Team Insight

EQUIPMENT: GOALS/NETS BISON Advice for Team Dealers: Most volleyball and soccer systems purchased more than five or 10 years ago should be replaced. In both sports, significant improvements have made older systems obsolete, points out national sales manager Chris Livingston. In soccer, tip over risk can be nearly eliminated with combination ballast/transport drums and radiused edges, extra depth and padding improve safety as well. Carbon fiber volleyball systems, while more expensive, have become the industry standard due to their rigid-yet-lightweight poles and lifetime warranty winches reduce the risk of untimely failure. Technology Trends: Education encouraging adoption of the latest technology continues to be the most important trend in the industry, according to Livingston. While many compe- tition volleyball programs have moved to the latest designs in portable systems, everyone in the industry has been demanding easier and quicker setup, so internal net height adjustment is becoming a popular feature. In addition to significant safety improvements, soccer goals are moving toward 100 percent aluminum designs for easier transport and long-lasting weatherproofness. New Product Focus for 2023: With the cur- rent challenges in the sporting goods industry primarily related to supply chain and trans- portation, Bison has made improvements in delivery a priority. Even a pair of 24x8-foot official size soccer goals can now be packaged on one pallet, which reduces loss and damage risk and also reduces the time the shipment spends in the carrier's distribution centers. Volleyball system components, including sockets and hardware, officials stands and padding, are now combined into one pallet, reducing the chance of lost boxes. CARRON NET Advice for Team Dealers: Sports have really soared back to normal and beyond, but un- fortunately continuing supply chain issues mean that being able to supply goals and nets to customers involves subsequently longer lead times and higher costs, points out director of sales Russ Schirmer. "e best thing that team dealers can do to sell more is to have them in stock," he says. "No one wants to carry a larger inventory, but doing so insures filled sales and fixed costs. With raw material and labor costs continuing to escalate, hedging for the future makes sense." New Product Focus for 2023: Due to demand, Carron Net's 2023 new product focus is all about pickleball. "We had been hearing from team dealers that with the explosion of pickle- ball, teams and leagues were looking to adhere to the official rules and wanted our superior quality net so we pushed up our plans and created the nets this year," Schirmer says. Schirmer says the regulation size nets are selling faster than Carron Net can make them. Goals/nets vendors address the major issues facing the team business in 2023. Big surprise: Pickleball is hot! By Michael Jacobsen GOING FOR THE GOALS 27 • Team Insight ~ November/December 2022 teaminsightmag.com Bison Carron Net

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