5 Mistakes Clubs Can Make When Ordering Custom Tracksuits (and How to Avoid Them)

Ordering custom tracksuits is more straightforward than it used to be. Design tools let you create personalised tracksuits online, affordable custom tracksuits are available for both adults and children, and the whole process can be handled without leaving your clubhouse. Custom tracksuits help maintain cohesive team identities, and when done right, they make your squad look and feel like a proper unit.

But these five mistakes still catch clubs out every season. We work with grassroots clubs, schools, universities and academies across the UK and Europe, and we see the same patterns repeat every pre-season and every spring. This article covers each mistake, what it actually costs you, and exactly how to avoid it. If you’re a manager, coach, or kit officer planning your next batch of custom made tracksuits, this one’s for you.

Mistake 1: Leaving It Too Late

This is the one we flag more than anything else. Clubs assume custom tracksuits work like ordering off the shelf. They don’t. Ordering custom tracksuits typically requires manufacturing time compared to pre-made options, and that manufacturing time only starts after your design is signed off and payment is confirmed.

Realistic lead times sit at 5 to 6 weeks from final design sign-off.

Here’s what clubs forget to account for:

• Design revisions. Tweaking colours, moving logos, adjusting details on jackets and trousers. Two or three rounds of changes can eat a full week.
• Size collection. Gathering measurements from 30 to 60 players takes longer than anyone expects (more on this in Mistake 2).
• Committee approvals. Treasurer, manager, sponsors, all need to sign off. That’s days, sometimes weeks.
• Sponsor logo files. Waiting on artwork from a local business that doesn’t have a marketing department.

Now layer on peak demand. June through August is pre-season, the busiest window for sportswear production. March through May is another surge: spring tours, tournaments, school leavers’ gear. Factories and printers run at full capacity during these periods.

When clubs rush, the consequences are real. Players guess their sizes because there’s no time to measure properly. Spelling errors on names go unnoticed because nobody proofread the final sheet. Tracksuits arrive after the first match, and half the squad turns up in mismatched gear. Not the dream start to a season.

The fix: start the process at least 6 to 8 weeks before you need kit in hand. At Decathlon Club, every order gets a dedicated account manager who will flag if a deadline is at risk and suggest options, whether that’s adjusting the spec, arranging a partial delivery, or shifting the date. Custom tracksuits may present better long-term value compared to mass-produced items, so it’s worth protecting that investment with proper planning.

Mistake 2: Not Getting the Size Collection Right

If leaving it too late is the most common mistake, poor size collection is the most expensive. It delays more custom tracksuit orders than any other single step.

Think about what actually happens. You send a form to 40 players. Half respond within a week. Ten guess (“I’m about a medium”). Five parents don’t reply at all. Three new signings join after the form closes. Two players leave the squad. Suddenly your size sheet is a mix of guesses, gaps, and outdated information, and you haven’t even placed the order yet.

The financial cost hits twice. Small top-up orders for wrong sizes carry a higher per-unit price and disproportionate shipping charges. The time cost is worse: the kit officer spends hours chasing late replies, and handout day turns chaotic when multiple players end up with ill-fitting tracksuit bottoms or tracksuit trousers that are two sizes out.

Bespoke tracksuits offer a perfect fit through our size guide, but only if your measurements are accurate. Custom tracksuits can be tailored to team specifications, including fit, hardware, and graphics. Tracksuits can feature team logos and player initials. None of that matters if half the squad submitted the wrong body size.

The fix: run size collection like a proper process, not an afterthought. Use a shared online form with dropdown options and a clear size guide (chest, waist, inside leg). Set a hard deadline, seven days after sharing, and make it clear that late responses may miss the first batch. Hold a sizing evening at training where players try sample sizes or compare against an existing garment. This takes 20 minutes and saves weeks of back-and-forth.

If you gain players between the order placement and your delivery, you can easily re-order ket through our new Client Portal, or contact your account manager for top-up orders.

Mistake 3: Choosing the Wrong Spec for How the Tracksuits Will Actually Be Used

Clubs pick the cheapest option or the one that looks best on screen. Neither approach considers how the kit will actually be worn. Teams often end up with tracksuits they can’t change into their boots in, and no pockets to hold keys while walking to the pitch – getting this wrong means your squad ends up with gear that’s impractical and they won’t wear it.

Three common use cases demand different specs:

Warm-up tracksuits. Players doing high-intensity movement before a match need a slim-cut tracksuit trouser, paired with a ¼-zip top. Think layering, comfort, and clear team designs to make your players stand out before kick-off.

