Pitch to Pro

Ep. 62 - The Perfect Kit: What Makes a Great Soccer Jersey with Gage Dunson

• Ozark United FC • Season 1 • Episode 62

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The visual identity of a soccer club is more than a commercial asset; it is a direct reflection of local pride and collective memory. When teams rely on generic templates or superficial branding, they miss a critical window to anchor themselves into the cultural fabric of their community. Managing Director Wes Harris sits down with kit collector and analyst Gage Dunson to explore how jersey design serves as a powerful medium for regional storytelling.

We get into the tactical mechanics of building an authentic club brand from the ground up, tracing Dunson’s evolution from a casual viewer to housing a curated collection of 184 jerseys. The conversation covers the distinct creative freedom found within USL design ecosystems compared to MLS constraints, the emergence of localized art deco and landmark patterns, and the logistical realities of international apparel supply chains. Dunson breaks down his unique evaluation framework, detailing why a controversial aesthetic succeeds if it honors local lore, and shares the profound impact of the historic Marshall Islands kit debut right in Northwest Arkansas.

The deeper reality of sports merchandise lies in the grueling friction between commercial scale and cultural authenticity. Developing a garment that resonates across fragmented municipalities requires moving past surface level aesthetics and embracing the specific, sometimes conflicting histories of a region. Listeners will walk away with a functional understanding of how deliberate design choices cultivate deep consumer loyalty and transform standard merchandise into a shared community banner.

If you care about sports business, club branding, and soccer culture, you will get a lot from this episode. Please remember to subscribe to the channel and share this conversation with a fellow fan. We want to know your thoughts in the comments section below: What local landmark or piece of regional history does your club need to feature on its next jersey design?

Welcome To Pitch To Pro

SPEAKER_02

Pitch to Pro is the official podcast of Ozark United FC. This will be our platform to tell our story about the club and the special place that we call home Northwest Arkansas. This is a journey. We want to bring you along for the ride.

SPEAKER_01

We'll share what's going on behind the curtain, help educate the community at large about soccer, our league, and give updates on the progress of the club along the way.

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Together we'll explore and unpack our journey to professional soccer, the magic that is NWA, our community, and talk all things soccer from on the pitch to behind the scenes, telling the story of our club.

Sponsor Spotlight PodcastVideos.com

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Pitch to Pro Podcast is proudly sponsored by PodcastVideos.com. Podcastvideos.com is Northwest Arkansas's premier podcast recording studio. Equipped with industry-leading equipment, the recording studio and services save you time, money, and hassle. They are dedicated to helping you create, record, and publish high-quality podcasts for your audience. Be sure to check them out today at podcastvideos.com.

Meet Gage And His Soccer Origin

SPEAKER_02

Hey everybody, and welcome back to the Pitch the Pro Podcast. I am your host, Wes Harris, Managing Director for Ozark United FC, playing in the United Soccer League. And uh with me today is Mr. Gage Dunson. I am super excited to have you here, sir. And we're gonna dive into the world of kits. I'm so excited. So uh something I'm also passionate about. But welcome to the show, man. Thanks for joining me. Yeah, man. Thanks for having me on. It's an honor to be here.

SPEAKER_00

So thank you all for considering me.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, absolutely. Uh listen, I think, you know, before we dive into uh the kit world, why don't you just tell people just a little bit about you um and then kind of how you found the game. I always I always kind of ask people, how did you find soccer? Um, and how did you get exposed to it? What's kind of your experience with it?

SPEAKER_00

For sure. Uh growing up, I'd only ever really watch soccer just with uh like the U.S. national team playing in the World Cup on TV because Tulsa didn't have a team. Um I'm from Tulsa, Oklahoma. We didn't really have a team until about 2013. We had a semi-pro team come to town and then obviously FC Tulsa in 2015. Um, so it was kind of just definitely not growing up around the game. And then I happened to work for the stadium for the Tulsa Drillers, which is our minor league baseball team. Once we had FC Tulsa come to town, it was like, well, I guess I'm working the games. It's some extra money. And you know, honestly, ended up turning into I found myself watching the game more than I was paying attention to work. And so stuck around ever since, been around in the supporters section pretty much in the decade that's come to follow. So awesome.

