Under Armour signs high school shoe deals

In today's editions, the New York Daily News reports that Under Armour will sponsor five city high school basketball teams,including Lincoln High, which has won seven of the last eight public school championships.

From the DN article:

"The five teams are part of the 27 high school basketball squads (20 boys teams; seven girls) that Under Armour is currently sponsoring in a nationwide strategy to market its brand. The company also sponsored the Elite 24 showcase, in which all 24 players involved were outfitted in Under Armour, at Rucker Park on Friday.

"Under Armour believes Lincoln gives it instant authenticity on the high school scene, perhaps even sending a subliminal shot to Nike, which still outfits a handful of top-tier teams in the city, including state champion Rice and CHSAA runner-up Christ the King.

"For us (Lincoln's) going to be the centerpiece of East Coast and New York City basketball," says Kris Stone, Under Armour's Director of Basketball. "What it does for us is it says that we're going to be committed to basketball. That was just the statement we're trying to make. What we're trying to do is create a presence for the brand."

-I've met UA founder Kevin Plank. His personal story is amazing.

-This graph late in the News article:

""Our kids love the sneakers, shirts and shorts," Jefferson coach Lawrence Pollard says. "If you look at it, Adidas is focused on the NBA now, and Nike is Nike. But Under Armour is sponsoring three boys teams in Brooklyn, and kids in our neighborhoods don't always have nice things."