Most rec and amateur teams get sponsored by local businesses their players already know: the restaurant after the game, a player's employer, the realtor down the street. Ask in January or February, before you order jerseys, offer the sponsor's logo on the jerseys plus a few extras, and send a short, specific letter.
Got a sponsor? We make custom team jerseys in Canada with no minimum order. Design work is free, names and numbers are included, and your team sees a mockup before you pay. Start your free design here.
Who to Ask
- Businesses your players own or work for. Warm asks get yeses.
- The bar or restaurant where the team goes after games.
- Local trades, realtors, gyms, physio clinics and car dealerships, which all want local visibility.
- Businesses that already sponsor other local teams; they've shown they say yes.
What to Offer
- Their logo on your jerseys. This is what most sponsors want. With full sublimation, a sponsor logo on the back or sleeve is printed into the fabric like the rest of the design.
- A team photo in their jersey, framed for their wall.
- Shout-outs on your team's social media and league page.
- Bringing the team in after games.
When to Ask
January and February. Spring jerseys take about four weeks to make once the design is approved, so sponsor logos have to be confirmed before you order. Asking in March usually means the sponsor misses the jerseys.
Sponsorship Letter Template
Copy this, fill in the brackets and send it from a team email. Keep it to one page.
Hi [Name],
I'm [your name], captain of [team name], a [sport] team in the [league name] league in [city]. Our [number] players are [customers / neighbours / employees] of [business name], and we'd love to have you as our team sponsor this season.
For a sponsorship of [amount], we'll put your logo on [the back / the sleeve / the front] of our team jerseys, which we wear at [number] games from [month] to [month]. We'll also [post about you on our team page / bring the team in after games / give you a framed team photo].
We order our jerseys in [month], so we'd need your logo by [date]. I'm happy to send a mockup of the jersey with your logo on it before you decide.
Thanks for considering it,
[Your name]
[Phone] · [Email]
Close the Deal With a Mockup
Nothing sells a sponsorship like a picture of the jersey with the sponsor's logo on it. TeamGear's design team makes free mockups, so you can show a sponsor exactly what they're paying for before they say yes.
FAQ
How much should a sponsor pay a rec team?
Enough to cover something specific, usually the jerseys or the league fee. A specific ask ("your sponsorship pays for our jerseys") gets more yeses than a general one.
Where should a sponsor logo go on a jersey?
The back below the number, or the sleeve, keeps the front for the team name. A main sponsor sometimes takes the front chest.
Conclusion
Sponsors say yes to teams that ask early, ask specifically and show them what they'll get. Start with the businesses your players already know, send the letter in January, and close it with a jersey mockup.
Ready for spring? Tell us your colours and logo, and we'll send a free mockup of your custom team jerseys. No minimum order, made in Canada, and about 4 weeks to your door once approved, so order by February for an April start. Start your design.
Sports team fundraising ideas · Team names for every sport
