Under Armour helps athletes
Used on the battlefield, football field and inside any athletic arena, Under Armour can be worn and worked out in by just about anyone.
“I like Under Armour,” said Rob Clark, senior studying business. “It is like Mountain Dew. It is a staple of life, it’s a part of me.”
Clark said he uses his Under Armour for virtually everything including mountain biking, running and hunting.
“It keeps me warmer than a T-shirt, it absorbs my sweat and it shows off my muscles,” he said.
The purpose of the clothes, which are usually worn underneath uniforms, is to provide compression and regulate body temperature, according to Under Armour’s Web site, Underarmour.com. The design uses a unique micro fiber that holds body heat in while wicking the moisture off, according to the site.
Initially, the brand only supplied shirts, but it has evolved into an outdoor line that supplies products for every sport imaginable, including parkas, polos, leggings, shirts, camouflage spandex, fleeces, a mountain and cold gear line and a men’s underwear line, all of which can cost anywhere from $20 to $180, said Cory Freeman, senior studying physical therapy.
Some students said they use Under Armour for winter sports.
“I use Under Armour for snowboarding because it cuts down on the draft, keeps me warmer and you don’t get scratched as much,” said Adam Garling, a senior in exercise science.
Paris Thomas, a self-proclaimed exercise enthusiast and senior studying human resources, said she hasn’t seen or heard much about Under Armour but would like to get some for when she heads to the gym.
“I think it makes people look sleeker,” Thomas said.
According to Under Armour’s Web site, the company was founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, because he disliked using cotton t-shirts that were always soaked in sweat. His design was the originator of performance apparel and gear engineered to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout, according to the site.
Shannon Jennings, senior studying history and a former referee for intramural sports, said she wasn’t too sure about what Under Armour was and had never used Under Armour.
“I always just use spandex shorts to work out in instead,” Jennings said.
Freeman, a soldier in the Army Reserve, said, “Even soldiers serving in Iraq wear Under Armour because it protects them from the intense heat and sand. They also wear face masks because they’re flexible and comfortable.”
Under Armour’s logo is the only logo allowed on the outfield doors of the Chicago Cubs baseball field, according to the team’s Web site. Jay Blunk, director of marketing and sales for the Cubs, said Under Armour was the “right fit,” according to the site.
Amy Jeppson, who works at the USU Bookstore and is a senior studying elementary education, said the Bookstore usually has Under Armour with USU insignia on it. Under Armour is also sold at Al’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority.
-keithwilson@cc.usu.edu