Florida High School Athletic Association Official All-Sport Ball … · 2015-12-01 · Florida High...

Florida High School Athletic Association

Official All-Sport Ball Partnership

Request for Proposal

Outline and Specifications

December 1, 2015

FHSAA Official All-Sport Ball Partner Specifications of 12


Robert W. Hughes FHSAA Building

1801 NW 80th Blvd

Gainesville, FL 32606

(352) 372-9551

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for your interest in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) and, more

specifically, your interest in becoming the Association’s Official All-Sports Ball Partner. The FHSAA

postseason (Play-ins, Districts, Regionals, and State Championships), titled the FHSAA State Series, are

the premier high school events in the state of Florida and showcase the state’s best high school student-

athletes. The FHSAA is undergoing a selection process for an Official All-Sports Ball Partner to provide

product and financial support to the Association and its member schools by becoming a corporate sponsor

of the FHSAA State Series.

FHSAA Overview

The Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1920 by

a group of principals to promote, direct, supervise, and regulate interscholastic athletic programs in which

high school students, whose schools are members, compete. Through the cooperative efforts of nearly 700

member high schools and 100 member middle schools since then, the FHSAA has provided opportunities

for high school students in Florida to participate on a fair and equitable basis in interscholastic athletic

competition, which has produced vital educational benefits.


Each year the FHSAA sponsors over 6,000 State Series contests through which 141 teams and 294

individuals are determined and crowned state champions in 32 qualifying sports (16 boys & 16 girls).

Over 2,000 student athletes annually gain the experience of winning a state championship. Through

participation in these athletic programs, nearly 800,000 students annually are extended opportunities to

receive lessons in the Association’s core values: leadership, sportsmanship and citizenship.

Proposal Purpose

The purpose of this proposal is to obtain both product and financial support for the FHSAA State Series

Championship Events in the following sports:

Team Sports

Baseball

Basketball (Boys and Girls)

Football

Flag Football

Lacrosse (Boys and Girls)

Volleyball (Boys and Girls)

Soccer (Boys and Girls)

Softball

Water Polo (Boys and Girls)

Individual/Team Sports:

Golf (Boys and Girls)

Tennis (Boys and Girls)

All provided Official Ball product should conform to and be authenticated by the National Federation of

High Schools (NFHS) rule books, which are sport specific, in regards to their outlined ball standards. The

FHSAA also operates under the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) standards

for Flag Football, the United States Golf Association (USGA) for Golf, and the United States Tennis

Association (USTA) for Tennis.


FHSAA Official All-Sport Ball Partner Benefits

Becoming an FHSAA Official Ball Partner means you will be considered an FHSAA corporate sponsor,

receiving the many geographical and long-term exposure benefits provided within that partnership. The

FHSAA’s membership (made up of both Public and Private schools) provides each corporate sponsor

with access to a varied cross section of Florida’s population:

High school and middle school aged student-athletes, their peers, and their friends

Parents and other family members of all ages from various ethnic, cultural, and

socioeconomic backgrounds.

The FHSAA would be willing to negotiate directly with the top ranking proposal(s) on the sponsorship

package(s) and benefits that will work best for the chosen partnership. Current corporate sponsors receive

exposure and benefits via the FHSAA’s traditional channels of communication, including but not limited

to:

FHSAA direct to school administration correspondence

FHSAA State Championship Event recognition (2014-2015 State Championship Total

Attendance was 148,386 across all sports)

FHSAA.org: The Official FHSAA website with 11.6 million page views during the 2014-

2015 academic school year

Potential social media alerts. The FHSAA is continuing to grow its social media presence,

which currently maintains a following of:

Twitter – 13,000+ followers

Facebook – 6,000+ fans

Instagram – 800+ followers

The FHSAA also has two (2) media broadcast partners that provide live web streaming and

television coverage of FHSAA State Championship and other State Series events, with each

providing a growing amount of opportunities to showcase your brand and product. The

NFHS Network (live web streaming) and the Bright House Sports Network (television and

web streaming) produced over three hundred live State Series sporting events during the

2014-2015 school year alone.

Also, because of our partnership with the Bright House Sports Network and their

media distribution partners like Cox Sports Television (CST), live television

broadcasts reach up to twenty (20) additional states outside of Florida.

Live web-streaming of events can also be accessed worldwide and as needed On-

Demand.

# # #


Proposal Submission Guidelines

The deadline for submission of your proposal is: 5 p.m. E.S.T., Monday, February 1, 2016.

