End Zone

Boxercraft Donates Clothes to Kids’ Hospital
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta patients can cross fashion off their list of concerns thanks to Boxercraft’s recent donation of more than 600 apparel items. In the emergency room, kids’ clothes are often damaged or cut during treatment. Now, Children’s patients receive fashionable and comfortable Boxercraft apparel replacements in a variety of trendy patterns and colors. Boxercraft’s donation included fleece shorts, flannel pants, shirts, hoodies, blankets and bags.

Badger Sport Acquires Pro-Line Athletic
Badger Sport purchased Pro-Line Athletic, Fort Worth, TX, late last year and is in the process of integrating the headwear line into its established sports apparel collection. Pro-Line is the Official Cap of several high school baseball coaches associations and a supplier of on-the-field caps for colleges and universities. Pro-Line also builds custom uniforms for high schools and several D1 college baseball teams. Production of Pro-Line products remain in Fort Worth, TX.

Cramer Licenses Kevlar Tape Technology
Cramer Products has licensed the patented technology for Kevlar-reinforced athletic tape from a company called Unequal Technologies. The prototype of the new line – Unequal with Kevlar – is being tested by several NFL, NBA, MLB and Division I NCAA teams and is expected to hit retail this year.

“This is the first major advancement in the athletic tape category in a quarter century,” says Dr. Paul Marchetto, M.D., FACS, team orthopaedist for the Philadelphia Eagles and lead researcher on a Drexel University/Rothman Institute study. The research found the Unequal with Kevlar tape only lost 10 percent of its support and stability after an hour of intense activity, while traditional self-adhesive, cotton tape had lost 90 percent. “The biggest feedback on the Unequal tape I’ve gotten so far from players is the comfort and control even in latter portions of games,” says Marchetto.

Adidas Unveils Jabulani
Adidas recently unveiled Jabulani, the Official Match Ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. The Jabulani, which means “to celebrate” in isiZulu, features a South African-inspired design and radically new technology. The newly developed “Grip’n’Groove” profile provides a ball that allows “an exceptionally stable flight and perfect grip under all conditions.” Comprising only eight thermally bonded 3D panels, which for the first time are spherically molded, the ball is perfectly round and even more accurate than ever before. Eleven colors are used in the Jabulani, representing the 11 players in every team, the 11 official languages of South Africa and the 11 South African tribes that make the country one of the most ethnologically diverse countries on the African continent.

Shock Doctor Introduces ShockSkin
Shock Doctor has introduced its own base layer protective product called ShockSkin. The line includes padded impact shirts and shorts for contact sports, including football, basketball, lacrosse and hockey. Available for shipping in Spring 2010, ShockSkin is a patented, lightweight base layer protection system that contours with an athlete’s body. ShockSkin uses a system of integrated fabric and free-floating foam that moves naturally with the body and allows full range of motion. Individual pieces of protective foam are encapsulated within the ShockSkin fabric with high-frequency welded seams, providing contour ability over shoulders, ribs, thighs, hips and other complex zones. The welded seams are threadless, reducing weight and adding strength, durability and flexibility. This feature completely eliminates the irritation of stitched seams.

Outdoor Cap Is Changing to OC Sports
Outdoor Cap Company is changing the name of its Team Sports Division to OC Sports, effective by June 2010. The move is being made to better align the brand with the company’s initiatives for the team sports market. “While the decision to rename a division that has approximately 20 years of brand recognition with a very loyal customer base was a difficult one, we believe that OC Sports will better define our focus, direction and commitment to the team sports market,” explains national sales manager Joe Rubertino.

John Moshay
1936-2010
John Moshay, a Los Angeles apparel manufacturer, died January 1, 2010 after a long battle with cancer. Born in Alhambra in 1936 of Lebanese parents, Moshay founded Robin Hill in 1972, along with Dick Blumenthal and Leonard Feldman. In the early 1980s, Moshay became the licensee for the popular brand, Hobie, and developed a strong business in California active sportswear for juniors. In 1994, the company signed on as the sole licensee for Converse athletic apparel. He became partners with Mark Mertens in 1995, under the newly named A4. Moshay retired in 2008, but remained in his position as Chairman of the Board.

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