How Crimson Cliffs baseball player Jaiven Ross balances school, sports and running a business
As Jaiven Ross and his dad, Kevin, started traveling for summer baseball, the costs of gear, travel, and lodging expenses, came to the forefront, as it does for a lot of families trying to let their kids live out their dreams.
For a then-12-year-old Ross, his dad, Kevin started brainstorming ways to save money along the way.
The two eventually landed on an idea to reduce the costs not only for themselves but also for other area kids who want to play America’s pastime outside of the spring season.
“Travel ball expenses, they're a lot," Jaiven said. "Traveling on the road, having to buy all the gear. Bats break and you have to go through cleats every season. We know how expensive it gets.”
To offset the costs of summer ball, Ross started reaching out to gear suppliers for deals on bats, gloves and whatever else they were willing to part with, to resell the items at a discounted price.
“So, when I was younger, reaching out to all these big companies, they don’t reach out back, so it takes time,” Ross said. “Eventually, I reached out to Wilson to get a sponsor from them. With Wilson, you get DeMarini and Easton.”
Over time, more brands such as Baseball Lifestyle, Frost Gear and Smacker Bats all started sponsoring SkoreBats and paying for sponsorships on social media websites like Instagram and TikTok.
The companies more geared towards baseball fashion instead of bats and gloves will sometimes send Ross items for free.
Places like Dick’s Sporting Goods and others gave Ross 25% to 40% off gear to resell at a lower value.
“I just wanted to make it cheaper for other kids in the baseball family,” said Ross.
Having a parent with who owns an ad agency to learn from certainly helped Ross, who says none of the work they do would be possible without his dad.
“It’s just good to see the things he’ll learn during the process,” said Kevin. “Negotiating and networking with people and being able to communicate with different companies. I live in a networking world so it’s just something I always hoped that he would learn, too.”
“The main thing I’ve learned is that it takes consistency, and it takes time,” said the younger Ross. “You just have to stay dedicated to it. Without that, I wouldn’t be where I am, and the company wouldn’t be where it is right now.”
As something that started as a local gig, the Rosses estimate just 25% of their customers now come from the St. George area.
A lot of the clients are younger kids in Little League, and even high school kids, including teammates, have asked if he can get them discounts on certain items.
Ross said he remembers the excitement of getting a new bat and that seeing the faces on the kids who stop by a get one at a discount is priceless.
Ross said the impact of what he was doing really hit when SkoreBats reached over 10,000 followers on Instagram and got over 1 million views on a Facebook bat review.
When Ross is in school, his dad runs the social media accounts.
Travel costs continue to rise across the United States in all sports, not just baseball.
Average costs to play summer baseball and AAU basketball can be anywhere from $500 to a few thousand dollars per year, not including equipment costs or travel expenses.
The costs and notoriety of travel football 7-on-7 teams have begun to skyrocket.
Ross’ father says families can spend anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 per year when travel seasons are completed.
Those numbers reach even higher totals for kids who play and excel in more than one sport.
Ross currently finds himself in the middle of the summer ball season, traveling down to Arizona last week and has plans to travel to Georgia next month for a showcase in hopes of playing at the collegiate level.
Now, as a rising senior on the Crimson Cliffs baseball team, was an integral part of the Mustangs’ state championship this past spring, despite being limited to just two innings in the state tournament due to a back injury suffered in April.
“I think as a team we all knew that we couldn’t give up,” said Ross. “We had to do it for our seniors, and we were just a family. That was our quote all year long.”
Ross has learned to balance playing and continuing to promote his business.
The money made with sponsorships through not only other baseball accounts but athletes who sign up to be sponsored goes right back into SkoreBats.
SkoreBats has done a handful of giveaways, including a limo ride for former Desert Hills pitcher Kaden Terry.
Even with the added pressures of running a baseball-related business, Ross says the grind has only sharpened his love for the game.
Regardless of whether he plays at the next level, Ross plans to continue to run SkoreBats and pursue a business degree in college.
“The further I keep going, the further I can realize the possibilities if I keep going. So that just makes me fall in love more with the game.”
Sean Ellertson is a sports reporter for the St. George Spectrum & Daily News. To continue to support his work, please subscribe to The Spectrum. Follow Sean on Twitter @SeanEllertson.
This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Jaiven Ross' SkoreBats helps reduce summer baseball expenses
