SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The role of performance apparel and footwear in sports is part of everyday culture and is a significant part of athletic branding across all levels and sports. The promoter locally for adidas is Megan Curry.
On any given week,
Curry can be found on a sideline anywhere from Winters High School to Notre Dame to Sacramento State in her role as a representative for adidas. She takes calls from Notre Dame Head Women's Basketball Coach Muffett McGraw and St. Mary's Basketball coach Randy Bennett. Curry, a former St. Francis Troubadour basketball player, is building the adidas brand one school at a time and loving every minute of it.
With a territory including northern California, Nevada and Hawaii, Curry manages partnerships with NCAA Division I, II and III schools, as well as NAIA and high school affiliates in her areas. More than 20 prep football teams wear adidas locally and St. Francis, Granite Bay and El Camino have all-sport partnerships.
"Our model is to infect a market based around a licensed property or a direct partnership," said Curry. "We have partnered with Sacramento State and UC Davis locally and it has activated the high school market. They see what the athletes have on and want to have access to it.
Sacramento is becoming an adidas town thanks to Curry. How can you tell? Curry says just check out the front page of the Sacramento Bee each weekend and you will see the adidas impact on the market in the photos from Friday and Saturday games.
"Her overall competitive spirit to succeed has driven new sales and brand exposure in a key market for adidas," said Kendall Whitley, West Region Team Sales Manager for adidas. "Building new relationships is key and seeing the product on the field and courts all over NorCal is a direct reflection on Megan's hard work."
Curry's success in the sports world with an international corporation like adidas began on the basketball court for St. Francis. The Winters, Calif., native was a three-year starter on the SF varsity team.
"It was an integral part of my experience at St. Francis," said Curry of her athletic experience. "I came here to continue my catholic education and played basketball for four years, including three at the varsity level. It was a sense of community and team, hard work and dedication. Those were all things my family instilled in me. It was the perfect fit for me."
She played for Dave Parsh, who currently is the head coach at Kennedy High School. The team went 21-9 during her senior season and won the Metro League title.
"Dave Parsh instilled more in me than anybody during my time at St. Francis," said Curry. "I learned accountability, being on time, giving 100 percent and working hard. He made my four years here the best."
She went on to play collegiately at Chico State where she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees. She began her professional career as a teacher at St. Francis before moving into sales with local apparel and athletic gear provider Athletics Unlimited.
"I always knew I had a passion for sports," said Curry. "It was not a career change. It was embracing the lifestyle."
She worked under Athletics Unlimited President Randy Rasmusson for six years. It was here she saw the industry trends of the major outfitters and started leading and selling adidas product. The corporate office in Portland took notice of the growth in the area and who was behind it, recruiting her to their team five years ago.
"My job is a dream job of sorts," said Curry, who was at St. Francis from 1994-98. "Every day is different and it is what I like. I get to meet a lot of new people, shake their hands and remember their stories. Not only what they do for a university or a school but get to know them on a personal level where instead of a shake of a hand, the greeting is a hug and high five."
The method is working.
"What makes Megan a successful adidas rep is her drive, determination, desire and her passion for adidas and wiliness to work tirelessly to help her customers," said Whitley.
She also does more than just sales, working with product and product development, along with her interactions with athletic directors and procurement offices as part of daily conversations with her schools.
"I work with a wonderful group of talented people in Portland at corporate," said Curry, who is based in West Sacramento. "The product teams, sales managers and NCAA services groups, I wouldn't trade my team for anybody."
St. Francis is just one of her schools but will always be her No. 1 team.
"For me it has always been about giving back and finding ways I can give back," said Curry. "Because I was a product of the athletic department at St. Francis, my blood runs true here no matter where I go. It is very touching way to get back, be a partner and be involved in the community. To see the athletes in our product and the hard work that goes behind that is very humbling. It is a way no one can give back the way that I can. I love that."
St. Francis became a partner school last spring and student-athletes started wearing adidas uniforms and apparel this fall, giving the Troubadours a consistent, professional look.
"It is great to work with a former Troubie like Megan who understands the school's mission here at St. Francis," said Athletics Director Mark McGreevy. "When looking for a singular provider, nobody could compete with the branding and products offered by adidas and Athletics Unlimited."
Curry also helped the school recognize volleyball coach Alynn Wright with a special 25-year commemorative adidas shirt and the team wore adidas pink socks for their cancer awareness game.
"We pick our partners wisely," said Curry. "We do not go out to anybody and extend our services. We find a partner and base the relationship on customer service."
For Curry, that service is the backbone of her reputation and reason for her success. The traits that support that were formed on the St. Francis campus.
"St. Francis is a very academic institution and for me academics didn't always come easy," recalled Curry. "The foundation of my education at St. Francis was based on three main components: professional correspondence, public speaking and allowing my faith to guide me throughout my community. When people ask me about my experience at St. Francis, I recall those three aspects. They were the most important components of my education here."
And now they also have some adidas gear, thanks to Curry.
