"For high school kids Under Armour is the badge of authenticity that says I really am an athlete, " says Matthew Powell, analyst at the research firm SportsOnesource.

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This is superior to the old self-report system associated with badges because now a potential employer can verify the authenticity of badge information through a third party system rather than just by trusting the applicant.

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It was a badge of honor sometimes, and sometimes a mark of authenticity, regardless of whether or not the person it identified matched their advertised persona.

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