SGB WEEKLY 1217

ISSUE 1217 APRIL 23, 2012

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Sporting Goods Industry

SGMA

THE 2012 TOPLINE PARTICIPATION REPORT: SLIGHT PROGRESS BUT MORE WORK TO BE DONE

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ISSUE 1217 APRIL 23, 2012

James Hartford

Editor In Chief james@sportsonesource.com 704.987.3450 x104

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Sporting Goods Industry

Managing Editor Thomas J. Ryan (917.375.4699) tryan@sportsonesource.com

Page 10

Editors At Large Aaron Bible Fernando J. Delgado Mackenzie Lobby Creative Director Teresa Hartford Graphic Designer Camila Amortegui Advertising Sales Account Manager Katie O’Donohue (704.987.3450 x110) katieo@sportsonesource.com Circulation & Subscriptions subs@sportsonesource.com Technology Chief Information Officer, Mark Fine VP Research & Development, Gerry Axelrod Manager Database Operations, Cathy Badalamenti

SportsOneSource Publications SGB TEAM Business

Foot Locker store on 11 West 34th St. in New York City

SGB Weekly SGB Performance Team Business Digital The B.O.S.S. Report Sports Executive Weekly SGB Update Footwear Business Update Outdoor Business Update Sportsman’s Business Update Team Business Update

SportsOneSource Research SportScanInfo OIA VantagePoint SOS Research

NEWS

4 FANATICS Snaps Up Dreams, Inc.

SPOTLIGHT

6

8

9

RALPH LAUREN Outfits 2012 Olympic Team NIKE Introduces U.S. Soccer Uniforms RUSSELL ATHLETIC Launches Women’s Collection

SGBW I PROFILE

10 KEN HICKS, President & CEO,

Foot Locker, Inc.

DEPARTMENTS

18 JOB CLASSIFIEDS

ADVERTISERS

2 4 5 7 8 9 17 19 20

SPENCO INJINJI 2XU IMPLUS SGB WEEKLY BALEGA MCDAVID CORDURA OR MARKET

FEATURES

12 ROCKPORT Looks To Defy Gravity

14 SGMA Youth Activity Levels Are Trending Up 2151 Hawkins Street • Suite 200 • Charlotte • NC • 28203 t. 704-987-3450 • f. 704-987-3455 www.SportsOneSource.com

Copyright 2012 SportsOneSource, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors to SGB WEEKLY are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. SGB WEEKLY is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles appearing in SGB WEEKLY may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher.

SGB WEEKLY is published weekly by SportsOneSource, LLC, 2151 Hawkins Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28203; 704.987.3450. Send address changes to SGB WEEKLY , 2151 Hawkins Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28203; 704.987.3450

APRIL 23, 2012 | SGBWeekly.com

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NEWS

NEWS

FANATICS

SNAPS UP DREAMS, INC.

Jamie Davis, president, Fanatics

Fanatics, Inc. reached an agreement to acquire Dreams, Inc., the parent of FansEdge.com. The agreement calls for Fanatics to acquire all the shares of Dreams for $3.45 a share in cash. The $183 million figure includes assumption of $25 million in debt.

Dreams, Inc. is a vertically integrated sports memorabilia and licensed products firm. Its businesses include Mounted Memories, Field of Dreams, FansEdge, Pro Sports Memorabilia, The Greene Organization, Stars Live 365, Unique Images and Malcolm Farley Art. In 2011, it had sales of $141.7 million. Dreams' board approved the deal.

Fanatics’ operates the footballfanatics.com and surffanatics.com websites.

TeamFanShop, (teamfanshop.com), Fanatics’ turnkey e-commerce solution, powers exclusive official online shopping experiences for some of the biggest names in sports including over 60 Division 1 athletic programs and conferences, NFL and NBA teams, and top sports media properties. It was acquired by GSI Commerce in February 2011 but spun off later that year after GSI was acquired by eBay. Fanatics' revenues reached approximately $300 million in 2010.

"Today is an exciting day for all sports fans," said Fanatics' CEO Alan Trager.

"We are bringing together two of the most passionate management teams in licensed sports products. The addition of Dreams will enable Fanatics to accelerate our investments in product assortment, mobile and e-commerce technology, and a regional fulfillment infrastructure to better serve our customers and our partners. Together, we will be much better positioned to deliver a superior customer experience."

