Cheer programs work through three distinct apparel seasons — football season (August through November), basketball season (November through March), and spring competition (February through May). Each season has different apparel needs, and the order calendar matters. Order too late and you're stuck waiting on production through a critical event window. Here's the full-season cheer apparel calendar we use with Treasure Valley high school programs.
June — practice gear order window
Order summer practice gear and team-color essentials before tryouts close in late August. Standard order:
- Practice tees + shorts for daily summer practice — team colors, screen-printed squad logo. $16–$25 per piece.
- Light warm-up jackets for cool-morning practices. $30–$45.
- Squad backpacks for practice gear transport. $35–$55.
Order by mid-June so production wraps before tryout week.
Mid-July — football season uniform order
Football season starts in late August. Squad needs:
- Football game-day uniforms (provided by your existing supplier — these have very specific cuts)
- Travel-day apparel — embroidered hoodies, squad polos for sideline visibility. $25–$45 each.
- Hair bows and accessories — we partner with bow vendors. Order in 2 squad colors for game-day rotation.
Order by mid-July so all gear arrives before first football game.
October — basketball season prep
Basketball season starts in November. Time to order:
- Basketball game-day uniforms if different from football kit (some squads share, some don't).
- Travel-day apparel refresh if needed.
- Booster fundraiser merch for parent supporter sales. Run a team store window through November.
December — spring competition prep
Spring competition season starts in February. Order the competition kit:
- Competition uniforms (from cheer-specific manufacturers like Varsity)
- Travel-day warm-ups — embroidered with squad name + competition logo. $35–$55.
- Team travel bags for competition weekend transport. $45–$75.
- Comp-day squad tees — team-color tees for the squad to wear when not in competition uniform. $14–$22.
Order by mid-December so all gear arrives before first competition in February.
Year-round — booster supporter merch
Cheer booster club fundraisers run year-round. Set up a team store window once and refresh quarterly. Common sellers:
- Mom + dad squad-color tees ($14–$22)
- Grandma squad-color hoodies ($28–$38)
- Sibling youth tees ($10–$15)
- Squad bumper stickers + magnets ($3–$5)
Mid-season add-ons — the realistic plan
Cheer squads gain and lose members through tryouts and injuries. Order with a 2-piece buffer per item, and we can produce single replacements in 5–10 business days for the rest of the season.
Related
- Custom Cheer Apparel (landing page)
- Online Team Stores for Sports Teams
- Custom Apparel for High School Boosters
Want help running a team store for your cheer booster club fundraiser? We'll set one up in 48 hours — no monthly fee, no minimums. Call (208) 954-9492.
How We Make This Stuff
Everything covered in this post is produced in our Meridian, Idaho shop at 2700 E Lanark St. Eagle Ridge Apparel is a family-run print shop serving the Treasure Valley since 2019 — we embroider, screen print, DTF, sublimate, laser-cut leather patches, laser-engrave drinkware, and UV-print promotional goods on equipment we operate ourselves. No outsourced decoration, no overseas fulfillment, no third-party middlemen.
Most custom apparel orders ship in 7–10 business days from approved mockup. Rush production in 3–5 business days is available on most decoration methods; embroidered hats are the tightest constraint. We hold no minimums on any decoration type — order one piece or one thousand — though pricing scales aggressively over 50, 100, and 250-piece tiers. Free digital mockups before production starts. We don't begin a run until you sign off on what it'll look like.
Two ways to order: design it yourself online in our designer tool (any quantity, any decoration method), or request a custom quote and we'll send back pricing within one business day. Talk to a real person at (208) 954-9492 or info@eagleridgeapparel.com — most inquiries get a response within two hours during the business day.