It Began On The Gridiron

It began on the gridiron. Battle Mountain High School had endured its second consecutive winless season in 2003, but there was a sense that things were about to change. Pat Engle, a crooked-ankled former All-American from Otterbein College in Ohio, brought his hard-nosed work ethic to the small, Colorado mountain town and pledged to build a winning program, brick by brick. In 2004, Jason Sedlak, a former linebacker at the United States Military Academy and a proud combat veteran who served in Iraq, was hired to run the defense. The following year, Jeff Whitaker moved to the area after graduating from the University of Florida where he played quarterback and kicker for the Gators. Pat brought Jeff in to run the offense, and the foundation had been laid.

In 2006, just 2 years removed from a 25-game losing streak, the Battle Mountain Huskies reached as high as #8 in the statewide polls and finished the season with the school’s best record in over a decade.

In the fall of 2005, Pat, Jason and Jeff got together to tackle a new challenge. An investor had presented them with a way to bring high-quality custom headwear to consumers at nearly half the standard industry price. By skipping the ‘middle men’ commonly associated with custom apparel, the coaches could offer their peers a groundbreaking alternative to high-priced retailers and distributors. They provided a one-on-one personal experience which not only gave the consumer total control in the design process, but saved hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

They began exhibiting the headwear at coaching clinics. Calls and emails went out to friends and acquaintances in the coaching fraternity. GatorGear, as the newly-formed business would be called, would be built the only way these coaches knew how…brick by brick.

As word of GatorGear began to grow nationwide, other juggernauts in the realm of high school athletics began to take notice. In 2009, GatorGear formed a partnership to become the official headwear supplier of maxpreps.com, the nation’s premiere online source for High School Athletics. Later that year, a deal was struck to team up with the Frank Glazier MEGA Coaching Clinic circuit, the largest coaching clinic organization in the country. Hundreds of schools and youth organizations in over 35 states put their trust in GatorGear to be their headwear provider.

Businesses and organizations, big and small, began flocking to GatorGear for their hats and visors. Nowhere else could they find the service, quality and price offered by GatorGear.

In December of 2009, we at GatorGear launched our new brand logo and website, and with it a renewed pledge to each and every one of our clients. We will embrace our relationship with each of you with the same tenacity, perseverance and loyalty that we show our players on the field. You will receive service that is worthy of your business or team’s hard-earned dollars. No extra fees. No questions asked. We’ll build your hat in your image, exactly how you want it…brick by brick. Give GatorGear the privilege to team up with your program today.