A sports uniform can make or break a teams’ success.
A bold statement, right?
But here’s an example:
The color of the uniform is crucial. A study carried out in the United Kingdom found that the vast majority of games played between 1946 and 2003 (that’s almost 60 years!) in the top soccer league in the country were won by teams wearing red. Wear read, win more matches.
Clearly, buying the right sports uniform can make all the difference. The benefits don’t stop there though. Indeed, greater camaraderie, comfort, and visibility on the field are further advantageous sports clothing qualities.
How do you make sure you buy the right uniform for your team and ensure their success on the field?
Keep reading for 7 tips to make it happen.
7 Essential Sports Uniform Buying Tips
A lot goes into designing and sourcing the right sports clothes for your team. Are you a coach charged with getting it all together? Be sure to keep the following tips in mind when you’re doing it.
1. Know What You Need (and Want)
Designing a sports uniform from scratch isn’t always easy.
Start by knowing exactly what you need. Are you buying purely for gameplay? Do you want extra clothing for away games and/or traveling between venues? Or simply some casual attire (such as tracksuits)?
You’ll know your sport better than anyone. That’ll help you pick the particular features you want, such as waterproof material, pockets, shirt collars, and so on.
Budget is an important consideration too. Decide how much money people can afford to spend and go forwards from there.
2. Consult the Team
It’s rare to find a uniform that pleases every member of the team.
That’s why it’s vital for team members to be involved in the design process. Don’t make any decisions before consulting everyone. The best bet is to ask everyone what colors, features and particular items they want (shorts, t-shirts, jackets, pants). Then put together a selection of designs for them to choose from.
Creating a uniform that no-one wants to wear is a recipe for disaster. Remember, it makes all the difference to confidence, ability, and ultimately, success.
The best way to ensure it’s a good fit for the team? Involve them in the process of designing it.
3. Seek Sponsorship
A new sports uniform can be expensive. That’s why it can pay to seek sponsorship.
Smaller clubs can struggle to find adequate sponsors. It’s still possible though. They will just have to work harder for it and accept smaller contributions. However, anything counts when you’re trying to save money on your uniform.
Get out into the local community and see which local business might be willing to help. Get online too. Many companies advertise sponsorship opportunities on their websites. That’s particularly noteworthy for college sports teams.
4. Personalize the Uniform
A generic sports uniform is better than nothing.
Just having a set of shorts and shirts in matching colors can make a big difference in feeling part of a team. However, the best uniforms go one step further.
Sponsors, individual names, and numbers add a level of professionality to proceedings. It’ll cost more. But the return on investment can be worth it. Feeling pride in the clothing worn on-field will lead to added confidence in gameplay.
A nice workaround is using badges to stitch onto a generic uniform. This can turn it into a more personalized, professional looking uniform in no time. Shop this site if you’re interested in name badges.
5. Check Sizes
The best-looking uniform in the world is useless if it doesn’t fit.
Be sure to get a list of sizes for every item you need. It’s no good guessing. Ask the team to provide the size they require and order accordingly. Knowing the sizes in advance can also expedite the order process.
You may already know the company from which you’ll purchase the uniform. Why not ask them to send through some items of each size for the team to try on?
After all, sizes sometimes vary depending on the manufacturer. A ‘small’ can mean different things in different places. Trying on the item itself prior to ordering will mean you know for sure the final uniform you buy will fit.
6. Don’t Leave It Too Late
There can be nothing worse than your uniform not turning up on time.
Be sure to order early to avoid disappointment. Leave it too late, and you risk paying more to get it shipped on time too.
Think about how many uniforms you’re ordering.
Bulk orders will take much longer to fulfill. If you’re doing a complete overhaul of your team’s uniform, then place the order as early as possible. Similarly, there will be busier times of year to take into consideration too. Ordering in peak times may delay delivery too.
7. Check Your Items Before the Game
Don’t leave it until the first game of the season to check your new uniform.
You never know what might have gone wrong in the manufacturing process.
You may have been delivered the wrong color, size, or even the order of an entirely different sports team. Be sure to open the box when it’s delivered and try everything on. That should give you enough time to deal with any issues.
Time to Wrap Up
Buying the best sports uniform isn’t necessarily an easy task.
Get it right though, and your team stands to gain in all manner of ways. From enhanced pride, team-spirit, and confidence, to the potential for greater success, sports uniforms can make a big difference. This can make it feel like a heavy responsibility for anyone charged with the task!
Hopefully, the tips above will help you navigate the challenge with ease. Keep the advice in mind, and you’ll be on your way to an awesome uniform in no time at all.
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