SPEAKER_02

I love that. I uh we share uh I don't know if it was your first like official W-2 job, but that was mine as well, was working in a baseball stadium, uh minor league. So uh I was 14. It was great experience. I don't want to do it again, but um right there with you. The schedule was brutal. Um, I mean, you had those 12-day, you know, home stands in a row. You know, I mean, you know the drill. Um, but that's awesome. And and you know, you you have first hand experience with FC Tulsa of, you know, kind of what are we getting ourselves into over here in Northwest, Arkansas.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I I definitely think uh my story is one that I'm hoping to see a lot for you guys over there of like I wasn't exposed to the game because we didn't have a team. And so now um I've been lucky enough to visit Arkansas a couple times the last couple years, both for the Marshall Islands first match. Uh, and I got to go to Little Rock for FC Tulsa's open cup game this year. And it's just really cool to see like you guys have what I wish we had at the time, which is just an excitement for soccer. And it's really cool to see that opportunity for you guys.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I think there's definitely a desire for it, and there's absolutely cult uh soccer culture here, and there are 100% soccer fans and they're super eager. Um, and you know, we're doing everything we can to get this thing rolling. So we're excited, man. And hopefully we get some uh some rivalry games that are real close uh down the road there at uh X Ulsa. I think that'd just be awesome.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Well, it'd be nice for us to have an away day that's shorter than I think it's nine hours, is our shortest away day right now to Louisville or El Paso. So it'll be nice to not have to take a full day of driving to go watch an away game, but yeah, no doubt.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, you've also got um Atletico Dallas come in as well as um what's the other one? Rodeo Soccer Club, Rodeo SC in League One. Um, so I think you know, whether it's Cup Games or League Games between League One or Championship, however, this thing shakes out. And who the heck knows with ProRel and the addition of the Premier League and everything else. But uh I know that we'll have some some matches for sure. Uh that is absolutely uh gonna happen no matter what. So uh love it and love your story. And isn't it great how uh I mean I'm sure that the game has just opened up so many different paths for you um in terms of you know your your your passion for kits, um, but also just relationships and like people that you may otherwise never have met um or stories that you might never have heard, uh like the Marshall Islands or or whatever it is. I mean, that's that's what I love about the the game is it just brings so many different people uh and different communities together. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I with as part of my kit stuff, I have a an Instagram page called Cedar Tell Shirts, which of course is all the everything behind me. Uh, but I definitely agree that's one of my favorite things that's happened through that is like whether I'm buying a jersey and posting a review on it and then suddenly get to meet a bunch of fans online from said team, or uh, I just got back a couple weeks ago from going to Kansas City just to go watch a bunch of little grassroots games and stuff like that. And it's just little stories like that that are like super cool to see. Like, not only is like not only is the game global where everybody has some kind of tie to it, but getting to go see firsthand of like, I got to go see a team that played in a public park that just today uh Kansas City Current, the NWSL team just announced they're doing a free, uh like a free youth league that is totally no cost for the community. It's just being able to

From Hockey Collector To Kit Rack

SPEAKER_00

see like I got to see that story firsthand. It's just that's just the type of stuff I love through this stuff for sure.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no, I a hundred percent agree, man. So, well, let's let's get into some kit stuff. Uh, how did you kind of I mean you found the game later in life, and now you're like a a kit savant. So, how how does that happen?

SPEAKER_00

Uh so it was I honestly grew up uh as a hockey fan, obviously, because of our team. So you can kind of see there's some hockey jerseys in the closet over there. I started as a hockey jersey collector, and that got very expensive very fast because those brand new are like 250 bucks now that have they've only gone up since. But uh it was definitely during uh during COVID I ended up uh moving in with a roommate and moving in with my girlfriend. And um, that ended up becoming a situation of, well, I had jerseys and I have nothing to do because it's COVID and it just is what it is. So I was able to find a bunch of resale sites of people selling like MLS shirts for like 30, 40 bucks trying to make some money. And it and it's one of those of it very much she bought me a clothing rack and said, Okay, fill it up if you want. I said, All right, that's a challenge. I'll take that. And so sure enough, just ended up buying a whole bunch of jerseys and now it's expanded into my long-term goal is I want one jersey from every team in the championship and leak one. I've still got a little bit of a ways to go, especially with all these crazy new jerseys that are releasing nowadays that you want, but you also don't want to drop $100 every week. But you know, it is what it is. Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.

SPEAKER_02

Uh, hopefully we add to that collection as well. Um absolutely. But uh that's really cool, man. I mean, challenge accepted, right? Like here's here's the clothing, here's a here's a clothing rack, and and let's fill it up and see what we can do. How many can I fit on this thing?

SPEAKER_00

Right. Well, I mean, I just had to expand the second one on the left side back there because the actual rack that I'd had from the beginning finally snapped after a couple years. So it's definitely a we learned how many that one can hold, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you you uh limit limit exceeded. Um apparently the limit does exist. Uh uh 10 points for anybody who can do that movie reference. Anyway, uh what was your let's let's say uh tell me this. What was your first like official soccer kit that you purchased for your collection?

