The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) announced Michael Gotfredson Sr., of Road Runner Sports, Wilson “Bill” Hunt of Champro and Bill Sorenson of American Sports Products Group as inductees to the organization’s Hall of Fame.

The three will join 175 retailers, team dealers, manufacturers and industry influencers who have been inducted since the organization established the award in 1955.

The honorees were selected by the organization’s Hall of Fame Committee at its annual meeting in September.

“We have another excellent group of inductees as the Class of 2022 has left a significant imprint on various areas of the industry,” said Ken Meehan, Hall of Fame Committee Chairman. “It is a tremendous thrill to welcome them to the Hall of Fame and to see them honored for their accomplishments.”

  • Gotfredson was inspired to revolutionize the running and fitness industry. He founded Road Runner Sports in September 1983, and today it is the largest running specialty retailer in the U.S.
  • Hunt started Champro in 1986 with the goal of producing team sports gear that equaled or exceeded the performance of established brands but at a lower cost to the consumer. The company grew from a limited line of baseball equipment and expanded over the years to offer a complete line of team sports equipment and uniforms that can outfit players from head to toe.
  • Sorenson, a successful gymnast, transformed the sport through the design and development of equipment. In 1954 he founded the American Trampoline Company which manufactured and sold trampolines, including those used in high schools, colleges and universities for gymnastics competitions and physical education. The company became American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) in 1957, produced a full line of gymnastics equipment and protective pads by 1961 and became the official equipment supplier to the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USGF) in 1963. He was the lead inventor on more than 10 patents for gymnastics equipment. AAI merged with Head Ski in 1968 and became AMF Corp. in 1971 where he was group executive. Sorenson has been instrumental in advancing trampoline safety and is a member of the U.S. Gymnastics and U.S. Trampoline and Tumbling Halls of Fame.

A Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony for the honorees will be held May 24, 2022 at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, AZ, the site of NSGA’s 2022 Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit.