With spring tournaments scheduled to start in a few short months, it’s time to start thinking about uniforms!
There’s a lot to consider when selecting and ordering uniforms, and it can be overwhelming to do alone. We’ve put together some tips to ensure no box goes unchecked when getting new uniforms for your team.Â
What to Consider When Ordering New Uniforms
Pick a Thoughtful Design
When deciding on aspects of your team’s jersey design, put some thought behind the decision.
Although the color of the jersey sounds trivial, picking the right color can impact your team. For example, choosing a color like black might overheat your athletes during summer games.
Pick which options for cut and style work best for your team. Picking the style of your team’s uniforms means considering the name and number placement. Also, consider style options like solid, pinstriped, sublimated, or jerseys with piping. Looking for the right jersey cut for the team means deciding on a button-down, two-button, pullover, Raglan, or a game t-shirt.
Baseball is a physical sport. Athletes are tough on their uniforms, so look for durable, quality fabrics to ensure they’ll last throughout the season. A scratchy or heavy jersey could distract your athletes mid-game or practice. Consider fabrics like flex base, cool base, or wool.
All in all, use your best judgment and take in feedback from your team. You can’t make everyone happy, but a general agreement on significant design choices is an excellent place to start.
Size Correctly
Youth baseball players rapidly outgrow their uniforms from season to season. It’s essential to communicate with the members of your team and their parents to ensure each athlete has the correct size.
Keep in mind not all sizing is the same across the board. A size 10 from one brand might be a size 8 from another. When ordering uniforms, many manufacturers offer their own sizing guides.
Order Quality and Order Extras
Order your uniforms from a reliable source. When ordering online, it can be tempting to order the cheapest option. Being the cheapest doesn’t mean the best and most unreliable websites might not ship your order in time for the start of the season.
Consider how many jerseys your team should have. When competing on a traveling team or in tournaments, most teams carry at least a home and away uniform. Some teams carry third alternate uniforms plus batting or practice jerseys. One cost-effective way to have multiple jerseys on hand is ordering a variation of tops that can be worn with a single style of bottoms.
Another aspect to remember when ordering team uniforms is that kids tend to forget things. Factor this into your ordering process. When you have extra uniforms on hand, future crises can be avoided.
Collecting money
Collaboration between coaches and team parents can make the ordering process seamless. If you’re in charge of ordering uniforms, communicate often and set clear deadlines for payment and pickup.
A solid fundraising effort can help offset some of the expenses the team needs to raise.
Related Post: How to Fundraise for Youth Travel Baseball Teams
Sponsorships & Logos
If your sponsor needs representation on the team uniforms, ensure you have the assets you need from them. Talk to the business about dimensions, color, and size, and ask for high-quality images to ensure you’re representing them correctly.
Equipment
Ordering uniforms at the beginning of the season is also an excellent time to evaluate existing equipment.
Ensure necessary gear like gloves, helmets, bats, and cleats are all in good condition. Asses your catcher’s shin guards, facemasks, and chest protectors to see if the equipment fits.
Commemorate Your BoA Visit With a Custom Jersey
We offer custom jerseys and hats to any team that stays on-site during a Ballparks of America weeklong tournament. For those that opt out of the custom jersey, each registered player will receive a Ballparks of America commemorative jersey
Register for a tournament or contact us at Ballparks of America or at (417) 464-6333.
