Team Insight

C all it a dinger, a four-bagger, a frozen rope. Call it anything, but don't call the softball business soft for America's team dealers. In fact, sales are screaming off those high-tech bats and circling the bases in 2018. And with Olympic participation slated to return in 2020 – along with the continued growth in travel teams that play almost year-round – the sport remains on the upswing. That means team dealers are warming up for the Spring season and service remains crucial in many segments of the market. That naturally puts women's fast-pitch softball in the industry's sweet spot. "Sales are strong," says Ryan Bohl, team and group sales manager for Schuylkill Valley Sports, Pottstown, PA. "It's a market so dependent on service, so we stay relevant and strong." With 15 roadmen, including himself, Bohl says Schuylkill Valley primarily covers eastern Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware and New Jersey, and some accounts and contacts that reach across the country. Consequently, he sees softball as a strong, steady business in the spring. "You don't see too many spikes," Bohl notes. In his 35th season either as a roadman or a supplier, Jay Relph has seen his softball business grow over the last six years since joining Denver Athletic, Denver, CO, as a roadman. In particular, he attributes that to the club teams that drive his business. "Those teams have grown dramatically," Relph says, especially as more people move to the area and start up softball programs. That's not to say that the school business isn't impor- tant. In fact, Relph has three new high school programs turning to him for their softball uniforms and equipment. With roadmen covering eight states, Skeeter Kell Sporting Goods, Kennett, MO, sees solid sales at the high school and junior high levels, reports owner and presi- dent Roger Sledge. Participation is strong since nearly every school fields a women's team and many of the smaller rural towns covered by Skeeter Kell have a travel team. School business is also crucial for DeMans Team Sports, says Jack DeMotte, president of the Brookville, PA, team dealer that covers northwestern and north- central Pennsylvania. Sales hold steady thanks to the high school and college markets, he says. While high school budgets are tight, the colleges that have an all-school deal with DeMans are aggressive to ensure they comply with Title IX. Additionally, the high school business remains solid in many rural districts where other sports such as football and wrestling have been consolidated by schools. "When that happens, you lose a sale," DeMotte says of sports shared by two schools. "Women's softball hasn't been affected too much by this." 20 Team Insight / March 2018 teaminsightmag.com SOFT SELL Softball is a year-round game for team dealers across the country. BY TIM SITEK "The struggle for us is to stay relevant. There are a million options with e-commerce today." RYAN BOHL, SCHUYLKILL VALLEY SPORTS GIRLS' & WOMEN'S SPORTS / SOFTBALL Women's softball took a huge hit when it was dropped from the Olympics after the 2008 games in Beijing. Many worked hard to see the sport's return and got their wish when the International Olym- pic Committee voted to return the game to the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. There's no bigger worldwide stage for the sport, but its inclusion won't necessarily translate into big gains, either. Team dealers cer- tainly applaud its return, but have mixed reactions on its impact. "It's an immeasurable impact," says Jack DeMotte, of DeMans Team Sports. "It's great expo- sure. It will give some athletes an additional goal. It can't hurt, but there's really no way to tell how it may impact sales." Roger Sledge, of Skeeter Kell Sporting Goods, agrees. "It should help boost participation, but I have no idea how it may affect our sales." It was personal for Jay Relph at Denver Athletic. His niece was an All-American and ready to compete on the Olympics team when the rug got pulled out. "I was disappointed when they took it out. It's hard to keep kids interested until you energize them and the Olympics did just that. Those role models are so important," he says. The exposure is simply good for the sport, Schuylkill Valley's Ryan Bohl notes. "I'm not sure how much it will impact participation and, consequently, sales. It only helps competition. It's absolutely good for the sport. Olympic view- ership is down, so I'm not sure how that will translate into partici- pation, but it will drive competition in the sport." Q OF NOTE ... Photo: Champro

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