Approach Shots with Evan Zeder – Director of Sales, Athletic DNA
Athletic DNA is the “new kid” on the tennis apparel block. It’s currently worn by tennis professionals Robert Kendrick, Rajeev Ram, Peter Luczak and Ryler DeHeart in addition to coaches and juniors. Athletic DNA’s Director of Sales Evan Zeder talked to GVTN about the company’s present and its future:
GVTN: How did “Athletic DNA” get its start?
Evan Zeder: Athletic DNA began in Seattle with an academy in Seattle run by Michael Calkins and Dan Willman, who had been having success with their junior program of which 3 players reached number one in the 12 and underage division. When the idea of how to build upon this success came about, there were thoughts of taking the traditional routes and building more academies and spreading out the talent, but instead, we wanted to capture what was going on with these players, and more specifically, why they were having success. When we began to see how not only each players tennis improved, but also their attitude, work ethic, and overall discipline, we thought the best way to capture that would be to brand what was happening with the athletes. So when names began to be thrown around, the team looked at what embodied an athlete, and what makes them who they become, and when you embody everything I previously mentioned, the name Athletic DNA came to Dan and fit perfectly for what we wanted to build.
GVTN:With so many “players” in the tennis apparel market, what makes Athletic DNA clothing unique?
GVTN:With so many “players” in the tennis apparel market, what makes Athletic DNA clothing unique?
EZ: There are a couple of things which make our apparel unique. From a product standpoint, we have been product testing our clothing with our players on tour and our juniors for well over a year before we even began selling it. After working with our athletes and hearing what they wanted from their clothing, the number one response was they wanted lighter weight, as well as making the cuts more specific to the movements of the game. We made sure when we introduced our product that it was some of the lightest material out there, and could also perform at the highest levels. Players like Robert Kendrick were playing in Grand Slams testing out our product before we sold an item, because we wanted to make sure it could hold up in the toughest conditions.
Another thing that separates us is our dedication to the sport as well as the focus on grassroots. Everyone involved in this company has a tennis background, and we feel as though the sport has been lacking in the”edge” it needs. Tennis is one of the most difficult sports out there,and has some of the best athletes in the world, and we just feel it isn’t being marketed that way. We want to showcase our athletes and make sure these players get the respect they deserve. Part of this is our focus on grassroots and junior development. We have a large junior program which rewards discounts to players who compete at the highest national level, and the harder they work and higher their ranking gets,the bigger discount they can receive.
GVTN: Does the company plan on having apparel for women in the future?
EZ: Yes, we do, and hopefully sooner rather than later. Â As I mentioned we have taken our time in the past with our product making sure they are of the highest quality and can perform in the toughest environments, and of course, look good in the process. We are currently in the process of testing product and putting together a women’s line, unfortunately it just takes time. The goal is to have the first pieces of the women’s line by Summer of 2011.
GVTN: Your company invests in the development of the sport through sponsorships programs, how does that work?EZ: The ADNA Select program is designed to help junior players reach their goals and motivate them to become the best athlete they can. We have an online form where players can go in and fill out their information on who they are and some of their rankings. After I see this form, I am able to look up the players USTA ranking as well as some of their tournament results. Depending on what it is, they player can qualify for a discount on our clothing, and through this discount, we bring on players for one year contracts, and ship them clothing four times a year. The other thing we do is travel to a lot of junior tournaments, supporting our players and also giving bonus items at different times. For instance, this year we gave a travel bag to everyone of our players who made Easter Bowl, and we also had a personalized shirt with each players name on it for every ADNA Select member. The way we go from tournament to tournament is changing soon. In the upcoming month, I will be traveling around the country in an Athletic DNA RV, and plan on going to a lot of junior tournaments as well as a lot of places where our athletes train.
GVTN: Where do you plan on taking the RV?
EZ: My plan is to start the trip in the RV in November from Seattle, head down the West Coast all the way to Texas, then head over to Florida with it towards December. After this we will head back to Arizona for a couple of tournaments in January. This is the basic fall schedule, and we plan on putting it on our website soon. The other thing we want to do is stop during the weeks at a lot of clubs and training facilities for our juniors and fans of Athletic DNA. So if any people would like to see the Athletic DNA RV pull into their club and do a promotional event, feel free to email info@athleticdna.com and we can try to set it up!
GVTN: What are the company’s short term and long term goals?
GVTN: Where do you plan on taking the RV?
EZ: My plan is to start the trip in the RV in November from Seattle, head down the West Coast all the way to Texas, then head over to Florida with it towards December. After this we will head back to Arizona for a couple of tournaments in January. This is the basic fall schedule, and we plan on putting it on our website soon. The other thing we want to do is stop during the weeks at a lot of clubs and training facilities for our juniors and fans of Athletic DNA. So if any people would like to see the Athletic DNA RV pull into their club and do a promotional event, feel free to email info@athleticdna.com and we can try to set it up!
GVTN: What are the company’s short term and long term goals?
EZ: In the immediate short term we want to continue to develop and increase our product line for mens, and then develop our women’s line going into 2011 and 2012. We also want to continue to grow our ADNA Select program, as well as introduce new programs for people who we feel represent Athletic DNA, and are not just junior players. We want to put an edge to the sport of tennis, and showcase the athleticism of its competitors.
Long term is something we are looking into, but not focused on right now. I think starting up in this industry if you look too far down the line you can get lost in what your brand represents and who you truly want to be. Hopefully our grassroots efforts can help develop and motivate an athlete to be one of the next great American tennis players, and after that, who knows…
For more information Athletic DNA’s products visit www.AthleticDNA.com. Follow Athletic DNA on Twitter: twitter.com/Athletic_DNA.