SPEAKER_00

Um goodness. I I know for sure. Okay, yes, I have to I had to remember for a second. I can actually grab them if you want. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'd love to see it. My first jersey I ever purchased myself was this was our 2018 third kit for the then Tulsa Roughnecks. Um I remember we had rumors of this one was coming, and I literally snuck down to the team store during work to go buy this one. But that was the first one I'd actually purchased for myself. But I can't also, my first jersey I ever or I ever was gifted was my mom and my grandma gifted me this one for my birthday, like many, many eons ago, like 2014, I think it was. Okay, sounds yeah. They just they knew I was a fan and they were like, well, you better have a jersey if he's a fan, and they just surprise me with this one.

SPEAKER_02

So oh, that's great. That's awesome. How many, how many soccer kits are you up to now?

SPEAKER_00

I last count was 184. So it's been a it's been quite a few up there for sure.

SPEAKER_02

And are there are the majority of them, what would you say majority of them are like in in terms of like league?

SPEAKER_00

Uh most of them are probably gonna be USL now. That entire top left is all different, uh like USL 2, USL 1. There's a couple W League and Super League up there. Uh, I think that's kind of what I'm majorly majority going for now, just because I love what the USL is and what it means to communities. And so I just think it's cool to have the opportunity to every jersey tell some kind of story, is my philosophy. So it's being able to learn more about other communities and other cultures, like through just the jerseys their team releases.

SPEAKER_02

So double double click on that for me a little bit. Um, in terms of what you see and you know, as you're looking at these kits, you're to your point, they tell a story, right? And and they tell stories about if they're done well,

First Kits And Building A Collection

SPEAKER_02

a lot of the time they tell stories about the community that they that they represent, that they are are playing for, um, as well as the club themselves and their history. But usually, you know, a lot of times they try to connect it to either landmarks or some history or or somewhere in there. Like tell some, tell some of your favorite stories, I guess, in terms of what you, I mean, you just kind of hit on it, like that's that's what you like about USL and how much much how much they mean to community um in their communities. If you could just kind of go in a little bit more there in terms of like, what do you what do you find, what do you see, and and and what uh what would what what is it about those clubs and those jerseys that makes you say something like that?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, uh it's nothing against the MLS. I just definitely feel like you've got clubs like, say, for example, SC Dallas, that they have to represent so much of that community that they're so broad it has to be, versus, for example, say like Tulsa. We're not necessarily representing all of Oklahoma, even though we are technically the only professional club right now. Sorry, Oklahoma City. But uh it's definitely just nice to have jerseys that we can release that it's like this means something to our city specifically. Like both of our jerseys this last year, uh, we did a lot of like our deco theming with like the marble, and uh there's definitely like our awake at like a specific design that was meant to represent like our skyscrapers and stuff, uh, which both represented kind of like you know, the black gold of the oil boom of like that's the reason Tulsa exists, is the fact that you know we were a city that was when they found oil here, okay, everybody came here and they live here now. And so it's just nice to have jerseys like that that represent like this is the growth our city came to because of said thing, and we're continuing to grow now. I mean, even many of our suburbs are still growing, and Tulsa's just growing year by year. So just different jerseys and stuff like that. And then I also love when they do like cool landmarks and stuff like that. Uh, a good example of that is the uh Spokane Velocity, for example, this year I can grab that one too. But um I feel like it's gonna be a lot of cardio today of grabbing stuff. But yeah, Spokane Velocity did a jersey this year that this is not only just a really cool geometric pattern, but this is actually pulled from a concert venue they have in the middle of their like pavilion in the middle of their town. This is like a big lighting fixture that goes up as kind of like a circus top canopy over the top and stuff like that. So really cool. Being able to have stories that are not only like reminiscent of specific landmarks, but also like the culture of your city and things like that. I just I always love looking for cool things like that. I my opinion is there's no such thing as a bad kit as long as it means something. Like it means something to the community

Why USL Kits Feel More Local

SPEAKER_00

or means something to the people. Like I could look at a jersey all day long and say, I don't know that I like the design, but as long as it stands for something, I don't think it's a bad kit by any means.

SPEAKER_02

So and I think I think that's um that's such a cool approach to it, too. Um, you know, like I think the same might be able to be said for like crests as well, like and the badge. Um, if done well, they should tell a story, they should have meaning behind them, and most of them do, right? And and if you're doing it right, like you need to create a brand that means something to the people that you're serving. So absolutely they should be involved uh in that process and tell you whether or not it does. Um, and so hopefully, you know, you create something that is something that they want to wear and and you know are proud of. So uh I think the same is is kind of goes into that same process of developing and designing the kits, is trying to understand what connects people to the area, right? Um and what are they passionate about and finding a unique way to bring that to life um, you know, in the kit design. So I I love that. Do you have? Let me ask you this. Do you have out of 184? This is gonna be a tough one. You probably get asked this, so maybe you do have it like ready. What's your favorite?

