SPALDING NAMES HEDGPETH DIRECTOR OF BRANDING AND LICENSING

SPRINGFIELD, MA (February 20, 2007) — Spalding, the world's leader in basketball equipment, has promoted Christy Hedgpeth to Director of Branding and Licensing. Hedgpeth will be responsible for brand consistency across all of the Spalding businesses and will also manage existing licensees, establish new licensing partnerships with strategically aligned companies, and manage the new initiative of licensing patented technologies.

Hedgpeth joined Spalding in January 2005 as senior manager of basketball marketing. In her previous role she was responsible for marketing and product management related to the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).

"Christy is a seasoned marketing professional whose knowledge and passion for the game of basketball have played an integral role in our growth the past two years," stated Dan Touhey, vice president of marketing. "She is a natural leader with high standards and a commitment to excellence and we'll look to Christy to maximize our branding and licensing initiatives."

Hedgpeth, quite experienced with Spalding's strongest category, basketball, played for nationally recognized Stanford University before playing professionally for the American Basketball League. At Stanford, she played in two Final Fours (1991, 1992) including the 1992 NCAA Basketball Championship which Stanford won. In addition to earning All Pac-10 Team honors and her team's Most Inspirational Player Award in 1994, Hedgpeth was nominated for an ESPN ESPY Award in 1993. She was a Pac-10 All-Academic selection from 1992 -1994 and served as team captain in 1994.

Professionally, Hedgpeth earned one of 80 roster spots in the ABL's inaugural season (1996) and played for the Seattle franchise until 1998, after serving as manager of the ABL's player development during the league's startup phase. She is a 1994 graduate of Stanford University and earned an MBA from Duke University in 2001.

About Spalding
A Division of Russell Corporation, the Spalding Group consists of three business units: Spalding in Springfield, MA; American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) in Jefferson, IA; and Spalding Backboards in Sussex, WI. The three companies, collectively combined, are the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world. Spalding is the official basketball of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the official backboard of the NBA and NCAA, the official volleyball of the King of the Beach Volleyball Tour and the official football of the Arena Football League (AFL) and Pop Warner. In addition to being the leading producer and marketer of basketballs, footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls, Springfield, MA-based Spalding produces softballs under the Dudley brand. For more information, visit www.spalding.com.

Media Inquiries: Contact Lynn Luczkowski, 413-478-1569 or lluczkowski@spalding.com