Fanatics also said it hired Jamie Davis as its president. From 2008 to 2011, Davis was president of Versus, the cable TV sports channel now called NBC Sports Network. From 1994 to 2007, Davis worked as managing director of Asian sports broadcasting company ESPN Star Sports, which owns 15 television networks in 24 countries.

4 SGBWeekly.com | APRIL 23, 2012

STEVE WEATHERFORD SUPER BOWL CHAMPION

JENNY KALMBACH 2011 SUP FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

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IMPROVED CIRCULATION Faster warm up and improved oxygen circulation. Encourage blood to the muscles and flushes by-products away.

IMPROVED RECOVERY Therapeutic rated fabric provides greater pressure and recovery benefit leading to faster muscle repair.

SPOTLIGHT

RALPH LAUREN OUTFITS 2012 OLYMPIC TEAM

With 100 days to go before the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games, Ralph Lauren unveiled its line of casual clothing for American Olympians.

Designed in the "tradition of refined American style," the clothes are intended for wear in the Olympic village and during the closing ceremonies.

In a statement, the company described the collection as "exceptionally elegant silhouettes in a timeless palette of all white with touches of red and navy." Olympic taekwondo medalists Diana and Steven Lopez revealed the men's and women's closing ceremony parade uniforms on last Wednesday's Today Show.

Ralph Lauren is the official outfitter of Team USA. The Ralph Lauren 2012 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Opening Ceremony Parade Uniforms will be revealed this summer. For those who might want to get into the Olympic spirit early, the consumer version of the Ralph Lauren 2012 Team USA Olympic collection is now available online, and is expected to hit Ralph Lauren stores, Team USA shops and select department stores in May.

6 SGBWeekly.com | APRIL 23, 2012

ENGINEEREDFOR THEPERFECTFIT The Sof Sole® Fit Series was created to easily identify foot and arch types, resulting in an informed purchase of an insole engineered specifically for their foot.

HIGH-REBOUND EVA FOAM SPECIFIC DUROMETER DENSITY CHANGES WITH ARCH TYPE, OFFERING OPTIMAL SUPPORT FOR SPECIFIC NEEDS.

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SPOTLIGHT

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER

NIKE

INTRODUCES U.S. SOCCER UNIFORMS

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Plus SGB Weekly is now available on your iPad. Go to SGBWeekly.com to download the reader.

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Nike unveiled the new home jersey for both the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams. For the first time, Nike has taken a unified approach with the USA’s home kits, creating jerseys that feature the same design and concept for both teams.

The American flag is utilized as the jersey’s inspiration, with a shirt that features horizontal red and white stripes and a blue crew neck collar. There is also a subtle tonal sash echoing the same design on the jerseys worn by the U.S. Men’s National Team when it famously defeated England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The fabric of the new home kits is approximately 23 percent lighter and 20 percent stronger than Nike’s previous models. Made with Dri-FIT technology, the kits help regulate players’ temperatures on the pitch. The shirts feature laser-cut ventilation holes to promote localized cooling where it matters most.

Environmentally, each kit is made using an average of 13 recycled plastic bottles.

The new kits' shorts are made with 100 percent Dri-FIT recycled polyester and the shirt with a minimum of 96 percent recycled polyester.

The U.S. Men will debut the new kit when they face Scotland on May 26 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, FL. The U.S. Women will sport the new look for the first time against China on May 27 at PPL Park in Chester, PA.

RUSSELL ATHLETIC LAUNCHES WOMEN'S COLLECTION

Russell Brands, LLC, announced the launch of their new women's collection. With 18 styles available at launch, ranging from performance fleece and hoodies to active skorts and capris, the new line was inspired by the mom-on-the-go.

"We know that when women look good, they feel good," said Sarah Gholston, vice president, design and merchandising at Russell. "Each piece in this line was created to do just that – elongated lines where they matter, flattering silhouettes, and bright colors. When you combine all these elements into very functional pieces, you create what we think is the perfect go-to collection for every woman, regardless of whether she needs to run to soccer practice or run a 5k."