SPEAKER_00

Uh it's it is a Tulsa one, so it is a little bit of a bias, but hey, no judgment. It is another one that definitely ties into like our local community and different stories and such. So I grew up of Native American descent. My entire dad's side of my family is Muscobe Creek. And this is one that they partnered with a local Muscobe Creek artist. It's like all the actual scissor tails on the shirt, not only for our being our state bird, this is like the traditional ribbon art you would see at a lot of our powwows and such. And so it's just this to me was the epitome of it's all of our club colors. It's like something that means a lot to maybe a specific subset of people from our community, but many people of around our area have native descent. Uh so just uh an iconography, both of our state and our city, as well as something that means something to my culture specifically. 100%, this is easily my favorite, but not only in our club history, but like that I've seen in a long time. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02

No, it's great. I'm I'm I was I was uh I'm sure it was hard, or or sometimes it isn't hard, right? Like when it's just right, boom and it speaks to you. Uh but I'm sure you get asked that all the time. So I'm sure you had it on deck.

SPEAKER_00

Um I actually got asked that for the first time on um shout out to the the outside's green country vivo podcast for Epsy Tulsa supporters, and they had me on and they put me on the spot, and I immediately was like, Oh, I can't even think of it. And then as soon as I looked at it, I was like, okay, that was the obvious answer. I didn't, I shouldn't have had to think about that.

SPEAKER_02

But yeah, yeah. It's it's funny how that works sometimes, right? But right. Um do you know how many? Uh I mean, you travel quite a bit, it sounds like. So how many, uh, if you know, how many how many soccer stadiums or cities have you been to?

SPEAKER_00

Do you know? Uh unfortunately not as many as I would like to, just because, as I've mentioned kind of kind of before on other other podcasts as well as on my Instagram, Tulsa's kind of isolated in terms of like, for example, my closest MLS stadium is either four hours south to Dallas, or it's four hours up to Kansas City. Um I have yet to go to a USL away day other than uh the Little Rock game, just because everything is so far for us and such. So a lot of it has been I've been up to Kansas City a bunch of times, trying to just explore the clubs up there. Um I'm actually supposed to be going to Texas this next week to see my first soccer game down there for Texoma FC. Um I'm I'm definitely trying to branch out more this year because now they've kind of got some uh adult money and like learning to actually save and budget and stuff like that. So I've I'm definitely hoping to travel more this year, I think I ever have, and I'm hoping that goes further in the future. But for it's a lot of local stuff for me right now.

SPEAKER_02

But yeah, no, that that's fair. And I think it's it's fun, you know, to be able to experience the game in in different markets and different teams and experience that different culture. And um, it's a ton of fun. So I love that you know, you try to get around when you can, uh, because you know it's just great to be able to experience that. Um I guess what what are you seeing in terms of are there are there any cool trends or or things that you're seeing shift uh in in kits uh in their in their design and what you're seeing, maybe not, I mean, not just in USL, I would say just kind of globally. Um as you look and study, obviously, you know, you really, really pay attention and hone in on this space. Is there anything you're you're seeing um that either you like, dislike, or or is just kind of meh? Doesn't matter, but something you're seeing that's kind of emerging as a a theme.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I one thing I do really like, especially in like the USL space where we have the smaller, not necessarily like smaller clubs in a bad way, but like the clubs that are more centralized to a local community, is I feel like we're seeing a lot more creative swings in that they're they're not afraid to be like, okay, I have to keep this kind of clean. I have to stick to like one kind of design pattern. We're definitely seeing a lot more this year, uh, especially with a lot of the Hunger North America kits that we're seeing, where I really feel like we're getting some really cool artwork and creative designs out there. Um in my opinion, that almost makes it look better by comparison when you have the clubs that do keep your kind of cleaner designs, such as like, you know, your Portland Hearts of Pines, uh the Las Vegas this year, for example, that like you're seeing clubs that now that they have clean designs, they're sticking out more because there's now such a broad spectrum of different designs and ideas around the nation and around the league. Um, I feel like I'm seeing a little bit of that uh in the European game as well. I'll admit I'm not super versed with a lot of European stuff. I I've stayed mostly centralized to the United States and kind of international soccer uh in terms of like the countries. Um, but definitely we're really seeing a big wide range of shirts that are really going out there with designs. Uh San Francisco City was a good example of that last year. There's a USL2 club called Salem City this year. They literally just told an artist, like, make a whole bunch of doodles or we're gonna put it on a shirt. And stuff like that is the stuff that I really, really into. Sorry about that. Oh no, you're fine.

