Event Archive
SFIA Sideline Sessions
SFIA's is excited to bring you Sideline Sessions - a new, bi-monthly virtual series - that will cover a wide variety of pressing topics in the sports and fitness industry!
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Thank you for attending the 2025 Team Sports Conference!
Hosted by SFIA, NFHS, and NCAA, the Team Sports Conference brings together SFIA members, sporting goods brands, professional leagues, and governing bodies for a comprehensive event to explore the youth and school team sports arena.
Click here to see photos from the event!
Photos Courtesy of G.Watson Images
2025 Team Sports Conference (Day I: March 31, 2025)
SFIA Council Meetings & Receptions
9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast: Market Table
10:00 AM
Registration Opens:
Badge Pick-Up Begins
11:00 AM-1:00 PM
SFIA Football Business Council Meeting
SFIA Soccer Council Meeting
11:00-11:30 AM
SFIA Basketball Council Meeting
12:30-1:00 PM
All things Running Meeting
1:30-3:30 PM
SFIA Baseball/Softball Business
Council Meeting
SFIA Volleyball Council Meeting
4:00-5:30 PM
SFIA Lacrosse Business Council Meeting
6:00-7:00 PM
Welcome Reception: CityWay Gallery, Alexander Hotel
9:00-10:00 PM
Last Call: Plat 99, Alexander Hotel
*SFIA Council Meetings are limited to SFIA Members Only and invited guests.
All attendees are invited to network and engage in the lobby area of the hotel throughout the day.
2025 Team Sports Conference (Day II: April 1, 2025)
7:00 AM
Continental Breakfast: Market Table
7:30 AM
Registration Opens
The program will begin at 8:00 AM. Sessions will conclude at 1:45 PM and are followed by a Networking Lunch until 3 PM.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
State of the Industry First Look
The team sports industry enters 2025 amid significant market shifts, with emerging challenges in inventory management, pricing strategies, and economic pressures. This session provides exclusive insights from SFIA’s 2025 State of the Industry report, analyzing market performance, participation trends across 124 sports activities, and key growth indicators. Learn how industry leaders navigate supply chain dynamics, address athlete safety innovations, and respond to evolving consumer behaviors in team sports sectors.
Alex Kerman
Senior Director, Research Operations & Business Development, Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)
Youth Team Sports: New Investments, New Growth, New Opportunities
The youth team sports landscape is experiencing unprecedented change through emerging investments, sports growth and innovative program delivery models. Flag football leads to new participation patterns, while traditional sports evolve through multi-sport approaches and school partnerships. Industry experts will examine how emerging sports, access innovation, and program development create new opportunities for youth team sports growth and engagement.
Andy Matis
Senior Manager of Football Development, Indianapolis Colts
NFHS State Administrators: Navigating Change in High School Athletics
Join NFHS State Association Directors for an in-depth discussion of emerging challenges and opportunities in high school sports. This session examines critical initiatives reshaping athletics programs, from innovative funding models and safety protocols to evolving school-community partnerships. Leaders will share strategies addressing coaching shortages, officiating recruitment, and alternative program structures while exploring how these changes impact equipment needs and market dynamics.
Dr. Jennifer Rukstad
Executive Director, Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA)
From Friday Nights to Final Fours: New Solutions for Sports Officiating
This panel examines how the NCAA and NFHS tackle critical sports officiating challenges through innovative recruitment, training, and retention strategies. The NFHS, with its network of over 300,000 high school sports officials, plays a vital role in developing the officiating pipeline and implementing best practices at the grassroots level. The discussion will spotlight NFHS programs and NCAA President Charlie Baker’s officiating initiatives aimed at significantly expanding the officiating ranks, aiming to increase registered officials from about 23,000 to 35,000. Panelists will address pressing challenges, including rising sports participation, travel demands, and fan behavior management, while sharing proven strategies for building a sustainable officiating pipeline for the future of team sports.
2034WARD: The Vision for the Next Decade of Global Sporting Events
Over the next ten years, the United States will host the world’s highest-profile sporting events, including summer and winter Olympic games and world championships in soccer, rugby, and baseball. This synchronization of events on our home turf is unprecedented, but it is more than just an athlete spectacle. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase the transformative power of sports and fitness in our communities. It is an opportunity to rally the industry and drive industry growth, highlight economic impact, and champion physical health.
Team Response: Sports Industry Disaster Relief
When disaster strikes – from the recent LA fires to the 2023 Maui wildfires to annual hurricanes and tornados in the southeast – the sports industry rapidly mobilizes its manufacturing, retail, and organizational networks to support affected communities. This session shares frameworks for coordinated relief efforts, including rapid mobilization protocols, resource deployment, and sustainable program management. Learn how partnerships between amateur (youth, high school, and college) and professional sports organizations and their equipment providers strengthen community resilience through structured response programs. Discover best practices for organizing resources, building relief partnerships, and creating lasting community impact through collaborative industry support.
Beyond the Game: Building an Ecosystem for Girls and Women’s Sports Empowerment
The landscape of girls’ and women’s sports is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by record-breaking viewership, increased investment, and expanding opportunities from youth to professional levels. New initiatives in accessibility and affordability are breaking down traditional barriers to participation, while emerging sports, professional leagues, and collegiate programs are creating visible pathways for young female athletes. This session brings together leaders in girls’ and women’s sports to examine how investment, awareness, and development programs transform opportunities for the next generation of female athletes.
Click here to view pictures from the 2024 event!
Photos Courtesy of G. Watson Images
Questions? Contact Gregg Hartley.
Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact Glenn Horine.