How to Run a Youth Team Apparel Order — Without Spreadsheets or Chasing Checks
If you've ever run a team apparel order the old way, you know the drill: a size spreadsheet nobody fills out, Venmo requests, one kid's hoodie that never showed up, and a box of leftover XLs in your garage. Here's the better way.
The Old Way vs. The Team Store Way
The problem with bulk orders is that you become the middleman — collecting sizes, collecting money, fronting the cost, and handling every mistake. A team store flips that: we build your team a free online store, every family orders and pays for their own gear, and everything is produced in one batch run.
How It Works
- Tell us what you want. Team name, colors, logo, and which items — hoodies, tees, jerseys, warmups, whatever fits your program. Email info@towngearessentials.com to start.
- We build the store. Your team gets its own page with its own gear — free. Check the sample campaign page to see what it looks like.
- Families order during the window. Everyone picks their own sizes and pays directly. No spreadsheet, no cash collection, no fronting money. (Here's how the preorder window works.)
- One production run, 2–3 week turnaround. Gear arrives together — we can even hand-deliver full team orders to a practice if you're local.
Want It to Raise Money Too?
Add a margin to each item and your program earns on every sale — that's our Fundraising Program. Spirit wear the families were going to buy anyway becomes uniform money, tournament fees, or new equipment.
Timing Tips from 500+ Team Orders
- Open your store 5–6 weeks before you need gear. Two weeks of ordering + 2–3 weeks of production = comfortable margin.
- Fall teams: start in July or early August. September is our busiest production month every year.
- Lock the roster before adding names and numbers — personalized items are final sale.
Coach a team in southeastern Mass? Get in touch and we'll have your store up before your next practice.