SPEAKER_02

Um gotta protect the kit collection, man. So um have you done much on like kit history and and how that's evolved, or is it a little bit more of like a collector story? Like tell me a little bit more about kind of how how involved you get into like kits um and and within that space where you try to focus.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I I know for sure right now a lot of it is just kind of a lot of the stories I like to tell are kind of just about the individual shirt uh more than the club history as a whole. I would love to dive into that with some clubs, say, for example, like Charleston Battery, who are like the longest, I believe they are the longest running American soccer club in terms of like continuous currently. Um nice. But I would love to be able to go more in the history of like individual clubs and stuff like that in the future. Um, but for right now, it's for me, it's a lot more of like this is what this shirt means, and this maybe ties into a specific story from their history and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02

But I mean, it's a little bit different. I mean, from your perspective, would you say that the kits in soccer are and and how you know their their role, I guess, that

A Favorite Kit With Deep Meaning

SPEAKER_02

they they have with the fans and the community? Is it is it different than other sports? Um, you know what it like it I just feel like there's that little bit something different and extra, and maybe it's just my opinion because like I know you still are gonna buy, you know, everybody's still gonna buy the jersey that you know, their favorite player or whatever for their favorite team for the NFL or MLB. Um, I mean, you see it all the time. Hockey, like to your point. Um, I'm a Caps fan, so like I have Ovechkin, I have, you know, I have others, Tom Wilson, like, you know, um I I don't know. Uh just a quick thought that that popped into my head there. Like, talk a little bit about what you see differently in terms of what they mean.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I I to me have always seen it as every year for a lot of these teams is a chance to tell a new story about your state or your city's history or your community. Um, whereas a lot of not to not, like, say, for example, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who, of course, are my NBA team here, but they've stuck to a pretty traditional design, and then every now and again have a third journey that means something really cool. Like they've got a cool Made American themed one this year. There was the first city edition that I think was the Oklahoma City bombing memorial, where it had the like the golden arch from like the different chairs in the memorial field. And I think it's just one of those where soccer, we've got something really cool here of, like I said, because you do have a common identity. Like, say for example, you Manchester United. It's always red and it's always white. There's always something to do there where you can keep that identity, but you can also explore something new every year. For like Tulsa, we went through a year or two there where we really went in on the patina green kind of colors and stuff like that. But for the most part, we've really stuck to either like a black and gold or a black and white. Um, there is something that can be told through every shirt while still maintaining your visual identity without having to stick to the same kind of traditional. Um, like for hockey, I'm an Anaheim Ducks fan. We went through the same little like D foot logo for what, a decade and a half there or something like that. Versus like it it's so traditional that you have to stick with that. Every now and again you get a third jersey, but like versus soccer, we can do something new every single year while still keeping that visual identity and still tying into the community. I think is something that makes that really, really cool for us. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

No, I I I would agree. And I think that that also then comes with like, oh my gosh, I have to have that one, you know. Yeah. That would have been where, you know, I haven't bought a new uh, you know, Caps jersey in I don't know, eight years or something like that. You know, right. So um but I I I had a thought. Uh what I guess would you say advice for people oh, I know what I was gonna say. I have two things. One advice for people that are looking to develop a new kit for their club. One. Uh, but first before that, do you have a favorite kit designer?

SPEAKER_00

Uh I don't know that I have a specific artist, but right now, in terms of manufacturer, I'm really loving what Hummel North America and Charlie are both bringing to the table. So um, if I'm not mistaken, you guys still have Charlie as a possible kit manufacturer there. So I've I've really been excited to see them kind of stepping into this space and really going for the idea of, well, we're new here, so we have to go for something creative and cool. And so a lot of their kits from this last year have been incredible. And then Hummel North America, now with them having a North American branch now that I believe they're based in Wisconsin, it's been cool to see that now that we don't have the turnaround of, okay, you got to take your kit, you got to ship it off to England, and they ship, they get it all taken care of in Denmark and then they ship it back. Versus now here in the States, I know for Tulsa especially, uh, I was very excited when we signed on with Hummel to be able to be like, hey, like we have this design that we want to do. And they're like, cool, we can have that turned around in like six months, which obviously I don't know exactly all the ins and outs of what goes into that, but it's not like Rabbiter to prepare a kid two years in advance to get through all of everybody's going to England and everybody's coming back.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that pro that process is uh

Design Trends And Favorite Manufacturers

SPEAKER_02

is is wild, uh, by the way. Uh and yes, you're correct. We we are uh a Charlie Club at the moment. So um uh we're excited about, you know, for the same reasons that you kind of shared, you know, they've they've produced some incredible kits uh with input from their clubs as well. So uh but if you were to go back, like uh if you had advice for folks designing, you know, a kit today, uh whether it's a new club like us or um you know an existing club doesn't matter, you know, what what advice would you give them?

