Team Insight

SPECIAL REPORT: PANDEMIC SURVIVAL GUIDE players, coaches or umpires tested positive for COVID." While sales were a struggle in 2020 and a little tough in 2021 for Coaches Corner, business has been tremendous this year. "is past March, our baseball sales – cleats, belts, socks, baseballs, uniforms – were better than pre-COVID," Claussen reports. "And, we are now getting full access to schools." Looking forward, Claussen believes his customers are more understanding of the current plight aecting team dealers. "I'd say 98 percent of our coaches are un- derstanding of our issues," says Claussen. "All of us have to be more patient with supply chain issues." THANK GOODNESS FOR BASEBALL In Battle Creek, MI, Jack Pearl's Sports Center owner Keith Manning says that his business began to make its initial comeback from COVID aer baseball and soball started being played in a neighboring state. "In March of 2020, we were closed for six weeks, we laid o all of our workers and we received PPP funding, but business didn't open again until local travel baseball and soball teams in Michigan started to travel down to Indiana to play tournament games," says Manning. During the six-week shutdown, Manning still went to the oce on a regular basis. "I had to pick up the mail and we had a variety of small orders for graduating seniors from local high schools," he recalls. But to generate extra revenue, Manning and his sta had to be creative with their sales and marketing talents. "We were able to generate a little bit of corporate business and we sold a ton of masks to local schools," says Manning. "Each mask had the school logo on it. We also had to be creative in selling T-shirts and hoodies." But the COVID-related challenges are not gone and Manning is very worried about access to enough football helmets for this fall's football season. "I remain concerned about the supply chain and the availability of football helmets will be an issue," said Manning. ALOHA COVID RESTRICTIONS On the Hawaiian Islands, COVID-19 threw more curve balls to the business of Sports Line in Hilo, HI, than a gang of le-handed relievers in a Major League Baseball bullpen. "Had the federal government not helped with PPP funds, I'd be out of business," says owner Stanley Costales, Jr. "And I cannot fathom the number of face masks that we sold. at helped me a great deal, too." Costales admits that initially he was con- icted about selling face masks since he didn't want to nancially take advantage of a bad situation. But he then realized that people needed masks and someone had to supply them. "So, I priced them out and was able to produce and sell custom face masks at a fair price," he says. Sports participation in Hawaii is the best it's been in two years. "Kids in Hawaii are playing sports, my doors are still open and I am still alive," says Costales. By surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, Costales has become far more philosophical about life and the business of selling sporting goods. "COVID really simplied everything in life," he says. "If you really put your mind to it and you look for the silver lining and opportunities, you've got a chance." e economic uncertainties caused by the shutdowns certainly forced Costales to be resourceful and creative. "We looked at any opportunity to sell things, such as corporate apparel," he says and now moving forward Costales has a positive mind- set and an optimistic attitude. "It's important to be humble and to do the best with what you've got," he adds. In Hawaii, the scholastic sports scene is approaching normalcy. "Every season started late and the schedules were shortened, but a state tournament is being held for every sport," Costales reports. MIDWEST STRATEGIES Red Weir, who has worked at Red Weir Athletic Supplies for 62 years, can't recall any other moment in his business life where sales came to a grinding halt. But in the heart of the Midwest, the arrival of COVID-19 caused the team dealer in Columbia, MO, to shut down to the buying public for 43 days. "We had to close our doors because of local health care regulations," recalls Weir, adding that a few members of his sta would continue to work on orders inside the store. He certainly did not give up the ght. In fact, Weir used the downtime to sort through the excess inventory in his warehouse so it could be displayed and sold. And, he did just that. "I found a number of items in my warehouse that I had forgotten were there, including some new sample hats, which were one-o Minor League Baseball hats. I put them a bin and sold them for $10 each," Weir recalls. As much as the pandemic has caused a major disruption in his daily business for the last 24 months, Weir's biggest issue in the immediate future is living and coping with the inconsistencies of the supply chain. 30 • Team Insight ~ May/June 2022 teaminsightmag.com 1. "We are now working on getting back on track with our vendors." Allen Krebs, Owner, Kratz Sporting Goods 2. "We are investing in other ways to reach our customers by sponsoring events and organizations such as the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association and the North/South Ohio All-Star Football Game. We are discovering a new path to our customers." Scott Nelson, Owner, Local Team Shop 3. "We have to become more patient with supply chain issues." Doc Claussen, Store Manager, Coaches Corner 4. "With COVID, I learned to expect the unexpected. COVID proved that Murphy's Law is spot on." Stanley Costales, Jr., Owner, Sports Line 5. "In business, there are the six P's that are the keys to success: Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance." Dan Carey, Owner, Carey's Sporting Goods 5 KEY STRATEGIES FOR MOVING FORWARD

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