Team Insight

Marucci Sports Acquires Lizard Skins Marucci Sports has acquired Lizard Skins, the maker of branded grip prod- ucts, protective equipment, bags and apparel for use in baseball, cycling, hockey and lacrosse. Lizard Skins' leadership team, including its founder, Brian Fruit, are expected to continue leading the brand as part of Marucci. Founded in 1993 with a focus on designing prod- ucts to protect bicycles and riders, Lizard Skins has expanded to a range of sports and manufactures the official bat grip for Major League Baseball and various pro cycling teams, and its DSP hockey grip tape is a licensed product of the National Hockey League. UA and Ravens Partner On Girls' Flag Football Looking to grow the sport of flag football in their local community, Under Armour and the NFL's Baltimore Ravens are providing fund- ing for high school girls' flag football programs. The fund- ing will go to schools in the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletics Association (MPSSAA), which runs pro- grams for more than 111,000 participants from 199 public schools in Maryland each year. While Under Armour will supply custom uniforms for each high school team, the Ravens are reportedly committing $250,000 over five years, with the program expected to launch next fall. "We believe everyone should have the opportunity and ability to play sports at every level, particularly young girls whose confidence can be impacted by lack of access to sport," says Sean Eggert, senior VP–global sports marketing at Under Armour. Jurga Joins NOCSAE Board of Directors Stan Jurga Jr., VP¬product development for All-Star Sporting Goods, has been appointed by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) to fill the open indus- try seat on the board of directors of the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). Jurga replaces former board member Shaun Gilday, previously the senior man- ager of innovation for Wilson Sporting Goods, who served on the board for four years. SFIA was instrumental in the organization's forma- tion in 1970, and with that, fills two seats on the board of directors, currently at 19 members. Jurga joins Gregg Hartley, SFIA's lead con- sultant on standards, who serves as NOCSAE VP. University of Iowa Adds Women's Wrestling In a major step forward for the sport, women's wres- tling has been added at the University of Iowa as an inter- collegiate program, becoming the first NCAA Division I, Power Five conference insti- tution to offer the sport. The NCAA recognized women's wrestling as an emerging sport in 2020 for all three divisions. Currently, there are 45 intercollegiate women's wrestling programs, including five in the state of Iowa. In addition, 32 states have a sanctioned high school girls' wrestling state championships. In Iowa, the state tournament is spon- sored by the Iowa Coaches Association and more than 600 girls participated in high school wrestling a year ago. Russell In Deal With Alphabroder Russell Athletic has entered into a partner- ship with Alphabroder, the distributor of imprintable sportswear and accessories in North America. Through this partnership, an assort- ment of core styles from Russell Athletic will be available at five distribution centers in California, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Georgia. "The partnership makes our brand even more accessible to team dealers, promotional products distrib- utors and decorators across the country," says Ricardo Aranda, VP–activewear at Russell Athletic. n NFHS, Gill Renew Partnership The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has committed to a three-year renewal of its corporate partnership agreement with Gill Athletics. As part of the contract renewal, Gill Athletics retains its rights as the exclusive NFHS partner for track and field through September 30, 2024. Included benefits are print and digital adver- tisements in annual NFHS track and field rules books and case books, NFHS emails and the track and field rules poster. Gill Athletics is also the "Official Track & Field equipment supplier for the NCAA." "For more than 100 years, Gill Athletics has been an industry leader devoted to delivering safe, cutting-edge products to its track and field athletes and coaches," says Dr. Karissa Niehoff, NFHS executive director. "When you work with a company that boasts these standards, as Gill Athletics does, it makes it gratifying for the NFHS to renew its partnership. Gill shares our unequivocal passion for preserving the safety and success of the more than one million stu- dent-athletes currently competing in high school track and field." NFHS Partners With Bison On Soccer Goals The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has entered into a broadened corporate partnership with Bison that makes the equipment manufacturer the "Exclusive Soccer Goal Partner of the NFHS." Bison has been the exclusive NFHS partner for the sport of basketball and part of the origi- nal NFHS product licensing program for basket- ball and volleyball in the mid-1990s. As part of the three-year agreement Bison will retain its title as an NFHS Corporate Partner on all print and electronic listings and will have the ability to place advertisements in NFHS Network email distributions and printed NFHS rules books. As the "Exclusive Soccer Goal Partner of the NFHS," Bison will also receive advertising opportunities on soccer-specific webpages of the NFHS and NFHS Learning Center websites. The premise for the expanded partnership revolves around Bison's concentrated efforts to improve both the safety and durability of its soccer goals, including innovations such as No-Tip soccer goals with integrated ballast and transport drums, DuraSkin padding for soccer uprights and advanced engineering and fabrica- tion processes for welded components. n NFHS PARTNERSHIPS 34 Team Insight ~ November/December 2021 teaminsightmag.com END ZONE

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