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.

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

If the late Amos Alonzo Stagg and Glenn “Pop” Warner, two of the trailblazers who led the movement to take rugby union football and evolve it into the game of American gridiron football, were alive to today they would be more than impressed with the state of the game they helped shape.

A host of new products, advanced technologies – and, of course, pickleball – highlight 2023.

With Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) issues reaching all the way down to high schools, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) attempted to get ahead of the curve with...

I ‘m going to make this really simple, so as we get ready to turn the calendar to 2024 let’s make some predictions about the biggest stories we can expect in the year ahead.

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) is launching a new Super Regional Series this month, offering a localized opportunity for SFIA members, partners and industry leaders to meet about business insights and topics driving today’s sporting goods and fitness environment.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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...

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.

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.

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

Grammy Award winning rapper Drake and “Black Panther” star Michael B. Jordan are among the new investors in Major League Pickleball’s Brooklyn Aces.

Every time we meet with or interview a pickleball company we ask the same question: Is anyone working on a way to reduce the admittedly annoying sound that playing pickleball makes?

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

“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.

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.

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.