NEWS & ANALYSIS OF THE TEAM MARKET 
MARCH/APRIL 2023

Roaring Back

There is no denying that participation and sales for most team sports, male and female, experienced setbacks during the key pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 — but 2022 thankfully marked a bit of turnaround.

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A Sunshine State Story

With its abundant sunshine and warm weather even in January, in Florida baseball is played year round, especially in the central and southern sections of the Sunshine State.

Not Just For The Boys

If you look at the facial expressions and body language of baseball players, the most enthusiastic ones are not the players who are winning the Little League World Series in Williamsport every August or the triumphant teams at the NCAA’s Division I College World Series in Omaha in June.

Back on Top

Last year’s many headaches in the team headwear business were largely due to the residual effects of lockdowns and varying state mandates as a result of COVID-19. But one problem certainly reigned supreme, causing the biggest migraines for team dealers across the country — supply chain disruptions.

Back at Bat

With Major League Baseball pitchers and catchers set to report to Spring Training in warm locales from Florida to Arizona, can the youth, high school and college seasons be far behind?

Slam Dunk

When it comes to youth basketball, the image is more about the reliability and steadiness of a Larry Bird, with flashes of Steph Curry’s brilliance.

Return to the Mat

For insight into the state of wrestling as the 2022-23 season winds down, it is best to turn to someone on the front lines of the sport. And his opinion is that the future looks pretty bright.

Team Sports Returning to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Team sports participation trends in the U.S. are solid, but not spectacular, but at least they are improving. That’s perhaps the best way to summarize the most current figures in the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) 2022 U.S. Trends in Team Sports Report.

Four Quarters

There’s a natural ebb and flow to the game of football that is familiar to everyone. After all of the pre-game pageantry, pep talks and refreshments, there are four quarters of action punctuated by some timeouts, two-minute warnings and injuries.

Kick Start

Soccer has long been touted as America’s sport of the future and has been one of the fastest-growing team sports in the country for a generation now. As the nation’s demographics continue to evolve, the data is finally catching up to those claims.

Going for the Goals

Goals/nets vendors address the major issues facing the team business in 2023. Big surprise: Pickleball is hot!

On The Road Back

In its first high school sports participation survey in three years, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) reported a total of 7,618,054 participants in high school sports for 2021/22, down four percent from its 2018/19 figure of 7,937,491.

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News, Trends and Analysis of the Team Sports Market. Designed to exclusively serve the team sports market. With an expert editorial staff that truly understands the needs of the team business, Team Insight provides team buyers with information on how to better run their business and how to make more educated buying decisions. • Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Football, Softball, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Track & Field, Swimming, Pickleball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, and Technology. View All Archives.

California Makes Girls’ Flag HS Sport

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.

PHIT Act Re-Introduced in Congress

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.

NSGA Supports Ban On Non-Competes

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).

Obituary: Hall of Famer Jim Chick, 76

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 Names Goodwin VP-strategy

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.

Lzrd Tech, NexTex Develop High-Tech Arm Sleeves

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 an industry where there are hundreds of options on where people can spend their money, FSGA has focused on value and quality.

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