The Next Season is our innovative brand ambassador program that includes a signature shoe deal, a signature apparel deal, and access to brand or career training that will help athletes get further, faster in their next business endeavors. 

We started The Next Season because we were searching for an answer to a question. How do we help close the opportunity gap for women athletes? How do we become part of the solution instead of perpetuating the problem?

Yes, it was a marketing idea too. It is a way for us to get the message out there to our softball community that we are more than just product makers. We are working to become difference makers too.

So we read a bunch of marketing books. We researched ambassador programs that worked and hadn’t worked. We listened to complaints from athletes sponsored by other brands. And we took a hard look at the lessons we learned from partnering with athletes ourselves. All the experts said to go with the biggest names with the biggest followings. Some experts insisted that brand ambassadors should ONLY be established athletes and not a bunch of kids.

In the end, we decided to ask our community.

And our community let their voices be heard.

The Top Ten Vote Getters

1. Kayla Green
2. Maddie Muelken
3. Sis Bates
4. Rachel Garcia
5. Haley Cruse
6. Kelly Barnhill
7. Aliyah Andrews
8. Bailey Hemphill
9. Alese Casper
10. Sydney Romero

Thank you to everyone who voted and shared our message.  

The Game of Softball has prepared these women

We are excited to learn these ladies' stories. And we can’t wait to share their stories with you. 

What we’ve learned so far through this process is truly inspiring. It turns out that you can succeed despite challenging starts in life. Cancer can be beaten. You are not defined by your circumstances. You can carve out a space for yourself, even if your older sister is really popular. And it’s true that within chaos, you can create your own opportunities. 

The Business of Softball

We stand on the shoulders of pioneers. Women and men throughout the history of softball have created a sport and business juggernaut. Entire brands, including ourselves, are focused on better serving women athletes. 

And just to provide some perspective In terms of the profitability of the business of softball. During the 2016-17 season(the most current data we could find), college softball teams across the country reported an estimated $450 million in revenue, according to the Department of Education. By comparison, no college softball team reported more than $1 million in revenue over the 2003-04 season, the first year the data was collected.  

With our list of top vote-getters in hand, we now start the process of navigating the business of softball. Contracts. Timelines. Expectations. Product Development. Photo Shoots. Speaking Engagements. Clinics. All the good things that have resulted from the sport of softball growing so much, so fast. 

Our goal is to give our softball community access to as much of the behind-the-scenes as we can. We want to bring you along on the journey. We believe the lessons that these players have learned playing softball have prepared them for a lot of what is in front of them.  

We are excited to move forward with the Next Season and we’d love to have you join us on this journey.

If you're not already, click here to become a subscriber and join us on our journey.

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