The Sport of the Future Arrives
A new generation of young boys and girls is flocking to lacrosse as the
sport takes over from soccer as the team industry’s growth sport. More
and more team dealers are looking to get in on the fun.
Steve Kreger readily admits that he has a lot to LEARN
about lacrosse. The owner of Pierce’s Sport Shop in Wooster,
OH, he does big business in traditional sports like baseball and
football. He adds that girls’ softball is on the rise, too. Lacrosse,
by contrast, barely registers on his radar screen.
“It isn’t a big part of the picture,” says Kreger. “Not a lot of
schools in the area have the funding or the players to field a
team.”
Well, not yet anyway.
If the Buckeye State is anything the rest of the country, that will
soon change. Just ask Ryan Pavlicek and Mike DeSimone.
Pavlicek is the operations manager for Stickhead Lacrosse, in
Memphis, TN. He is also a lacrosse coach at the University of
Memphis. DeSimone is the VP and buyer for Lacrosse Unlimited
in the lacrosse hotbed of Hauppauge, NY. Both men know the
lacrosse market inside-out.
“Lacrosse is bigger than ever in Tennessee,” says Pavlicek, where
football has always ruled the team roost. “It perfectly blends the
interesting parts of other sports like hockey, football and
basketball. Both genders are growing proportionally. The sport
gets tremendous grassroots support from kids and their
parents.”
With six locations, Stickhead is proof of lacrosse’s emergence
across the entire Southeast. In addition to Memphis, the
company has stores in Nashville, St. Louis, Louisville, Lexington
and Boca Raton.
Lacrosse Unlimited is thriving, too. Since opening its doors in
October, 1990, the company has expanded to 15 stores, seven
on Long Island, four in Connecticut, plus one each in scatted
around New York in Westchester, Rochester, Syracuse and
Hauppauge. “The Northeast is very established,” says DeSimone.
“Now, lacrosse needs more awareness to spread west and south
— although the recent growth of the sport nationwide has been
significant.”
The statistics certainly support this assertion and dealers need
to take note of the numbers. According to the Participation
Survey 2006 complied by U.S. Lacrosse, the sport is one of
America’s fastest growing activities. Since 2001, the number of
lacrosse players has risen by close to 70 percent. Participation at
all levels in 2006 jumped to 426,022 players nationwide, up 12
percent from 2005. That translates into a lot of new sticks, pads,
helmets and uniforms sold to play a sport where players didn’t
exist in any significant numbers in many places until a few years
ago.
Even better for the team business, more than half of those
players are 15-years-old and younger, which suggests the
sport’s growth is still in its early stages.
That’s not to say that lacrosse is struggling at higher levels.
According to the National Federation of State High School
Associations, only bowling has grown faster than men’s lacrosse
during the past decade. Women’s lacrosse, meanwhile, also
ranks second (to water polo) in terms of growth during the same
period.
The numbers at the collegiate level are equally impressive. More
than 200 schools now field men’s lacrosse teams. In the
women’s game, the total has surpassed 270. Division III
programs lead the way with both sexes, more than doubling the
number of programs at Division I and Division II combined.
The Numbers Come Alive
The empirical evidence is just as strong when examining
lacrosse. For example, Pavlicek reports that the number of high
school varsity programs for girls in Tennessee doubled in the
past school year. He adds that the state will have 10 college
programs (either men’s or women’s) in 2008.
The emergence of lacrosse in Tennessee underscores the fact
that sport is rapidly entering the mainstream. As Neil Goldman,
brand manager of men’s lacrosse for Brine, points out, the sport
is no longer the exclusive domain of prep schools in the MidAtlantic and Northeast regions.
“The growth of lacrosse over the last five years has been
astronomical,” he says. “And it’s happened in areas you might
never have imagined — states like Colorado, California, Texas
and Florida. Lacrosse is now competing in places known
historically as football country. A lot of it is the allure of a fun
contact sport that’s easy to pick up.”
Todd Levine, VP-marketing and sales for Alleson Athletic, which
carries a Warrior apparel license, has observed much the same.