The exclusive Mid-Support Racerback Tank was developed in partnership with Vanity Fair Brands, a sister company, to provide the ultimate combination of comfort, support, performance and fit. Other product features in the full line include cotton with performance benefits, a not-too-tight but not-too-loose tailored fit and Dri-Power moisture wicking technology. The collection is available online at russellathletic.com/womens and kohls.com.

APRIL 23, 2012 | SGBWeekly.com

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SGBW I PROFILE

KEN HICKS President and CEO, Foot Locker Inc.

Foot Locker, Inc. marked the best year in company history in 2011. Comp sales were up 9.8 percent with combined growth over the last two years rising 15.6 percent. Gross margins rose 450 basis points over the last two years, of which 250 basis points were due to merchandise margin improvements and 200 basis points were due to leveraging its primary fixed occupancy cost. Salesper-square-foot reached $406 per gross square-foot, ahead of its $400 long-term objective.

While benefiting from an overall healthy appetite for athletic footwear, the improvement also reflects a program unveiled two years ago by Ken Hicks, the former president and chief merchant at J.C. Penney who became Foot Locker, Inc.’s president and CEO in August 2009. The plan called for more clearly defined and differentiated brand banners, strengthening running and casual footwear assortments, developing its apparel side, and making its stores and Internet sites “more 10 SGBWeekly.com | APRIL 23, 2012

Foot Locker store on 11 West 34th St. in New York City

exciting places to shop and buy.” The plan also called for e-commerce expansion, new store growth in Europe, and improving store productivity.

At its annual investors meeting in March, Foot Locker, Inc. revealed several strategies to accelerate its growth as part of a five-year goal of reaching $7.5 billion in sales by 2016.

In 2011, Foot Locker’s revenues reached $5.6 billion.

Here, Hicks discusses the trends impacting the athletic footwear market as well as progress the company is making against its plan.

How healthy is the athletic footwear cycle? I think it’s more than a cycle.

Everybody talks about cycles being up or down. It’s really more of a trend to more athletic footwear. As young people mature, they’re used to wearing athletic footwear. So you’re seeing it more in the business place.

You’re just seeing more people wear athletic footwear. So that’s an underlying trend. Now, there are some ups and downs to it. And right now one of the things that’s driving the category is what’s going on in technology and lightweight is a big part of it. We’re seeing that

in running, we’re seeing that in basketball, and we’re seeing that in cleats. And I would say even with all the lightweight shoes we sold, most people still don’t have a lightweight shoe. So there’s the trend, then the technology and the third thing that’s driving it is there’s a lot more fashion. No question. Color is important and we’re seeing a lot more color. As far as I can see, the trend looks like it will continue.

ability through our Team Edition subsidiary to print t-shirts and have the best t-shirts out there.

Why has women’s overall been such a struggle? We

focused on shoes and women focus on apparel. We need to change our mindset and we need to target women and not treat her like a man with long hair.

What’s driving the pickup in basketball? I think basketball

had gotten stale and now there’s several things working. One again is technology. You see new lightweight versions. And you’re seeing new and different kinds of things to protect your ankles and different inserts so that’s making the shoe more functional. The second thing is the look.

There’s a lot more color and changes that are getting the person who is a real sneakerholic to say, ‘Geez, I need that one and I need this one.’

And then the third thing is that we have a lot of stars. The kids will say, 'I want the Kobe. I want the Lebron. But I also want to get the Howard and the Rose and the Durant.' There’s just a lot more options out there for the kids. It used to be, ‘I liked Mike or I don’t like Mike.’ And you might not have bought his shoes because you didn’t like him. But now I may not like Kobe or may not like Lebron but I do like Kevin or I do like Derick so I’ll buy their shoes. You have more people following them and there’s also more opportunity to see them.

What changes should we expect to see at Lady Foot Locker? You’re going to see a lot more apparel. It won’t look like

a shoe store that has a little bit of apparel. It will look like an apparel store that’s got some shoes.

How far is Foot Locker on its goal of better differentiating banners in the mall? We’re probably about half to

two-thirds of the way but it’s a continual thing because they have a tendency to creep towards each other. But it’s what’s the next line of apparel we put in Footaction to separate it from the others and how do we create stronger NBA and NFL shops at Champs to really make them stand out and you'll see how the new Nike NFL shops in Champs will help. We’re also trying to emphasize a stronger running presence in Foot Locker to make our flagship banner stand out.

