SEPTEMBER 2010 Big Games, Big $$$ Sporting Goods Now a Multi-Billion Business
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THE NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF JOURNAL PUBLISHINGANDTHE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION SEPTEMBER 2010 Big games, Big $$$ Sporting goods now a multi-billion business PAGE 2 Document: E001CDF091010.eps;Page: 1;Format:(254.00 x 295.27 mm);Plate: Composite;Date: Sep 07, 2010 16:27:24;JPC 72 DPI PAGE 2 BUSINESS JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2010 Make no mistake, sports is a business e Americans love our clothing and prise, but in the equipment category, But sports is as much fun and sports. Football, basket- equipment. They hunting and firearms showed the recreation as it is a business. ball, baseball, tennis, golf, reached $50.7 bil- biggest increase in sales, rising 14 Just look at the eye-popping W lion, according to percent to $5.2 billion from $4.5 bil- salaries many professional athletes you name it – even hock- ey. the NSGA. lion in 2008. get. Or the huge contracts that some We like to participate in sports one That was about In fact, in Mississippi, the most head coaches get. way or another. We encourage our 3 percent lower popular sports, ranked in descending Is it right that a college football children to find something. We like to than 2008, which order, are hunting with firearms, coach gets paid more than a school’s cheer – and boo – at games, matches itself was 1 per- hunting with bow and arrow, target president? Probably not, but it makes and tournaments. Even throw things cent lower than shooting, boating and fishing. Shock- sense. the year before. and cuss at our big-screen TVs when ing, isn’t it? Winning football coaches bring But then, all the officials blow an obvious call. Dennis I know quite a few hunters, includ- fannies to the stadiums. They attract these numbers ing my father-in-law, who can’t or season-ticket holders and big-time And we often want to play along, came during the SEID either in a pick-up game or on some don’t put a price on the enjoyment donors. Winning garners attention, Great Recession, they have of being in the woods or which garners money, plain and sim- league team. and everybody fields during hunting season. And few ple. According to a July 2009 report by was cutting back – unless you were can blame them. Fans often complain about the out- the National Sporting Goods Associa- the federal government, but that’s a tion, nearly 79 percent of Americans column or three for another day. Likewise, I know many parents who rageous salaries paid to athletes, yet ages 7 and older – about 212 million – At least for this year, sporting goods get a kick out of taking their kids to we still watch and follow them. participated more than once in near- sales are expected to reach $51.5 bil- baseball, softball and soccer tourna- It’s when they don’t win that fans ly two dozen sports and recreational lion. However, that NSGA forecast ments across the state and region. become even more vocal. Get rid of activities in the previous three years. was made in May, when the economy The cost of equipment, uniforms, the coach, or our dollars go else- Among the remaining 21 percent or looked to be back on track. Now the gas, hotels, food and other odds and where. 57 million people who didn’t play picture isn’t quite so clear. ends adds up to a small fortune. Money drives sports, and sports along, about 60 percent were female Nearly half of the overall sales last We do it for our children as much drives money. and 40 percent were male. year – nearly $24.4 billion – went to as we do it for ourselves sometimes. Which means sports is big business, So about 80 percent of Americans athletic and sports equipment. About Yes, living vicariously through our for better or worse. participate in some form or fashion. $17.7 billion went to footwear, while kids. It shows in U.S retail sales last year of clothing reeled in about $9.3 billion. Not that any of this is a bad thing. Contact Dennis Seid at (662) 678-1578 or sporting goods including footwear, This probably comes as no big sur- It’s the American way. [email protected]. Recover EveryDollar in This Down Market If yoursmall business has been feeling the financial burden of adeclining economy,you know just how important it is too collect every possible dollar in your bad debt AR. Anationally recognized company is now offering aproven, minimal-risk solution to your debt collection needs. COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ☎ (662) 842-8283 (662) 842-4117 www.trirealestate.net ©Journal Publishing ‘10 Document: E002CDF091010.eps;Page: 1;Format:(254.00 x 295.27 mm);Plate: Composite;Date: Sep 08, 2010 11:37:25;JPC 