Proposals should be addressed and/or emailed to:

J.A. Colasanti, Contract Specialist

[email protected]

(352) 372-9551 ext. 395



1801 NW 80th Blvd

Gainesville, FL 32606-9176

The FHSAA staff will thoroughly examine each proposal received. Fulfillment of the essential criteria

outlined, the financial contribution, and specific advantages and disadvantages of each proposal will be

the foundation of this examination. The FHSAA Executive Director or his designee will negotiate with

prospective bidders and will enter into an agreement on the Association’s behalf, once the contract has

been negotiated to the FHSAA’s satisfaction.

The expected announcement date of the FHSAA’s newly formed partnership will be:

Friday, March 25, 2016

Questions regarding the proposal outline and specifications should be directed to:

J.A. Colasanti

Contract Specialist

(352) 372-9551 ext. 395

[email protected]

# # #


SELECTION TIMELINE

The FHSAA in selecting a provider will adhere to the following time schedule as closely as possible:

Tuesday, December 1, 2015 Proposal outline and specifications document mailed to

interested parties and posted through various mediums.

Monday, February 1, 2016 Final proposals due in the FHSAA Office by end of business

day (5:00 p.m. EST).

No later than FHSAA staff finalizes and makes recommendation to

Friday, February 19, 2016 Executive Director relative to preferred provider; Executive

Director or his designee begins negotiations with prospective

provider.

No later than Agreement in principle reached; FHSAA announces

Friday, March 25, 2016 chosen provider to the public.

Friday, July 1, 2016 Partnership(s)/Agreement effective date

# # #


Participating FHSAA Schools by Sport

(2015-2016)

Sport Number of

Classifications

Number of

Schools

Number of

State Championship Contests*

Baseball 9 624 27

Boys Basketball 8 684 24

Girls Basketball 8 644 24

Football 8 555 8

Flag Football 8 265 6

Golf 3 526 3

Boys Lacrosse 1 189 3

Girls Lacrosse 1 167 3

Boys Volleyball 1 155 7

Girls Volleyball 8 661 24

Boys Soccer 5 585 15

Girls Soccer 5 559 15

Softball 9 605 27

Tennis 4 534 4

Water Polo (B&G) 1 79 14

*State Championship Contests include: State Play-in, State Semi-final, and State Final Contests

that take place at events under direct supervision of the FHSAA. Product is needed at a minimum

for each of these events.

Please Note: The FHSAA is in the process of and may increase the amount of classifications with the

2016-2017 school year for the following team sports: Girls Volleyball (9) and Boys & Girls Basketball

(9).

# # #


PROPOSAL OUTLINE

Thank you for your interest in partnering with the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).

The proposal specifications set forth in this packet are the FHSAA’s minimum expectations for the

Official All-Sports Ball Partner. This partner should be committed to providing the FHSAA with quality

product for State Series postseason competition, as well as a cash financial contribution. For regular-

season or middle school membership contests, the FHSAA cannot mandate schools use or buy a

particular product, according to the FHSAA Bylaws. Please keep in mind, the deadline for submission of

your proposal is: Monday, February 1, 2016. A proposal packet must address the following points and

include answers to the following requirements.

1 TERM AND FORM OF AGREEMENT

The FHSAA seeks to award rights to a ball manufacturer/brand to serve as the Official Ball

Partner of the FHSAA for a minimum of three (3) years, with an option to extend the term by

mutual agreement, for up to an additional three (3) years. The term shall begin with the 2016-

2017 Academic School year.

2 VENDOR INFORMATION

2.1 Corporate Overview. Please describe your company’s history and size, and stability in

terms that most meaningfully communicate its ability to support the FHSAA’s

requirements on a continuing basis. Does your company currently manufacture

sport specific ball product, or do your produce a wide array? Is your company

expanding or growing, or is there expected growth in the future?

2.2 Official Ball Sponsor Option. The FHSAA understands that all qualifying bidders may

not manufacture and produce each of the balls for the prescribed sports. All bid

proposals will be considered equally, regardless of company size and the sport

specific nature of the business. However, proposal submissions should clarify one

(1) of the following:


(1) Manufacturer is seeking to become the FHSAA Official All-Sports Ball

Partner and will produce and provide product for all sports.

(2) Manufacturer is seeking to become the FHSAA Official All-Sports Ball

Partner and will produce product for specific sports, but will provide

product using additional manufacturers for any remaining sports.

(3) Manufacturer is seeking to become an FHSAA Official Ball Sponsor by

only providing product for specific sport(s).

2.3 Markets Served. Please describe the geographical and industry markets you currently

and have previously served. Are you working with any other High School State

Associations? Is your product used on both an amateur and professional level?

What is your product availability? Are you located in retail stores, catalogs, or

online? Where are your store locations?

2.4 School Contacts, Discounts, and Purchasing Information. Please provide any

necessary key contacts (company sales representatives) that FHSAA schools

would need when choosing to purchase your product for regular season and

practice use. Also, please include any discounts or incentives that may be passed

along to the schools should you intend to have any (i.e., discounts for buying in

bulk, buying at certain times of year, etc.).

