By Thomas J. Ryan
Dick’s Sporting Goods is flexing its muscle at the right time.
While there’s plenty of uncertainties in the active-lifestyle retail marketplace, the national retailer is quickly taking advantage of the lapse to expand its presence. That includes scooping up some of Sports Authority former leases and the bankrupt retailer’s consumer database, all the while reporting impressive second-quarter results. And this week, Dick’s announced it will broaden the reach of its club management services, acquiring Affinity Sports, a sports management technology company based in San Diego with a focus on soccer.
Affinity Sports will provide key services to various youth sports National Governing Bodies and large-scale organizations – including registration and scheduling– under the Dick’s Team Sports HQ platform.
For years, Dick’s Sporting Goods has been supporting clubs and leagues in the community with donations and sponsorships, customized uniforms and fan apparel. But it only recently jumped into club management services with the launch in January of Dick’s Team Sports HQ. Dick’s Team Sports HQ provides a single platform that offers youth sports leagues across the country three key services – online registration and team/league websites, custom uniforms and fan apparel and access to donations and sponsorships.
Launched in 2002, Affinity Sports claims to be the largest integrated software service provider to state youth and adult soccer associations in the U.S. Affinity Sports helps more than 1.2 million players, including 14 U.S. Youth Soccer State Associations, 250,000 administrators and 4,500 leagues and clubs. It also provides management services in basketball, baseball, football, hockey, volleyball, tennis and field hockey.
Affinity Sports said it has invested over $10 million to support its sports association membership engagement and management offerings.
Specifically, Affinity’s specialized sports management software is expected to both facilitate and simplify the registration, scheduling and communication processes between national or regional governing bodies and their associated leagues, working to close communication gaps and enabling better player and coach visibility between these groups.
League administrators will also be able to use the online tools through Dick’s Team Sports HQ to design gear specific to their league, allowing coaches and parents to order uniforms and fan apparel from their league website.
To continue its effort of supporting organizations, Dick’s Sporting Goods will also make donations and sponsorships available to these groups through Dick’s Team Sports HQ.
“We’re excited to continue to grow our footprint in the important space of youth sports technology,” said Edward W. Stack, chairman and CEO, Dick’s Sporting Goods. “At Dick’s, we believe that sports matter and providing access to sports is a key priority for us. The acquisition of Affinity Sports will help us to deliver an unparalleled service to some of the largest youth sports organizations in the country.”
Photo courtesy Dick’s Sporting Goods