72 DPI SEPTEMBER 2010 BUSINESS JOURNAL PAGE 3 Cities cash in on competitive athletes ■ Tupelo, Corinth and Oxford The city’s “bread-and-but- ter” events, Wyatt said, are have difference emphases youth softball, youth baseball, on sports development. youth soccer and youth gym- nastics. The city is attractive By Carlie Kollath for these sports, he said, be- BUSINESS JOURNAL cause Tupelo is known as a College football isn’t the safe, family-friendly destina- only sport that brings in tion and it has a good number money in Northeast Mississip- of hotel rooms and eateries. pi. The top two most desired Across the region, commu- events are regional tourna- nities are making money from ments and championships events such as youth baseball and state championships. and softball tournaments, re- The bigger events that draw gional gymnastics meets and people from afar are good fi- running events. nancially for Tupelo because In Tupelo alone, the city the farther participants travel, recorded an economic impact the more likely it is they will of $10.1 million from sporting spend the night. events in fiscal year 2009. Al- Plus, if it is a state, regional or national championship most 30,000 participants were event, the athletes usually involved in 23 functions FILE/THOMASWELLS have a larger entourage of tracked by the Tupelo Conven- Coach Igor Kolpakchi works with Natalie Manga,16,of NewYork on the uneven bars as they and other gymnast go through their open workouts at the Bancorp- friends and family, he said. tion and Visitors Bureau. SouthArena for the 2009 Level 9 Junior Olympic Eastern Championships. And more people means more Youth sports are the big money for the host city be- moneymakers for Tupelo, said Olympics, which were held in developing its niche in the tor of sports development. Atlanta. state as a destination for “The leaders in the past cause they will eat, sleep, shop Tupelo Convention and Visi- and explore the area. tors Bureau Sports Develop- The economic boon from sporting events. The CVB was have really staked their claim ment Director Matt Wyatt, be- that experience, McCoy said, the first in the state to create a to being a youth sports desti- cause the participants started Tupelo on a path to position on its staff for direc- nation,” Wyatt said. Turn to COMPETITION on Page 22 usually travel with family members. “Parents and grandpar- ents and everyone else is emotionally invested,” Wyatt said. “I’ve heard others say it that sports in general is about as reces- sion-proof as you’ll find.” But he’s noticed an eco- nomic impact on his in- dustry in the eight months he’s had the job. “Pretty much like every other facet out there, there’s been some de- clines,” he said. In Corinth, SportsPlex Director Grant Roberts also said he’s feeling the pinch, but he’s still moving forward with events. “We struggle like every other business right now,” Roberts said. Tupelo’s take Tupelo got its start in cultivating sports develop- ment in the early-1990s. According to CVB Execu- tive Director Neal McCoy, who previously was the sports development direc- tor, city officials convinced the Croatian team to train in Tupelo for the 1996 Document: E003CDF091010.eps;Page: 1;Format:(254.00 x 295.27 mm);Plate: Composite;Date: Sep 07, 2010 16:25:14;JPC 72 DPI PAGE 4 BUSINESS JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2010 Cheerleading: ‘Not everybody can do this’ ■ An industry has popped Stunts include using other cheerleaders to build some- up to help potential thing, such as a pyramid. candidates prepare “It’s a lot more technical and there’s stuff that comes with it for tryouts and competitions. that a lot of people don’t un- derstand,” said Kari Hooker, By Carlie Kollath owner of Kari’s Studio and BUSINESS JOURNAL North Mississippi Cheer in TUPELO– Cheer gyms con- Saltillo. “I can’t draw. Not tinue to pop up in Northeast everybody can do this. These Mississippi, which one owner are a lot of talented kids that says is evidence that more work really hard.” people are taking the sport se- Classes at cheer gyms are riously. typically once each week and Cheer gyms, such as Tupelo average about $40 each Cheer Academy, Extreme Cheer month for general cheer in- and North Mississippi Cheer, struction. All-star classes and are focused on training young private lessons are available men and women about the and cost more money. techniques of cheerleading. In- Along with the lessons, stu- DESTE LEE structors, usually former high dents also need buy uniforms. Tupelo CheerAcademy opened 12 years ago as a cheer gym.Owner Marian Moore said she teaches students the techniques of cheerleading,which include motions, school and college cheerlead- According to Hooker, it costs tumbling,stunts and jumps.