What brands are driving the run side? We’re doing a much

What do you think of the new NFL/Nike deal? I think

better job with New Balance and Asics technical brands and we’ve got Brooks and Saucony now in more stores. But quite frankly Nike with the Lunar and Frees has really stepped up their game. They’ve moved well beyond the Pegasus. So that’s helped. And even Adi has gotten back into the game in a big way along with Reebok with the Flex and Zig.

that’s great. They’ll bring new energy and excitement to it. Reebok is a great company but last year was impacted by both the potential strike as well as the fact that it was their last year so they weren’t going to invest a lot in it. Nike‘s going to invest a lot and bring some new ideas. I think there will be a lot of excitement that will help that business. You also have New Era so that’s an exciting part of it as well.

What running customer is Foot Locker reaching? The guy who’s running 40 miles a week. That’s going to be a challenge for us. But we can reach the person who is the casual jogger, who maybe runs three or four times a week or maybe 10 miles a week. Where we probably have a really strong position is the guy or gal who goes to 24 Hour Fitness or goes to their apartment gym to work out in. That’s where we really have an advantage and that group is certainly larger than those running 40 miles a week.

What's driving the turnaround in apparel? We had too

much of a focus on footwear so we brought in experienced apparel people to run that side of the business. I think we’re doing a much better job. It’s growing again. We want to get it back to around 30 percent of the business, and now we’re at 23 percent.

We’re selling more technical product in apparel and we’re selling more coordinated items. At our 34th Street flagship store in Manhattan, for example, you’ll see one of our hot colors this spring is mint and we’ve got shirts and shoes to go with the mint. We also have the

Can you discuss store expansion and rationalization plans? This year will be the first time in quite a while when we will

try to open more stores than we close. There will probably be more Champs and Kids opening and we will add stores in Europe. But we will be opening some U.S. Foot Lockers and depending on what happens in women’s, we’ll probably add more women’s, too.

What are Foot Locker’s biggest challenges going forward? We have to keep the pace and the energy up to keep

performing at the level we’re performing. Sometimes, people get caught up in reading the press clippings. What’s important is that we still have tremendous opportunity to keep performing at the level we’re performing. It’s important for us to keep driving the business forward. The good thing is the trend. We’ve got a little wind on our back. But more importantly, we’ve got a lot of good things to work on and we’ve got a great team to accomplish it. ■

Editor's Note: For the full interview with Foot Locker, Inc. CEO Ken Hicks, please look for today's issue of Sports Executive Weekly or go to: www.SportsExecutiveWeekly.com and Request a Free Trial Subscription.

ROCKPORT LOOKS TO DEFY GRAVITY

For the launch of its truWALKzero collection, The Rockport Co. brought out world-renowned performance artist Johan Lorbeer to demonstrate the gravity-defying benefits of its new ultra-lightweight walking collection. At a live performance at the corner of West 43rd Street and 6th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, the German performance artist stunned onlookers on April 5th by creating an optical illusion of appearing to suspend in mid-air during rush hour.

By Thomas J. Ryan

TruWalk Zero Toe Sport 9 (men's)

TruWalk Zero Welded Lace Up (women's)

12 SGBWeekly.com | APRIL 23, 2012

"The brand is all about lightness,” said Daniel Tschuemperlin, Rockport’s SVP of product and brand management, at the presentation.

“We’re going after the metropolitan professional so we came up with the idea of floating people without gravity.”

In an interview with SGB Weekly, Tschuemperlin said the truWALKzero collection harkens back to Rockport’s founding days in 1971 when the brand launched the lightest walking shoes in the industry with collections such as DresSports to drive the walking shoe craze. On the other side, the collection fully taps into the resources of Adidas, which acquired Rockport along with Reebok in 2006. The shoes incorporate flex grooves to boost flexibility while utilizing Rockport’s proprietary truWALK architecture, which provides a natural, full range of foot motion, from shock absorption at heel strike to forefoot flexibility during push off, courtesy of adiPRENE cushioning technology. The upper consists of a synthetic mesh that wicks moisture to keep feet dry, and a padded collar and tongue to help prevent blisters and lace bruising.

