How to Choose the Right Team Shop Product for Your School Event
The Make-A-Ball Team Shop currently carries 11 products across three categories: towels and blankets, collectibles and keepsakes, and spirit accessories. Every product has a 12-piece minimum and uses one shared design across all pieces. But not every product is the right fit for every occasion. The right choice depends on the event, the audience, the budget, and what you want the product to do for your school or program. Here is the buyer's guide.
The Three Team Shop Categories
Towels and Blankets: the highest-utilityity category
Team Sherpa Blankets, Team Swim Towels, Team Terrific Towels, and Team Football Field Towels are the highest-utility products in the Team Shop. They are used repeatedly, travel to every event, and have strong perceived value for fundraiser pricing. These are the right products when you want something the audience will use after the event rather than set on a shelf.
- Team Sherpa Blanket: Best for cold-weather sports and sideline situations. Strong fundraiser product. Best occasion: fall season openers, football booster fundraisers, homecoming cold-weather giveaways.
- Team Swim Towel: Purpose-built for swim programs. Best occasion: swim season opener, swim club program gift, swim team booster fundraiser.
- Team Terrific Towel: The most versatile product in the catalog. Works for any sport, any event, any season. Best occasion: pep rallies, fan giveaways, multi-sport season openers, homecoming spirit merchandise.
- Team Football Field Towel: Purpose-built for football programs. Clips to the belt during games and practices. Best occasion: football season opener, football booster fundraiser, football senior night program gift.
Collectibles and Keepsakes: the highest perceived value category
Team Baseball Ornaments, Team Softball Ornaments, Team Hockey Puck Ornaments, and Team Golf Balls are sport-specific products that carry strong perceived value because they are connected to the sport itself. Families buy them because they recognize the product and the sport-specific identity it carries.
- Team Baseball and Softball Ornaments: Seasonal fundraiser products. Best occasion: fall and winter booster fundraisers for baseball and softball programs, end-of-season program gifts, holiday booster table merchandise.
- Team Hockey Puck Ornaments: Purpose-built for hockey programs. Same format as baseball and softball ornaments. Best occasion: hockey season opener, hockey booster fundraiser, hockey program end-of-season gift.
- Team Golf Balls: Best occasion: golf program season opener, golf tournament branded merchandise, golf booster fundraiser, end-of-season golf program gift.
Spirit and Accessories: the best value-per-unit categr-unit category
Team Mini Megaphones, Team Can Coolers, and Team Baseball Keychains and Zipper Pulls are the lowest price-point products in the Team Shop. They work best when volume is more important than perceived value: large fan giveaways, student section spirit packs, and high-attendance events where you need to stretch the budget across a large crowd.
- Team Mini Megaphones: Highest visual impact per dollar. Best for student sections and cheer squads. Best occasion: pep rallies, homecoming week student section giveaways, rivalry game spirit distributions.
- Team Can Coolers: Best for outdoor events with food and beverages. Best occasion: tailgates, outdoor season openers, fall sport booster events, golf tournament sponsor gifts.
- Team Baseball Keychains and Zipper Pulls: Highest volume, lowest cost. Best occasion: large fan giveaways, student section distributions, booster table free-with-purchase incentive items.
Quick Reference: Event to Product
- Pep rally fan giveaway: Mini Megaphones, Terrific Towels, Can Coolers
- Booster club fundraiser sale: Sherpa Blankets, Ornaments, Golf Balls
- Football season opener: Football Field Towels, Terrific Towels, Sherpa Blankets
- Swim program season opener: Swim Towels
- Multi-sport season opener: Terrific Towels, Can Coolers
- Homecoming spirit week: Mini Megaphones, Terrific Towels
- Championship merchandise: Sherpa Blankets, Terrific Towels, Ornaments
- Golf tournament: Golf Balls, Can Coolers
- Holiday fundraiser: Baseball Ornaments, Softball Ornaments, Hockey Puck Ornaments
What to Include in Every Team Shop Design
Regardless of product or occasion, Team Shop designs work best when they include: the school name and mascot or logo as the primary element, the sport or program designation, the season year, and the school colors throughout. Optional additions that strengthen the design: the event name ("Homecoming 2026," "Senior Night," "Fall Championship"), a season motto or theme, and the school's conference or league designation if the program identifies strongly with it.
Keep the design readable. A Team Shop product is often seen from a distance: in the stands, on a fan's arm, across a table. Bold, high-contrast elements that read at 10 feet are more effective than dense designs with small text. Our design team will flag any readability concerns when they build your proof.