SGB Update Sports & Fitness

Ladder Secures Over $100M in New Funding to Scale Top Strength Training App

The company raised $15M in Series B funding led by Point72 Ventures and ADvantage VC, with participation from Steve Pagliuca’s PagsGroup and Series A lead investors Tapestry VC and LivWell Ventures. It also secured a $90M growth investment from General Catalyst’s Customer Value strategy.

PickleRage to Open New Clubs in Maryland and Florida

The company’s first Florida venue will open on November 25, in Jacksonville. The Glen Burnie, MD, location will open on December 9. PickleRage offers CushionX courts, the same surface professionals play on in the U.S. Open.

Nordstrom Sets Fall 2025 Plan for Rack Store in Lakeland, FL

The 30,000-square-foot store will be in Lakeside Village, a shopping center that includes Kohl’s, Books-A-Million, Belk, and entertainment options, including CMX Cinemas. Lakeside Village is owned and managed by Continental Realty Corporation.

Former NSGA Board Chairman Craig Koenig Passes Away

Koenig served on the NSGA Board of Directors from 1985 to 1992 and was Chairman from 1990 to 1991. As the Chairman and CEO of the Cleveland, OH-based family business Koenig Sporting Goods, Koenig oversaw the company’s growth from two stores in the late 1960s to an independent retail chain of 40 stores in the 1990s.

USTA Announces New Board of Directors for 2025/26 Term

The Board of Directors, including elected officers and Directors at Large, will serve a two-year term beginning on January 1, 2025. The newly elected USTA Chairman of the Board and President, Brian Vahaly, will assume the role of the outgoing Chairman, Dr. Brian Hainline, who served from 2023/24.

Swiftwick Hires Nike Vet as Sales Manager, Run Specialty

James Osborne, who has worked as a sales and community consultant for the company since earlier this summer, was hired full-time as sales manager for run specialty. He will remain a co-owner of The Exchange Running Collective with his wife who will manage day-to-day operations.

Hartford Sales Group Celebrates 40 Years as Indie Sales Agency

The company, founded in October 1984 by Larry Hartford, cut its teeth on new brands launching in the market. Hartford started his footwear and apparel sales career ten years prior, representing Tred2, Brooks, Court Casuals and many others in the active outdoor space.

Williams Athletic Club Apparel Brand Adds to Leadership Team

The luxury lifestyle golf brand, has named golf industry experts Marty Hackel, the former fashion director at Golf Digest, and Alyson Ramsey Johnson, CEO of golf marketing agency Gilly Group, to the brand’s leadership team and as investors of the apparel company.

Champion Europe Appoints New Creative Director

Maurizio Donadi’s will oversee the creative development of Champion’s product lines and seasonal collections. His arrival is reported to mark a shift in the brand’s direction under the new ownership of Authentic Brands Group, which acquired the brand in October.