A cross country team apparel shop is the most efficient way for a program to sell branded gear without the logistics of a traditional screen-print run. Bear Grips Pro Shops handles printing, packing, and free shipping on every order. The coach or booster club sets up the shop in under an hour, shares the link, and earns on every purchase made by runners, parents, and fans. No inventory, no distribution night, no leftover stock.
Cross country programs have a structural challenge with traditional apparel ordering: the team roster fluctuates season to season, runners want different items at different times, and families who want fan gear are not aligned with the team's single annual ordering window.
Bear Grips Pro Shops solves all three problems. The shop stays live year-round. Incoming freshmen who join the program in September can order a team hoodie in September, not at the next bulk order date in January. Parents who miss the fall order window can still buy a mom shirt for championships. Alumni who want a "state bound" shirt from a milestone season can order it long after the coaching staff has moved on from managing apparel logistics.
The shop requires no ongoing management from the coach once the initial setup is done. The catalog stays current, orders process automatically, and payouts go to the program account on a regular schedule.
The Bear Grips Pro Shops setup process for a cross country program:
Here is the realistic revenue model for a cross country team apparel shop combining runner purchases and fan/spirit wear:
| Program Size | Runner Revenue (2 items @ $10) | Fan Revenue (1.5 items @ $10) | Total Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 runners | $325 | $263 | $588 |
| 50 runners | $650 | $525 | $1,175 |
| 100 runners | $1,400 | $1,050 | $2,450 |
These estimates use 65% purchase rate for runners (2 items/runner/year) and 35% purchase rate for families (1.5 items/family/year). Programs that run seasonal drops, event-specific shirts, and actively promote the shop through the season typically exceed these numbers.
Cross country coaches manage training plans, meet logistics, transportation, eligibility paperwork, and communication with 20 to 100+ families. Adding apparel shop management to that list is not realistic for most coaches without staff support.
The Done-For-You VIP plan ($109/mo) solves this by outsourcing the entire shop operation to a personal Bear Grips advisor. Each month:
The coach sends one design file at the start of the season. Everything else is handled. The shop earns passively without the coach managing a single product listing. At the 50-runner program level, the shop revenue ($1,175 annually) more than covers the plan cost ($1,308/year), and many programs exceed this with active promotion.
Many cross country programs are best served by having the booster club administer the Bear Grips Pro Shop rather than the coaching staff. Booster club volunteers have more bandwidth for shop management and a direct interest in the revenue stream since it supports the program budget.
Bear Grips Pro Shops supports multiple user roles, so the coach can retain visibility on the shop while the booster club president handles day-to-day management. Payouts go to the designated account and the revenue can be tracked alongside other program fundraising income.
Booster club shops benefit from positioning the shop as part of the program's official apparel offer at the start of the season. Including the shop link in the team registration packet and announcing it at the first booster meeting sets the expectation that this is the official way to get program gear rather than a side project.
See the affiliate program page for how booster clubs and coaches can also earn referral commissions by introducing other programs to the platform.
Free to start. No inventory. Earn on every shirt, hoodie, and hat your runners and parents order. Set up in under an hour.
Start FreeSign up at shops.beargrips.com/signup, upload your program logo, choose your products, set your margin, and share the link. The full setup takes under an hour. No inventory cost and no minimum order.
A 50-runner program combining runner and fan purchases typically earns around $1,175 per year at the default $10 per item margin. Active promotions and seasonal event shirts increase this.
Yes. The shop can be administered by the booster club with the coach retaining visibility. Revenue goes to the designated account and supports the program budget.
For programs where the coach has limited time, yes. At the 50-runner level, annual shop revenue typically covers the $1,308 annual plan cost. Programs that actively promote the shop and run seasonal drops tend to exceed this break-even point.
Bear Grips Pro Shops