What's your Mission? Three words, one tough question.

With 2012 underway, we took the opportunity to poll our online community to see what people are committing themselves to this year and we received some interesting responses. Not all had to do with completing longer races in shorter amounts of time - although many responses did involve personal bests. More people responded about wanting to find a balance in a busy life, bettering relationships, or, simply having more fun. 

We took some of our favorites from Twitter and Facebook to share with you here. We welcome you to add your own. 

From @Sam_in_Training: "Run a sub-4 marathon!!!!! @MissionAthlete"

From our very own @sarahhaskinstri: "@MissionAthlete Triathlon at 80. Active and healthy till I hit the dirt"

Ally V: "To land a job and continue working out and eating right. And talk to Bellflower City to get our community garden established and going."

Tammy Johnson Rhodus: "To run my second marathon injury free! Most of all, appreciate each day."

Our favorite, and the silliest goal for next year came from @matthew4ward:

"@MissionAthlete @AmandaRayBeard I'd like to be able to flip an egg without a spatula and not break the yolk. That would be wicked."

We'll be checking back in with these Mission users to see how it's going later on in the year. We're also interested in featuring some Mission users here on our blog. If you want to share your story, we're ready for you. 

As a brand, it's our goal to make products for people who are on the move. If you're stocking up on Mission goodies, use promo code Mission2012 through January 15th to save 20% off all online orders. Thanks for reading, now go get 'em and happy new year.

They're tough to come by, but once you find them, you're good to go ... and go and go and go. What are we talking about? Gym bag essentials.

Finding products that work for you is key to staying on track toward achieving your goals - whether they be completing your first race, staying healthy through the playoffs or something as commonplace as staying protected while you and your family exercise outdoors. Part of the reason Mission appeals to so many different people is because our products address various components of the training process. They help you protect, perform, and rehab. Depending on your specific needs, you can browse our products by any one of those three categories. 

We highlighted a couple of go-to fan (and athlete) favorites:

For protection, we've chosen a fan favorite: the SPF 30+ No Sting Face Stick. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, we had a Mission user check in over Twitter from the Cayman Islands. She is an Ironman triathlete and runner and while training under the tropical sun, she's choosing Mission. She's in good company too. Sergio Garcia - our resident golfer - uses it every time he's out on the green. So, if you're putting in miles outside, or just spending time in the sun, our sun (protection) products are athlete approved, and available in varying SPFs and applications.

For performance, we went with a lesser known product, with an equally impressive fan following. 5 Hour Anti-Chafe Creme. If you missed our blog post on Sarah Haskins from earlier this year, she candidly gushes about how Anti Chafe has saved her from saddle sores and blister hickeys (on her way to World Championships and Olympic Games, of course!). If you're running, biking, swimming, and everything in between, Mission's Anti-Chafe stands up to your crossover ways.

And finally, when it comes to rehab, you've got to show your feet some love. We recommend our new Athlete's Foot Rehab Spray. It is clinically effective to cure and prevent most athlete's foot. It relieves itching, burning and cracking while absorbing sweat and fighting odor. You know, a bunch of our athletes are quite vocal about keeping their feet looking fresh. Dwyane Wade has traded jabs with Skip Bayless about manicures and pedicures; Serena even has her own nail polish line. To keep your feet happy and healthy, look no further than Athlete's Foot Rehab. (Dare we say, a perfect stocking stuffer for the person in you life who's always on their feet!)

This holiday season, we're doing our best to make finding gym bag essentials easy. All of the products listed above are featured in gift baskets designed by our superstar athletes themselves (and offered at a great value!). To take a look at who likes what, you can browse all of the kits here. And, if you're in love with a product and want to share where you've been using it, shout us a holler. It's always fun to hear from fellow athletes on a Mission.

Happy Holidays!

As if the return of the basketball season wasn't enough good news, we've got more. Yesterday, as many news outlets reported, we announced that Mission is now the "Official Athletecare" partner of the NBA. 

Some of the NBA's biggest stars signed on with Mission this fall and launched our two NBA branded products - Court Grip and Power Grip. Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat started off the Court Grip launch in New York. Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks joined the team two weeks later as he promoted Court Grip on the West Coast. The second of our NBA products, Power Grip, which instantly dries hands for better ball control, was launched by the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony in the Big Apple. When the season kicks off on Christmas Day, both Court Grip and Power Grip will not only be on the scorer's tables of their teams, but available to all players at all games.

