NEW YORK, NY -- 11/02/09 --
Under Armour (NYSE: UA) and IMG Worldwide,
today announced an exclusive partnership highlighted by the development of
a unique comprehensive athletic training platform that will establish a
global measurement standard for improved sports performance, health and
fitness called "Combine360".
By utilizing the performance and training expertise of Under Armour and IMG
Performance, Combine360 will measure and record sport-specific ability and
mental aptitude, nutritional level, ability to communicate and a variety of
other performance disciplines allowing athletes of all abilities from
across the world to compare their scores.
"Consistent with Under Armour's global mission to make all athletes better,
IMG Performance is a pioneer in the field of athletic and character
development for competitors of all ages," said Kevin Plank, CEO and
Founder, Under Armour. "This partnership represents a marshalling of the
most passionate, scientific and innovative thinkers in the sports
performance space and, together, we will establish the ultimate benchmarks
by which all athletes, trainers and coaches will be measured. We have
always said that the combine is the one true measure of an athlete's
potential, and we believe each athlete's Combine360 score will be as
universal as an SAT score in terms of making all athletes better."
As part of this new venture, beginning in early 2010, Under Armour and IMG
Performance will host over 100 combines at regional sites across the
country. Staffed by some of the world's top performance specialists from
Under Armour and IMG Performance, the combines will lay the foundation for
a consistent platform for athletic analysis. This partnership will also
help establish testing metrics, training methodology, certification
standards and continuing educational programs to maximize athletic
development and performance potential. The focal points of this integrated
training platform are at three levels: 90 (Core Physical), 180
(Sports-Specific Physical) and 360 (Advanced Elements). These tests will
include physical conditioning, muscle regeneration, nutrition, sports
medicine and anthropometric assessments.
"We are very pleased to have teamed with Under Armour to develop a unique
and highly effective sports performance measurement system that we believe
will become the benchmark by which all athletes will be measured," said
George Pyne, President of IMG's Sports and Entertainment group. "Under
Armour has become the dominant company in athletic combines and the
addition of this revolutionary new tool takes that business to the next
level."
To kick off the partnership and showcase the multi-sport applications of
this joint initiative, Under Armour and IMG Performance hosted a special
grassroots combine for dedicated football, soccer and rugby players (ages
8-18) on October 24th at London's Finsbury Park Stadium in conjunction
with the NFL game in London between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay
Buccaneers. Over 250 talented athletes participated in this first-ever
program.
In addition to the London combine, Under Armour will provide apparel,
footwear and accessories to IMG Academies, a division of IMG Worldwide.
Under Armour also will utilize the IMG Performance Institute at the Academy
to test its newest innovations. IMG and Under Armour's partnership will
have multiple retail and consumer extensions, with both parties working to
develop sports-specific training programs, equipment, instruction and
online content.
"Under Armour shares our passion to improve performance and the lives of
those who pursue athletic development," said Sam Zussman, Senior Vice
President of IMG and Managing Director of IMG Performance. "IMG
Performance, through its world renowned academies has been developing on
and off the field training that served over the past 30 years to not only
build champions such as Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova, Paula Creamer and
Freddy Adu, but also help junior athletes develop into successful
adults and pursue their college of choice. Together with Under Armour, we
will be able to bring our proven athletic training and measurement to a
broader population and help them improve their athletic performance and
overall health."
About Under Armour, Inc.
Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and
distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The
brand's moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many
different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a
performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products. The
Company's products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels,
from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under
Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with European
headquarters in Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium, and additional offices in
Denver, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. For further information,
please visit the Company's website at www.underarmour.com.
About IMG Performance
IMG Performance is a division of IMG Worldwide, Inc. which encompasses the
business of the Bradenton, Fla.-based IMG Academies, the 20-plus
international David Leadbetter Golf Academies, and the Boca Raton,
Fla.-based Evert Tennis Academy, as well as owning and operating multiple
national and international junior athletic events. IMG Performance, which
created the revolutionary Combine360, Combine180 and Combine90, is the
exclusive manager and operator of all Under Armour combines worldwide and
provides consulting services to national and international federations,
professional organizations and intercollegiate sports teams and
universities. For more information on the Bradenton-based IMG Performance,
please see www.imgperformance.com
Contacts:
Jim Gallagher
IMG
(212) 774-4416
Email Contact
Diane Pelkey
Under Armour
410-246-5927
Email Contact
Josh Green
Catalyst
212-714-7905
Email Contact
