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both is on the upswing, too, based on comments from dealers in Florida, Indiana, Delaware, New Hampshire, Michigan and Texas. In Vero Beach, FL, baseball participation is very strong and fast-pitch participation is not. "In this part of Florida, I am witnessing the daily decline in participation in girls' fast-pitch soball. For the most part, it's been reduced to a travel sport," reports Dave Whipp, co-owner of Dave's Sporting Goods. "Whereas, our baseball remains very popular and business is great." According to Whipp, the opportunities for girls to play other sports such as bowling, lacrosse and beach volleyball is causing many to think twice about playing soball. One of the reasons why Dave's Sporting Goods is doing well with baseball is because the store is adjacent to a five-field baseball complex. "Our store backs up to the Vero Beach Little League complex and we generate a great deal of walk-in business, especially on Saturday mornings," says Whipp. "Players always need a belt, a pair of socks or a new set of pants because of a rip or a tear." e level of seriousness of today's travel baseball player has been a big boost to Whipp's business, which he runs alongside his wife, Becky. "So many of today's young travel players show up with a bat bag filled with four bats, three gloves, two sets of cleats and at least two hats." One of Whipp's biggest business challenges these days is keeping up with coaching changes. "Just when you think you have the base- ball business from a certain school, there's a coaching change, I'm not notified, and the new coach starts buying product from one of his buddies," Whipp laments. "e business model has definitely changed." In addition to strong business with local rec baseball leagues, school-based teams and travel teams, Dave's Sporting Goods generates a great deal of business from the large number of baseball tournaments held each year at the nearby Jackie Robinson Complex in Vero Beach. (e complex is actually the old Dodgertown, the long-time spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is about two miles from Dave's Sporting Goods.) Another of Whipp's big-picture observations is how product buying patterns have changed for local youth leagues. "Our rec baseball leagues are spending more money by ordering 3D embroidered hats and sublimated jerseys," he points out. "Times have certainly changed." Interesting note: One baseball product that gaining popularity is the sliding mitt. "When players are getting to first base, they are now taking off their batting gloves and putting on these mitt-sized sliding mitts," says Whipp. Meanwhile, in Clarksville, IN, Kratz Sporting Goods is selling fast-pitch soball and baseball year-round. According to owner Allen Krebbs, business is consistent with local rec leagues, travel teams, middle schools and high schools and some college programs in southern and central Indiana. e college business is usually restricted to decorating uniforms. e one part of his baseball and soball business that has had the greatest statistical surge in recent years is with travel teams. "Our travel business is huge," says Krebbs. e success Kratz has in selling baseball and soball is twofold — having all the necessary equipment along with an in-depth knowledge of the sport. "Baseball and fast-pitch soball have become year-round categories for us," says Krebbs, adding, however, that "fast-pitch soball has become a niche sport. You have to know it to sell it. It's important to know the sport and I think we do." According to Krebbs, the high school baseball and soball teams are buying new uniforms once every three to five years, whereas travel teams are purchasing new uniforms every year. And while he and his associates are selling soballs, baseballs, uniforms, belts, socks, bat bags, batting helmets, catcher's gear, bases, scorebooks and field paint, the number of bats, cleats and fielding gloves/mitts is on the decline. "More and more of players are buying bats, cleats and fielding gloves from websites on the Internet," he explains. Baseball Is Strong in Delaware In Wilmington, DE, the combined base- ball-soball category for Al's Sporting Goods is strong and getting stronger, especially when the Philadelphia Phillies are winning. "Aer you break it down, our business is roughly 70-30 in favor of baseball," reports owner Bob Hart. "And, when the Phillies are winning, our licensed product sales are very good." His business has two components – a team division and a retail division. "We sell to both teams and individuals who play baseball and soball," says Hart. "Our team sales are to local rec leagues, travel teams and school teams and we sell product to 20 different local youth baseball and soball leagues along with very few colleges." Local rec baseball and soball leagues are buying socks, a hat and a T-shirt from Al's, and the T-shirt is either a MLB-licensed shirt with the logo of a certain team or a sublimated jersey. If the shirt is an MLB version, then Al's will screenprint the name of the sponsor on the back along with a number. When it comes to cleats, gloves and bats for baseball and soball, the majority of sales are to individuals walking into the retail store. Overall, Al's does its best to be a one-stop shopping experience for both teams, leagues, parents, fans and individual players. Up in West Lebanon, NH, Stateline Sports 52 • July/August 2025 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com TEAM SPORTS

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