This news follows the NBATA's (National Basketball Athlete Trainers Association) unanimous approval of Court Grip. After extensive in-game testing across all levels of competition, it is the "Official Traction Provider" of the NBATA. Following this announcement Casey Smith, the Chairman of the NBATA, commented: “Maintaining traction on courts is an issue for players and Court Grip addresses the problem better than anything we've ever used. We’re pleased to have helped bring this game-changing product to market.”

With the season set to begin in one week, we are more than excited to see our products in action with the League's greatest players. It is a momentous step for Mission as a company and we're looking forward to the continued challenge of creating innovative products that address athlete-specific needs.

We can't wait for Christmas.

Both Court Grip and Power Grip are available exclusively in stores at Foot Locker and online at eastbay.com.

The season of giving is well underway. Like us, you're on the hunt for great products and great value. Look no further.

We recently teamed up with five of our athlete partners - Serena Williams, David Wright, Sarah Haskins, Sergio Garcia and Georges St. Pierre - to create customized holiday kits. Each of them hand-picked a collection of their favorite (and signature) products that they think will be perfect for the athletes in your family. Choose from kits for tennis players, baseballers, triathletes, golfers and UFC hopefuls (or those who train like them)! Just a hint, they make great stocking stuffers!

Beginning today, and running through Christmas, all kits are just $30.00 (over $10 in savings) with free shipping. 

To peruse the selection, click here!

After returning home from his tour in Iraq, Troy Yocum was excited to begin his next journey knowing full well that it was going to be a very difficult endeavor. He told us, "After my first step I was thinking ... Ok, just about 30 million more of these to go." With every step, he kept one thing in mind: the sacrifices that military families have made and continue to make for our country.

Troy founded Hike for Heroes in 2009. It is a fundraising program whose mission is to increase awareness about the military families who are fighting just as hard at home as they are abroad. In September, Troy finished his most recent cross-country hike. 20 miles a day for 16 months. During his journey he watched landscapes and seasons change, but remained resolute that something must change to help the countless military families here at home.

Last year, Hike for Heroes raised one million dollars for the Wish Upon a Hero Foundation. This year they hope to improve on that and we hope to help. Mission is proud to be teaming up with Hike for Heroes this Veterans Day to support Troy's mission. 50% of all proceeds from our Hike for Heroes Bundle will benefit the military families that Wish Upon a Hero helps support. So far, Wish Upon A Hero has granted over 82,000 wishes and has helped thousands of military families in the process.

When we asked Troy about Mission's role supporting his hikes, he gave us all the details. "When I started using Mission's Max Muscle Rehab I was about a month, month and a half, away from the finish line. My body was spent. I had so many aches and pains in my knees and ankles, I was really doubting that I could make it to the finish line. Mission sent me the Muscle Rehab - an amazing product - and within three days it really began to heal me. I could notice a big difference in how my knees and ankles were feeling. It helped get me to the finish line." Mission's Foot Cream and Anti-Chafe have also accompanied Troy on his travels.

All three products are part of the bundle we are offering today to benefit Hike for Heroes. We hope you'll join us in spreading the word about their inspiring campaign. Says Troy, "A few times a year we celebrate our veterans and Veterans Day is one of the most important days that we do so. This Veterans Day, we call upon everyone to get active to help our military families."

To follow him across the country and, undoubtedly back again, check out Hike for Heroes on Facebook and Twitter. Shortly, they will announce relays being held across the United States. Whether you run, walk, hike, race, or ride, you can help out. We at Mission will keep you updated on the latest news from Hike for Heroes, so stay tuned.

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With over 30 million basketball players in the United States, it’s only right that Mission Basketball’s latest launch was bi-coastal. On October 13th in the Big Apple, New York's hometown hero and league All-Star Carmelo Anthony released our newest product, POWER GRIP™. Across the country the day before, Brandon Jennings, California native and Milwaukee's young PG, officially joined Mission and the COURT GRIP™ team during a launch in the City of Angels. Just two short weeks removed from Dwyane Wade’s official unveiling of COURT GRIP™, our team is looking pretty good.

Since Wade's release, it has been exciting to watch how quickly COURT GRIP™ has caught on throughout the basketball community. From Jim Boeheim's legendary program at Syracuse (Melo's alma mater) to courts around the country, basketball players have been gripping and gaming. You can hear for yourself as Coach Boeheim attests that COURT GRIP™ is his go-to as a top-tier college program.

