Every November a coach emails us on a Tuesday asking for forty warm-up hoodies by Friday. We help when we can. But if you're reading this in September, you have something that coach didn't: time. Here's how the winter ordering window actually works in Central Ohio, sport by sport, and the dates to put on your calendar.
The short version
- Practices start: Ohio high-school winter sports (basketball, wrestling, swimming & diving, bowling, gymnastics, ice hockey) open practice around the first of November. Youth clubs and rec leagues run roughly the same calendar.
- First competitions: late November into early December.
- Your real deadline: artwork approved and roster counts in by mid-October. That leaves room for a two-week team store, production, sorting and delivery before the first event.
Why mid-October, not "a couple weeks before"
Custom apparel has four steps that each take real days, and none of them can overlap much:
- Artwork and mockup. You send a logo (or we build one), we send a proof, you send changes, we send a final. Two rounds is typical. Budget a week.
- Sizing and roster. A team store solves this — families order their own sizes online — but a store needs about two weeks open to reach everyone. A bulk order needs a size sheet, which needs a practice to hand it out at.
- Garments. Blank shirts, hoodies and joggers ship from the supplier after the order closes. Popular colors and youth sizes sell out in October across the whole industry.
- Production and sorting. Printing, embroidery, personalization, then sorting by athlete. The bigger the roster, the longer this takes.
Stack those up and "a couple weeks before the first game" is already too late for anything with names on it.
Sport by sport
| Sport | Practices open | First events | Gear that matters most | Get artwork to us by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrestling | Early November | Late Nov / early Dec tournaments | Warm-up hoodies and joggers for tournament day; practice tees | Oct 10–15 |
| Basketball | Late October (tryouts) | Late November | Shooting shirts, practice reversibles, bench warm-ups | Oct 10–15 (store closes after tryouts) |
| Cheer (sideline & comp) | With basketball | First home game; comps Dec–Feb | Spirit packs, warm-ups with names, parent gear | Oct 10–15 |
| Swimming & diving | Early November | Early December meets | Team parkas/hoodies, deck tees, parent gear | Oct 15 |
| Bowling | Early November | Late November | Team polos or tees, hoodies | Oct 20 |
| Ice hockey | Varies by club | November | Warm-ups, beanies, parent gear | Oct 15 |
The team-store version of the timeline
If parents are buying, use a store. It removes the size sheet, the checks, and the "can I still add one" texts. The dates shift slightly:
- By Oct 10: artwork approved, garments chosen, fundraising margin set (if any).
- Oct 10–24: store is open. Share the link at the parent meeting and once more three days before close.
- Oct 24 – Nov 10: production and sorting by athlete.
- Before the first event: delivery or pickup in Delaware.
Basketball coaches: open the store the week of tryouts and close it a few days after cuts. Players who make the team order; nobody ends up with a shirt for a team they're not on.
What if you've already missed it?
Be honest with us about the date and we'll be honest about what's realistic. A one-item spirit-wear store, a practice tee without personalization, or a small coaches' order can usually move faster than a full package. What we won't do is promise a date we can't hit.
Three things to send today
- Your logo — vector if you have it, a clean PNG if you don't.
- Your colors and a rough roster count (including coaches).
- The date of your first event.
That's enough for a mockup and a quote. Request a winter sports quote → or launch a team store →.