Sports Club Merchandise: Kit for Players, Coaches and Volunteers

Sports club merchandise is the kit and accessories a club gives or sells to players, coaches, volunteers and supporters: polos, caps, towels, bags, bottles and lanyards with the club badge. Good club merchandise is used at every training session and match, so the badge is seen on the pitch, in the changing room and on the way home.

This guide covers what a club typically needs, which products from the Zintora catalogue fit each group, how to brand them, and how to plan an order around the season. It applies to amateur and grassroots clubs as well as to companies that sponsor a local team. Every product below comes from the live catalogue on 28 October 2026.

Who sports club merchandise is for

A club has several groups, and each needs something different:

• Players: a training polo, a towel, a bottle and a bag to carry it all.
• Coaches and staff: a polo or a cap that makes them easy to spot on the touchline.
• Volunteers: a cap and a lanyard for match days, tournaments and fundraising events.
• Supporters and members: items they can buy or receive with their membership, such as a bottle or a towel.
• Sponsors: a company that sponsors a team often wants the club kit to carry its logo next to the club badge.

Decide early which groups you are ordering for. It shapes the product list, the quantities and whether you need sizes.

Sports club merchandise from the catalogue

Pricing for your selection and quantity comes with your quote. Catalogue prices are ex VAT; printing and delivery are extra, UK import VAT and duties are paid on delivery. Every product page shows its own minimum.

The Custom Event Lanyard, with a minimum of 100, completes the list for tournaments and club events where volunteers and officials need a pass.

Clothing: polos and caps

Quick-Dry Polo

The Quick-Dry Polo is a technical polo for long, active days. The supplier states a 200 g/m² fabric with a unisex cut and indicative sizes XS to 3XL. It comes in white, heather grey, heather red, black, navy blue and forest green, and can be screen printed, DTG printed or embroidered. You can mix sizes and colours within the minimum of 25. For coaches, a moderate-sized badge on the chest and a club name on the back is usually more comfortable than one large print. More models are on the custom polo shirts page.

Sports Cap

Despite its name, the Sports Cap is an open, stretchy visor: it shields the eyes from the sun without closing over the top of the head. That suits runners, tennis players and volunteers who stand outside all day in summer. The fabric is 97% polyester and 3% elastane, with an approximate circumference of 56 to 59 cm, in white, black, navy blue and red. The front panel is narrow, so a horizontal logo or short club name works best. Branding is embroidery or transfer. For full caps and winter headwear, see the branded caps page.

Bags, towels and bottles

Sports bags

A sports bag goes to every training session, so it is one of the most visible items a club can give. The Lightweight Sports Bag has padded handles, an adjustable strap and a front pocket, with an indicative load of 10 kg and an approximate weight of 350 g, in black and blue, black or navy blue. It can be embroidered or transfer printed. The Weekend Duffel Bag is a larger option with handles and a shoulder strap option; capacity, pockets and logo position are agreed before production, with a minimum of 50.

Towels

The Active Sports Towel is a towel for gym kits and sports activities. Before production we agree the dimensions, composition, weight and a marking method suited to the fabric, and the specification is confirmed in writing. Our guide to custom sports towels for companies covers sizes and placement in more detail.

Bottles

The Clear Sports Bottle is a clear bottle for team activities. The exact material, capacity, cap, food-contact use and permitted temperatures are agreed before production, and you can ask about Tritan. The minimum is 100, which suits a club with several teams or a bottle given with every membership. For metal and glass bottles, see the branded water bottles page.

Building a club kit

A kit is easier to manage than a list of separate items. Three combinations that work for most clubs:

• Player kit: Quick-Dry Polo, Active Sports Towel and Clear Sports Bottle, all in the Lightweight Sports Bag.
• Coach and staff kit: Quick-Dry Polo in a different colour from the players, plus a Sports Cap.
• Volunteer kit: Sports Cap and Custom Event Lanyard for match days and tournaments.

Each product has its own minimum. If one team is smaller than a minimum, combine teams in the same order, or use the extra units as spares and as gifts for sponsors.

Branding club merchandise

Club badges are often detailed: a crest, a founding year and a motto. That works on a polo chest or a towel, but not on a narrow visor or a bottle. A few practical points:

• Prepare two versions of the badge. A full crest for large surfaces and a simplified mark or the club initials for small ones.
• Match the technique to the item. Embroidery suits polos, caps and bags; screen printing or DTG suits larger designs on polos.
• Agree sponsor placement early. If a sponsor's logo goes on the kit, decide its size and position next to the club badge before you request the digital proof.
• Keep colours consistent. Ask for the same badge colours across every item so the kit looks like one set.

Send the badge as a vector file (PDF, SVG or EPS). You approve the technique, position and size on a digital proof before production starts, and nothing is produced until you approve it.

Sizes and names

For clothing, collect sizes from players and staff before you request the quote; a shared form or a sheet in the changing room works well. The polo is unisex in indicative sizes XS to 3XL, so a size guide helps people choose. If you want names or numbers on individual items, say so in your request so we can confirm in the quote whether it is possible for that item.

Timing the order around the season

Club merchandise is needed at the start of a season, for a tournament or for a club anniversary. Work back from the date:

1. Agree the groups, products and kit combinations.
2. Collect sizes for clothing.
3. Request the quote with the badge as a vector file.
4. Approve the digital proof.
5. Production takes 10 to 20 working days after proof approval, confirmed in the quote.
6. Add delivery time to the clubhouse or to each recipient.

Zintora delivers across the UK and internationally to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, to one address or to each recipient.

Sustainability questions

Kit that is used for several seasons is a better choice than items handed out once. If your club or sponsor reports on purchasing, ask with the quote for material details and documentation for each product. The only certificate we name is the GRS of The Tenth House, checked per lot.

Sports club merchandise checklist

• Groups listed: players, coaches, volunteers, supporters, sponsors
• Products chosen for each group and combined into kits
• Badge prepared in a full and a simplified version, as vector files
• Sponsor logo size and position agreed, if any
• Sizes collected for polos
• Quantity checked against each product's minimum, teams combined if needed
• Delivery address confirmed: clubhouse or each recipient
• Order date set for 10 to 20 working days of production plus delivery

Frequently asked questions

What should sports club merchandise include?

Items players use every week: a training polo, a towel, a bottle and a bag, plus caps and lanyards for coaches and volunteers. Choose by group rather than ordering one item for everyone.

What is the minimum order for club kit?

It depends on the product: 25 for the Quick-Dry Polo, Sports Cap and Lightweight Sports Bag, 50 for the Active Sports Towel and Weekend Duffel Bag, and 100 for the Clear Sports Bottle and Custom Event Lanyard.

Can a sponsor's logo go on the club kit?

Yes. Agree the size and position next to the club badge before the digital proof, so both marks are approved together.

Can we mix sizes and colours?

For the Quick-Dry Polo you can mix sizes and colours within the minimum of 25.

How long does an order take?

Production takes 10 to 20 working days after proof approval, plus delivery. The exact schedule is in the quote.

Ready to kit out your club? Browse the catalogue, or request a quote with the groups, products, sizes, your badge and the date you need everything.