Other members of the COURT GRIP™ team have been spreading the word, too. During Brandon Jennings’ chat on Sports Nation, he wrote that he was using COURT GRIP™ during his time playing at the Pan Am Games. Dwyane Wade was photographed gripping at the FIU charity game hosted by Isiah Thomas. With basketball season on the horizon, players across the country are racing to Foot Locker stores and eastbay.com to grab some GRIP.

The inaugural COURT GRIP season starts soon; stay with us on Facebook and Twitter. There will undoubtedly be more news to come.

After this past Sunday’s win at the Castello Masters, Sergio Garcia took a convincing step back towards the top. It was on this very course, where his father is still a club pro, that El Niño began playing golf at the age of three. Now, just three days ago, his decisive eleven-stroke win has propelled him back into the world's Top 50. Many may remember his breakthrough performance in ‘99, at the age of 19, when he finished second to Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship. Read more about Sergio's victory on ESPN

Since partnering with Mission Athletecare, Sergio’s input has been instrumental in developing and field testing products that help protect golfers and enhance performance at every level. In addition to enhancing performance, Mission products support rehabilitation. To make sure he's rehabing as best and as fast as possible, Sergio says he loves to use Mission's Max Muscle Rehab. "It helps me recharge my muscles, get good energy and be ready for the next day." What do the upcoming days have in store for him? We're hoping a Major. Or two.

Learn more about what Sergio uses to win

Coming off a dominant summer during which she completed a three-peat of the Chicago Triathlon in August and a three-peat of the Minneapolis Triathlon in July, Sarah Haskins, one of Mission’s original athlete co-founders, has her sights set on next year and the 2012 Olympics.  As a member of Team USA in Beijing she placed 11th overall. Now, newly crowned as the 2011 World Cup winner, she’s ready to establish herself as the best in her field. Not even ten years ago, in 2003, Haskins competed in her first triathlon. Within a year, she moved to Colorado Springs to train at the USA Triathlon’s Olympic Training Center. On her first day, she noticed a sign that read, It’s not every four years; it’s every day and instantly decided it was time to go after her childhood dream. It was during Sarah’s residency at the OTC that she dedicated herself to the training regimen that she’s made Mission a part of. In her speech at the Hibbett’s Sports Conference (see above), she was quick to draw a parallel between the OTC’s commitment to high performance and recovery and the quality of the Mission products that she has helped develop.

Sarah candidly piled on the praise for Mission’s Anti-Chafe Cream, crediting it for nixing wetsuit hickeys, saddle sores and blisters from her list of things to worry about while competing. She even lines her shoes with it to help speed up her transition from water to land.

In addition to the Anti-Chafe Cream, the Spray Sunscreen and Stick keep her skin protected while training in Claremont, Florida during the summer and in Colorado Springs during the winter. Mission’s Max Muscle Rehab is her final go-to, a product she uses everyday before she works out to warm-up her muscles. She divulged that her husband occasionally uses it to give her a massage after a long training session. Even better!

With those three products and the entire Mission team in her corner, we feel great about her chances in London. Sarah concluded her speech by recalling a quote she’d heard at the OTC. “Behind every Olympic athlete there is a team of coaches,” whether they are strength coaches, massage therapists or chiropractors. “Mission is a part of that for me,” she said, “they keep me up and on my feet.” What’s best, she continued and we agree, is that Mission’s high performance products are available to everyone - even kids who, like she did, dream of one day competing for Olympic gold. You can purchase Sarah’s signature products by clicking here, and can follow her all the way to London on her blog.

This past February, Dwyane Wade signed on as a partner. It doesn’t seem like too long ago, but since then a lot has happened at Mission. Of note, last week’s hugely successful launch of Wade and Mission Basketball’s newest product, COURT GRIP™. The day started early at Fox and Friends and ended late at Jimmy Fallon, complete with stops for the New York Times and ESPN (among others) in between. After all of that, basketball may never be the same. We have everyone at COURT GRIP™ - from D-Wade to the engineers who literally created the winning formula - to thank.

As you know if you’ve followed the trajectory of Mission Athletecare™, we have a unique business model. We believe that in order to improve sports, you’ve got to start small and dream big. We also believe that in order to meet the expectations we set, it is imperative to involve people who are most familiar with the sport at hand - players. Take our newest endeavor: Mission Basketball. The problem of court traction has been around since Springfield. As halftime shows and multi-purpose arenas have grown more and more popular, court conditions have taken a backseat - something that basketball players the world over have noticed. After committing to solve this problem, we went straight to the courts and and were thrilled when the dynamic Dwyane Wade signed on as a company partner. 

