Women Players Need Love Too
No, Not That Kind Of Love
By Khalid Salaam
Last week i spoke with Tom Miller owner of Ballher (www.ballher.com), a female athlete apparel line based in Ohio. His brand is gaining in popularity and is sold in the Womens BBall Hall of Fame in Knoxville. We spoke regarding the ins and outs of women’s basketball and the evoloution of the sport as well as the future. I watch NBA, then men’s college basketball first and I even tend to watch college ball more than the WNBA but i respect it all nonetheless. And you should too.
1. What was your initial motivation to create this company?
Statistically, basketball is the #1 participated sport among high school girls in America. As a Varsity girls’ basketball coach, however, I had always noticed a lack of an authentic apparel brand that is reflective of the passion and commitment displayed on the court by today’s female athletes. In observing such, I decided to create a brand name and logo that true “ballhers” can connect with.
2. How has the feedback been?
Despite that we believe we’re the best-kept secret in women’s basketball, the feedback for the ballher brand has been phenomenal. Since, the debut of our online store, we have seen a repeated interest from players, coaches, and fans from all across the country. In fact, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, who carries our brand in their Knoxville, TN gift shop, assures us that our products are some of their very best selling items. What consumers like the most about our products are their overall superior quality and the fact that most of our items are made in the United States
3. Why do you feel it was important to create this company?
It was important to create the ballher brand because it was important to show female athletes that female sports matter. Until now, there really hasn’t been an apparel line for female basketball players that is an appropriate and satisfying counterpart to that which is offered to the male game. Ballher is aiming to change that.
4. What is the immediate future of Ballher?
The immediate future for ballher is to begin the official process of promoting our brand. First and foremost, that is the reason we contacted SLAM before anyone else. We are well aware of SLAM’s influence on the game of basketball, and we are greatly appreciative of any love and credibility that the magazine can send our way. In the meantime, we are also looking to expand our brand by adding some fresh new designs on T-shirts, shorts, socks, hoodies, and warm-up pants. Basically, we want ballher to be about everything basketball.
5. What is your best-case scenario?
The best-case scenario for ballher is to become the future face of women’s basketball. We believe in our brand, and we believe that our popularity will rise with the overall rise of the girl’s game in today’s culture. It is our expectation that this popularity will be reflected in a demand that is apparent in retail stores all over.
6. What are your thoughts on female athlete stereotypes?
Unfortunately, stereotypes are a sad reality for individuals who live in the minority. Obviously, female athletes are still a minority in our male driven sports world. In order to change these misconceptions, opportunities must continue to develop for women at earlier ages so that these stereotypes can eventually be abolished. With more youthful opportunities, athletic minded females will become more of the norm in tomorrow’s society. In turn, some of these same stereotypes that you mentioned will hold less and less meaning.
7. Do you think that those stereotypes (being thought of as a lesbian, etc) hurt recruiting?
For the most part, I do not believe that today’s players are afraid of being labeled by a stereotype due to the fact that they love and play the game of basketball. You have to understand that most players, regardless of gender, are recruited? encouraged to play, or are introduced to the sport at a much earlier age than ever before. For this reason alone, girls that grow up and continue to play the game of basketball play for the love that the game provides them, and not for whether or not society feels that it is acceptable for them to do so.
8.I’ve found that women are some of the biggest detractors of women’s basketball. Why do you think that is and how can that be changed?
I’ve always believed that the overall population has a tendency to gravitate towards that which is given the most publicity. For years, male sports, and the athletes who participate in them, have been given the majority of the media attention. If, for example, that same amount of attention were to be invested in women’s sports, specifically basketball, I believe that the mainstreamed popularity would lead to a subconscious call for both women and men to take an added interest in games that feature on-court battles between highly publicized teams and individual superstars.
9. Women basketball players are paid far less then men. Do you think the gap will ever shrink?
In order for women to be paid more professionally, they must be given more opportunities to market themselves and their game. It’s no secret that there is a direct relationship between the dollar amount that female players are paid and the dollar amount that the female players are currently able to generate. However, if more female players were to be given the opportunity to promote and build brands in the public eye, then big businesses would be able to see that the issue of overall sales and interests has more to do with the amount spent to promote a given product than it has to do with the gender of the person promoting the product. Quite simply, businesses need to spend money to make money, but until that money is made, female athletes will continue to be paid less than their male counterparts.
10. Who can change things on serious level for female basketball players? Candace Parker?
Understandably, in order for big businesses to feel secure in the spending of their promotional dollars, they have to feel secure in the individuals who will be promoting their products. These individuals have to be talented with their gifts, but they also have to be strong, independent, charismatic, and obtainable to a certain look that society attracts towards and relates to. For the NBA and certain brand name companies, that person was Michael Jordan. Now, that person is Lebron James. As for Candace Parker, I do believe that she reflects many of those same major qualities that have come to be expected of individuals representing the current and future trends in mainstream America. She is the definition of a ballher and I do believe that she is capable of extinguishing the outdated stereotypes that have plagued the development and overall support of women’s basketball.
28 Responses to “Women Players Need Love Too”
Dec.17 at 1:50 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Khalid, I know Goody will be impressed!
Dec.17 at 2:51 pm
hoop says:
Wow. Nice article. Slam used to be my favorite magazine and website on the planet but I stopped reading it for a while, mostly because of its immature and merciless disrespect of women’s bball (mostly on the website). With the addition of Goody and quality articles like this one, Slam has successfully won me over again. Thanks Khalid
Dec.17 at 3:14 pm
Michelle says:
I love the ballher brand and what it stands for. For anyone who has not worn their shirts, they are the softest shirts you will ever wear- and made in the USA! I was very pleased with their products.