“The national growth of lacrosse is really interesting,” he says.
“You didn’t see it five years ago.”
Michael Setteducate, GM for Vital Apparel, also a Warrior apparel
licensee after signing a deal to produce lifestyle apparel earlier
this year, believes lacrosse can continue to flourish, as long as
the sport is managed properly. “There is a lot of growth in the
Southeast, as well as places like California and Colorado,” he
says. “One of the challenges for continued growth is to build
more of an infrastructure in some parts of the country to
develop coaches to teach young players the game.”
Michael Ferri, VP-sales and marketing for Badger Sportswear,
agrees that lacrosse is on the rise, though he feels that
sustained success is not guaranteed. “It's exciting to see this
sport take off,” he says, “but because of the expense of the
equipment, I don't see it growing as quickly or as big as a sport
like soccer.”
Charlie Nemphos, president of Yale Sportswear, also tempers his
optimism with a bit of caution. “Lacrosse is generating an initial
wave of excitement that will settle to a more reasonable level,”
he says. “The level of participation is going to be determined by
the school system certification process and whether lacrosse can
become a successful professional sport.”
From The Top Down
On Nemphos’s second point, it would appear that professional
lacrosse might have real staying power. Major League Lacrosse
is in its seventh season, with teams in Los Angeles, Chicago,
Philadelphia and Boston. Cities under consideration for
expansion include Dallas, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake and San
Diego. No site is a better home for MLL than Denver, where the
Outlaws drew an average crowd of nearly 12,000 in 2006.
The National Lacrosse League (which plays indoors) has also
established itself as a viable entity. In existence since 1987, NLL
fielded 13 clubs for its 2006-07 season, including the debut of
the New York Titans. The league has three Canadian clubs — the
Calgary Roughnecks, Edmonton Rush and Toronto Rock. The
NLL shares 10 home cities with the NHL, demonstrating the
crossover appeal between hockey and lacrosse.
Given that lacrosse has made room for two professional leagues,
there are many in the sporting goods industry that believe the
sport is uniquely positioned for a major boom, much like soccer
a generation ago. “The growth trends will be similar,” says Bob
Coburn, president of equipment supplier Cascade. “Lacrosse
hasn’t hit the J curve yet.”
Steve Dodge, VP-sales and brand manager for Fit 2 Win, feels
the potential for lacrosse may be even greater than soccer.
“Many athletes leave soccer after the youth leagues to pursue
more traditional sports,” he says. “The reverse is true in lacrosse
as the number of participants continues to show growth from
grade school up through high school.”
As proof, he points to schools in many areas are having trouble
fielding spring baseball teams. The reason is simple, according
to Dodge, and perhaps hits the nail on the head concerning the
appeal of the sport. “Would you rather play a fast-paced sport
with a stick in your hand, or freeze to death in right field?” he
asks, rhetorically. “The coolness factor of the sport has now
spread nationwide and we see that trend continuing.”
Dodge gets no argument from Tim Gardner, VP-sales for Brute,
which recently signed a licensing agreement to produce and sell
the hot new Adidas lacrosse line. “Lacrosse is as popular with
women as it is with men,” he says. “That gives it mass appeal
and a large potential market size. There has been an explosion
of youth players over the past few years feeding the sport at the
grassroots level. It also doesn’t hurt that the game is fast and
plays well on television.”
Defining The Lacrosse Player
Nell Hurley, director of communications for Shock Doctor, which
is making its own move into supplying lacrosse gear, views
lacrosse as a “tweener” sport, one that effectively straddles the
line between traditional and non-traditional sports.
“It is both a team sport and an action sport,” she says. “It
attracts players who are not always drawn to traditional stick
and ball sports — the kids who skate or surf probably won't play
baseball or football, but they may very well be drawn to lacrosse.
At the same time, since it is a team sport, it also draws the kind
of kids who play traditional sports like baseball or football.”
Indeed, many manufacturers and dealers are finding that the
lacrosse consumer doesn’t always fit into the usual athlete mold.
