Bear Grips Pro ShopsCombine Training Facility Apparel for Athletes and Coaches
- Combine prep cohorts are 4-12 athletes with a hard end date.
- Cohort shirts hit ~70-100 percent buy rate during the prep window.
- Coach polos and quarter-zips for the staff on combine day.
- No minimums, single-piece printing, ship in about a week.
Cohort Shirt Structure That Sells
For a typical combine prep cohort:
- Cohort tee with athlete names on back. 6-10 names fit comfortably. Cohorts of 4-12 are ideal.
- Cohort hoodie. Same logo, no name list. Worn to and from sessions, on travel days, and at the combine itself.
- Cohort warmup top. Optional. Performance long sleeve with cohort logo, used for pro day arrival.
Most athletes buy the tee plus the hoodie. Parents and agents often buy the same set. A 10-athlete cohort routinely moves 25-40 pieces across a single prep window.
The Coach Kit on Combine and Pro Day
On combine or pro day, the staff is on camera. A coordinated polo or quarter-zip across 3-5 coaches looks like a real program. The kit:
- One Sport-Tek performance polo per coach with facility logo (chest)
- One quarter-zip per coach for cooler combine venues
- One rope hat per coach for outdoor pro days
Full kit per coach lands at $90-$110 retail (or roughly $80 base if you run at cost as a staff benefit). For a 4-coach staff, the total combine-day kit is about $360-$440.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Pricing the Combine Prep Cohort Shop
| Piece | VIP base | Cohort retail | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cohort tee with names | $23.86 | $35-$40 | $11-$16 |
| Cohort hoodie | $45.88 | $65-$75 | $19-$29 |
| Cohort long sleeve | $29.88 | $42-$48 | $12-$18 |
| Cohort joggers | $40.88 | $58-$65 | $17-$24 |
Combine cohort apparel tolerates higher margin than open shop merch because the shirt is a memento. Parents pay $75 for a hoodie that says their kid trained at the facility for combine prep. That is a different buying psychology from the open shop.
Revenue Math for a Single Combine Cohort
Assume a 10-athlete combine prep cohort with strong buy-in:
- 10 athletes x 1.0 cohort tee = 10 tees at $13 margin = $130
- 10 athletes x 0.8 cohort hoodie = 8 hoodies at $22 margin = $176
- 4 parents/agents x 1.5 pieces avg = 6 pieces at $16 margin = $96
- 4 coaches x full kit = 4 kits at zero margin (staff benefit)
- Cohort total: about $400 in profit from one 8-week prep cycle.
Run two cohort cycles per year (winter pro day prep, summer combine prep) and the cohort revenue alone covers $800 of margin, before any open shop sales.
Timing the Cohort Shirt Launch
Launch the cohort shirt in week 2 of an 8-week prep cycle, not week 1. Week 1 is when athletes are still arriving and figuring out the program. Week 2 the cohort identity has formed and athletes will buy. Close orders in week 4 so shirts arrive by week 5-6 and the cohort can wear them at the final sessions and at combine day.
For a typical NFL or college pro-day prep cycle, the timeline is:
- Week 1: cohort arrives, programming begins
- Week 2: cohort shirt shop opens
- Week 4: shop closes
- Week 5-6: shirts arrive
- Week 8: pro day or combine
Drop Your Combine Cohort Shirt
Cohort tees with names, coach combine-day polos, ship in about a week. No inventory, no minimum.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Can I list player names that are still in college on the cohort shirt?
Yes, with their permission. Most college athletes participating in combine prep are happy to be listed. Confirm with each athlete before the shirt goes live.
Do you handle international shipping for athletes from outside the US?
We currently ship to US addresses only. International athletes training in the US can have shirts shipped to their training facility address.
What if the cohort changes mid-program?
If an athlete drops out before the shirt order window closes, remove them from the back panel and reprint. After the order window closes, the shirts are already in production and changes are not possible.
Is a cohort shirt worth it for cohorts smaller than 6?
For cohorts of 3-5, skip the name list and run a simple cohort hoodie with facility logo plus year. Buy rate stays high, the small group photo still works.