SPEAKER_00

I feel like, and this is just my take personally, because I know there's different, you know, different opinions from everybody, but I think if you can find something from your community, whether that be some kind of like local lore or history or like a landmark, like find something that means something to your city if you're not from said city and really, really tie into that. Uh like uh the biggest example I've seen of this that I really, really love lately has been Portland Hearts of Pine, with that they did that bandit kit that was all the little polka dot hearts. And for me, that was cool to be like, oh, I'm not from Portland, but I know that this means something to them. So what can I figure out about it? And you go in and you look, and it's a very traditional design that I I cannot remember off the top of my head who it was pulled from, but they said it was a traditional design. They they'd been an homage to the past. But those purple hearts or the the pink hearts, red hearts, sorry, are a tie to uh they had they have somebody that goes around every Valentine's Day and he puts up all sorts of hearts around the town, and just that's such a cool story that like you can find something that can tie into both the traditional like visual identity of said club, but also just find a story to tell through said shirt. Because it's cool to be like to represent two people outside of the community. Like for me, example, I love being the guy that I'm just a guy from Oklahoma, but I love learning about all of these communities around the country just through the shirt. Like I can learn something new about every team on the rack and every city on the rack because of something I've been told through the shirt. And that's what I absolutely love.

SPEAKER_02

That's awesome, man. I think uh that's really cool. And in in that space, in that vein, uh one last jersey that I guess I'll ask you to show is maybe what is like what is one that is maybe the furthest away from you um, like geographically. You just talked about, and maybe it's the Marshall Islands. I don't know if you have one, but um yeah, unfortunately, I need to. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know a guy. Um but uh you just talked about being able to connect and and learn stories about communities that are so you know outside of Oklahoma or wherever you're from. What would you say is your is one that's probably the furthest from you?

SPEAKER_00

Uh in terms of distance from me, and I definitely it will tie into like international soccer for sure. But it is one that thankfully I was kind of familiar with, but it is a story that I do love. Uh it was we have the the Belgium kit from the uh World Cup this last year, which I on like on first glance, I remember looking at this, and I'm like, man, if I didn't know anything about Belgium, I would just immediately assume, well, it's supposed to be red because they're the Red Devils and everything. But it actually is a tie to a huge music festival they have there every year called Tomorrowland. And it's just that to me is such a cool it's people from all over the world coming together just to experience music together, for example. And it's just the the unity of that, I think, is just a cool story that they were able to tell through this shirt. Um, unfortunately, I don't think this one this was one of the few that did end up actually getting worn in the tournament, but it's just definitely that's one of my favorite stories they were able to tell through the shirt, even if it didn't actually feature on the field. Um geographically, yes, I have never been to Belgium. I don't know when I will be going to Belgium eventually, but just in terms of geographic, that was like that's just it's a whole other country, another continent away that tells a story that granted, I grew up listening to dance music, I've watched the live stream for years. So it's like I I feel connected to this even though I've never been there. And stuff like that has stuck this cool to me.

SPEAKER_02

No, that's awesome. Belgium is gorgeous. Uh, 10 out of 10, can recommend. Um, and uh great people, great food, great uh culture and and architecture and history, and it's just it's awesome.

National Team Kits Before The World Cup

SPEAKER_02

Um, but that's a really nice segue into you know, we obviously have just a uh a small, you know, global soccer tournament event being co-hosted by the US uh and Canada and Mexico this this uh this summer, actually, in what is it like three weeks? Um at least at the time of this recording. So um let's dive into national team kits. So you just talked a little bit about that. What do you see that like differs, I guess, from you know what's different about a national team kit than a club kit in in your from your view?

SPEAKER_00

I know that a lot, but because then it also is a lot more of the real traditional designs. Like you watch, you watch Brazil, you know they're gonna come out with some kind of yellow kit, but it's how can they innovate upon that every year? There's like the the US, we have our Stars and Stripes kit this year. It's like, okay, you knew it was gonna be red, white, and blue, but like what story and how are we gonna tell it? Like that kind of stuff. Um, and so I just I love for a lot of these countries you get these real kind of out there designs on the away kit, because it's like, okay, well, the home kit has to be traditional. So the away kit, we can go absolutely wild. Like going back to Belgium, their jersey this year is like it's a tie to like a famous painter. Um I don't remember his name offhand, unfortunately, but he is like an artist that had a whole uh whole thing of like, this is not a blank, whichever, whatever the painting was at the time. So like for them, they're saying this year is this is not a shirt, because it's like it means something more than that is the story they're trying to tell. And it's it's a very out there design. You either love it or you hate it, I think. But it's I love things like that where they're trying to again tell something about their community and their own story through something that it just it's so mundane as just a shirt, but they're able to tell something crazy both through the traditional shirt from the home shirt and then just something absolutely wild if they choose to go that route with the away shirt.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. No, I think that's awesome. And um, you know, it actually reminds me of how do you, you

