State your business IV: athletic industry executives talk about the present and the future

Coach and Athletic Director, Feb, 2006 by Kevin Newell

THE ATHLETIC BUSINESS, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT IS RELIANT upon high school and college athletic directors and coaches, can be fickle. The economy, participation numbers, budget restraints, customer satisfaction, and personal preference all have a lot to do with the final buying decision.

And there is no one more conversant with the trends and vagaries of the business than the key executives of the sports-related companies.

That said we asked a new select group of industry leaders to once again, "give us the business."

COACH COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Marc Archer

Director-Strategic Marketing, Sports Communications

TELEX COMMUNICATIONS

What's the state of the market?

Telex Communications enters 2006 in an extremely positive mood. The Telex brand's football heritage and technological innovations during a 20-year working relationship with the NFL have helped the game evolve to levels of intensity and action that would have been unimaginable in the 1930's, when our "Electric Voice" system first helped legendary coach Knute Rockne.

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Starting in the mid-1980's, Telex has powered the voices of the NFL and Division One NCAA football with headset and wired intercom technologies. In 1991 Telex provided the first wireless intercom solutions to the NFL for instant replays, making the game a more dynamic, interactive experience for television viewers. Introduced in 1999, the revolutionary BTR-600 has provided reliable encrypted wireless performance for the last seven Super Bowls, and the BTR-1 "Lombardi" system--an evolution of the BTR-600--is set to replace it in 2006. The list goes on. Simply put, as the intercom demands of NFL coaches and referees become more and more sophisticated, so does Telex technology. In 2006 Telex Communications will provide all 32 NFL teams and 97% of all NCAA Division 1 football programs with Telex products and technology.

What's the next great advance?

2006 is going to be an exciting year for Telex communications. Building on the legacy of Telex intercom products used by today's football and sports professionals, Telex continues to demonstrate its dedication to the high school and collegiate game with revolutionary products like the new, aptly named Legacy[TM] wireless system. In extending their heritage of excellence on the football field into the future, Telex is pleased to offer the Legacy[TM] to assist today's football coach in reaching new heights of performance at the high school level and beyond.

Employing the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard, the Legacy[TM] series offers full duplex communications over 3 audio channels with a convenient push-to-talk button. The belt pack control panel is easy to use and is modeled after the Telex units used by the National Football League and the majority of NCAA Division 1 college football teams.

The Legacy[TM] system offer fast and easy setup, complete wireless solutions for 2 to 7 coaches per sideline, durable belt packs, 64 bit audio encryption, professional grade headsets (like those used by the NFL) and a 3-Year Warranty. In addition, the Legacy[TM] base station offers a state of the art automatic channel selection feature called ClearScan[TM], that automatically sets the Legacy[TM] system to the clearest, cleanest channel for operation.

Where's the business going?

Telex Communications will concentrate its focus in 2006 on penetrating the high school football market with the new Legacy[TM] series system. By offering the latest in technological innovation and performance, our great brand heritage, and working closely with hard working dealer partners, Telex feels that it can assist the modern day football coach with an affordable,

application-specific communication solution designed for professional football coaches at all levels. Professionals who demand excellence in the long shadow of Knute Rockne and the game's greatest coaches ... All of whom used Telex or Electro-Voice equipment.

Towards the end of 2006, Telex Communications will continue to look at the latest technological innovations, adapt our products accordingly, and also begin to look at other sports markets where we feel we can provide critical communications solutions.

Rick Meyer, CEO/President

RPM SPORTS, LLC

What's the state of the market?

Wide open! Telepath is a completely new concept in coaching. By that I only mean as a product. Many of the inquiries and orders I have received are from coaches that have admitted thinking about having something similar, but never had a product available to accomplish what Telepath does. There is a great variety of training tools for the players that help them improve their agility and coordination, and for coaches that give them training drills and philosophies. Telepath is the first tool that allows the coach to take the player and coaching tools and put them together in real time. The coach can communicate philosophy, strategy, style of play and opportunity, instantly and clearly without whistles and shouting. The flow of practice is not disrupted by starting and stopping. The coach can now instruct from the best vantage point, not just from where they can be heard. Telepath has applications in a variety of sports including: soccer, football, lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey, softball, and baseball. The market is very good.