The Beginning
Franklin Sports was founded in Brockton, MA in 1946 by brothers Sydney and Irving Franklin. Using discarded scrap leather from local shoe factories, the brothers developed a line of footballs, boxing gloves, basketballs, baseball gloves, and more to provide athletes of all ages with quality athletic equipment.
While much has changed through the years, Franklin Sports continues to operate with one central belief: Sports Make Life Better.
The Breakthrough
In 1984, Franklin Sports made its indelible mark on the landscape of baseball equipment by inventing the Pro Classic, the first-ever baseball batting glove. Designed with the help of Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt, the all-new batting glove quickly became a must-have accessory for hitters across Major League Baseball. To this day, we continue to innovate and develop new PRT protective equipment and batting glove technology for our players as the official batting glove partner of MLB.
The Roster
As we continued to grow, so did our star-studded roster of professional athlete partners. World-class stars like Terry Bradshaw, Sugar Ray Leonard, Bo Jackson, and David Robinson were signed to help bring the Franklin name to every sport and athlete nationwide. Today, Franklin Sports is now an official partner of the MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, NWSL, and other professional leagues as we remain committed to supplying all athletes with the equipment they need to play and compete at their best.
The Present
Now in the third generation of Franklin family leadership, our commitment to our founding principle and capacity for innovation continue to drive Franklin Sports to new heights. With a primary shipping center in Memphis, a Franklin Sports Asia office, and a network of vendor and retail partners in dozens of foreign countries, Franklin Sports is able to spread the joy and competition of sports globally.
The Next Chapter
Franklin Sports continues to position itself at the cutting edge of the ever-changing sporting world. As an early adopter of the fast-growing Pickleball movement and an official partner of USA Pickleball, Franklin produces premium paddles, pickleballs, and other equipment that has cemented us as an industry leader. In 2024, our new line of volleyballs developed with 3x Olympic champion Kerri Walsh Jennings is the official ball of the newly-formed Pro Volleyball Federation league. As we look and work toward the future, we are excited by the possibilities of what is yet to come, and we are eager to continue bringing the Franklin name to new communities of kids, families, and athletes alike.