Finally, Tschuemperlin said the collection also stands out by bringing an updated and more fashionable approach to the "old-fashion" looks perceived in the walking category. The men’s and women’s

Supermodel Erin Wasson, the official face of Rockport's fall women's shoe collection, wearing the sophisticated Presia Zip Shootie.

shoes had a limited launch in early April on two styles for men, a lace-up sneaker and a wingtip, as well as a sneaker for women. Both retail between $120 and $140.

“We think that the truWALKzero will be one of Rockport’s blockbuster shoes for Spring 2012,” said Tschuemperlin. “It’s unique design as well as flexibility and lightness make it one of the most technologically advanced shoes that we have designed."

The launch comes as the Rockport brand appears to be regaining momentum with the changes enacted under the ownership of Adidas, a revitalization also marked by the hiring of supermodel Erin Wasson as the new face of its Fall 2012 marketing campaign. In the fourth quarter, Rockport's revenues jumped 14.1 percent to $75 million and were up 13.4 percent on a currency-neutral basis. Sales for 2011 were up 3.4 percent to $261 million with a 6.3 percent gain currency-neutral.

The improvement reflects the payback of a plan launched four years ago to revitalize the comfort shoe brand. One of the key efforts under the program was to expand what had been largely a U.S. brand internationally and most of its recent growth has been driven overseas, with "very fast" growth in Asia and Russia. Last year was the first year international sales were greater than U.S. sales for Rockport. In the U.S., more moderate growth is being seen given efforts to cut back lower-priced distribution to focus on better department stores as well as outdoor specialty. Some wins include a new program being launched with Macy's as well as landing an arrangement to operate space inside Dillard's. Zappos has also seen "very strong" growth with the 41-year old brand.

Rockport opened 110 stores globally in 2011, including 15 in the U.S., and currently has more than 300 stores globally. Another 140 stores are expected to open globally in 2012.

Finally, Adidas concentrated on making what had been largely a men's brand into a "real dual-gender" brand" with its women's collection evolving to include high heels, wedges, boot, flats, sneakers and sandals that speak to current fashion trends. The hiring of Erin Wasson for its fall campaign is designed to build on that success.

Entitled "Day in the Life" and shot in early April in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, the campaign chronicles a day in the life of Wasson as she works in a daytime photo shoot wearing Rockport’s Cedra Scrunched Tall Bootie from its fall women’s collection and then goes out at night wearing Rockport’s Presia Zip Shootie shoes.

Debuting September 1 and including print, online videos, out-of-home

social and mobile, the campaign will feature other visuals that have a modern, cosmopolitan and decidedly American feel to speak to both Rockport and Wasson's American heritage.

"Rockport is an authentic American brand which is important to me, being from Texas," said Wasson. "At our first meeting, I was wowed to see how fashionable they had become. The idea of enabling women to have great heels with athletic technology for maximum comfort and style is the perfect ten."

Tschuemperlin said Rockport chose Wasson, who is also an actress and has collaborated on designs with RVCA and Zadig & Voltaire, because she "embodies the active on-the-go lifestyle of our target consumer, the metropolitan professional" but will also resonate with the fashion set as well. Added Tschuemperlin, "Over the past four years, Rockport has been working towards building our fashion credibility. Consumers know we offer comfortable shoes and we are excited to not only show them our commitment to style, but that they do not need to compromise one for the other through this campaign."

APRIL 23, 2012 | SGBWeekly.com

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SGMA

YOUTH ACTIVITY LEVELS ON THE UPTREND

By Thomas J. Ryan

According to the SGMA’s Sports, Fitness, & Recreational Activities Participation Topline Report (2012 Edition), 'inactivity' rates among children ages 6 to 12 fell from 16.6 percent in 2010 to 16.0 percent in 2011. And, 'inactivity' rates among adolescents ages 13 to 17 dropped slightly from 16.7 percent to 16.4 percent.

Other positives in the report included the finding that more than 217 million Americans took part in one of the 119 sports, fitness and leisure activities that SGMA measures.

On the downside, the report found that 68.2 million Americans are totally “inactive,” defined as those who did not engage in any of the 119 sports and activities tracked in the report at least once during the course of the year. That figure is up from 67.1 million in the previous year, or an increase of 1.6 percent and overall 'inactivity' levels have risen every year since 2007.

