Team Business–Travel Teams vs. City Recreational Leagues
Spring is the time of the year when the custom team business booms. Many softball, baseball and soccer leagues are organizing and placing their uniform orders. With all the orders available you need to decide what team business do you go after?
Getting Custom Team Business
City sponsored leagues sometimes are run by the city itself with is a posted bid process. With city leagues, profits will be low, but it also gets your name out there and opens the possibility for future business. Sometimes volunteers will run these leagues and the league contact information is listed on the city’s website.
A bigger opportunity is travel teams. Usually the contact will only be purchasing for one team. A travel team often has 2 sets of uniforms, accessories such as bat bags, warm-ups and spirit wear. Some baseball organizations to consider include Cal Ripken Baseball, Continental Amateur Baseball Association (CABA), and Babe Ruth Baseball. You can find these travel leagues online with the contact for each team.
Be sure to approach teams early with ideas for their team. Do they have a logo? If so, have samples of various ideas to put the logo on. Or if not, have one ready to show them. You can use Easy View, the free online designer to create a few concepts.
Comparison of Apparel Printing Needs
| Recreational Teams | Travel Teams |
| Run by City-Bid Process | Run by Private Individual |
| Multiple Teams in Order | One team in Order |
| Low Cost Uniform | Bigger Budget |
| Tight Deadline | Tight Deadline |
| Possible Opportunity for Spirit Wear | Huge Opportunity for Spirit Wear |
| Uniform Only | Opportunity for add-ons |
| Common Logo-large quantity order | Each Team Has Its Own Logo-15/20 |
| Sponsor on each uniform | May not have sponsor on uniform |
| Number on Uniform | Number on Uniform |
| Printed Cap | Embroidered or Printed Cap |
| Bid doesn’t include Personal Name | Name on Uniform |
Organizing Your Team Orders
No matter which group you approach, you will want to organize what the team needs and when it is delivered. Online programs are available but sometimes an old-school work order form helps. We put this customizable work order together based on your feedback