Extra Inning Softball is excited to introduce a new correspondent for our site, Grace White, who is a senior journalism major and softball player at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.
She has played since she was five years old, being involved in Dixie League as well as travel ball organizations including Tennessee Mojo and Tennessee Elite. Grace currently serves as the Sports Editor for Union University’s student publication, the Cardinal & Cream.
She says, “I love softball and desire to honor athletes and tell their stories well.”
The college senior’s first feature for EIS is another example of how softball is growing and reputable sports companies are noticing and taking part…
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The nationally-recognized 16U team, Virginia Unity – Johnson/Ross, has agreed to a partnership with Rawlings and Easton, becoming the first team to have such a deal with two brands at once.
“Typically, you go with one brand or the other,” said Jay Ross, co-head coach of Unity. “But we were able to come to a verbal agreement that we could have the Rawlings Heart of the Hide gloves and swing the Easton bats. Then, fill in catcher’s equipment as, obviously, Easton catcher’s equipment, the Jen Schro stuff, is their top of the line, and then, of course, bat bags and helmets and the other stuff.”
In December 2021, at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) convention in Las Vegas, Ross and fellow Unity co-head coach Josh Johnson sat down with representatives from Rawlings and Easton, as well as reps from other brands, to potentially work out an agreement.
In the end, the coaches struck a deal with Rawlings and Easton, one that they believe truly benefits both parties.
“I would say it’s a partnership,” said Johnson, “because they’re partnering with us to put their brand on quality kids, and we’re partnering with them by giving them some feedback and giving them some market share.”
The Unity – Johnson/Ross 16U squad is not the only team that stands to gain from this partnership: the other teams in the Unity organization benefit as well by being offered discounted rates for equipment.
But in addition to profiting the Unity organization and the Rawlings and Easton brands, this agreement also helps the individual athletes on the Unity Johnson/Ross team.
“When they go away to college and get on campus, every college out there has a manufacturer’s platform, whether that be Easton or Rawlings or Nike or whatever it is,” said Ross. “So this gives them the feel of what it’s gonna be like. They will already know what it’s like to go in and have product available to them, to be able to go in and have a glove made to their specifications. They will know what types of questions to ask and things of that nature, so it’ll be just like they’re walking on campus I guess so to speak.”
Ultimately, the club leaders are convinced, this is a partnership that could potentially influence the softball world for years to come.
“Hopefully, colleges are seeing that and they’re going to want to do some stuff like that going forward and we’re a reason why,” said Johnson. “Or other organizations are able to benefit from the relationship that we’re starting out with [Rawlings and Easton].”
Ross agrees and believes agreements like the one they were able to come to could possibly be sought after by other manufacturers in the future. This could help athletes, organizations, and brands alike in the years to come.
“I think that teams will look for these types of opportunities,” said Ross. “And perhaps other manufacturers may look to help spread the word and get their name out there and from a sponsorship perspective, look for the quality of team that we have.”
— Grace White, correspondent to Extra Inning Softball
