Inside the Empire That Sports Parents Built

In our house, the ScoreCard tells the story.
ScoreCard, for the uninitiated, is what Dick’s Sporting Goods calls its loyalty program, which rewards every $300 spent with a $10 coupon. I’m a power user. On Sept. 1 of last year, for instance, I spent $133 at the Dick’s store in Rockaway, New Jersey. My daughter was playing in a soccer tournament nearby and — caught off guard by a rainstorm — I went to pick up a golf umbrella ($39.99), a dry Adidas t-shirt ($30), and a six-pack of socks ($28). I also grabbed my son a water bottle for the upcoming school year ($30).