The 7 Steps November
1. CONTEXT
Mindmap
anything you
know about thetopic, including
vocabulary. Do
some research
online to help.

Under Armour

Listening Questions 1
1. What happened at Kevin Plank’s football practice during summer?

2. QUESTIONS.
2. What were the benefits of Under Armour T-shirts?
.
3. In 1996, what were the company’s total sales? How did he sell T-shirts?
.
4. What film helped get Under Armour a lot of exposure?
.
5. Who starred in the film and what was it about?
.

Read the listening
questions tocheck yourunderstanding.
Look up any newvocabulary.

Listening Questions 2

3. LISTEN

1. What other product areas has Under Armour expanded into?
.

Listen and answer
the questions
using fullsentences. Circle
the number oftimes and % you
understood.

2. Who are Under Armour’s two main competitors?
.
3. In 2017, how much revenue did Under Armour earn worldwide?
.
4. Under Armour makes uniforms for which two Japanese pro sports teams?
.
5. What have two of Under Armour’s individual superstars achieved?
.

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Listening 1
2 3 4

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Discussion Questions1Listening 2
2 3 45%%%

1. What sports brands do you normally buy? What makes youchoose them?
2. Does a brand being endorsed by a celebrity impact your buyinghabits? Why or why not?

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4. CHECK ANSWERS

TRANSCRIPT 1
Kevin Plank, the founder of Under Armour, was inspired to create his company after having abad experience during football practice. In 1995, Plank was a player on the University ofMaryland American football team and during summer practices, he had to change the cotton Tshirts that he wore under his jersey because they quickly became soaked with sweat. Also, henoticed that his compression shorts stayed dry.

Read through thetranscript andunderline theanswers. Checkthem against yourown answers.

That experience inspired him to create undershirts made of moisture-wicking fabric like hisshorts. The shirts would keep athletes dry, support their muscles, and help regulate their bodytemperature. Under Armour was founded in 1996 in Plank’s grandmother’s basement inWashington DC.

5. CHECK VOCABULARY
Read thetranscript andcircle any new
vocabulary youfind. Look themup and add themto your list.

After that, he visited locker rooms of football teams all over the East coast of the US, selling
shirts from the trunk of his car. By the end of 1996, he had sold $17,000 worth of products. He
also gave away samples to university equipment managers whom he hoped would be
impressed by the quality of the shirts.
In 1999, the brand got a lot of exposure in the Oliver Stone football film ‘Any Given Sunday.’ In
the film, the players wear Under Armour gear under their uniforms, so the UA logo and products
are visible in several scenes. The film starred Al Pacino and focused on life in the world ofprofessional football.
MATCH THE ANTONYMS BY DRAWING LINES BELOW:

6. READ ALOUD

Read thetranscript aloudat least 5 times,
focusing on
intonation andpronunciation.

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SoakedCollective

Regulate

Be ahead ofExposure

Contract

ExpandParchedLag behind

Concealment

Individual

WorsenTRANSCRIPT 2
Over the last 20 plus years, Under Armour has expanded its product line from football training gear
to apparel, footwear, and accessories for numerous sports for men, women, and kids.

7. SHADOWINGIn North America in 2017, Under Armour was the third-largest sportswear maker in terms ofrevenue. Nike was number one with about $14.8 billion, Adidas was number two with about $6.4
billion, and Under Armour was number three with about $3.8 billion in revenue. Although Under
Armour is doing well in North America, it still lags far behind Nike and adidas in worldwide sales. In
2017, Nike, adidas, and Under Armour had $30.57 billion, $21.2 billion, and $5 billion in worldwide
revenue, respectively.

Say the transcript
aloud at the sametime as the audiowithout reading
it. Circle how
many times
below.

1122334455As part of its international expansion, Under Armour has become the kit maker for several soccer
clubs around the world including the English club Southampton and the Japanese club Omiya
Ardija. It also makes the uniforms for the Yomiuri Giants baseball team. Two of Under Armour’s
individual stars include Steph Curry, who as of 2019 had won 2 NBA MVP awards, and Jordan
Spieth, a golfer who has won three major tournaments on the PGA Tour.