Sports Product Review

I volunteered to handle my Little League’s all-star uniform order this year. That meant ordering belts, socks, jerseys and caps for six teams of thirteen players and three coaches, as well as coordinating sizes and jersey numbers. I’d had this job before and, not only was it a ton of work, I was never thrilled with the finished product. Since this was my last son’s final year in Little League, I wanted his 12 year-old all-star uniforms to be something special.

I stumbled upon the folks from Victory Athletic, (www.victory-la.com), and instantly felt a kinship. One look at their website and I knew that these guys made top-of-the-line stuff. Their custom-made pants and jerseys have the tailored look of the professionals and they use only the finest materials available. But it was when I began talking to them about our needs that I felt as comfortable as their uniforms looked.

We had a big order, and we needed it in a short time. My rep, Ray, couldn’t have been more of a pro. He was in constant contact and worked with me every step of the way, guiding me through the selection of sizes, materials, colors, fonts, and everything else needed to create a stunning uniform from scratch.

I felt like a little kid myself waiting in anticipation of the uni’s. And when they arrived – meeting our ambitious deadline – they didn’t disappoint. The soft, breathable jerseys and wool flex-fit caps were the best-looking gear our league’s all-stars had every sported. And the “Ohh’s” and “Sick!” comments I heard from all the kids when we pulled them out of the box made the work that went into the project worthwhile. 

If you’ve volunteered to do your basketball or baseball team’s uniforms, for Little League, travel, high school or any level, you owe it to yourself, and the kids, to give Victory Athletic a shot. They’ll manage all the details to ensure that while your team experiences the thrill of “Victory,” they’ll look great doing it.

Source: Victory Athletic

Every once in a while, instead of reviewing an actual product you can buy, we’ll write about something pertaining to the sports world in general. Since, for the next two weeks, everyone will have their eyes on the NCAA Tournament, we thought we’d re-run our editorial about the NIT. We have a suggestion that will make this “second class” tournament more fun, exciting and meaningful.

When it comes to the National Invitation Tournament, if you’re like most people, you’re saying, “who cares.” Forget that the tournament is rich in history, beginning in 1938. We’re only interested in seeing the “Big Dance” which crowns the “real” champion. But we have a suggestion to make the NIT more relevant, and, ultimately much more interesting and exciting. How? Each year, the team that wins the NIT should automatically qualify for next year’s NCAA tournament.

I can hear the nay-sayers now, who will argue that teams should have to earn the bid on this year’s merits, not last year’s, and that some of the kids who were on the NIT-winning team wouldn’t even be there to enjoy the automatic bid. They’ll fear we may let in a team that doesn’t belong to the hallowed field of 65. Well, through history, 13 teams that have been in the NIT Final Four have gone on to next year's NCAA Final Four. And about that hallowed field...excuse me but University of Maryland-Baltimore and Texas-Arlington are in this year's Big Dance. Compare those names to last year’s NIT Final Four: West Virginia, Air Force, Mississippi State, and Clemson. Ironically, last year’s winner, (and you had no idea, did you?), West Virginia, got in this year’s tourney anyway as a 7 seed, so this suggestion would have only added spice to last season’s tournament, but done nothing to detract from the present NCAA field. And if a team did happen to win the NIT one year then flop the next? I’d still have no problem with them coming in as a 16 seed if it means that NIT coverage might not be relegated to the back page of the sports section and the further back recesses of our minds. Imagine the gift the outgoing seniors who won the NIT would feel they’ve given to the university. Imagine the passion with which the underclassmen would play. Think of the celebration on the court after the championship, knowing a berth to next year’s big dance was locked. It’s only one bid. But it might add considerable luster to a venerable tournament that needs a boost.

Source: NIT

Does that four foot putt for birdie make your knees quake and palms sweat? We haven’t found anything for the shaky knees yet, but now there’s a solution for the sweaty palms. Tite Grip, (www.handssweatnomore.com) is an amazing solution that brings dryness where you need it most: Your grip.

Apply a small amount of Tite Grip to your hands, rub them together, and instantly moisture will be drawn away. After a brief period when they feel a little sticky, your hands will become dry and stay dry. Ever put gymnast chalk or talcum powder on your hands? Tite Grip gives your hands the same sensation, without the powdery mess.

