The New Coach's First-Season Gear Checklist

Congratulations — you said yes to coaching. Between practice plans, parent emails, and figuring out the league portal, there's a gear operation hiding in your future. Nobody hands new coaches a manual for it, so here's the checklist, in the order the decisions actually arrive.

8+ Weeks Before First Practice

• Find out what already exists. Returning programs often have colors, logos, and a printer relationship. Ask the AD, league, or last year's coach before inventing anything.
• Learn the rules you inherit. Schools and leagues may have logo usage rules, color requirements, or approved-vendor policies. One email now saves a reprint later.
• Set your gear philosophy. The Team Package (practice tee + short) or a Varsity or Podium package that adds a crewneck, hoodie or jogger? Decide what first-year you can execute well.

6 Weeks Out

• Pick items and colors. Start simple: 2 practice shirts per player is the workhorse order. Add a hoodie if the season runs cold.
• Sort your artwork. Get the logo file (vector if possible), or ask us for design help — describing what you want is enough to start.
• Choose the ordering model. Required gear the program pays for: a package, one complete set per player, quoted per player. Optional extras families buy: a team store. Most first-year coaches do the package and skip the store until year two.

4 Weeks Out

• Approve mockups fast. This is the step that stalls orders. You're the decision-maker; decide.
• Announce ordering to families once, clearly. What, why, deadline, link. Then one reminder near the deadline.

2 Weeks Out

• Order closes; production runs. Resist late-add panic — ask about add-on options instead of holding the order.
• Plan distribution. Sorted-by-player beats a pile on the bleachers. Ten minutes of prep saves thirty minutes of chaos.

First Practice

• Hand out gear. Take the photo. A matching team on day one sets a tone families notice — and it's your best recruiting image for next season.

The Shortcut Through All of It

Almost everything above compresses into one step: tell us your program — sport, colors, headcount, first practice date — and we handle recommendations, mockups, family ordering, production, and shipping. A real person replies within three business days. Tell us about your program.