We know that game changers are rare, but believe COURT GRIP™ can change the game of basketball from the ground up. So does D-Wade, so does legendary coach Jim Boeheim, and so do the AAU players who helped in product testing. Everyday we’re hearing back from some of the 30 million basketball players in the United States who are trying COURT GRIP™ on their home courts, and we hope to hear from you too. We mean that. Much of Mission’s success can be attributed to the collaborative process behind the development of our products. Join the grip revolution at the Mission Basketball Facebook page or follow @CourtGrip to stay with us. There’s a lot more to come.

COURT GRIP™ is available now from Eastbay.com and Foot Locker!

We are never short of news to report about our athlete partners. With an athlete team that is competing year-round, we never have an off-season. One hope for this blog is to introduce you to each and every one of them, not just as high performing elite athletes, but also as community leaders. So while you may be an avid fan of Sergio or Jessica, check out Mia and Georges. They’re all on this team together; get to know them!

Without further ado, a quick run down of what our número unos (yes, all of them) have been up to this summer.

Serena Williams: Although Serena fell just short at the 2011 US Open, her return to dominance this season can't be questioned. With strong showings at both the Open and Wimbledon, Serena is positioned to regain her spot as the #1 seed very soon! Check out Serena on Mission Foot Rehab Cream

Georges St. Pierre: Reigning UFC Welterweight Champion, St. Pierre is in hype mode and gearing up for his upcoming UFC 137 main event title fight against welterweight, Nick Diaz. GSP says he’s back to 100%, coming off a head injury sustained in a fight on April 30th.

Sergio Garcia: Will be moving on from the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston to greener pastures in Chicago for the BMW Championship. No stranger to fútbol, Sergio spent some time practicing with the New England Revolution while in town. Watch out for him on the links and on your local soccer field.

Gretchen Bleiler: Finished fourth at the Burton New Zealand Open in August. Read about her quest to land the frontside corked 720 in competition and keep up with her advocacy work off the mountain on her ESPNW blog.

Steve Nash: Recently spotted at Rock the Bells on Governor’s Island in New York, Nash, along with his fellow NBAers, are waiting out the lockout. This summer, the Steve Nash Foundation hosted their annual Showdown in Chinatown soccer event in NYC. Steve will also be playing a supporting role in an upcoming Mission announcement ... stay tuned!

Sarah Haskins: Sarah made it three in a row at the 2011 Life Time Chicago Triathlon, becoming the only woman to ever threepeat. She’ll continue her preparation for the 2012 Games in London at her next race, the Toyota US Open Triathalon on October 2.

David Wright: After a dominate week at the plate, and an overall surge since coming off the disabled list at the end of June, Mets’ third baseman David Wright was recently named the NL’s Player of the Week for leading in hits and doubles. See David talk about the importance of wearing sunscreen

Hunter Kemper: Coming off a great 2nd place finish at the Hy-Vee Triathlon in DesMoines, Iowa, Hunter’s on to the Buffalo ITU Race on the 24th.

Amanda Beard: Will build off of her performance at the World Swimming Championships in Shanghai in continued preparation for London and the approaching Olympic Games. See Amanda's video profile

Mia Hamm: Offered her expert opinion as a guest commentator during this summer’s Women’s World Cup and recently laced up the kicks for her foundation on July 31st at a bone marrow registration event in DC. More

Ryan Scheckler: Two months after wrapping up the Zumiez 2011 Couch Tour, Ryan’s still accumulating skate footage for his part of the Plan B video slated to drop sometime next year. Catch him in FL this week! 

Jessica Mendoza: Was just on the sidelines of the BYU and Ole Miss game last week and can be found at more of college football’s biggest games this season as an ESPN lead analyst and sideline reporter.

Alonzo Mourning: NBA front offices are waiting out the lockout, too. Mourning, Miami Heat VP of Player Programs will be joining fellow Hoya alum in South Africa. Alonzo, along with Georgetown buddies and NBA greats Dkemebe Mutumbo and Patrick Ewing, will be touring as coaches and ambassadors with the Basketball Without Borders program.

Want to learn more about these athletes, where they are in the world and what they’re doing there? Tell us who!