History of Sports Imports

1976 – Sports Imports (SI) was founded by Mark Watson, Douglas Beal, and Ken Dunlap. The trio shared a passion for volleyball and a desire to elevate the sport to a new level of professionalism and participation.

Ken Dunlap had started the men's volleyball program at Ohio State University in the mid-1960s. Douglas Beal, a scholar-athlete, was named the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Player of the Year for OSU in 1969. Beal later coached the Buckeyes from 1972-74 and was named MIVA Coach of the Year in 1973. He went on to lead the United States to Olympic Gold in 1984.

Mark Watson brought crucial engineering expertise to the founding trio. He developed an innovative solution for volleyball net systems by designing a pre-fitted sleeve that could be installed in the ground or floor. This was a significant advancement, especially for spaces primarily used for basketball, where floor preservation was a priority.

1976 – The idea for this unique system came about as a result of a trip to Japan for a volleyball tournament, where Ken and Doug first encountered the in-ground volleyball net system. They immediately recognized its potential and knew they had to bring it to the United States.

Thus, shortly after its founding, Sports Imports began an important partnership with Senoh Corporation. The company was a major manufacturer of volleyball equipment and was interested in distributing its products in the U.S. market. It was especially interested in introducing its in-ground uprights.

Up until then, volleyball posts were secured by using guy wires. But these posed safety hazards. Players often tripped over the wires, risking cuts, bruises, and ankle injuries from the anchor pegs. Senoh had developed a volleyball net system that fit into floor-mounted socket receptacles, thus eliminating the need for guy wires.

This was revolutionary in the volleyball world, and Sports Imports' leadership acknowledged it by introducing the Senoh in-ground system to the Americas over 40 years ago, transforming the industry. This innovative design has since become the industry standard.

1981 – Founded in 1981 by 100 coaches who wanted to promote the sport, the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association (CVCA) shared Sports Imports' mission to grow the sport of volleyball. This natural affinity grew into a strong and long-lasting partnership that has seen both organizations change and grow, including CVCA’s name change to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), its program expansion, and record-high membership growth of over 8500 members.

Sports Imports takes pride in its partnership with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), particularly in their joint presentation of the annual Sports Imports/AVCA Courage Award. This prestigious recognition celebrates volleyball community members who, despite challenges, demonstrate exceptional courage and determination and embody the resilience and community spirit within the volleyball world.

1995 – Sports Imports made a strategic move in 1995 to introduce a uniquely engineered aluminum upright. By offering a lightweight volleyball pole as an alternative to the heavier steel uprights predominantly used at the time, Sports Imports again led with innovation in the volleyball market.

The AL7 Aluminum Volleyball Pole has since become popular among elementary, middle schools, and indoor volleyball clubs for its unmatched strength and durability in its lightweight design. The AL7 is the strongest aluminum pole available. It’s built to last and yet easy to set up. Safety pads have been introduced in various colors and can be customized to showcase school spirit.

1999 – Sports Imports further expanded its roster of valued partners in 1999 by becoming a Charter Corporate Partner for the NIRSA Foundation (National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association). This move strengthened Sports Imports’ position in the collegiate recreational sports market.

2003 – Sports Imports began a partnership with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2003 to supply its top-quality volleyball net systems for all NCAA Indoor Women’s and Men’s Volleyball Championships.

The NCAA, a diverse association of over 1,100 colleges and universities, prioritizes academics, well-being, and fairness for nearly half a million student-athletes annually and offers pathways to higher education and beyond.

Over the years, our association with the NCAA grew into a true partnership that cemented Sports Imports' reputation as a leader in the volleyball industry, a legacy that continues today.

Sports Imports Revolutionizes Volleyball with First-Ever All-Carbon Net System

2012 – Sports Imports advanced volleyball equipment innovation and technology with its game-changing SI-1 system, the first ever all-carbon pin-stop volleyball net system, in 2012. Since then, it has become the most popular choice among coaches and athletic directors at the club, high school, and collegiate levels.

Designed with proprietary engineering, our carbon volleyball net systems are the strongest, lightest, and most durable on the market. This sets them apart from the competition and further demonstrates Sports Imports' forward-thinking approach to equipment design and manufacturing.

2013 – Since its conception, Sports Imports’ mission has been to support volleyball at every level. In 2013, SI was established as USA Volleyball’s official indoor and outdoor net system. As a global leader in volleyball equipment manufacturing, partnering with another community leader, the governing body of volleyball in the United States, was an essential step toward pursuing our mission with greater effect.

For the past decade, Sports Imports and USAV have enjoyed a successful partnership that substantially increases our reach within the volleyball world. Sports Imports equips all USAV events and facilities and has the opportunity to support USAV coaching education efforts at every level.

2022 – The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Sports Imports announced a partnership to support the growth and development of volleyball in the junior college community. As such, Sports Imports became the official volleyball equipment provider supplying custom in-ground net systems with custom association branding for all indoor volleyball national championship events.

2023 – Sports Imports’ President, Danielle Calo, stepped up as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer and led the smooth transition to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Under Danielle’s leadership, we are not just sustaining our success; we’re gearing up for even more growth and innovation.

Danielle’s vision perfectly encapsulates our core values and our unwavering commitment to excellence in every aspect of our operations. She remains dedicated to empowering our incredible team, whose hard work and dedication have been instrumental in shaping our success and harkens back to the trio of visionaries who got it all started.

We remain focused on designing and providing the highest quality volleyball equipment while ensuring the best customer experience. Sports Imports is today among the world’s largest and most highly respected indoor volleyball equipment providers, which is a true testament to the company’s founders and our long-standing commitment to excellence in the industry.