Schooled
Imagine you’re a high school athlete—big, strong, fast, coordinated. You love your sport. It’s what gets you out of bed in the morning and keeps you motivated to attend classes and keep your GPA up. You’ve been playing your sport since you could walk, and your family has sacrificed to keep you in a jersey and properly fitting pads, cleats, and jerseys for years now.
Now imagine something terrible happens. Your mom loses her job, or your grandparent passes away, and suddenly you’re not sure if being on the team is even possible next year.
Worse, imagine something wonderful happens. Some of your coaches think you maybe even have a real shot to play at the college level, maybe on a scholarship. Maybe you get offered to work out at an exclusive summer camp with college scouts. An opportunity that could lead to your sport being part of your college life. There’s a catch, though. You have to arrange your own travel and accommodations to the camp. Does your family have that extra thousand dollars just sitting in a checking account to cover you?
Families making under $40,000 seem to struggle the most. There’s costs for traveling, equipment, time that might have been spent working a part-time job, and more. It’s easy to imagine how just one thing going wrong can derail a dedicated, promising student athlete from chasing their dreams.
Anthony Cosby wants STZY socks to be there to help keep kids on the right track, and help get them back on track when he can, no matter if that means STZY bringing in speakers to keep kids focused on the right things, or financial sponsorship when it’s possible.
Anthony's Military Service
In 1990, at just seventeen years old, Anthony already had his paperwork signed and was on his way into the Navy from Alabama. He served as a Personnelman (PN), now known as Personnel Specialists. After bootcamp, he went to work at Charleston, SC Personnel Support Detachment (PSD), and aboard the USS Halyburton (FFG-40), followed by NAS Atlanta PSD, serving 10 years across three duty stations before going to Auburn University while taking part in NROTC.
When he finished, he returned as an Officer, working on the USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, and in Operations aboard the USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54), homeported out of Yokosuka, Japan. After his time overseas, he returned stateside to serve as XO at the Naval Station Annapolis and then as a staff officer for the Superintendent of the Naval Academy. He ended his 22 incredible years of honorable service in late 2012 working with recruiters in Pensacola, FL.
49% of student athlete parents struggle to afford the costs of youth sports for their children, citing the “State of Play 2023” study.
Finding His Own Niche
Anthony decided to focus on socks. He didn’t have the bankroll to compete with Hanes on volume, or the larger names in quirky design socks. He instead decided to focus on premium comfort, performance, and athletics. He spent 8 months trying to develop the most comfortable socks in the world, before launching in 2021 with an inventory of 8,000 units. He hoped he’d move that many in six months, but he sold out just after a month.
He was on a rocket ship at a time when rocket fuel was hard to come by. Staying in stock was tough, still facing the myriad supply chain issues that continue to plague retail goods businesses in the aftermath of the pandemic. He was growing, but not at the rate he could be. He took advantage of the time to think about his business and how to do more for his community with it. He also found time to attend more entrepreneurship training programs, including IVMF’s Bunker Labs Breaking Breaking Barriers in Entrepreneurship in March of 2022.
STZY stands for Strength Through Zeal and Youth. To Anthony, that means helping student athletes follow that passion and reach their goals. He began forming partnerships in his community, and then across the nation, connecting them to mentors and faith-based leaders who can talk and work with the kids to help them achieve—all while in a fresh pair of STZY socks. Because of this work, and how much it means to Anthony, he incorporated STZY as a Benefit Corporation.
Anthony’s STZY Foundation also selects a new beneficiary every month to receive financial or material support to achieve their goal. This might be a specific student athlete, or an entire athletic program, or somewhere in between. Student athletes might need help getting equipment, or recovering from an injury, or raising money to really take advantage of an opportunity. Learn more about the STZY Foundation and how to apply for sponsorship here.
Connecting With IVMF
Anthony is retired from Naval service to San Antonio, TX to work in higher education, supporting University of Texas in San Antonio, Webster University, and our very own Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), where he’s been since 2016. He built a second fulfilling career, but was starting to think about another passive income stream after learning about the rise of dropshipping businesses.
Anthony’s plan was to come up with some cool designs and do a military apparel dropshipping business. He knew there was a lot he didn’t know, so he joined Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) program at Texas A&M, hoping to fill in the knowledge gaps. He felt ready to launch and market his business, and upon completion of the program in November 2019, he did just that.
Two months later, the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world and decimated the supply chains and shipping that made dropshipping a viable business model. He folded up shop almost as soon as he had begun, but not before noticing that his camouflage-print socks significantly outsold every other item in his store. An idea started forming as the pandemic played out around him, and he decided this setback wouldn’t be the end.
“EBV gave me the opportunity to understand how to start my business and how to market the business. It also helped me understand how to endure adverse market conditions and pivot with the market, skills that got tested during the Covid era. On a deeper level, because of IVMF/Bunker programming I’ve been able to push through all the adversity that’s associated with a brand on the come up. I am grateful for folks that want to see veterans win in entrepreneurship. Now we are blessed with helping others.”
Blowing up
With the STZY mission clear, Anthony started attracting some high-profile partners who loved his socks. Padres Pitcher Joe Musgrove, a known sock aficionado, was an early supporter and public wearer of STZY socks. With his support came a rush of MLB players, as well as NBA players like Damian Lillard and NFL former superstars Michael Strahan and Dan Marino. It’s no wonder he’s been featured on the local news as a company to watch.
The support of these household name athletes has exploded the opportunities for the STZY brand. He’s working with organizations like the UFL spring football league and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, NFL Legends from Kansas City chiefs like Will Shields, Kimble Anders, and Shawn Barber, high schools and a number of HBCUs like Texas Southern University Football and Volleyball. He’s also expanded his offerings to include slides, which are available in nearly 40 Zumiez store locations, as well as his own online store. Naturally, Anthony has ensured his STZY socks are also a part of our Buy Military-Owned Gift Guide.
We know Anthony will keep pushing forward with STZY, and can’t wait to hear about his next high-profile partnership or see the next wave of socks!
TV Interview
It's Your Time
Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV)
Have you recently launched a business and you’re struggling to make it your primary income stream? Aren’t sure how to operationalize your million dollar business idea? IVMF’s Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) surrounds you with like-minded veterans in an online training program followed by a free 9-day residency at one of our nearby university partners. You’ll leave with a foundational understanding of business management and concrete steps to achieve your entrepreneurship dreams.