Under Armour and IMG Unveil High School Combines
Under Armour and IMG have announced that they will partner on the development of a new athletic training platform that will establish a global measurement standard for improved sports performance, health and fitness called "Combine360".
A release announcing the deal said that the new platform "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.
"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."
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.
