UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP MEANS SAVINGS FOR MSHSL CONTEST OFFICIALS

The Minnesota State High School League and Gerry Davis Sports have entered into a partnership that will provide high school contest officials with the opportunity to save money when they purchase officiating equipment and uniforms.

Gerry Davis Sports is a wholesale and retail distributor of officiating equipment and apparel with offices in Appleton, Wisconsin. Under the terms of the newly formed partnership, League registered contest officials will receive a 7.5 percent discount on the already competitive retail prices of virtually all Gerry Davis Sports officiating products. The discount applies to on-line purchases, telephone orders, mail-in customers and to anyone visiting the Gerry Davis Sports facility in Appleton. The discount is effective year-round and it applies to products in all sports.

The partnership also includes a revenue sharing provision that directs a portion of Gerry Davis Sports sales to Minnesota contest officials back to the League. The League will use the funds tosupport officiating program promotions and training.

"A lot of people who are fortunate enough to have a career in sports often talk about giving back to the people and programs that helped them develop their skills," says GDS President Gerry Davis, a 27-year Major League Baseball umpire and crew chief and a former Wisconsin high school basketball official. "To fulfill this goal we developed a program exclusively for high school activity associations that returns a portion of our profits back to our fellow officials."

"With more than 6,000 registered officials in Minnesota this partnership will quickly become a 'win' for everyone involved," says Kevin Merkle, the associate director who manages of the League officiating program."

"High school sports officials throughout the state will realize a savings through the Gerry Davis Sports purchasing program and the League will benefit from every transaction," Merkle explains. "In addition, the League has the opportunity to work with GDS to design and provide customized sport specific apparel and equipment."

"Make no mistake, we know this is a program that will develop over time," says Davis. "Our business has been successful because we've focused on products made especially for officials, and that focus has been in sports we know from our personal officiating experience. Now, we'll work directly with association officiating leaders to ensure the products we add to our inventory are exactly what the working men and women need and want."

Registered League officials are coded in the GDS database, so the discount will apply automatically. A short list of already-discounted products is excluded from the program—starter kits, combo packs, sewing and embroidery services, umpire plate coats, educational products, sale and closeout items, shipping and handling fees, and any special order items.

The League discount will not be visible when placing an on-line order. The discount will be applied as the products ship and will be noted on the invoice customers receive when packages arrive.

There are two easy ways to access the Gerry Davis Sports on-line store: either click on the Gerry Davis Sports logo that appears on the Official’s Corner located on the League Web site, or go directly to www.gerrydavis.com.

Officials should use their e-mail address to establish a login identifier on the Gerry Davis Sports page. Customers will establish their own personal password. Officials can also contact Gerry Davis Sports by phone: 800-916-9088.

If you have questions about the program please contact the League office or Gerry Davis Sports at safe@gerrydavis.com.