Training tracksuits. Midweek sessions in all weathers. These need durability, flexibility, and moisture management. Bespoke tracksuits use premium materials for comfort and performance, so choose materials and printing methods that can handle two sessions a week (at least) and regular washing with proper care.

Travel and touchline kit. Coaches, supporters, and substitutes standing on a flat, exposed touchline in January need something entirely different. Heavier fabrics with wind-resistance and possibly shower-proof outer shells, are essential. A full-zip soft-shell or rain-proof jacket with pockets (ideally two minimum for hands and phone) will save your life on a freezing touchline. This isn’t a fashion statement, it’s survival.

Custom tracksuits involve selecting suitable fabrics and design features. Bespoke tracksuits are designed for both style and functionality, and customisation can include tailored functionality for specific performance needs. The range of options is wide, which is exactly why clubs need guidance.

The fix: before locking in any spec, talk to your Decathlon Club account manager about how your custom tracksuits will be used. Explain how often the tracksuits will be worn, in what weather, and at what intensity. They’ll walk you through training kit options and recommend the right features for your club’s actual needs, not just what looks bold on screen.

Mistake 4: Overlooking Sponsor Logo Requirements

Here’s a scenario we see constantly. A club finalises their custom tracksuit design, everyone’s happy with the club colours and unique style, and then two weeks before the order deadline, a local café or garage confirms sponsorship. Now the design needs to change. Logos need placing. Artwork needs sourcing. And the whole timeline slides.

The problem isn’t the sponsorship itself. It’s the sequence. Sponsor artwork needs to come in before the design stage, not after.

Printers need vector files, formats like EPS or SVG, because these scale without losing quality. A low-res JPEG pulled from a website or a screenshot from social media will produce blurry, pixelated logos. Colours won’t match the sponsor’s brand guidelines. Proportions get distorted. You can customise every panel of a tracksuit and you can choose unique colors and patterns, but none of that matters if the sponsor’s logo looks like it was printed on a home inkjet.

The fix: confirm sponsorship agreements, logo placement, and brand colours before entering the design stage. Collect vector artwork early. If your club is still building sponsor relationships, Kit Funder structures the whole process from the start, so logos, contributions, and placements are organised well before designs are created.

Mistake 5: Not Reading the All-Inclusive Pricing Properly

Many clubs have been stung by hidden extras elsewhere, so they either mistrust every quote or don’t realise what’s actually included. Both lead to problems.

Here’s what to look for when comparing quotes for team tracksuits:

Cost element	Elsewhere	My Club
Club badge (embroidered/printed)	Extra charge	Included in price
Sponsor logo(s)	Extra charge	Included in price
Player names/numbers/initials	Extra charge	Included in price
Standard colour changes in team colours	Extra charge	Included in price
Design service and online design tool access	Extra charge	Included in price
Dedicated on-site account manager	Sometimes	Always
Youth vs adult size surcharges	Often	No surcharge

A “headline cheap” price of £25 per garment elsewhere can become £37 once badges, sponsor logos, initials, and delivery are added. Design tools allow users to create personalised tracksuits online across the industry.

The real risk of misunderstanding the quote is under-ordering. Clubs skip staff suits, leave out new signings, or don’t order for coaches because they assume add-ons will be too expensive. Then they discover those extras were already included in the price, and they’ve missed the chance to save by ordering everything together.

The fix: ask for a fully itemised quote. Decathlon Club account managers will walk your treasurer or committee through every line, so there’s full control and transparency before you approve the spend.

How to Get Your Custom Tracksuit Order Right First Time

Every one of these mistakes, rushing, poor size collection, wrong spec, sponsor chaos, and misread pricing, is avoidable with a little planning and the right support.

The ideal process looks like this: confirm sponsors and collect their artwork first. Talk to an account manager about your use case and choose the right fabric and spec. Run a proper size collection with a shared form and a hard deadline. Approve final artwork with your committee. Then place your order 6 to 8 weeks before you need matching tracksuits in hand, giving your squad the perfect gear for the season.

Whether you’re a 20-player youth side ordering your first own tracksuit set, or a multi-team community club kitting out 200+ members and supporters in the same colour, Decathlon Club handles it. We work with clubs at every level to create kit that reflects their club colours, their individuality, and their identity. Custom tracksuits can be designed online using our kit designer, or you can go straight to a conversation with your account manager, whatever suits your club’s style.

Speak to a Decathlon Club account manager before you start. It takes 10 minutes and saves weeks of headaches. No chasing, no guesswork, no costly re-orders. Just a clear process, a dedicated contact who knows your order inside out, and quality custom tracksuits delivered on time. Get in touch and request a quote today. Your teammates will thank you for it.