Feeling left out on the sidelines of spiritwear while other decorators pull in all the winning profits? Veteran decorators say that it’s not too tough to get into the game; you just have to know the potential customers and the best points of entry.

Who Has Spirit?

Perhaps the most obvious customers for spiritwear are local schools; after all, that’s where the teams are located. “We work with elementary and middle schools, private academies, and Christian schools,” says M.J. Shockley, owner, The Spiritwear Store, Richardson, Texas, a retailer with four singlehead embroidery machines.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking that spiritwear is only for high schools, says Mike Doyle, owner, CVC Sports, Rocklin, Calif. In fact, you might have an easier time breaking into the market by trying lower-level schools first. “Most of my money comes from junior high schools,” he says. “I’d say that’s the untapped market for spiritwear because hardly anyone calls on them.”

At every school, the biggest fan of spiritwear is, no doubt, the cheerleader. After all, who has more spirit — and a greater need for spiritwear? For instance, participants in cheerleading and drill team camps may purchase up to three complete outfits plus their uniforms, says Cathy Carter, owner of Stitchmaster in Wylie, Texas. “We also monogram hair bows with the mascot name on one end, and the girl’s name on the other end,” she says.

Spiritwear also extends to athletes, who enjoy promoting their team spirit when they’re not wearing their team uniforms. “Even the athletes want spiritwear. It’s part of being proud of who you are,” says Bob Smothers, owner, Sports Design & Graphics, Effingham, Il.

But spiritwear is for more than just the students, athletes, and cheerleaders. “We have a lot of ‘spirit moms and dads,’ ” Shockley says. “Every cheerleader has a mom and dad.”

Breaking into Spiritwear

One easy way to break into spiritwear is to simply approach the appropriate contacts at local schools. “For cheerleaders, go to the cheerleading adviser, and for football, go to the athletic director and coach,” Doyle says. “Much of that information is available on a school’s Web site.”

Other points of contact include coaches, athletic directors, band directors, and the senior class president. The key is to remember that each school has numerous points of entry. “You might have a football coach selling spirit shirts out of the bookstore, and the parent/teacher group has a table of shirts at the football game,” Doyle says.

Carter finds contacts for spiritwear sales by using a directory from the Texas Coaches Association. “It lists every school in Texas, and every coach, cheerleading group, you name it,” she says. “It’s a great source.”

Smother suggests asking your contacts about fund-raising for their clubs and organizations. “Find out their rules for fund-raising, because some schools have no restrictions but others may,” he explains. “Learn the politics of the school and the pecking order.”

Another way to get started in spiritwear is to hand out free garments at sporting events, Smothers suggests. “I might print up a few hundred one-color shirts with my company’s name on it and give them away. The people will wear them over and over,” he says. “I’ve found that to be very effective. Sometimes we forget that the best way to advertise is the very thing that we sell.”

Shockley recommends donating items to the Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards banquet for the education community. “You can get your name in front of thousands of people that way,” she says.

Smothers, who does spiritwear for high schools and colleges, often generates big sales by printing shirts before a big game. “The president of the booster club might open the box of shirts and give them to the kids on the court,” he says. “And every fan is going to want one of those shirts. You’re going to sell thousands of them.”