Custom Warm-Up Suits for Teams and Clubs: How to Plan the Order
A matching warm-up is often the first piece of team gear athletes and parents ask about, and it makes a squad look like one unit from the parking lot to the awards table. This guide walks coaches, gym owners and booster club volunteers through ordering custom warm-up suits for teams: fabric and cut, colors, decoration, sizing from youth to adult, order size and timing.
Quick answer: Pick one jacket and pant style, confirm fabric and team colors, and collect every athlete's size early with a try-on session. There is no minimum order, so you can order for one squad or add coaches and parents to the same design. Approve a sample first, then allow 2–4 weeks for production, counting back from your first competition.
What are custom warm-up suits for teams, and when are they worn?
A warm-up suit is a matching jacket and pants that athletes pull on over their uniform before play and take off when it starts. It keeps muscles warm while the team waits and gives everyone the same look.
Teams wear them in more places than you might expect:
- Pre-game and pre-meet warm-ups, then off once play begins.
- On the bench or sideline between rounds, heats or matches.
- Travel days, team photos and award ceremonies.
- Everyday wear, which is why coaches and parents want a set too.
Which fabric and cut should your team choose?
Most warm-ups fall into three fabric families. Think about where your athletes spend the most time waiting.
- Woven: a tightly woven, lightweight shell, often nylon or polyester and often lined. It cuts the wind and suits outdoor sports and sideline wear.
- Tricot: a smooth-faced knit with a soft, brushed back. It has the classic track suit look and works indoors or out.
- Fleece: a brushed-back knit with a sweatsuit feel. Warm and casual, it is popular with cheer gyms and martial arts schools.
For the cut, keep it simple. A full-zip jacket with a stand collar or hood goes on and off easily over a uniform. For pants, choose straight legs with zip ankles, which come off over shoes without a struggle, or tapered joggers with ribbed cuffs for a more casual look.
One jacket and one pant style for the whole team keeps the order simple. If the team already owns a warm-up whose fit everyone likes, send it as a reference sample, or drop it off in person in metro Atlanta.
How do you match a team's colors?
Start with the colors you already wear. The textile program has 40 core colors, plus Pantone matching when a school or club color has to be exact. Send a current jersey or banner so the shade is compared against something real.
- Choose one main body color and one or two accent colors for panels, piping or trim.
- Darker main colors hide grass, chalk and gym-floor marks better than white.
- Check the sample next to your game uniform in daylight before you approve it.
How should you add the team name, logo and athlete names?
Team names and logos are usually embroidered (flat, 3D puff, chenille or chain-stitch) or printed (screen, DTF, DTG, sublimation or vinyl). Common placements are the logo on the left chest, the team name across the back of the jacket and a small mark on one pant leg.
Individual names and numbers help athletes find their own jacket in a pile on the bench. Send them as a typed roster matched to sizes, and have a second person proofread the spelling before it goes into the quote.
How do you collect sizes from youth to adult?
Sizing is where team orders tend to slip. A mixed roster can run from small youth sizes to adult coaches, so start early.
- Name one person to own sizing, and set a firm deadline with a real date, not "as soon as you can."
- Hold a try-on session with a fit kit or a set of size samples, so athletes and parents choose by fit instead of guessing from a chart.
- Record everything on one roster sheet: athlete, size, and the name or number to be added.
- For growing athletes who fall between two sizes, the usual advice is to choose the larger one.
- Order a few extras in your most common sizes for athletes who join mid-season and for lost or damaged pieces.
The pattern is graded to your size chart, so share how sizes should run from youth through adult when you request the quote.
How many warm-up suits should a team order?
There is no minimum order, so a single squad can order just what it needs. If more people want the same look, one design can be shared:
- Combine age groups or squads into one style, keeping the team name the same and changing only names and numbers.
- Add head coaches, assistants and team managers.
- Offer the same suit to parents and siblings as fan wear through the booster club or the gym front desk.
Keep the design identical across groups, and confirm the size split for each group in your quote.
How far ahead should you order team warm-ups?
Plan backward from the day the team first needs to wear them, such as the first competition, the season opener or picture day. The steps run in this order:
- Settle the design, fabric, colors and artwork.
- Collect sizes and names.
- Get the quote. Quantity, sample fee, price, lead time, payment, freight and duties are agreed in writing before work starts.
- Review the sample. A sample is made before every new style, and any sample fee is shown in the quote.
- Give written approval. Production starts only after it.
- Production. Textile turnaround is 2–4 weeks.
- Delivery and handing out sets, with time left to swap a size if needed.
Orders to US addresses ship duties paid, with freight agreed in the quote. Size collection often takes longer than expected, so run it alongside the design work.
What else can go into a full team pack?
Once the warm-up is set, many teams build a pack around it. The textile program covers hoodies, joggers, tees, polos, socks, varsity and letterman jackets and coach jackets in matching colors and decoration.
For head coaches, directors or award winners, a genuine leather jacket marks the role. One coach's jacket or a handful of award jackets can be ordered as fully custom leather jackets, quoted from $199 to $499. For a larger staff, leather has no minimum order either; browse men's leather bomber jackets and women's leather bombers for varsity-style shapes that can carry the team logo. The guide to wearing a leather jacket with a hoodie shows how a coach's jacket layers over team fleece on cold sideline days.
Can a gym move from print-on-demand merch to its own line?
Many cheer gyms and martial arts schools start with print-on-demand merch, where each piece is printed after a parent orders it. Once demand is steady, ordering a run of warm-ups gives the gym control over fabric, color and fit, plus private label details:
- Woven neck labels with the gym's name or logo.
- Hang tags for pieces sold at the front desk.
- Garment bags so competition sets stay clean and ready for event day.
Because the gym now holds stock, base quantities on the roster and recent sales, plus a few extras in the busiest sizes.
Who needs to approve the logo and artwork?
Every logo and design on the order must be owned by you or used with permission. A club's own crest is usually simple. School names, mascots and league marks often belong to the school or organization, so get written permission from whoever controls them before you send artwork. Vector files such as SVG, EPS or PDF give the cleanest result, though a clear image or sketch works as a starting point.
Planning an order? There is no minimum order for team warm-up suits, and squads, coaches and parents can share one design. Send your logo, colors and roster, and the quote will show the sample fee, turnaround and shipping.
FAQ
Is there a minimum order for team warm-ups?
No. There is no minimum order, so you can order any quantity with sizes mixed as needed. Many teams still combine age groups, coaches and parents in one design, with only names and numbers changing from piece to piece.
How long does a team warm-up order take?
A sample comes first, and production starts only after your written approval. Textile turnaround is 2–4 weeks from there, so leave room for size collection, sample review and shipping before your first event.
Can every athlete have a name and number?
Yes. Names and numbers can be embroidered or printed on jackets and pants. Send a typed roster matched to sizes and check every spelling before you approve.
Can we put our school logo on the warm-ups?
Only with permission. Artwork must be owned or authorized by the buyer, so get written approval from the school or organization that owns the mark first.
Settle the design, collect sizes early and work backward from your first event, and custom warm-up suits for teams become one straightforward order. Explore custom team apparel and varsity jackets to plan the rest of the team pack alongside the warm-ups.