February 1, 2024
J. Michael Prince, President & CEO, USPA Global
How To Reboot The Sport Of Kings
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Sports are a massive part of global entertainment and global fashion, from the top of your Cheese Head hat to the bottom of your cleats, sports and fashion are a pair. One brand we all know is a giant in one of those fields and is now going under a reboot to become a titan in the other. That company is the USPA – U.S. Polo Association, and if you are an athleisure enjoyer you have some of their apparel. But the logo is more than just an iconic merchandise brand that consumers call Polo. Behind the scenes is a massive organization with a dynamic plan that will soon pass the $3B in annual revenue mark.
At the helm of this organizational and brand reboot, on this episode of the Reboot Chronicles, is J. Michael Prince – President & CEO USPA Global, to talk about the fascinating world of Polo on and off the field, his remarkable story, and his plan for the decade ahead
From 600 B.C. To Mass-Market Consumers
Polo, the sport of Kings, has a long history dating back to 600 B.C. when it was being played in Persia. That means this was the first stick and ball sport invented—over 2,500 years ago. Now it is growing at a rapid pace and even ESPN is competing with the big dogs on a global scale, but they are competing in a different way than you may think. Instead of just trying to attract the average sports fan, they are trying to reach outside of that demographic to reach the people who typically don’t interact with sports.
One of the hands reaching out is through growing a community through a Polo-based group activity known as the Divot Stomps. Where groups of people can bring, champagne, ice cream, dogs, and more out onto the field to repair the field by stomping down all the divots. “It’s a celebration” as Michael puts it, “and we’re very proud of the fact that you’re able to do that at our sporting events.” Don’t count on the NFL or PGA adding this unique engagement experience!
Innovating Through Accessibility
Polo is still considered a niche sport, especially compared to its competitors. To close this gap, and to increase its outreach, USPA has begun to work with 52 colleges where they support men and women polo players, by providing gear and other necessities for these colleges to compete. The other interesting part of Polo is that the teams are not separated by Gender, “the best women and men play on the fields together as equals and as peers.” says Michael, even noting that “40% of players in the United States are female.” Something that not many other sports can say, especially when talking about the highest level or collegiate level of play.
Rebooting Leadership – Love Your Work
Although this next decade sounds relatively positive for Michael as he leads USPA to bigger and better times, it has not always been that way. When asked about a personal reboot, he brought up his time as CFO at Nike when the global recession hit. During this time he was a relatively young CFO but was immediately thrown into the meat grinder, and through all the tough decisions he made he “learned [to] be able to use your head and your heart at the same.” and to generally take things slow. Give yourself time to think, don’t make rash decisions, and make sure that when you execute your plan, you have all the details ironed out and straight.
Check out the full episode or go find a Divot Stomping to attend.