Dec.17 at 3:24 pm
Captain America says:
It’s call respect for the game.
Dec.17 at 3:44 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Thanks, Hoop. Goody should be back with a new column soon, and she’s got a sick feature in the works for an upcoming issue of the magazine. We also do good women’s high school coverage in the magazine and recently listed the top 100 female high school seniors in our Punks section. Not to be defensive, but I’d definitely hate to be seen as “disrespectful” to the women’s game…
Dec.17 at 4:18 pm
Holly MacKenzie says:
I’m one of those women who are not really huge fans of the WNBA. Not sure why, I mean, I do watch occasionally but I can’t get into it like NBA. I think a lot of that is marketing, that it is a shorter season, etc. I DO LOVE watching Ms. Parker play, even more than her bro, so maybe she will end up changing some things. And Ben, if it counts, though I love everything about SLAM, I have never felt that there was any disrespect to the women’s game, or anyone’s game for that matter. Truth, yes, facts, always, but to me SLAM has never given disrespect to anyone or thing involved within the game that we love.
Dec.17 at 4:20 pm
Holly MacKenzie says:
Oops, I got caught up in the comments and forgot to give Khalid props for the article. It was refreshing to have someone ask the questions that I wonder about the women’s game. It is also nice to see people who love the game enough not to worry about stereotypes and assumptions. Great read, Khalid, thanks.
Dec.17 at 4:45 pm
Danielle says:
I love this article. Tom Miller is my basketball coach, and just to put it out there, he is a great coach and the whole team appriciates what he is doing and his love for the game. We are a close team and his idea of ballher deserves a lot of recognition because he really isn’t just doing this for himself.
Dec.17 at 4:53 pm
Cheryl says:
Khalid is awesome.
Dec.17 at 6:11 pm
bball girl says:
I absolutely LOVE the ballher brand. I have a few of their shirts and the leather game ball. The shirts are top quality and SO soft. The game ball is sweet too! I look forward to their new products!
Dec.17 at 6:24 pm
d.Y. says:
The ABL was better and the WNBA is marketed moronically. The NBA is pretty terrible with its marketing as well, with everyone using the same carny tricks they used in the 60s (unicycles and jugglers at breaks, poor choices for musical acts and tv themes… all star weekend in general), but because it’s a firmly established pro sport, everyone overlooks it.
Dec.17 at 7:23 pm
Pat Is Five says:
This is a pretty great idea to fill a niche market (or let’s just say a demand). But, I can’t really look at the name without giggling.
Dec.17 at 8:33 pm
Goody says:
Khalid this is real hot my brutha. Thanks for the love and the link to ball her. We gotta hook up on this clothing line for real…
Dec.17 at 8:56 pm
Sierra says:
Well gosh, I don’t know who this Miller guy is, but this is a pretty sweet idea. Ballher is a great idea!
Dec.17 at 11:15 pm
5th Grade Coach says:
My daughter’s 5th grade travel team have really become ture “BallHers.” The gear is an attitude they bring to the class and the court. They hang out at recess and call each other “BallHer” during their games. They all have the “BallHer” poster in their rooms and there is nothing else on the market.
Dec.18 at 9:47 am
Kim Kavadas says:
I bought a T-shirt because I loved the logo and the sayings. It was such great quality and was so popular with my teenagers I’ve gone back and bought more. Looking forward to other items!
Dec.18 at 10:26 am
jim says:
Thanks Tom Miller for finnally thinking about the ladies basketball players and what they stand for, great article and the best of luck with ballher apparel. Made in the USA, GO RED WHITE AND BLUE.
Dec.18 at 2:49 pm
The Press says:
Looks as professional as And1 but for woman! Great Idea!
Dec.18 at 9:44 pm
coach k says:
What a great idea- i absolutely love the shirts– and the earrings are great! I am definitely going to buy some for my daughters! I look forward to doing business with ballher.
Dec.19 at 12:07 pm
Candice says:
Great article Khalid.
Dec.19 at 3:03 pm
t.dot dude says:
u gotta admit, women will never play as good as the men
Dec.20 at 1:40 pm
John says:
Great brand and products!
Dec.20 at 6:08 pm
BRIANNA says:
I DEFINITLEY THINK THIS WILL BE THE AND1 FOR WOMEN. IT IS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND ISN’T SO “GIRLY” LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE OUT THERE MADE FOR WOMEN. PROPS TO THE CREATOR!
Dec.20 at 6:17 pm
Diane says:
A great logo and brand for girls/women all ages who are serious and love the game. It’s about time we have our own logo and dedicated line of products to wear with pride. The WBHOF knows how good they are and what they stand for. Go Ballhers!
Dec.24 at 2:44 pm
milas says:
“…and isn’t so girly…” Don’t want to be seen as “girly” huh? Right, female players must always maintain their masculinity and manhood, and never risk being seen as “girly.” Uhh, okay. Is “disrespect” equivilent to being honest? Or is “respect” equal to political correctness? I mean NBA players and male athletes in general are routinely maligned and stereotyped as thugs, criminals, malcontents, abusers, irresponsible, etc. Is that disrepect? Should persons who have such views feel free to state them, or should they be limited to saying positive things they don’t really feel?
Dec.24 at 8:08 pm
Khalid Salaam says:
Everything is relative milas. dependent upon any numbers of factors and variables.
Dec.26 at 3:01 pm
Kelli Jo says:
I have to say, this is a pretty sweet company. I mean come on, I bet no one else would have thought of this!
Way to go Miller.
Dec.26 at 11:18 pm
Kathy says:
Spectacular idea from the mind of a spectacular person. There is no doubt in my mind that the products offered by Ballher are top of the line and nothing short of the very best.