“It’s a shockingly large number, and certainly a clarion call for our country to get off the couch,” said SGMA President Tom Cove in the report. “While we recognize our nation’s obesity crisis is a challenge requiring a multidisciplinary solution, more and more science indicates increasing physical activity may be one of the most effective and accessible responses available. The sporting goods industry can play a positive role in getting people physically active, and maintaining an active lifestyle for years.”

On the other hand, it was particularly encouraging that activity levels among youth saw improvement given that they offer hope for improvement in the years ahead.

"This may well be an early indication that the national efforts to get children 'off the couch' and 'active' have started to have an effect on their level of activity," said Cove. "Among children age 6 to 12, 'inactivity' fell from 4.6 million children in 2010 to 4.5 million children in 2011. That change represents 100,000 children who are now considered 'active.' While this improvement is modest, it's a sign we are moving in the right direction as we focus on getting our children in better physical shape."

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GEOGRAPHY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY US State by Physical Activity

Utah has the highest rate of physical activity with almost 62 percent of the population participating in one or more high calorie-burning activities. Utah’s northern neighbor, Idaho, follows close behind. Other states with higher activity rates are scattered throughout the country but tend to be to located in the western and northern parts of the country.

Team sports appeared to have a rough year. Of the 24 team sports analyzed in the survey, only three of them have had participation gains in the last year – ultimate Frisbee, lacrosse, and gymnastics. On the other hand, nine of them have had participation gains over the last four years – lacrosse (up 41.8 percent), rugby (up 37.7 percent), ultimate Frisbee (up 20.5 percent), gymnastics (up 18.6 percent), ice hockey (up 15.8 percent), beach volleyball (up 14.8 percent), indoor soccer (up 9.3 percent), fast-pitch softball (up 2.3 percent), and field hockey (up 1.8 percent).

The top three most popular team sports are basketball (24.8 million participants), outdoor soccer (13.7 million participants), and baseball (13.6 million participants).

After analyzing team sports participation patterns at the 'core' level, 13 of the team sports have a very dedicated participation base as more than 50 percent of the overall participants are actually 'core' participants - those who are regular or frequent participants. Those 13 team sports are baseball, basketball, cheerleading, competitive swimming, court volleyball, field hockey, ice hockey, indoor soccer, lacrosse, slowpitch softball, tackle football, track & field, and wrestling. And three of those team sports-baseball, basketball and competitive swimming - actually have more than 60 percent of the overall participants listed in the 'core' category.

Among the more post-college up to the ‘Boomer’ crowd, gym/health club/spa continued to hold appeal. More than 50 million of the Gen Y population works out on machines, with fitness activities and/or at health clubs. Nearly 40 million Gen-Yers also pursue outdoor activities and individual sports. More than 45 million 'Baby Boomers' (born between 1945 and 1964) also enjoy intense perspiration at gyms, health

clubs or in their home gyms. Seven out of the top ten most popular athletic activities in the U.S. are fitness-related.

Class-based fitness sessions remain a strong aspect of the fitness industry as stationary cycling (group classes) and yoga reached alltime highs in terms of participation. One new category added this year is boot camp-style cross training. Nearly eight million people gave this new activity a try and 2.8 million people are now considered 'core' participants.

Overall, the most popular sports and activities in the U.S. - as measured by people who participate at least once a year in any given activity - the top was walking for fitness, with 112.7 million, followed by bowling, 53.9 million participants; treadmill, 53.3 million; running/ jogging, 50.1 million; and hand weights, 46.9 million. Rounding out the top ten was bicycling, 39.8 million; weight/resistance machines, 39.5 million; freshwater fishing, 38.9 million; billiards/pool, 36.8 million; and dumbells, 36.5 million.

Among these top-ten activities, running/jogging saw the healthiest growth with a 7.3 percent increase in overall participation. That was followed by hand weights, up 2.2 percent; treadmills, 1.9 percent; weight/resistance machines, 0.9 percent; walking-for-fitness, 0.6 percent; and bicycling, 0.3 percent. Billiards/pool showed a steep decline, down 10.6 percent in participation versus the prior year as well as bowling, down 4.7 percent. Also losing ground was freshwater fishing and dumbells, with participation levels down 2.6 percent and 0.6 percent respectively.

