When Should You Purchase New Gear?

Nothing lasts forever, and that’s doubly true when talking about youth sports. Children and teens can be incredibly hard on their equipment and clothing to the point that replacements are needed on an almost annual basis.

The start of the new year is a great time to take stock of the current state of your child’s and team’s gear. It may easily be time to make an investment in more equipment.

It’s Probably Time For New Team Gear If…

...there are any physical problems with protective gear.

Safety should always come first, and that’s particularly true of protective gear like helmets, shoulder pads and other physical safety devices. Have a look over the gear your team is using and check for defects. Ad-hoc repairs with duct tape and such will never be as effective as the original build and may endanger players.

...sportswear is ripped or torn.

Besides looking bad, sportswear that’s ripped or has holes can present a safety hazard as these items of clothing can easily get snagged on objects around the field – or on other players’ fingers. Jerseys, sweatpants and similar items should always be replaced if they’ve received significant physical damage.

...there are stains which just won’t come out.

While this is more of an aesthetic issue, no team wants to hit the field in uniforms that look dirty and stained. It hurts your team’s morale and can boost the opposition’s, if they notice. Being known as “the team with dingy equipment” can be a real drag on a youth sports organization, and sadly, Hoosiers and Bad News Bears situations don’t happen that often in real life.

...your town or school changes their colors or logo.

If you’re associated with a town or school, your team’s gear should mirror the design choices they make. So if there’s a major change to how your town or school is branding themselves, your team should follow suit and do the same. It helps to encourage community pride while ensuring it’s clear that you are representing your town or school.

…your away-colors are becoming banged up.

Have you checked out your away-game gear lately?  Since it isn’t used as often as your primary or home gear, it’s easy to overlook away-game equipment. Go through the closet and make sure everything is up to par. If you don’t have away-game colors, it’s time to think about buying some! It’ll make it easier to set up away games with teams whose colors would otherwise conflict with yours.

...you want to fundraise.

Having sales on team gear is a great way to raise a little extra money for the team. It’s typical to add some kind of markup to the products, specifically so it can go into the team’s general budget. Don’t overlook the money-raising possibilities here!

If you’re looking for the perfect resource for branded team gear, look to SquadLocker . No other website makes it easier to source custom-made branded equipment and sportswear from some of the biggest names in the industry, like Under Armour, Adidas, Russell Athletic, Nike, BadgerSport and more – new brand partners are constantly being added!