Bison

Advice for Team Dealers: While he knows that most of its customers do this already, national sales manager Chris Livingston encourages dealers and their sales staff to ask more questions about overall needs when they get an inquiry about a single replacement product. “If a high school athletic director is asking about replacing a glass backboard, I’d suggest a new pad and rim to go with it,” he advises, while also asking about the condition of their volleyball equipment, soccer goals and anything else related to sporting goods equipment.

The Tech Story: Customization is a very high growth category for Bison as it runs five vinyl printers nine hours a day every week to keep up with demand for wall padding, scorer’s tables and graphic volleyball padding. On the equipment side of things: Finding ways to make the products safer and lighter and more efficiently.

New Product Focus: Bison will be getting into the baseball market in 2025, coming full circle as a baseball/softball bat caddie was one of the first products the company made 40-plus years ago. Bison will be offering a variety of items ranging from foul poles to batting cages and netting systems.

Trigon

Advice for Team Dealers: It is imperative that team dealers be proactive in reaching out to their schools, churches and recreation departments to engage with them all year — preseason, in-season, and after the season, stresses national sales manager Neal Halvorson. “Building the relationship so customers know the team dealer is their go-to for all things equipment will lead to increased sales,” he says.

The Tech Story: Portability and safety will continue to be driving factors in product development, especially as multi-use fields become the norm, Halvorson points out. In addition, ball stop systems are becoming more popular as fields are being used for multiple sports, allowing for more practice time for more teams simultaneously.

New Product Focus: Trigon continues to expand its football line to include a collapsible portable kicking net. Also new: A new football passing drill net with multi-angle design. The Trigon Sports Sideline Pro Kicking Cage is designed for quick and easy setup that allows for more reps without wasting time chasing the football.

Carron Net

Advice for Team Dealers: The best thing that team dealers can do to sell more nets is to be proactive in their sales approach with their customers, then have the nets available,” says Russ Schirmer, director of sales. To that end, Carron Net has built up stock for its most popular American-made nets so that dealers can be well prepared for every seasonal sport. “It’s much easier to make the sale when the nets are in hand for the customers immediately,” he adds, pointing out that for non-standard size nets custom versions can be manufactured and delivered in just a few weeks.

The Tech Story: While technology for netting really isn’t changing, every year Carron Net has more requests for nylon nets to replace existing polypropylene product because they last longer and they’re made in the U.S.

New Product Focus: Carron Nets’ official regulation-sized Hercules Pickleball Nets are constructed with side pockets, dowels and vinyl coated steel cable.

Porter Athletic

Advice for Team Dealers: “Get out in front early and often,” urges Nick McHale, Porter business development manager, who encourages partners to ask the questions before the major issues arise. “If we can get ahead of the problems, it allows us to be the trusted advisor and to help our customer plan, budget and facilitate an order,” he explains. “If we wait until things are on fire and the school comes to us, we become an order taker often undercut by a lower bid.”.

New Product Focus: Porter is focusing on portable backstops in 2025. Its 1835 portable backstop is its top-of-the-line competition system, built for the biggest and best basketball arenas. In addition, the 1135 offers the durability and performance of the 1835 packed down into a smaller body.

Gill Athletics

Advice for Team Dealers: “Get to the coaches and athletic directors before they start Googling it,” echoes Gill national business development manager Mike Cunningham. “Trusted advisors get more uncontested opportunities than those who simply react to requests.”

The Tech Story: Safety takes the lead in 2025. Ball stop nets that help reduce athlete/sport interference and throws cages that provide large viewing areas so more coaches/officials/participants are aware of what happening in the event are ongoing. “These are target areas for today’s equipment and tomorrow,” according to Cunnigham.

New Product Focus: The new Gill Coliseum Hammer Cage addresses the safety and multi-use concerns that are top-of-mind these days.

Blazer

Advice for Team Dealers: To boost sales of soccer goals and nets, team dealers should understand their audience and tailor offerings accordingly, emphasizing quality and safety features, advises sales manager Paige May. “Creating bundled packages, hosting demos and showcasing customer testimonials can enhance appeal,” May recommends, while customization options and community engagement, such as sponsoring local teams, help build trust and visibility..

New Product Focus: The new Big Red Baseball/Softball line-up card booklet has 35 game capacity and 19-player line-up.