Among team sports, participation declines among major sports were seen in baseball, down 4.5 percent to 13.6 million participants; basketball, off 1.5 percent to 24.8 million; tackle APRIL 23, 2012 | SGBWeekly.com

15

football, down 5.9 percent to 6.4 million; outdoor soccer, 1.6 percent to 13.7 million; court volleyball, down 8.9 percent to 6.7 million; indoor soccer, 5.9 percent to 4.6 million; and slow-pitch softball, down 4.5 percent to 2.4 million.

Rugby participation was down 9.6 percent to 850,000, reversing an uptick in growth in recent years. Paintball participation lost more ground, down 12.1 percent to 3.6 million. Cheerleading, field hockey, and ice hockey all showed modest declines in participation.

On the positive side, lacrosse participation increased 5.5 percent to 1.5 million although the gains were smaller than recent years. The top team sports gain came from gymnastics, up 9.2 percent to 4.8 million; and ultimate Frisbee continued to increase in popularity with participation levels increasing 6.5 percent to 4.9 million.

Among outdoor activities, camping participation was down 2.2 percent to 16.3 million although day hiking grew 3.5 percent to 33.5 million. Climbing (sports/indoor/boulder) and freshwater fishing also lost participants but fly fishing grew. Gains were seen in trail running and triathlon.

Rifle hunting participation was down 1.4 percent to 10.5 million but gains were seen in handgun, bow, clay and target shooting categories.

Among winter sports, alpine skiing was down 10.9 percent to 3.2 million but freestyling and snowboarding saw gains. In water sports, kayaking, stand-up paddling, and boardsailing/windsurfing saw participation gains while declines were seen in canoeing, rafting, snorkeling, surfing, waterskiing, wakeboarding and scuba diving.

Skateboarding, darts, martial arts, horseback riding, table tennis and tennis all saw declines.

Other findings in the report:

• The states with the highest percentage of 'active' • • •

•

residents are Utah, Idaho, New Hampshire, Colorado, and Minnesota.

Nearly 62 percent of those living in Utah are classified as being a participant in one or more high calorie-burning activities.

The five states with the lowest levels of physical activity are Tennessee, New Mexico, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Mississippi.

The more often children aged 6 to 12 have physical education at school, the more likely they are to be active during their adult years. For example, an adult who participated in physical education at school is four times more likely to participate in a racquet sport and about three times more likely to participate in a team sport, outdoor activity, winter sport, and/or golf.

In a survey of non-sports participants where they were asked which sports they would be most interested in participating, swimming, working out with weights, and bicycling were the most frequently mentioned activities.

16 SGBWeekly.com | APRIL 23, 2012

• In this year's study, for the first time, SGMA asked about people's plans to vote in this year's presidential election. The results indicate there is a direct correlation between peoples' intentions to vote and their activity level, suggesting that those who are physically 'active' are also more interested in politics and the direction of the country. ■

CORE PARTICIPATION RATE BY SPORT US State by Physical Activity Core participation, measuring those who participate on a regular or frequent basis, changed moderately from 2010 to 2011. The rate of core participation in individual, team, winter and water sports fell by one percentage point. Unlike overall participation, core participation in racquet sports gained a percentage point. Outdoor participation remained at 22 percent and fitness sports continued to be the most popular sport at 44 percent.

Note: !is measure of winter sports does not include motorized winter sports.

PARTICIPATION BY AGE US State by Physical Activity The Millenial and Gen Y generations dominate all sports, but their participation is especially pronounced in team sports. More than 30 million Millenials and Gen Yers participate in team sports, while only 10.6 million Gen Xers and 5.4 million Boomers participate. Gen X comes in second in all sports, except outdoor sports, here Boomers outnumber them by almost three million, and fitness sports, where Boomers outnumber them by almost five million.

