High School Shoes

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There is so much unfound talent lost in our high school athletes because they can’t pay to play. Many high school athletes missed the opportunity to play in a sport while in high school, due to various reasons, but one of the reasons is financial hardship. I strongly believe shoe companies should give high school athletes free shoes and equipment for those less fortunate to do so for themselves. Certain requirements must be met when a high school applies for sponsorship with an athletic apparel company to receive free equipment and shoes. Companies giving free shoes and equipment to high school athletes can be beneficial to the participating parties. There are also disadvantaged athletes, so they can’t afford the equipment. Since those athletes …show more content…

High school uniforms appear as if the teams are playing at a professional level and, in turn the team will be advertising the company logo and equipment it has donated to them. In an article called "A Battle for Hearts and Soles" Lisa Dillman, Eric Shepard and George Dohrmann pointed …show more content…

But the foot soldiers in the nation's high-stakes shoe wars are high school basketball players. From major urban centers to wealthy suburban enclaves, hundreds of elite high school teams wear expensive, cutting-edge shoes and other athletic gear supplied for free by companies battling for supremacy in the multibillion-dollar industry. The gifts flow from a corporate marketing strategy designed to increase visibility at every level of organized sports. Millions of dollars in equipment, and sometimes money, is legally donated without contracts and often without oversight from school or athletic federation officials. The number of these sponsorships has risen along with the stature of prep basketball: High school games are increasingly on cable TV, and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves are proof that high school stars can leap directly to the NBA. (Dillman, Shepard, Dohrmann)
High school athletes are more involved now more than ever, because there has been an increase in national visibility. Shoe companies have used professional teams as advertisement but over the years, high school athletes have been the new market target. High school sports have turned into a big business, since athletes have increased their effort to demonstrate they can play at a professional

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