I know Brittany Bock and her family. Unfortunately I witnessed her arm injury in Seattle last season when Sky Blue played Seattle at Starfire Stadium. She barely went in after recovering from another injury previously and within minutes broke her arm. Now this. She barely played a few minutes in Houston's opening home game. One of nicest kids, one of the nicest families you will ever meet. I feel so bad for this great kid.
Nothing to guess about: So excited to officially become a @PUMA athlete. Some exciting things coming soon #beready— Kealia Ohai Watt (@KealiaOhai) April 17, 2014 Really surprised. She's worn Nike as far back as I can remember, and just recently got a customized Nike CTR360 Maestri boot, so I thought she must have some relationship with them.
And she wore Nike with the national team too. And now I'm sure you'll say, "Well US Soccer wears Nike," but so do the Dash... And now you're gonna say, "well she's a professional and can get a sponsorship from whomever she likes." Which, yes, I'm very well aware of. I was just surprised that she just got a customized boot from Nike (after she was done with UNC, and US Soccer did not provide customized boots to anyone else at the U-23 tournament) and is now going to Puma.
As I see it, marketing shoes is the only endorsement opportunity she has. Nike is the league Sponsor and players are required to wear Nike gear, the sole exception being a player who has a contract with another shoe company, and possibly keeper gloves. The league and teams reserve all other rights to licensing merchandise. Nike might have made a bid, but she will already be wearing most of their gear.
Are you sure that's the case? I just wonder because some players don't seem to have a contract with any company and go back and forth between shoe brands. Tymrak, for example, has worn Adidas with FCKC and Nike with FCKC and she's worn Adidas with the USWNT and Nike with the USWNT. Toni Pressley also wore the Pele Sports Trinity SheOne last season, and I doubt she had a contract with them. That's true. Puma probably offered more money for her since they don't currently have any USWNT players.
Heard Puma was very interested in Ohai and their new clothing line including non soccer gear. Got to give it to you holden I would have never identified Nike CTR 360 Maestri customs that fast!
You would have to see the player agreement for the exact wording. The shoe thing is a special deal. Players even at NCAA Nike schools could use other brands if Nike couldn't provide shoes that fit or weren't orthopedically correct. It could be why Ohai had special shoes with the u23's. I know one player who had to show a good faith effort to wear Nike before she got clearance to wear other shoes. Apparently they didn't think it worthwhile to make her a custom pair. ( and I think you bring your own shoes to the u23's) So I think the nwsl prefer you wear Nike and will provide them. If you want other shoes you are on your own. And I think that even with non-kit apparel ( for instance, casual wear while traveling with the team), the player has to get an ok from the league to display any logos. Allocated players with Nat contracts are of course different. Let's not forget this is a two tier league. But Nadine is displaying her Adidas gloves, and I think shoes. I have no idea what Kerr is wearing.
Well, I noticed that she was wearing something different when the "U.S. U-23 WNT Preps for Six Nations Tournament" video came out (you can actually see her wearing both her old Tiempo Clash and the new boots at different times in the video). I thought they were CTR360s (it helps that that's what I currently have), but I wasn't 100% sure as I knew there was no release in that colorway. So I got some help in the soccer boots forum's player spotting thread. Yes, that's what I thought it was like. I know that MLS is that way; they will provide Adidas cleats, but players are free to bring their own.
of course the players get gear, since most of them post the photos online. the sponsored athletes get boots. cuellar and mewis I have posted their shipments. i can't say the $6000 players get boots but nike does get them a nice box of overstock gear. Cuellar Mewis Some players from the NWSL last season posted Nike boxes.
Well, yeah. But that also extends to the other YNT's. I recall Dicicco's final report included a letter he sent reminding players to bring their own shoes and shin guards.
Makes sense, since she'd just be clustered with Morgan, Sydney, etc. They're all in the same pier group. Good deal if Puma wants her to model women's athletic wear also. Looks wise she's as good looking or better than Morgan and Sydney. If I was Dunn's agent, when she is healthy, I'm market her to a Nike competitor. Her upside could be nasty over the years and she has the tools like Ohai to be a primary soccer athlete for company. If Press gets her act together she could fit in the group also.
Is puma coming back into woso? That might be a good thing. Didn't they have a deal with wps which they didn't bother to renew?
When it was in Brasil in 2007 they sent mostly u20 players and an overage player ( Noquiera?) in perpetration for the 2008 u20 WWC. They lost 0-5 to Brasil's full National team with Marta in the final. I think they also competed with u20's last time and DNQ'd.
They were the kit supplier and a sponsor every year for WPS (in the last season they were even running commercials during Fox Soccer's WPS game of the week). I don't think they were even considered for the NWSL, though. I think US Soccer made the decision to use Nike since that's what they already use for the NTs.