“We see the lax player as an edgy consumer, similar to the
skateboard consumer but in a team environment,” says Dodge.
“In most cases, they are alphas or early adopters in what they
demand. For that reason, they shy away from ‘sameness’ and are
looking for a point of difference in fit, comfort, and cosmetics.”
Goldman offers a similar perspective. “A lot of kids are treating
lacrosse like skateboarding or snowboarding,” he says. “Sure,
it’s a team sport, but you can express yourself individually in
that environment.”
This, adds Brine’s Goldman, is having an impact on product
development. “Lacrosse is going through a style makeover,” he
says. “Players are becoming very savvy in terms of what they’re
looking for. We’re seeing cosmetic enhancements in terms of
colors, graphics and fabrics.”
This, however, isn’t the only trend impacting product. “Lighter
and stronger is the typical slogan,” says DeSimone. “The
equipment has really improved in the last five years. Lighter
materials that still provide plenty of protection are being used
more often.”
This is the emphasis at Shock Doctor. “Athletes and consumers
demand products that both perform well and look cool, with a
premium on cutting-edge technology,” says Hurley. “Shock
Doctor uses new technology to create lightweight, breathable,
durable, comfortable, versatile protective equipment that is
often the first of its kind.”
Cascade also tries combine performance and aesthetics. As a
helmet vendor, however, safety is always a priority. “Our primary
focus is protecting against concussions,” says Coburn. “Fit and
weight are always the keys. Male players want a helmet that sits
securely on their heads, feels balanced and is lightweight.”
Women, of course, wear eyemasks instead of helmets in
lacrosse, so you might think their needs are different. As Coburn
points out, they want pretty much the same features as boys.
“Comfort, weight and protection are the biggest factors,” he
says.
The Apparel Push
It’s on the apparel side where lacrosse is taking its most
aggressive strides. “Twenty years ago, lacrosse shorts and tops
were very basic with a minimum of embellishment — basically, a
name and number on the top and bottom,” points out Nemphos.
“Teams are looking for signature identification with color
blocking, braid, performance fabric and, in some cases,
sublimated printing.”
Sublimation is definitely a buzzword as far as Gardner is
concerned. “That – and technical features – are where it’s at in
lacrosse,” he says. “Players want uniforms that keep them cool
and dry, but still look great. We have been able to combine the
Adidas Climalite technology with sublimation for uniforms that
perform and maintain the classic Adidas look.”
For Warrior, performance and style are weighed equally. “With
the lacrosse season being played in the spring, you have
markets where the weather in the early part of the season is cold
and the latter part of the season is hot,” says Setteducate.
“Players will look for apparel that meets their needs and helps
them perform from a technical standpoint.”
“We also feel that there is a lot of individual expression in the
sport,” he adds. “Many of the kids playing lacrosse are not being
taught the sport from their parents. This separates lacrosse from
the traditional sports in this country. We want to encourage this
spirit of expression. These players wear a lot of non-athletic
brands off the field, and we want to become a brand they will
choose to be associated with both on and off the field.”
The individualism of lacrosse players is also something that
drives Fit 2 Win. According to Dodge, the company has identified
three key influences that are shaping lacrosse apparel for both
men and women.
“The first is preppy/old school, which stems from the traditional
roots of the game from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic areas,”
he says. “But the surf influence is also a trend happening right
now. The male athlete is looking for the longer ‘board short’
look and the cosmetics that go with it, like Hawaiian prints and
multiple colors. The other trend we see is coming from the West
Coast. It’s the urban ‘tattoo’ look that takes off from the skate
side. While not widespread yet, this is gaining momentum.”
At Badger, performance features have taken the lead, though the
company also keeps price in mind. “Just like in all other sports,
it started with basic mesh and dazzles,” says Ferri. “Now it is
moving into more technical moisture management materials.
The mesh/dazzles become the staple price point and the
moisture management the upper end. From Badger we will hit
the different price points.”
According to Pavlicek and DeSimone, price is an important factor
when it comes to lacrosse. This seems to be particularly true for
younger players.
