How to Fundraise to Buy Team Uniforms - Making It a Success

'Oh no, not another sports fundraiser!' I hear soccer parents up and down the country grumbling and although soccer doesn't require as much equipment as most other sports, the plain fact of the matter is that you'll need to come up with some soccer fundraising ideas for purchasing uniforms.

Obviously, in the current economic climate, sports team fundraising is more challenging than ever. With a collective purse-string tightening happening all around us, you'll have to be creative. Don't be overwhelmed; remember, it's not like selling life insurance! It's all for a good cause and an excellent opportunity to have fun, do something positive for your community and test your organizational skills. And it doesn't have to be a chore; youth sports fundraising will help teach your young players pertinent lessons about teamwork and the importance of managing money, and what better way to teach them? All the money raised will directly benefit the team they love. Get the little cherubs involved and get them excited by it; their motivation will be essential to your cause. The first thing you'll need to do is to work out that target 'ball-park figure' that you need to raise. Expect to have to raise at least $100 per player to get them properly kitted out. And so, to sports fundraising ideas:

• The key is to be positive, enthusiastic and confident; go into your sports team fundraisers with gusto and involve local businesses (especially when fundraising for youth soccer ).
• Why not ask them if they'd like to sponsor your new soccer uniforms?
• Sell them the idea that it'll be great positive publicity for them, with all the exposure they'll get from game-days and friends and family of your players.
• Local gyms, sports stores and health food stores will especially benefit from the association with a soccer team.
• Ask local newspapers to promote your sports fundraising ideas; they always need to fill column space and what better than a feel-good soccer fundraising article?
• Use all the community resources at your disposal, put notices on community boards and spread the word!
• Who is your nearest professional/ semi-pro team? Be it a star of Major League Soccer or a more modest club, it can't hurt to ask for a donation and it wouldn't suit them to turn you down. After all, you could have the next Landon Donovan in your ranks!

Far and away the best plan is to hold a special fundraising soccer day. They'll probably be some initial outlay; because profit margins will be your chief concern, be cautious.

• Charge a small entry fee
• Organize six-a-side and ball-juggling competitions with donated prizes.
• Get local moms and dads involved and have a candy or bake sale.
• Have a barbecue and sell burgers, ribs and hot dogs to your spectators!
• Have a raffle; this is a tried and trusted team sports fundraising idea.
• Challenge the local firefighters, police, doctors and lawyers to a game!
• Be sure to let everybody know that all profits are going to your excellent cause.

So, where to spend your hard-earned funds when you've successfully raised them? You'll want to get the best deal possible; for an unbeatable range, excellent customer service and some great prices on team packages, you won't find a better deal out there than with the guys at Code Four Athletics.

Teresa Opara
Uniforms for Soccer Teams