Marshall Islands Kit Story And Impact

SPEAKER_02

know, more than a shirt and what does it mean to the community? Um, I will give a shout out to the Marshall Islands. I know we've talked about them a little bit here, but they had the uh the no home kit, uh, which was I had never seen before, ever. Um I it it thought doesn't even occur to some like you know, but when it happens, you're like, oh my goodness, and the connection and the story that it tells. And you know, for for the people that don't know, it's um a kit that was intentionally designed over time to break down and like fall apart, and it's supposed to represent the you know climate crisis and you know the the uh challenges that face the Marshallese people where you know they could literally lose their country due to rising sea levels uh if we continue on the current trajectory. And so just like their home is disappearing, you know, an inch at a time, uh so too does the jersey in the kit. So that was such a unique um way to tell that story through the kit. Uh and I give a lot of credit to those guys for coming up with that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00

And I mean, their whole story was absolutely incredible. It's one of those of you know, being in Oklahoma, I'm always looking for opportunities to go watch soccer. And um, my good friend uh Tom Franklin, the soccer zombie on YouTube, he uh was actually with Copa 90 to do a piece on that match. And he had told me about it. He's like, this is close to you. Would you consider going? It's like I I again I had the response a lot of people had of why are the Marshall Islands playing in Arkansas? Like I didn't know the story or anything. And again, the more that you can dive in and learn about this is the history of these people, and it speaks to their resilience and their strength as a community that now like they're how many miles away from their home, but they're all able to come together through through a soccer match, frankly. It's that at the end of the day, it was just a soccer game on paper, but it just meant so much to the community that it was really incredible to be there and see that. And like I I'm not a member of this community, but I feel so welcomed into it based off what I'm seeing in this moment. And just the more I read about the story and the more I learned about it, is like you guys have been through so much as a people and as a community that it's incredible to have an opportunity like this through something as mundane as sport, to to have the opportunity to come together again like that. And I I still think that's one of the coolest stories I've I've ever been able to bear witness to, just to go see. Like I covering it does not feel like the right term because I did go out and I made a couple videos on it, but it was just it was an experience that's it's something like that that like I I can't put into words what that meant to me and of my proxy what that meant to them, just to get to see that. It was really cool.

SPEAKER_02

Uh to your point, like how many, how many times does someone get to say that they were a part of or witnessed or experienced a country's first ever official international match? Like it doesn't in my in my lifetime, I've not heard of another one, um, even though that that very well may be possible and somebody will come at me in the comments. But um, it was the first one I had for sure ever heard of. Um and and obviously then thereby definitely witnessed and got to experience. But I mean that that opportunity just doesn't come around. Um, and so to have that happen right here in the backyard and and you know, be able to somewhat help them out a little bit um and and be a part of that, have our U19s, uh our Academy players be a part of that tournament uh was just incredible. I mean, the experience for those guys as well, those players uh all officially like FIFA cap now. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It's actually one of I didn't end up getting to post it online, but I'll I may have to post it now that we're revisiting to this. One of my favorite videos I've I've ever gotten was I happened to be right behind the whole crew of all the U19 kids or uh the United Team kids are on the field, all the Else Academy kids like ran down to the gate on the fence, like right next to the penalty. And I happened to be right behind, and you watch them all just explode and start screaming and yelling once that that penalty went in. Um obviously the the result was a crazy one in that game, but that was just again one of my favorite moments of it, just speaks to the it speaks to the volumes of what you guys are building there right now, of like giving that opportunity to to Arkansas. And for us, like I've been able to watch Tulsa have opportunities like that through the years. We've grown more clubs, and it just to me was so cool to again. I felt like I was a a witness to something that's bigger than myself and bigger than that moment of getting to see it's like this is just the start of what you guys are building. I think that's really, really sick. All together, all in one go. Both matches I got to see that night were like, I'm seeing the beginning of something incredible to two completely different communities that are now also so insanely intertwined at the same time. And that's just such a cool story to get to see.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I love that that the way you put that. And uh, you know, it's it's it's good for us to remember, good for me to hear. You know, you get so mired down in the in the everyday that you know it it is something just incredibly special to be able to be a part of and and to try to build. Um, it's definitely the hardest thing I've done in my life, uh, but it's also been the most rewarding. Um and and I've learned the most from. And so it's just been an incredible journey. And and to your point, it's just

