Sports, especially high school sports, are special to both the student athletes and to their parents. There are many reasons to have team uniforms made. One is simply the sentimental value that will be held for many years, but an immediate and practical benefit is that it makes the team feel like one.

Professionally made uniforms and jerseys have identical materials used by major league athletes. The difference is the colors and school logo. Uniforms are practical because they are designed to satisfy the needs of a sport. Football uniforms do not impede leg movement, while the heavy and silky fabric helps to protect the body from skidding on the ground. Basketball shorts and jerseys allow for proper air circulation and do not impede shots.

Most team uniforms identify the player by number and name. This is important for judges and commentators who must quickly connect with what is going on. It is useful to coaches, who must often call out players and replace them at strategic moments. All these practical uses imitate the pattern established by college and professional sports, and this is very exciting to youth who have not yet achieved their full potential.

Sports uniforms are functional for their sport, and they also provide pride to the team as a whole. People have always distinguished themselves by a similar fashion, color or other emblem. It is a deeply ingrained part of our cultural unconscious, and kids and adults today still enjoy the experience of wearing an attractive uniform.

Most sports require a high degree of coordination, and success in these sports is as a team and not as an individual. While an individual ball player might be able to distinguish him or herself as a high performer, real success depends on working together. Team uniforms help to build this spirit and maintain it in the game.

Players like being able to distinguish each other, and it even makes the game easier. Sports uniforms help players stand out from opponents. It can heighten the sense of competition by having different colors, but it also serves to make coordination easier. Different teams should stand out, because many games are very confusing on the ground level. Team camaraderie is one objective; creating order out of complicated play is another.

Depending on the sport, a complete uniform might cost less than $100. This is a small investment compared to the hours of practice and training, and it gives the student athlete a visible emblem of personal accomplishment. It might even be a smart strategy to hold off on distributing uniforms until a month before competitive play begins. This compels players to earn their badge of honor and it rewards them for enduring physical conditioning.

It pays to allow players to feel they earned their place. The best way to build team camaraderie is to encourage this sense of success. People who feel successful often are in actual performance, simply because it gives them the emotional high that translates into real energy and focus.