The school board has recently approved a deal with Adidas, in collaboration with Winning Streak, that means most Parkway sports teams will be outfitted in Adidas uniforms for the next five years.
“I guess there’s perks, because they’re kicking back, getting money and giving lots of stuff to us because of the contract with them,” fitness teacher and girls soccer coach Megan Meyer said. “But, even then, people are saying, “I’d rather do what I want to do.’”
The deal, voted on by the Board of Education, will result in discounts of 40 percent off on uniforms and apparel, and 35 percent on footwear for all district athletic programs through the 2020 school year. Additionally, the four high schools will each benefit from a $12,000 free product rebate annually.
The start-up costs for this endeavor are to come from district student activities funds, and teams will be put on a rotation to receive new uniforms. Specific information about this rotation or which teams will get new uniforms each season or year has yet to be decided.
The deal was introduced for approval by a committee of high school athletic directors and Mike Roth, district athletic and activities director, who received bids from several companies.
Among these were BSN Sports, Johnny Macs Sporting Goods, Fisher’s Pro Line Sports, Winning Streak and The Graphic Edge. Winning Streak was rated 32 points higher on a 100-point rubric than all other companies who submitted bids based on numerous factors, including timeliness, level of service, and value.
John Theobald, athletic and activities director, said that the deal will have a cost-effective impact and will allow the district to purchase items at a considerably cheaper cost than before.
“I hope ultimately we will give families an opportunity to save money,” Theobald said. “In the past, every team was on their own; we did not have enough money to really support teams in that regard.”
While the deal does cover most school-sponsored athletics, for some, Adidas lacks product specific to the sports, such as swim, cheer and dance. However, in absence of suitable swimwear or dance outfits, Winning Streak will adequately outfit teams with hoodies, t-shirts, jackets and more, and leave those sports to decide their own brand for sportswear.
Other teams purchase their own personal uniforms rather than check them out each year to individual athletes.
“Certain sports, tennis for example, buy their own uniforms every year because they want to keep them every year,” Theobald said. “We will highly encourage everyone to purchase Adidas uniforms.”
These anamolies, for instance, are the reason why many are opposed to a brand-specific deal.
Phil Steele, a representative for Johnny Macs, a local sporting company who submitted an unsuccessful bid to the district, believes that the district locking itself into a brand-specific deal creates unnecessary challenges.
“When you lock every sport and every team into one supplier, it’s generally not a great situation,” Steele said. He adds that a “one uniform fits all” model doesn’t work for such a diverse collection of sports.
Coaches and athletes alike have voiced similar concerns. Senior Isabel Mosley, the captain of the girls tennis team, says that a mandatory transition to Adidas would interfere with their plans for next year.
“I don’t like it, because it limits the options for other teams,” Mosley said. “I can see why it’d be nice to have a uniform look, but it’d be helpful to have more options.”
Though there will be an effort to progress this winter with the purchase of new uniforms for some teams, the deal will not be fully in effect until spring, as orders for those uniforms will be placed during the winter months.
Winning Streak has partnerships throughout the country, including locally with Maryville University and Lindenwood University. According to Chris Braun, president of Winning Streak, the size of the district was part of the incentive to form a partnership.
“I think Parkway is an excellent school district,” Braun said. “They have an excellent track record with their athletic department, and it’s the type of situation that makes us feel really good to be partnered with them.”
To hear more about the Adidas partnership check out this video
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