2.5 Company History & References. Please provide at least three (3) references of clients

or other partners who are currently using your products that the FHSAA may

contact. It is preferred to have client references that are similar in nature and

function to the FHSAA in terms of scope and overall needs of the product.

2.6 Financial Arrangements. An FHSAA Ball Partner is also considered an FHSAA

Corporate Sponsor. Please include your company’s proposed minimum financial

contribution to be paid to the FHSAA on an annual basis.


3 PRODUCT INFORMATION (by sport)

3.1 FHSAA State Series & State Championship Events. Please list the amount of ball

product that you intend to supply to the FHSAA for use during the State Series.

Dependent upon the amount of product being supplied by the selected partner(s),

the FHSAA can mandate a specific ball be used throughout certain levels of the

FHSAA State Series and/or an FHSAA State Championship Event.

*Please Note: The FHSAA cannot mandate use of a certain ball/product during a

Regular Season Contest, as per the official FHSAA Bylaws. However, it is typical

for FHSAA member schools to use the official product during regular season play

due to the mandates during the State Series.

3.2 FHSAA Branding/Art. Do you have the ability to include FHSAA logos or color

schemes on particular product that is supplied for State Championship contests?

3.3 Product Quality & Price. Please provide detailed descriptions of your Championship

quality ball product(s), for each sport. Please list all necessary pricing information

in regards to current market prices (more accurately, what schools would be

paying for their own product) along with any additional advantages as you see fit.

If having the ability to offer multiple ball options by sport, please specify the

differences in each product.

3.4 Partnership Assurance. The FHSAA understands that the success of any partnership

hinges on communication. With the ever-changing nature of sports, the FHSAA

expects that its Official Ball Partner(s) will provide the Association with

representative(s) or individual company contacts that can adapt to and stay

updated on the potential rule changes and improvements of product specifications

and overall ball quality throughout the life of the partnership.


4 SAMPLE PRODUCT

4.1 FHSAA Office Staff. Manufacturers wishing to provide product samples to the FHSAA

Staff may do so as deemed necessary. Samples can be sent to:


Attn: JA Colasanti


1801 NW 80th Blvd

Gainesville, FL 32606-9176

4.2 FHSAA Athletic Directors Advisory Committee (ADAC). User experience and

feedback is a high priority for the FHSAA. Although not mandatory to submit a

proposal, the FHSAA is going to seek feedback from current member school

administrators who sit on the AD’s advisory committee. Please see Appendix A

of this document for ADAC member contact information. Please alert the FHSAA

when submitting your proposal if you’ve provided product samples to ADAC

members to ensure we obtain the necessary feedback from them.

SELECTION OF ALL-SPORT BALL PARTNER

The FHSAA reserves the right to select, reject, and/or negotiate the terms of an agreement with any and

all chosen manufacturers/brands. Please keep in mind this proposal is due back to the FHSAA no later

than: 5 p.m. E.S.T., Monday, February 1, 2016.

# # #


Appendix A

FHSAA Athletic Directors Advisory Committee Members

Matt Morris

Kathy Sawyer

[email protected]

[email protected]

The Bolles School

Leesburg High School

7400 San Jose Blvd.

1401 Yellow Jacket Way

Jacksonville, FL 32217

Leesburg, FL 34748

Phone: (904) 256-5076

Phone: (352) 787-5047 ext. 7053

Bob Levija

John Gerdes

[email protected]

[email protected]

Springstead High School

Clearwater Central Catholic High School

3300 Mariner Blvd.

2750 Haines Bayshore Blvd.

Spring Hill, FL 34606

Clearwater, FL 33760

Phone: (352) 797-7010 ext. 230

Phone: (727) 531-1449 ext. 334

Dung Nguyen

Eric Lape

[email protected]

[email protected]

Miami Senior High School

Braddock High School

2450 SW First St.

3601 SW 147th Ave.

Miami, FL 33135

Miami, FL 33185

Phone: (305) 649-9800 ext. 2273

Phone: (305) 225-9729

Aubrey Daniels

Karen Stearns

[email protected]

[email protected]

Dunbar High School

American Heritage School

2635 Cortez Blvd.

12200 West Broward Blvd.

Fort Myers, FL 33901

Plantation, FL 33325

Phone: (239) 334-2167

Phone: (954) 472-0022 ext. 3051

Maurice Adams

Larry Bishop

[email protected]

[email protected]

Florida High School

Citrus High School

3000 School House Road

600 West Highland Blvd.

Tallahassee, FL 32311

Inverness, FL 34452

Phone: (850) 245-3881

Phone: (352) 726-2241 ext. 4513

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