sportstyle

wanted Haley to be excited about sports. I have an old adage — You need to look good, to play good. What it means is equipment takes you to another level of interest in sports. Haley would pay for some of the things she needs, but I was the backstop. Charlie G.: I have paid for most of the girls' sports equipment and my wife will purchase some items. I am more into sports than she is and have more knowledge than her regarding the equipment. I currently make most of the purchases. Billy B.: I make the sports equipment purchases because I own a sporting goods com- pany (MB2 Sports) and have easy access to equipment and apparel. My wife and I pay for most of their sports equipment and apparel. Tim P.: It's a combination between my wife, our daughter, Seymour High School and me. As our daughter has become older, she will occasionally buy shoes and attire that she might use for various sports. When it is a major purchase, she usually comes to us. Since she has been involved in basketball at the high school level, the coach has always done team shoes. Matt B.: I make the sports equipment purchases and pay for all of the equipment because I know the sport better than my wife. So how hard or easy has it been over the years for you to buy equipment and apparel for your daughter? Mike B.: It is easier than ever to buy gear. The Internet changed everything. When I was a kid, if I wanted a new Rawlings baseball mitt I caddied for two straight weekends and went down to Schafer Sporting goods on my bike in Westport to buy it. No competition and I paid top dollar. All that has changed. Now I can search for days for the best equipment, best price, read the reviews, see pictures and have it delivered in a day or two. Matt B.: It was a little difficult at first because of my lack of knowledge on equipment, but now it is very easy. Tim P.: We have never had problems buying sports equip- ment and apparel for our daughter. Charlie G.: We have found that it is difficult to get some footwear. My daughter, Kayla, usually gets men's cleats due to there being more options available. Nicole has gotten most of the items she needs, but sometimes we need to wait for deals or utilize coupons because some of the equipment is expensive. Many times, due to the cost of equip- ment we would have to wait until the next year to purchase something or buy a year-old model. Billy B.: It has been quite easy to buy for my daughters because of the line of work I am in. However, sizing can be an issue at times and girls can be pickier than boys. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the best), what grade would you give manufacturers for the prod- ucts you have purchased for her sports? Tim P.: Oh, definitely a 10 — whether it is soccer cleats, basketball shoes, softball cleats, spandex shorts or sports bras. They have all been durable, reli- able, comfortable and overall above-average. Charlie G.: I would give most companies a 9 for their prod- ucts. Most of the time they last a good amount of time and the quality is good. The only down- side is that sometimes there is a lack of variety and sizes and they can be expensive. Billy B.: We have purchased many different brands of equip- ment, but mostly have used Adidas for everything we can due to my company. I would give Adidas a 9. For swimming we generally use Arena because Presley and Kinley both swim for the Kansas City Blazers, who are sponsored by Arena. I would Charlie attends most of the games played by his daughters, Samantha, Nicole and Kayla (in photo) and they say he knows the basics of the gear they need, but not the more specific products required as they got older. "I can search for days for the best equipment, best price, read the reviews, see pictures and have it delivered in a day or two." May 2021 • 63 sportstylemag.com • sportstyle

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