Sampson to Join MHSAA Staff
July 12, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Jeremy Sampson, an award-winning sportscaster who founded and currently serves as president of the Lansing United semi-professional men’s soccer club, will join the Michigan High School Athletic Association staff later this month in the newly-created position of Ticketing, Promotions & Marketing Coordinator.
Sampson earned awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and The Associated Press while serving as the weekend sports anchor from 2005-2013 for WILX in Lansing, where he also coordinated the station’s weekly high school highlights show. He previously worked as the sports broadcasting producer for Michigan State University from 2000-02 and most recently has served as a communications specialist for the Michigan Department of Treasury, coordinating internal communications and assisting with media relations.
He has gained valuable ticketing and event promotions experience from his role with Lansing United. Sampson created the franchise in 2013 and serves as its president and chief executive officer. In those roles, Sampson is in charge of all game day operations, hiring of the head coach and general manager, and developing and executing strategies for ticket sales and team promotion. Lansing United is a member of the National Premier Soccer League, which has more than 80 teams nationwide. The United has drawn on average just more than 1,000 fans per game during its three-season history, ranking third in the NPSL’s seven-team Great Lakes Conference West behind only franchises from much larger markets in Detroit and Grand Rapids.
In his role with the MHSAA, Sampson will take the lead in all ticketing operations and efforts to promote attendance at MHSAA events. The majority of revenue collected by the association for use in its operating budget is collected from ticket sales at postseason events it sponsors.
“The MHSAA is best-known for its tournaments, and this is the first time we have had someone on staff focused primarily on promotion of our events,” MHSAA Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts said. “Jeremy Sampson brings experience and ideas, and additionally he adds depth to our staff in a number of other important communications functions.”
Sampson, a native of Vermontville and graduate of Bath High School, also is a 1996 graduate of Michigan State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He will begin his duties at the MHSAA on July 25.
MI-based Addix Joins MHSAA Team
November 1, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
During its first decade in business, Lowell-based Addix has emerged as a major supplier of high school and youth sports uniforms and gear, while maintaining an emphasis on serving local communities – a value held in common with the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
As it looks to expand as a supplier to schools all over our state, Addix has signed on as the MHSAA’s official custom uniform and wrestling gear provider, extending a relationship that began in 2014 when Wrestling Addix became a sponsor of the association.
Addix was founded in 2006 and currently manufactures uniform products for football, volleyball, cross country, wrestling, basketball and track & field, with additional sport offerings planned for the near future.
“Addix has built a great reputation in the wrestling community and is moving to extend its standing in Michigan’s high school sports community by serving all school sports,” said John E. “Jack” Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA. “We are proud to promote a Michigan-based company and impressed that Addix is committed to providing high school and younger levels of sports the beneficial service and pricing that larger athletic brands reserve for college and professional sports.”
All Addix products are designed and manufactured in Michigan. The company prides itself on using the best in sublimation technologies and following up production with controlled supply chain and superior customer service.
Addix supplies uniforms to teams at all levels of high school and junior high/middle school, as well as youth sports. The company aims to deliver orders in under three weeks.
"We owe tremendous thanks to the wrestling community in the state of Michigan, which has supported our business for the last 10 years,” Addix owner and CEO Ryan Henderson said. “With the expansion of our partnership, we will continue to utilize our in-state manufacturing facilities to service athletic programs at the highest level. For a company competing against the largest athletic brands in the world, this is a big win."
"We are thrilled to expand on our relationship with the MHSAA,” added John Kargbo, Addix’ vice president of sales & marketing. “It is one of, if not the best-run high school athletic association in the country, and we are excited to have the opportunity to grow our business alongside them."
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