“Team business can go either way,” says DeSimone. “The youth
business is 90 percent price and the college business is 90
percent brand. Brand is much more important at the higher
levels.”
“A lot of consumers shop on price only,” adds Pavlicek. “For
them, there’s nothing you can do to get their business except
lower your prices. We try to differentiate ourselves with
customer service.”
Customer service, in fact, is why many lacrosse specialty dealers
are doing well. They get involved in the community, hire staff
that played lacrosse and now coach the sport, offer free clinics,
sponsor local teams and programs, and reach out actively to
consumers through the Internet.
Pavlicek adds that they also know where to find business. “The
youth market is the best,” he says. “When kids are just starting
out, they come into your store with their parents looking for
knowledge. And once kids begin playing, they are in the sport
for good — lacrosse has an amazing retention rate.”
So is this enough to convince Kreger to take lacrosse more
seriously? Not yet. He’s still on the fence. Pierce’s carries some
lacrosse equipment, mostly entry level helmets and sticks. The
store also does some uniforms, mostly practice apparel. Kreger
is satisfied to keep his business there — for now.
“I think lacrosse is on the rise,” he says. “It has gotten a lot of
publicity. But I’m not sure it’s going to take hold where we are,
in a rural area between Cleveland and Columbus. Lacrosse might
do better in more urban areas, though I have seen a lot of
football players who like the sport for conditioning, and it is
taking away some players from baseball.”
For dealers like Stickhead and Lacrosse Unlimited, that’s music
to their ears.
REEBOK GETS IN THE GAME
With Adidas already making a big splash in lacrosse for the 2007
season with everything from toe to head (except for helmets),
most observers figured it was only a matter of time until other
footwear brands saw the light as well and jumped into the
emerging sport with both feet. Turns out it didn’t take long.
If there’s any doubt about lacrosse’s long-term potential,
consider the investment Reebok is making in the sport. The
company has created a completely integrated line of products –
handles, gloves, protective gear, bags, balls, apparel and
footwear – to be released for the 2008 season. According to
director of marketing Chris Waldeck, Reebok feels the timing is
perfect to enter the lacrosse market.
“We believe there is a great opportunity,” he says. “Lacrosse had
been more a regional sport up until the last couple of years. It
has become one of the fastest growing sports, especially as
more youth and rec leagues form.”
Reebok’s lacrosse line is highlighted by its 9K collection for elite
players. The company may also find a winner in its selection of
handles that provide interesting options in both weight and grip.
Reebok is basing part of its lacrosse launch on its success in the
ice hockey market. “We see a lot of crossover between the sports
and think our brand resonates with consumers,” says Waldeck.
“A lot of the technology we developed for hockey transfers to
lacrosse. In both sports, players are looking for lightweight,
innovative equipment and apparel that doesn’t compromise
performance.”
Among the technologies that Reebok has translated into its
lacrosse offerings are FIT (Foam Intensive Technology), which
uses memory foam and like materials to allow equipment to
move in concert with the body, and Play Dry, which combines
multiple layers for advanced moisture and temperature
management. Other technologies include ASD (Anatomic System
Design) and Griptonite.
“Our lacrosse line is feature rich,” says Waldeck. “We’ve tested it
with the National Lacrosse League, so it has pro validation.”
Indeed, nearly two years ago NLL signed an exclusive
partnership deal with Reebok, designating the brand as the
league’s official outfitter of equipment, apparel and footwear.
“The deal also makes Reebok the exclusive licensee of NLL
authentic and replica jerseys, caps, shirts and additional
clothing,” adds Waldeck.
This type of key asset marketing, in fact, is an important part of
Reebok’s lacrosse rollout. The company will leverage Reebok
athletes and its partnership with NLL in a multi-faceted print
campaign that includes ads in publications such as Lacrosse and
the Eastbay catalog, plus team programs and yearbooks.
“We’re very excited,” says Waldeck. “We believe lacrosse will
continue to grow. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and we’re
ready for it.”