Thursday, March 31, 2011

Schutt Sports Shares Company Standings

Litchfield, Ill. – Thursday, March 31, 2011 – Schutt Sports Marketing Communications Manager Glenn Beckmann spoke last week to 50 members of the Directors of Athletics Association of New Jersey (DAANJ) about the state of the company and its plans for the future.

The presentation focused primarily on Schutt’s signature technology and the 2012-2013 product pipeline; the company’s confidence in its new ownership group, Platinum Equity; and recent developments regarding Schutt Reconditioning – including the renewal of a multi-year lease in Easton, which saved almost 200 jobs and ultimately is creating new ones.

 “We wanted to share all that Schutt Reconditioning has done in the past 24 months, especially because everyone at DAANJ is so close to the story," Beckmann said. "Not only has Schutt Recon weathered the storm of the past three years – it’s now a leader in the industry, doing things better than anyone else and growing the business in some key areas.”

Beckmann also showed Schutt's varsity helmet lineup, as well as its TPU Cushioning, which eliminates the traditional foam padding and replaces it with a series of cushions that absorb and reduce the force of impact from a collision.

The technology is one of the ways Schutt is fighting to protect athletes from concussions and injuries. However, Beckmann emphasized there is no way to produce a helmet that is concussion-free.

“The technology in helmets can only go so far,” Beckmann said. “They were originally designed to prevent skull fractures, and to overcome the concussion crisis will take a concerted effort from everyone. We need to make better equipment; players need to be taught better technique and training; coaches need to recognize the dangers of MTBIs and concussions and how to deal with them correctly; and most importantly, current rules need to be better enforced."

One such rule discussed during the presentation was the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioning Association’s (NAERA) new mandate on the 10-year-and-out policy for helmets. This rule requires helmet and equipment refurbishers, like Schutt Reconditioning, to throw out any football helmets they receive that are 10 years old or older.

Beckmann confirmed that Schutt will comply with the rule changes and then fielded questions for 30 minutes on the company, its reconditioning division and the football industry as a whole.

Schutt Sports is the largest maker of football helmets and faceguards in America.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

McDavid Donates to Relief Efforts in Japan

McDavid USA, through their Japanese subsidiary, will be donating two million yen (approximately $25,000) to the relief efforts in Japan. McDavid Japan, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of McDavid USA, will designate the charity that will receive the donation.

"The magnitude of the damage caused by the tsunami is beyond comprehension. Our prayers and condolences go out to those whose lives have been affected by this tragedy," said Bob McDavid, president of McDavid. "We as a company are committed to doing our part to support the relief efforts."

"We are thankful that the members of our staff and their immediate families are all safe," said Terry Fee, vice president of McDavid, "Since this tragedy, we have tried to convey to our staff in Tokyo that they are not alone in dealing with the current situation. All of our employees, whether in the U.S or in Europe, are deeply concerned for their well being."

Thursday, March 24, 2011

McDavid Unveiling Women’s Recovery Line

McDavid is unveiling a new recovery line during the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WCBA) National Convention, April 1-5 in Indianapolis, Ind.

The line will have a Fall 2011 launch and shipments will go out Jan. 1, 2012.

Released originally in Fall 2010 as a unisex item, the True Compression Recovery Suit is designed to be worn after heavy competition and grueling workouts; it utilizes gradient compression technology to increase blood circulation in targeted areas of the body, thereby promoting faster and more complete recovery of torn and damaged muscle tissue. This allows the athlete to train or perform just as hard the day after such hard workouts and competition, increasing their overall athletic performance.

The reveal of the women-specific recovery line is coming after a long effort in revamping the women’s styles, enhancing the gradient compression technology, and overall improving the line to benefit women athletes to perform better no matter what sport or physical activity they are participating in.

“There’s finally been a shift in the way female athletes are training for sports – for the better,” McDavid® Marketing Associate Lindsey Carland said. “Women train just as hard as men, in some cases maybe harder. Maximizing performance for all athletes was the goal for this new line for 2012. The McDavid® True Compression and Recovery line does just that.” 

McDavid®representatives intend to show attending coaches how the new (and more feminine) style and fit will benefit their players. The feedback will help the company perfect the products before the official release.

“We’ve historically carried women-specific garments,” Carland said, “but McDavid® is hoping to cultivate new, exciting products that will prevent injury and protect athletes – who happen to be female. We want to tailor the gear to the players’ wants, and more importantly, to their gender-specific needs.”

Current women-specific McDavid® products include compression shorts, HexPad® combo sliding shorts, padded sliding shorts, Fusion™ sports bras, HexPad® sports bras, and HexPad® V-Hex™ body shirts. Many of these items feature HexPad® technology, which consists of a lightweight, breathable, closed cell foam pads that move with and conform to the body, providing maximum protection.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Future NCAA Stars Protected, Supported by McDavid

March Madness is here and 24 of the best high school basketball seniors in America are gearing up for Chicago’s NeXt All-American Classic, Sunday, April 3. Equipped with Top 100 rankings and scholarships with major Division-1 universities, these players will take the court wearing McDavid – the same protective apparel technology that almost all NCAA and more than 90 percent of NBA teams choose.

Chicago-based and worldwide provider McDavid has been named the Official Sports Medicine and Protective Apparel partner of the NeXt All-American Classic.

“We want the best equipment for our athletes and that's McDavid,” Celeste Arnold, official spokesperson of NeXt All-American Classic said. “We are delighted that McDavid has teamed up with us to deliver a great show to fans."

McDavid, as a proud sponsor of the event, will outfit the players in HexPad protective shorts, shirts and shooter sleeves. HexPad is an exclusive and proprietary technology that bonds small hex-shaped athletic pads right onto the fabric, creating a lightweight, breathable and durable layer of protection that moves with and conforms to the athletes.

“Players who compete at full force are bound to hit the ground at full force from time to time,” Rey Corpuz, director of marketing for McDavid said. “And that’s exactly why basketball stars at every level use HexPad protection. It absorbs the impact of a hard hit and enables athletes to play harder, longer.”

“When athletes think of protecting themselves during competition, they think of McDavid,” Arnold said. “Our players look up to pro athletes like Dwyane Wade and Corey Maggette. They are excited to wear McDavid and we're looking forward to a great week of events, culminating with the game itself.”

According to Arnold, the true mission of NeXt is to give back to the community. The game is expected to raise money for local charities, schools and non-profit organizations. The players also plan to participate in various service projects. McDavid’s sponsorship extends to all events throughout the week.

“NeXt All-American Classic is really a phenomenal event ,” Corpuz said. “We’re not just talking about a game that will showcase future NCAA and NBA superstars; we’re talking about a program that is going to make a positive difference all over Chicago. As a locally-based company with a huge role in the basketball world, we are really honored to be the Official Sports Medicine and Protective Apparel sponsor NeXt.”

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Diamond Demo: Turning two

MLB Network's Harold Reynolds and Larry Bowa demonstrate how the shortstop and second baseman work the double play.