Company on the Rise: Holla Athletics Turned Nothing Into Something
Anwar Stetson
Mike Crawford was just a sports dad with a vision, and he was operating a business before he even knew he had started one.
Known as “ Mike Holla,” Crawford officially filed an LLC for his mom-and-pop sportswear company Holla Athletics in 2013. But the dream started six years earlier.
Based in his hometown of Philadelphia, the brand specializes in athletic uniforms and equipment for football, basketball, track, and volleyball, serving teams from local leagues to high schools across multiple states.
“The brand was always in motion,” he told me over the phone. “I just didn’t know it was a brand. It was just something I was doing.”
In 2007, Crawford was a youth sports coach who created uniforms and apparel as part of fundraising efforts for his teams. As other programs began requesting uniforms, the business gradually expanded, eventually evolving into a full-fledged sporting goods operation.
In 2013, Crawford officially formed Holla Athletics as an LLC. Just two years later, the company had created its first uniforms for a national youth football team.
Just before the pandemic, Crawford left his “safe” job with the city of Philadelphia to invest full time in Holla Athletics, turning a side hustle into a potential empire.
“I said, ‘you know what? I don’t have a plan B. I’m just going to walk away from it.’”
Crawford took out a $10,000 line of credit and went overseas to develop partnerships with manufacturers in Pakistan, China, and Turkey. He also pivoted during the pandemic to selling sports masks, thus making an impact in his Philly community.
“We ended up being at the right place at the right time, doing stuff in the community, and it kind of ended up snowballing into getting different contracts with different school districts. That’s when it really kind of took off from there.”
The business has since grown into a multi-state operation, with locations in Philadelphia and South Florida, and plans to expand its reach nationwide. Much of Crawford’s business comes from Philadelphia public schools and AAU teams.
Along with a physical storefront and website, Holla Athletics has pop up shops at local games and events to interact directly with potential buyers. Crawford creates sample uniforms and other sportswear for schools, ensuring each uniform meets specific standards for fabric and design. While Holla Athletics sells gear for multiple sports, custom football uniforms are the biggest sellers.
“[Kids] want their own kind of identity,” Crawford added. “So that’s where Holla Athletics, the brand, comes into play, because you get to customize however you want it.”
And what’s awesome for Crawford is that he doesn’t just sell football gear during the “typical” football season.
“When I played football,” he reminisced, “we started August 1st and football was over by Thanksgiving. You wouldn’t revisit football until next August.”
With the explosion of club teams and 7-on-7, football is now a year-round enterprise.
“It’s great for us because it’s constant revenue coming in all year long,” he added.
Something else new for Crawford? TikTok. The major social media app has been a boom for business, contributing to increased online sales and broader recognition.
“I’m like, ‘Holy smack!’ I didn’t even know what was going on. So once we started engaging, doing videos like that..they started taking off. So I mean it was pretty cool, man.”
Crawford said he initially missed over 60 orders directly from TikTok because of his naivety with the app. But now, he regularly posts behind-the-scenes content and funny videos showcasing his personality. In today’s direct-to-consumer landscape, the fans love feeling like they’re a part of the brand’s journey to success.
Looking ahead, Crawford sees opportunities to expand further, including potential franchising and more state-by-state growth. With a steady presence in high school and youth sports, Holla Athletics continues to provide tailored uniforms and equipment while supporting programs across the country.
What started as just a sports dad with a vision, has turned into a nationwide youth sports brand on a mission.