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Geoffrey Huggins of Georgia Southern University was part of a historic group of 10 students who attended the NSGA 2026 Leadership Conference through the Greg Beckwith Foundation Fellows Program. The “Beck Effect” honors the legacy of industry veteran Greg Beckwith, who passed away a few days after the 2024 Leadership Conference, and his goal of injecting more youth and diversity into the sporting goods industry.
Huggins, who is an aspiring sports journalist, wrote about his experiences and other Beckwith Foundation Fellows Program participants and mentors in this first-person account.
My name is Geoffrey Huggins and I had the privilege of being one of the inaugural fellows of the Greg Beckwith Foundation Fellows Program at the NSGA 2026 Leadership Conference. I learned a lot about Mr. Greg Beckwith through my research of the Greg Beckwith Foundation, but after my experience with the fellowship program, I developed a new respect and admiration for the legacy that he and his family have established.
There were 10 fellows who participated in the mentorship program and I think all 10 of us can agree that this experience was both fun and educational. Each of us was assigned a mentor, but it felt like we each had 10 mentors as they helped all of us in some capacity. They made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed to make this experience successful. Julie McClellan Beckwith, who was Greg’s wife, and longtime friend Kendall Whitley of S&S were amazing and made it clear what impact Greg Beckwith had on every individual he met and the effect he has on others – the will to help somebody in any way possible.
The Beck Effect
The first evening, I can say I was nervous coming in. I’m going to be in a hotel with nobody I know and I don’t really know how I’m going to make the connections I need. But I became comfortable quickly.
John Scipio of SV Sports and Mike Byers of Starter Uniforms were two of the mentors and what they said in their introductions to us during our orientation session truly stuck with me. Byers saying “you get what you put in” really resonated with me. It made me think I’m not going to get these connections handed to me, which means I must get out of my shell and go handle business.
Scipio said, “flex your passion” and that helped me start new conversations and open up about myself. Even if the people I would talk to didn’t work in an area of the field I was interested in, I still told them what I’m passionate about and they were willing to help me get one step closer to where I want to be. For me, that passion is becoming a sports journalist and working in sports media. Getting the opportunity to share this experience with you is because the kind people at NSGA helped me with this opportunity after listening to my passion.
My mentor was Jim Dusbiber of CHAMPRO and he was extremely helpful in making my time in Nashville an easy one. He made sure that when I left Nashville, I could say that I got everything out of it I put in. He literally came to check in after every session, meal, presentation – everything. He was present.
During the first night at the welcome reception, Jim introduced me to almost everyone he knew. These interactions really allowed me to get out of my shell, and I was able to make a few good connections. The next day, we participated in NSGA’s Speed Networking event, and it was very educational. Basically, I felt as though I was participating in multiple business meetings. I had the opportunity to see what it was like from both sides of the table.
Even in business, at times, you can see the “Beck Effect” flowing through the room. Dusbiber is the Vice President of New Business Development for CHAMPRO, the company I interacted with for the event. During each meeting, one would hear, “What can I do to help you?” or “Is there anything you recommend we need to become better?” Everybody was willing to help and receive feedback to become better. Everybody wants everybody to be great.
The “Beck Effect” was flowing through every room we entered and it was clear what impact Greg Beckwith had on the people he met. I enjoyed my experience more because of the people I met along the way. The other fellows were so cool and it was fun getting to know them. It felt like we all already knew each other before we arrived in Nashville. That’s how fast we clicked.
After being one of the first 10 fellows to experience the Greg Beckwith Mentorship Program, I would highly recommend other college students to try and experience this program. It made an immediate impact on my life and lit a fire in me to work harder to get where I want to be.
From meeting opening keynote speaker Christine Brennan, a model sports journalist, to seeing people work in the fields that they dreamed of, I want to be in a position where I can tell other people how impactful this experience was and can be for the next group of fellows. The “Beck Effect” is real and contagious and other aspiring young adults would benefit from this opportunity.
Learn more about the “Beck Effect” at the NSGA 2026 Leadership Conference from other Fellows and Mentors in the July-August 2026 issue of NSGA NOW magazine.
CHAMPRO is a member and supporter of NSGA and founder and CEO Bill Hunt is a member of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame. SV Sports is a member of NSGA, John Scipio is a member of the NSGA Board of Directors and founder Randy Ruch is a member of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame. Starter Uniforms and S&S Activewear are NSGA supporters and Starter founder David Beckerman is a member of the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame.
