Tips on Ordering Basketball Uniforms For AAU Leagues and Tournaments

AAU is one of the most prestigious athletic organizations you can participate in. High school coaches and college scouts alike recognize the talent that comes from the Amateur Athletic Union and its members. Joining a team or forming your own AAU team to participate in competitive leagues and tournaments is easy. There are some requirements which you should follow when ordering uniforms though. The next few paragraphs provide a basic outline on what to follow when designing and purchasing basketball uniforms:

Home and Away Sets:
This is where the initial cost first comes in. The AAU requires that teams have a "home" and "away" jersey to participate in league play. This is quite surprising, considering the high school I played for only had 1 uniform for both. There are ways around this to make better use of the team budget when being required to have two separate uniforms:

1. Order reversibles! As long as one side is light, and the other is dark, a reversible will suffice in most AAU district leagues. Typically, the reversibles can get a little heavy, although a reputable uniform company will have means to manufacture a lighter uniform to solve this issue. You can also choose to sublimate or screenprint the jerseys instead of tackle-twill to take some of the weight off.

2. Order a reversible jersey with standard short. Some uniform companies offer the option of purchasing a reversible jersey with a single sided standard short to match the jersey design. This is a cost cutter versus ordering a full reversible because typically the single-sided shorts are much less expensive than having a reversible.

3. Order two jerseys and one short to match both. If weight becomes an issue, or the age group participating is under the 9/10 range, you can always order two separate jerseys and a short to match. You can get a short color that matches the color scheme both jerseys, or get a reversible short to go with either. The guarantees the jerseys won't be AS heavy as the reversibles and may even be a relief on team mom's not having to wash the same uniform over and over again!

Customization
Customization is a crucial part of the AAU uniform. Unlike middle and high school play, most AAU districts allow the team to have unlimited customization on the uniform. The kids feel great, look professional, and most of the time this translates to them playing a little bit better! Basketball is the most "flashy" of all sports uniforms, so get creative with piping, accents, sublimation, and logos. A reputable uniform company should be able to provide you a unique design from scratch, and allow you to add just about any thing you want to the uniform.

Numbering:
Numbering can generally be either tackle-twill, screen-print, or sublimation. But, once again, districts do vary, but most follow the following rules (quoted from the NJ AAU girls basketball website): "Each player shall be numbered on the front and back of the shirt with plain Arabic numerals.

The following numbers are legal: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 00, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55. (But double zero and zero cannot both be used for the same team) The number shall be at least 6 inches high on the back and at least 4 inches high on the front and not less than 3/4-inch width."

I hope this helps all you AAU coaches and interested participants out there!

There are a number of online resources where you can order reversible basketball jerseys or a great-looking youth basketball uniform. A great, reputable uniform company out there that conforms to all AAU standards is http://www.edgeteamsports.com.

Basketball Uniforms

Basketball uniforms instill a sense of unity and team spirit. Standard basketball uniforms consist of sneakers, socks, tank-top shirts, and shorts. Many of the modern basketball uniforms are made up of lightweight and moisture-wicking materials. Thus, these uniforms offer ultimate body moisture management and temperature control.

All famous teams have their own traditional uniforms that make them famous. Basketball uniforms for men and women have the same basic designs. Each player's uniform has a number for identification, which is displayed on both sides of the shirt. Sometimes the name of the player is also displayed on the back of his shirt. The team name is imprinted across the chest. All teams have one or more alternate uniforms. The home team usually wears white or a light-color uniform, and the visiting team wears a dark color. Most teams upgrade their uniform designs each season.

Uniforms are usually well designed and are manufactured from synthetic fabrics like nylon, rayon, and polyester. Often, basketball uniforms are made of two layers in matching or contrasting colors. There are also uniforms made of polyester dazzle cloth, which looks like satin. The styles of basket ball uniforms vary widely from V-neck to round neck and from sleeveless to tank to cap-sleeved uniforms. Some basketball uniforms may feature mesh sides, which provide more aeration, or solid sides. Shorts are available in styles with drawstrings or elastic waistbands and also in reversible fabric. Basketball uniforms are available in all possible colors; some companies offer a pick-and-choose approach to designing your own uniforms like custom lettering.

NBA rules say that when each player is introduced, he must be uniformly dressed, and all coaches must wear a sport coat or suit coat. While on the court, players must keep their uniform shirts tucked into their pants, and no T-shirts are allowed. NBA rules prohibit shorts from being longer than one inch above the knee.

Most basketball uniforms are sold by the piece. Basketball uniform marketing has become a profitable industry, as more and more fans want to wear their favorite teams' jerseys.

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