Based on the slogan 'If it's not fun, why play?' Nike has introduced a new line of soccer product designed exclusively for kids. With 'the soccer mom' now part of the national idiom, the sport is rapidly becoming as American as apple pie.
According to the Soccer Council of America, 3.7 million children under age 19 participated in organized soccer in the United States last year.
Moreover, soccer has emerged as the fastest growing sport among young Americans. However, like any sport, soccer involves the risk of injury. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the majority of sports injuries among players of all ages involves damage to the lower extremity.
'More and more kids in the U.S. are playing soccer, and for many of them, this is their first introduction to the sport,' explained Sarah Hepp, product line manager for Nike soccer equipment. 'While Nike's primary focus is developing the best products for world-class athletes, we also recognized a need for engineered product geared at younger players.'
With this in mind, the Beaverton, Ore.,-based company has unveiled the Nike Soccer Kid's Performance Package, which features three products aimed at reducing the risk of injury while helping young athletes excel on the field.
The line includes the Geo LW 290, an easy-to-control lightweight ball that is gentler on the head, hands and feet; the Youth Air Shield shin guard, which protects against bumps and bruises; and the Jr.T90 Expand Shoe, a soccer boot that accommodates growth spurts while improving traction.
Tested in Nike's state-of-the-art Sport Research Lab, the shoe features a heel-spacing insert that fits beneath a removable sockliner. The sockliners are securely attached with hook-and-loop closures and can be easily removed when additional space is needed. As a result, the Jr.T90 expands up to nearly one full size while still offering a snug fit.
The boot also features a new compressed rubber outsole, called 1stTRACT. The outsole system consists of strategically placed cleats that work in tandem with anatomically placed flex grooves to provide cushioning and flexibility without reducing the shoe's stability.
According to Public Relations Manager Monica Rigali, the Jr.T90 will be Nike's key soccer footwear product for spring. She said that the shoe will be supported by point-of-sale material, in-store displays and aggressive advertising in sporting-equipment publications. Rigali disclosed that Nike is currently developing prints ads that will be displayed in soccer magazines such as Kick and Soccer Junior.
The Nike Soccer Kid's Performance Package has received endorsements from soccer heavy-hitters April Heinrichs and Bruce Arena, U.S. National Soccer Team coaches for women and men, respectively.
'Nike is leading the way in the game by continuing to watch the development of our emerging players and listening to their needs,' Arena said. Nike-sponsored athletes also will make public appearances to promote the athletic line, which will be distributed through soccer specialty and sporting-goods stores, such as Champs and The Sports Authority.
Retail price points are $15 for the Air Shield, $19.99 for the GEO ball and $35 for the Jr.T90 boot. Chris Carle, product line manager for Nike's U.S. soccer footwear division, said the competitively priced line conveys the message that Nike 'isn't just about high-end, super-technical product, but [about] kids entry-level product as well,' he said. Carle pointed out that keeping prices low proved to be a challenge for Nike when it was developing the Jr.T90 shoe.
'We had to be price-sensitive, yet still provide kids with relevant technology that met their needs,' he explained.
Going forward, Carle said, Nike will introduce a soccer boot this fall featuring the Jr.T90's outsole technology, which will be value-priced at $25. In addition, the company is exploring the use of the expansion system in other cleated product such as baseball and football shoes.