in the team sports industry, has named industry veteran Todd Levine as its new president.

In this issue’s pickleball news, Pickleball Central, which calls itself “America's leading online source for pickleball equipment and apparel,” is stepping up to support PHIT America to get more kids playing pickleball.

Marucci Sports, the maker of baseball bats and gloves, is reportedly being acquired by Fox Factory, based in Duluth, GA, a company best known for its Fox Racing Shox brand of off-road racing suspension components.

Illustrating the growing importance of technology, online team stores and other data-driven efforts within the team sports business, the two leading providers of these technologies had some significant announcements this month leading up to the Sports, Inc. buying show in Las Vegas.

Responding to the times and business direction, the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) recently unveiled a new name and logo for what was previously known as the NSGA Management Conference and Team Dealer Summit.

In a move with far-reaching implications in the team sports business, football helmet maker Riddell recently signed a seven-year extension to its partnership with the National Football League (NFL).

OK, we admit we didn’t even think the NBA needed an official underwear partner, but apparently when Kim Kardashian is involved there is some sort of logical connection.

Varsity Brands, the parent company of BSN Sports, has completed the sale of the Herff Jones Graduation Business to Atlas Holdings. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Ripken Baseball recently entered a multi-year partnership with Under Armour that makes UA the exclusive apparel company for Ripken Baseball’s six properties, hundreds of tournaments and multisport events.

In a significant expansion of its technology capabilities, Stahls’ recently acquired Fulfill Engine, a software technology company specializing in order fulfillment, supply chain management and e-commerce store integration.

Already a big player in segments such as skateboarding, casual footwear, running, pickleball and, most recently, soccer, to name a few, Skechers is now moving into the technical basketball shoe category with two mid-top styles – the SKX Resagrip and SKX Float.

This may not exactly be the news team dealers who already struggle to get Swoosh product for their school and retail clients, but word came recently that Nike is teaming up with full-line retailer Hibbett on a “connected partnership.”

GroupeStahl, the heat printing technology company, has promoted Josh Ellsworth to chief revenue officer. He has worked for the company since 1999.

New Era Cap reached outside of the headwear business recently to name Steve Gallo, most recently president of the recovery footwear brand Oofos, as general manager for North America.

This is a sentence we never imagined writing in TeamInsightExtra: Reebok has appointed none other than Shaquille O’Neal as president of Reebok Basketball. Wait, there’s more: Allen Iverson will also serve as division vice president.

In more news from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), the group is launching a new Super Regional Series in November, offering a localized opportunity for SFIA members, partners and industry leaders to meet about business insights and topics driving today’s sporting goods and...

A new product that is definitely of interest to the team sports business recently won the 2023 SFIA Start-Up Challenge. Reeplayer, led by founder Orhan Basak Ajredinovski, uses AI technology to autonomously record and live-stream high-quality footage for youth and amateur sports.

In one of the biggest pieces of news in team sports in quite a while, this week the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially approved baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (Sixes) and squash for inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

ProNine Sports recently hired Nathan Hulvey as its national sales manager. He brings more than 20 years of experience within the sporting goods industry in both sales and management roles, with a focus on the team section. 

In conjunction with National Coaches Day this week, BSN Sports has been recognizing coaches with its #DunkdChallenge, billed as a fun and engaging way to celebrate coaches nationwide for all they do for their athletes, schools and communities.

“In football, athletes must wear a plastic chin cup/strap which is hot, sweaty, dirty, oily, smelly and a breeding ground for bacteria,” says Gus Blythe, president of Drymax Technologies.

Combining outdoor style with lightweight protective equipment, EvoShield has partnered with Realtree for a new line of camo batter's protective products.