Every year when the season is about to start and the players are getting excited about the upcoming season, the coach sits down and thinks about his teams strengths and weaknesses, what kind of offense and defense he will run and what new players are coming on board. Next is the practice schedule and getting everyone on the same page and off you go. The natural progression of a season from beginning to end can be quite chaotic and confusing.

Because of the many tasks coaches have, one of the most important tasks usually gets pushed back or even forgotten; yes I am talking about buying the uniforms and equipment. Each year when busy season comes along there is a least a dozen coaches and/or directors that are in complete panic mode because they did not get their uniforms ordered on time. We always do our best to help these coaches but in the end many just did not give the factory enough time to make them.The results of this can be minimal for established teams with existing uniforms, but for teams without uniforms the results are much more severe. Forfeited games, angry parents and public embarrassment can spell the end of your up and coming team when players start leaving for more organized and “better run” clubs. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you and your club this year, make sure you give the factory at least 5 weeks to make and send the uniforms to you and for larger organizations leave 6-8 weeks for factory production. This will ensure you get your uniforms on time and keep your club headed in the right direction.

Not all uniform companies are created equal, the ones that own their own factories can usually do a bit of magic and work things around, but why chance it? Having an attitude of preparedness now sets the precedent for success in the future.