Every athletic director knows the feeling: a season is two weeks away and someone realizes the jerseys are worn out or a new program has nothing to wear. Ordering high school uniforms on a calendar, rather than in a rush, fixes most of that. This guide lays out how to think about fall, winter and spring sports so each team has its uniforms in hand before the first contest.
Why high school uniforms need a calendar
A high school runs many programs at once, often with different coaches, different booster clubs and different budgets. Without a shared plan, orders pile up at the same time, decisions stall, and the team with the earliest season gets squeezed. A simple calendar keeps one program from crowding out another and gives coaches clear deadlines for design approval and rosters.
The key number to plan around is production time. Typical turnaround for custom sublimated uniforms is about 4 weeks from design approval. Design, mockup revisions and roster collection come before that, and they take longer than most people expect. A good rule is to begin each team's design request at least six to eight weeks before the first contest.
Fall sports
In many California sections, fall seasons include football, girls volleyball, cross country, girls golf, girls tennis and water polo, and a growing number of schools also run girls flag football in the fall or spring depending on the league. Fall seasons start soon after the school year begins, which means summer is the real ordering window.
- Start design in late spring or early summer. Coaches are easier to reach before summer break than during it.
- Collect sizes at summer workouts. That is often the first time you see the full roster in one place.
- Order spares. Fall rosters change after tryouts, so a few extra jerseys in common sizes help.
Planning a new girls flag football team? See our flag football uniform guide for cuts and design tips.
Winter sports
In many California sections, soccer and basketball are winter sports, along with wrestling. Winter seasons can overlap with the end of fall, so coaches are busy with tryouts while the order needs to move.
- Start design in late summer or early fall. Aim to approve mockups before fall sports wrap up.
- Plan warm-ups with the game kit. Winter teams often need tracksuits, jackets or windbreakers for cold evening games, so design them at the same time so everything matches.
- Varsity and JV together. Ordering both levels in one design keeps the program consistent and simplifies the order.
Spring sports
Spring often includes track and field, boys volleyball, baseball, softball, swimming, tennis and golf. Spring is the season most likely to be forgotten because everyone is focused on winter.
- Start design in late fall. November and December are a quiet time to make design decisions before winter games take over.
- Track needs more sizes than you think. Sprinters, distance runners and throwers often want different fits, so collect sizes carefully.
- Boys volleyball needs numbered jerseys and a libero. Make sure the libero jersey contrasts with the rest of the team.
A sample year-round ordering calendar
Every school is different, but a calendar like this works for many athletic departments:
- April to May: design requests for fall teams.
- June to July: fall rosters, sizes and order submission.
- August to September: design requests and approvals for winter teams.
- October: winter orders submitted.
- November to December: design requests for spring teams.
- January: spring orders submitted.
Share this calendar with coaches at the start of the school year so everyone knows their deadlines.
Make rosters and sizing painless
The design step is usually quick. Collecting sizes from every athlete is what drags. Two approaches work well for high schools:
- Coach-submitted roster. The coach fills in names, numbers and sizes on one order form. Best when the school or booster club pays for the full team.
- Online team store. Each family picks sizes and pays directly through a team store. The player number and every size are required at checkout, and youth and adult sizes cannot be mixed. Best for spirit packs, warm-ups and anything athletes keep.
Many programs combine both: the school orders the game uniforms it owns, and families use a team store for practice gear and spirit wear.
Keep the whole department consistent
When every program orders from the same partner, school colors and logos stay consistent across sports. Basketball, soccer, volleyball and flag football can share the same crest, number style and color palette while still looking like their own team. It also means one point of contact for the athletic director instead of a different company for each coach.
Shift Sports is an LAUSD approved vendor based in Anaheim, California, and works with thousands of teams nationwide. High schools such as Cypress High School and Torres High School have used us for game kits and full spirit packs. Learn more on our page for custom high school uniforms, or see how we approach every sport on our custom sports uniforms page.
Quick checklist for athletic directors
- List every program, its season and its first contest date.
- Note which uniforms are school-owned and which are family-purchased.
- Set a design deadline six to eight weeks before each season.
- Confirm who approves mockups for each team.
- Decide whether each team uses a roster order or a team store.
Planning next season? Request a free design for any program and we will send mockups in your school colors. Design is free and mockups are unlimited.