Team Insight

At Zappia Athletic Products in Vestal, NY, part of the Greater Binghamton area, baseball and soball still deliver its biggest spring numbers, although lacrosse continues to gain traction and girls' flag football is impacting soball participation, according to owner Dan Cordi. "We continue to lose ground with hardgoods to the internet and large box store retailers," he says. "Baseballs, softballs and catcher's equipment were a significant portion of our sales in past spring seasons but are becoming an irrelevant factor to our store. However, our custom apparel and uniform sales and online apparel store numbers continue to grow. Our quality, creativity and service can separate ourselves from competition in these areas as opposed to a race to the lowest price possible on a batting helmet or baseball bat." Youth recreational sports continue to drive its spring sales, while its school and travel ball businesses have been "more up and down." Among challenges, Cordi notes that printing and embroidery supplies have pushed through significant price increases, as have many of apparel vendors. In what he believes reflects staffing shortages, he's also seen a spike in orders being packaged incorrectly as well as lost or damaged packages that also impact profitability. On the plus side, Cordi's says interest in diamond sports from youth to varsity level has not wavered in his markets and he expects they'll remain robust. "Interest in youth baseball and soball has not wavered in our area," he says. "Families attending games throughout the spring and summer is interwoven in the fabric of our culture. Whether they are at their local park watching their six-year-old get their first hit, traveling four states over for a long weekend to enter a highly touted tournament, or ex- periencing their senior son or daughter take a state title, baseball and soball will always be a rite of passage for a large portion of this nation's youth and their families. At PSG (Pasadena Sporting Goods) in Pasadena, TX, baseball continues to be the dealer's largest spring contributor, reports GM Myles Siegel. Soball is also seeing growth due to increased headcount on teams and league expansion. Overall, however, the dealer is up "only slightly" year over year. "On-field equipment has been a growth subcategory for us," says Siegel. "As budgets are tighter, we have been able to provide cus- tomers with quality alternative brands to extend budgets. Outside of balls, gloves and bats, generic or less-known brands seem to provide a value not previously accepted. For example, the Crute tee from Champro is a fantastic alternative to the Tanner tee." Schools are also increasingly comfortable BATTERS UP ... AND UP Having recovered the pandemic, baseball and softball have returned as the core driver of spring selling for most team dealers, although the growth opportunities are increasingly around player packs, travel teams and online team stores. And while some inventory shortages continue, participation has generally remained steady at the youth and high school level despite increased competition from other sports, according to interviews with a host of dealers from across the country. BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL CONTINUE AS THE KEY SPRING SPORTS, WITH MANY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES. BY TOM RYAN 16 • Team Insight ~ July/August 2024 teaminsightmag.com TEAM BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

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