Whether you play golf, baseball, tennis, or any other sport where dry hands mean a better grip and more success, or you just want to shake the boss’s hand without watching him wipe it on his trousers, keep a tube of Tite Grip handy and victory will never slip through your grasp.

Source: Tite Grip

In 2007, Little League Baseball made one of the most fundamental changes in history to their rules when they implemented the new pitch count regulations. Prior to last year, league rules stipulated that pitchers in Little League could pitch a maximum of six innings per week. Issues of concern for players’ safety arose when, within those six innings, kids would sometimes reach pitch counts of 100 pitches or more. Little League looked at the situation and determined that it would make more sense to limit the number of pitches a child could throw in a given day, rather than the number of innings. Thus the new pitch count rule went into effect, limiting pitchers ages 11-12 to a maximum of 85 pitches on one game. Days rest requirements were also added at 20, 40 and 60 pitches in a game.

So the obvious consequence of this rule change involves tracking each player’s pitches. Coaches need to know not only their own player’s pitch count, but the opponent’s as well. There have traditionally been several options available for this tracking. Many leagues ask a volunteer to act alongside the “Official Scorer” and keep track of both teams’ pitches with pencil and paper. While this has been somewhat successful in the first year of the new rule, there are downsides. Often, getting enough people to volunteer is a challenge. If a volunteer is found, both managers must then rely on this person to be accurate and diligent. In a community recreational baseball game it is very easy to get distracted by children, pets, neighbors coming by to say hello, and other diversions. It is not uncommon for the pitch count to be imprecise and inadvertently cause coaches to make player-personnel decisions based on faulty information. Plus, with this method, coaches must constantly stop the game and ask for a pitch count to determine how many more pitches a player has left.

Also available are manual, hand-held tally counters. While these are inexpensive, coaches must hold these counters in their hands, and must have two – one for their pitcher and for the opponent’s. Hand-held digital counters that track two distinct numbers are on the market, but again, must be held in the hand, which is cumbersome and means they are frequently lost or forgotten at home.

Now, there is a solution that everyone involved with baseball – and any sport where points are scored – will love. The PitchCount Watch (www.pitchcountwatch.com) combines a digital, dual tally-counter with a timepiece, a stopwatch and date/time/alarm function within a convenient and attractive sports watch, all for about the same price as the one-trick digital tally counters. Because this is a good-looking watch that you’d be happy to wear year-round, you won’t ever again show up at your game and realize you’ve forgotten or misplaced your pitch counting device. Because it chimes at 20, 40, 60 and 85, you’ll never risk passing an important rules threshold with your pitcher.

The PitchCount Watch is designed to be easy to use. Unlike many watches that offer confusing buttons and demand intricate sequences to maneuver, the PitchCount Watch was made so that the top two buttons, (corresponding with the pitch counts for Home and Visitor) are independent in their function of advancing or resetting the tally. Because the watch offers a stopwatch, a coach can use the watch at practice as well. And don’t just think of it for baseball. Anyone wishing to carry a mini-scoreboard on their wrist for basketball, soccer, golf or other sports will love the device.

Whether you’ve got a vested interest in keeping tabs on your player’s (or your opponent’s players) pitches, or just want a way to keep tabs on your partner’s shots on the links, the PitchCount watch is a handy tool to ensure that no matter where you go or what you do, you’ll always know what time it is and you’ll always know the score.

Source: PitchCount Watch

It’s a lot easier to get my kids to go out and shoot 100 free-throws if I offer to rebound for them. The time it takes them to chase the made shot, dribble back to the line, get set and shoot again makes taking 100 a time-consuming task. And though there are many self-rebounders on the market, none are as easy to install and affordable as the QuickShot USA Basketball Shooting Returning Aid, (www.quickshotusa.com).

QuikShot USA is easy to install on any standard net and its clear, three-piece design eliminates any focal distractions or obstructions from the rim. The unique rotational ribbed design allows for a full 360-degree rotation providing practice for any 3-point shot, jump shot & free throws.

Take 100 shots from the line without the QuickShot and then take 100 with it. In the same amount of time you’ll be able to take twice the shots. Of course the down side is QuickShot only works if you put it in. But maybe now there will be extra incentive to shoot more like Steve Nash from the line and less like Shaq.

Source: QuickShot USA