Toadvine Blog

Look at the high school sports programs that attract the best talent around the country. What do 99% of them have in common? Answer: a great sports facility. There is much more to a great sports facility than just attracting great talent. An overlooked benefit is your program’s ability to keep the most talented athletes in your community. Parents of the most talented middle school athletes often move to districts where their children have the best opportunities for coaching, development, and potentially college recruiting.

When the “top ten” lists come out every preseason for your state, you can guarantee that the programs on those lists have premium facilities. The other factor that may pull some of the top athletes away is not another school, but a “club league” that draws more exposure than even the top-performing high schools. An article from AthleticBusiness.com says, “Popular club sports such as basketball, swimming, volleyball, hockey, and soccer that target players of slightly above-average ability all the way up to elite status may provide stronger competition.” If the competition is higher than that of the state's high schools, that tells you where the college recruiters will look first.

Beyond just adding to your facility with the latest and best products, what can be done to help retain talent? Dialoguing with your community well, and often, about where your program is headed and what the plans are for the near future is a great way of keeping the parents of the younger and older athletes engaged in the programs of their local high school. When the athletic director is a natural leader, and knows how to network, a newsletter is a great way to get people to buy into the dream and the vision. Once you have a base of followers, turn those followers into marketers. Have contests to see who can generate the most Facebook likes for your high school’s sport social page or who can sign up the most subscribers for the newsletter. This does not have to be an overwhelming “to-do” where you send out vision statements every month. Make it simple, and tell people where you are and where you are headed. You may be surprised how far this will get you.

MaxPreps just came out with Kentucky’s top 10 most consistent high school football programs. There are no surprises of who made the list, but who has the programs that will shine in 2012? Impressively, Trinity is ranked #12 preseason for the country. Congratulations to them on that accomplishment.

The top 10 according to MaxPreps.com:

(not all the same divisions)

1. Trinity (Louisville)
2. St. Xavier (Louisville)
3. Highlands (Fort Thomas)
4. Male (Louisville)
5. Bowling Green
6. DuPont Manual (Louisville)
7. Lexington Catholic
8. Covington Catholic (Park Hills)
9. Scott County (Georgetown)
10. Bell County (Pineville)

Our congratulations to these awesome high school athletic programs on making MaxPrep’s top 10 list of most consistent high school football programs in the state. Coming into the 2012 fall season we are excited to see what teams will rise to the top and if there will be any Cinderellas in the mix. What is consistent, across the board, for these top-performing programs is great facilities and equipment. Terrence Mann of Field of Dreams said it best, “If you build they will come.” People will come, and so will the players. The best facilities are strong selling points for attracting the best talent.

As we are entering August, start dreaming about your program and how you can eventually find your name among those on the top 10 lists MaxPrep is putting out. Call us and schedule a time we can show you all the new and exciting products we are carrying.

The Top 10 according to Dant Clayton:

1. Colosseum Chairs
2. VIP Seating Section
3. Bannerrail™
4. Admesh™ Banners
5. Concourse Banners
6. Banners at Top of Grandstands
7. Vertical Banners
8. Field Level Advertising
9. Loge Boxes
10. Aisle and Stair Riser Advertising

Did you notice the theme? Seven out of 10 of these categories are specifically titles with “banner” or “advertising.” With Dant’s slick new designs and advertising products, they are not only light weight and user friendly, they are nearly 60% less cost compared to traditional aluminum signage. You can put those savings right back into new equipment and facility improvements.

It’s a win win; you get more exposure and impressive, modernized ad pieces that draw the attention of your fans and followers, and you get the opportunity to engage new business ad support for your organization. Call and schedule a time for us to show you this product line from Dant Clayton.

The VIP section may sound showy but many of the elite national high school and collegiate sports programs are embracing this idea and it is paying off. You might be surprised to find out how many of your fans would also embrace this idea and jump at the opportunity to participate in a VIP section. Let us walk you through some of the unique products Dant Clayton offers in this category and how this enhancement can elevate your program.

How are you recognizing the fans and supporters of your program and making them feel special and important?

It’s no secret about the history of the rivalry between Louisville Male High School and DuPont Manual High School. Even if you didn’t attend either of these schools you probably have heard the stories that they had a single game decide which school would get the coveted “M” as their own to mark their jerseys and brand themselves for eternity.

If you are one of the few who do not know about their rivalry you can find plenty of stories and opinions online to fill volumes. The rivalry between these two schools is the oldest in Kentucky’s history and as early as 1909 they had attendances topping 10,000 at the annual Thanksgiving Day football match-up. If you didn’t know, DuPont Manuel ended up with the “M.” This rivalry is still strong today and even has it’s own Facebook page to fuel it.

Rivalries can be a great thing! If ticket sales weren’t reason enough to build the momentum of your rivalries there are several other positive take-aways. There is no dollar amount that can be placed on your fans growing in their support of your organization. When you can get them energized and vocalizing that support, well, it doesn’t get any better than that. You are building loyalty and your reach in your community by capitalizing on your rivalries, which is something whole communities can get behind and want to support. This can be a great way to boost volunteer support and local businesses to advertise.

Rivalries are great motivators for the athletes themselves. Athletes will give more, play harder, and perform better when school pride is on the line. You should be asking yourself, “what am I doing to enhance a current rivalry or develop a new one?” If you are building the rivalry you are building your program. Be thinking creatively how you can involve everyone—the students, parents, faculty, local businesses, and the whole community. Take advantage of every angle to promote your program and your school or organization.

Rivalries Can Boost:

• Ticket Sales
• Advertising Tools
• Building Fan Support
• Athlete Performance
• Community Involvement
• School Spirit

In 1937, the Cubs had a scoreboard designed out of sheet metal. Originally it was painted in orange and red which was suppose to emulate a sunset at sea. Well, with the Cubs playing so many day games, they eventually painted the scoreboard green in 1944. Why? To decrease the amount of sunlight reflected off of it because the glare would hit home plate and make it difficult for batters to track pitches.

Of course they have come a long way from the manual scoreboard of the 1930s and now have made further improvements with a 70-foot digital scoreboard in right field. Above the scoreboard is what they call the “Budweiser Patio,” a 150 seat (not bleachers), all-inclusive baseball experience. They did this to increase their chances of landing all-star games and increase revenue for the field itself.

We know the improvements that you make to your facility, no matter how small, always draw attention and add to the fan support for your school or organization. We all want to grow in professionalism and find ways to improve our programs, retain talent, and recruit high level athletes.

A scoreboard is a great place to start. Nevco has a huge product line of traditional digital scoreboards and more elaborate designs that will meet any budget. With advertising placement on many designs, there are creative solutions to lowering costs of much-needed sports and facility equipment. We would be glad to talk to you about your facility needs and how we can exceed your expectations.

Toadvine Enterprises currently has an overstock of royal blue Colosseum Two Chairs for sale. The seats list for $20 but are now on sale for $15 plus freight and installation. Here are some specifications about the seats:

• Ergonomically-designed compound curve seat
• Interlocking design allows for up to 20% more seating surface
• "Waterfall" front contour reduces stress on the underside of legs
• Designed for outdoor or indoor use
• Added UV inhibitors to help maintain color

Quantities are limited so if you're interested in learning more, call our office at (502) 241-6010.