April 25, 2016
Halle Thornton
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Established in 2014 by Wes and Molly Parker in Colorado Springs, Swingline Sport is inspired by softball, taking elements of the sport and using them in three-player teams.
Nate Schwartz, UCCS alumnus and director of marketing for Swingline, said the sport hosted its first public tournament in the summer of 2015.
“It’s three-on-three, so you don’t need a lot of people, and it is an opportunity to go outside and be active,” said Schwartz.
Last fall, co-director of the Bachelor of Innovation program Colleen Styles and Swingline began working together with BI students.
“The BI team provided insight and creativity,” said Schwartz, who added the partnership is beneficial for both sides, with the students gaining valuable business and work experience.
Sophomore business major Casey Deppen worked with Swingline as a team lead focused on developing their app and website.
“Working with Swingline has been an amazing experience,” Deppen said. “Wes is such a great guy who is very open to criticism and focused on making Swingline bigger and better every day.”
A new group of students from the BI program works closely with Swingline every semester, according to their specialties.
“The students get more of a say and get to put in their input. They also get to build something from the ground up,” said Schwartz.
The team focuses on different aspects of the business each semester, including technical issues, patenting, manufacturing, and engineering products. Swingline and students are currently working on an app and website for the company.
Schwartz said that the team breaks down into small groups according to their specialty, and every week the team comes together and discusses the progress of their project.
Swingline also sponsors the UCCS club baseball team and has started working with Pi Beta Phi at UCCS to host charity tournaments.
One charity they are working with is the First Book Charity, which gives children in different countries access to books.
All of the proceeds from tournaments go to specific charities, and in the past Swingline has given to organizations such as the Colorado Springs Fire Department and American Cancer Society.
The first tournament of this year will be held on May 21 in Memorial Park. Sign-ups are open until May 18, and all proceeds from the tournament will go toward Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation.
Swingline will be holding leagues beginning May 1. To find out more about Swingline Sport, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/swinglinesport.