The Challenge Of Representing Northwest Arkansas

SPEAKER_02

even more uh what is it, even more um content and material to draw from as you think about what should our first kit be? What should, you know, and who who do we incorporate and include in that? There's so much there. Um, and NWA is a tough one because it's it's an amalgamation of so many different people in towns um that you know there's there's some things that are really cool, uh, like historical things, landmarks, whatever, people, movements, uh, you know, et cetera. Um, but it may be something that's tied to just one of the towns or the cities uh that they that they feel like they can claim and like the others may not feel that affinity for. And so when you get into something like that, that I mean, that was a big struggle for us in the in the branding process, to be honest, um, and the naming process. Uh and that's why people, you know, a lot of the focus groups and and the surveys that we did came back with, you know, whatever it is, it needs to be united because um this is something that is going to unite the region. Yes, we all kind of play well-ish in the sandbox, but there's also that kind of inner city rivalry, like Benton barrel versus Favel, Benton Barrel versus Rogers, like whatever it is. Um, and this is gonna be something that you know unites those communities. And so I think that's gonna be that, but it's a fun, it's a fun challenge, right? Uh, to to could to develop a name in a crest, to develop a kit that's hopefully gonna be representative of you know something that people can tie back to for the whole region. But anyway, our work's cut out for us for sure. Yeah, for sure. But uh you back to Belgium. There was a really nice dovetail into you know this tournament we have coming up here. What is your I guess maybe it's that Belgium kit, but do you have a country or a kit that that internationally has been your favorite or you know consistently comes out with just absolutely sick kits? Like, oh my gosh, I would buy 10 of them.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I I honestly feel like my number one contender for that lately has been South Korea. Um, they had that really cool uh all blacked out away kit that also had like this uh it almost looked like flames kind of like flickering off of something. Um this year's is really cool because it's a it's a purple that's a tie to, if I remember correctly, it's like their national flower. So it's like this really like purple, pink kind of orchid looking design. But then they also stick with uh their, if I remember, it's like the red tigers or red lions or something like that. There is something that is so explicitly tied into the home shirts. Like this year is very much like a tiger stripe design coming down the front of the shirt. And they've got that the badge that of course is the I believe it's I believe it's a lion, if I'm not mistaken. I could be horrifically wrong. I'm sorry, but it's again, they're intrinsically tying to that identity through the home shirt, but also the wagers. He just feels like they do something absolutely insane. And I'm like, how did I not think of that every time they do it? And I'm like, that's such a cool idea that I cannot believe you haven't done yet, but they just keep doing it every time, is what it feels like to me.

SPEAKER_02

I love that, man. I uh I feel like I hear a good amount, like Nigeria, you know, a good amount of the Nigeria is just they they every time they drop just oh chef's kiss. Like it's so cool, but I love hearing something different like that that is, you know, a unique perspective and really cool. And to your point, I just the really awesome things that I just love, and I think this is just kind of the full circle moment about what we talked about, is is the stories they tell. Um like that's that's that's why you you get involved in in the kit space. That's why it it means something, that's why you have 184 of them. Um so I just I love that you have that canvas to be able to to tell that story and and it's another, you know, this could be a whole other episode, but um the the the dangers and the things that are at risk of uh the reduction in in emphasis on the arts, right? And and storytelling. Um you start to lose people that are able to do that, um, and and have that skill set. So uh it's important for so many things uh in our in our lives and and different facets, but this is just one of them in the world of soccer.

Where To Follow ScissorTale Shirts

SPEAKER_02

So uh we'll gauge man, this has been so much fun to kind of dive into the kit world for you uh and understand your journey. And, you know, kudos to you for you know finding the game and really just immersing yourself in it um and being able to find that that niche that's just speaks to you and and is fun uh for you and and also the work you do on educating everybody, uh, you know, and and what's going on in the kit world. So for those that want uh to you know check out more on Gage and his stories, you know, where where can they find you, bud?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, uh I'm on Instagram at ScissorTale Shirts, uh the Scissortail, of course, being the name of the our steak bird, and that ties into, I feel like me and my club and where I represent where I come from, and then the shirts obviously being the jerseys, the the other name for kits and such. Um I am also starting up a YouTube where hopefully um I do have a project I'm working on right now where I'm hoping to go through every home away third kit for like the championship, league one, uh as many League Two clubs as I can find, where again, I'd love to be able to just tell more stories that maybe if you're not as into the space as I am, which I am a little bit maybe too far sometimes, but just to learn things about, again, teams and cities you may not have heard of or you haven't taken the time to learn, I'd I'd love to be able to do that long form on my YouTube here pretty soon. Um for now it's just Instagram and it's a whole lot of like actual match content from FC Tulsa, but I'm sure I'll be diving back into that here pretty soon. So either of those two places are probably the best places to find me.

SPEAKER_02

Awesome, man. Well, be sure to go check him out and uh you know learn some more about the world of kits and everything that they represent. So, Gage, thank you again, man, for joining me. I really appreciate it. Uh, that's gonna do it for this episode. Thank you guys for tuning in for this uh edition of Pitch to Pro. Hope you enjoyed it. And be sure to add to pitchtopro.com or Apple, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts uh for more content. Follow us at PitchThePro on all major platforms, check out some previous episodes. Until next time, Northwest Arkansas, cheers.

SPEAKER_01

Thanks for joining us on this episode of the Pitch the Pro podcast. Be sure to tune in again in two weeks for the next installment and check out the Stoppage Time series for a recap of today's episode. Be sure to find us at Pitch the Pro on YouTube, Instagram, and everywhere you get your podcasts. Until next time, Northwest Arkansas, cheers.