Note: For the full story behind the numbers contact, SGMA at sgma.com

TO READ THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION, PLEASE CLICK ON JOB TITLE

Superfeet Worldwide

Lids Sports Group

In-House Sales Rep (Oregon)

Team Sports Sales Rep

This role will proactively manage the buy-sell cycle (prospect, plan, sell and service) with retail accounts in the assigned territory with an emphasis on increasing sales and service. This will include sales and business development in the following market segments – sports dealers including run specialty, outdoor, hockey, soccer, ski, etc.; non-sport dealers including department stores, comfort shoe, etc.; industrial accounts…

LIDS Team Sports is looking for strong established candidates to join our sales team in each of the following states: Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. We are the leading Nike Team Sport dealer in the industry and are looking for sales professionals with the following traits • High Energy • Self-Starter / Goal Oriented • Strong interpersonal and Communication skills • Competitive Edge…

Smartwool

Columbia Sportswear

Big Rock Sports

Director of Marketing / North America

Sourcing Analyst

Director of Sales, National Accounts

The Director of North America Marketing leads the business planning and deployment of the NA Marketing Team’s initiatives. This position is responsible for creating marketing plans that are in alignment with the company’s sales channels and global brand strategies and business objectives. The successful contribution of the NA Marketing Team will be measured by retail and event ROI, regional sales growth, brand communication…

Directly responsible for the sourcing and costing of a segment of the Columbia Sportswear product line. This would include managing the product process interface between sourcing/costing and other Columbia work functions; monitoring factory performance matrix related to source decisions; and acting as the liaison between the home office and liaison offices. Implement the seasonal source strategy…

Big Rock Sports, the leading distributor of hunting and fishing equipment, has an immediate opening for a Director of Sales, National Accounts. This position is responsible for developing, growing, and retaining strategic, long term partnerships with new and existing accounts. Primary responsibilities include providing a lead role in all aspects of account management; coordinating account and business…

Life Is Good

Mountain Hardwear

General Manager / Wholesale

Montrail National Sales Manager

SKLZ

The general manager of wholesale is responsible for leading all aspects of the wholesale business and will employ all available resources to achieve both top and bottom-line results of the business. All departments servicing the wholesale business directly support the GM. You will be a good candidate for this job if you have demonstrated great success in previous GM roles with P&L responsibility/ownership for fast paced, growing companies in excess of $150M in sales…

Lead all aspects of the U.S. footwear sales team across multiple channels. Create and drive footwear sales plans with Regional Sales Managers and Sales Reps focused on exceeding seasonal sales targets. Develop and communicate specific seasonal sales targets by territory, by channel and by rep to achieve top line sales growth for the U.S. footwear sales business. Open new distribution and expand the Montrail footwear assortments at retail.

Communicate the sales strategies and…

Power Force Apparel Corporate Sales Manager / New Athletic Footwear New start-up manufacturer of athletic footwear and apparel has an immediate need for an experienced Sales Manager. This individual will be responsible for managing the footwear and apparel sales team and guiding, analyzing, and building the sales of our new branded footwear and apparel. Primary responsibilities include working with…

Web Designer Reporting to the Senior Director of Marketing Communications, the Web Designer is responsible for supporting the Marketing team in all facets of SKLZ visual design, user experience, creative production and online marketing assets across the SKLZ network of sites. While playing a critical role in the strategy and execution of online creative marketing initiatives, the Web Designer will also work with the closely with the the broader marketing organization to help develop new product…

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT 704.987.3450 OR SPORTSJOBS@SPORTSONESOURCE.COM

There are plenty of reasons top outdoor gear and apparel brands choose CORDURA® fabric.

High tenacity fiber technology. Incredible tear and tensile strength. Exceptional abrasion resistance.

Sure there are cheaper alternatives. But in a world this tough, cheap just doesn’t cut it.

See what makes our fabrics so durable at CORDURA.com © 2012 INVISTA. CORDURA® is a registered trademark of INVISTA for durable fabrics. Property of INVISTA.

CPROJ-00254

THE RISE OF OUTDOOR “The energy at this show was tremendous and it rebooted everything for me as I head back to my store.

Talking with the manufacturers I work with, their business results are up. Our sales are up. People are excited.”

– Shelley O’Neill, Tooth of Time Traders SNEWS Retailer of the Year

SHOW • AUGUST 2-5, 2012

Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT

DEMO • AUGUST 1, 2012 Jordanelle State Park, Heber City, UT

Sp To exhibit or attend, go to outdoorretailer.com/SGB ––– SUMMER MARKET –––