Custom Ink Alternative for Rowing Teams

Rowing team managers often default to Custom Ink because the brand is everywhere. For a recurring boathouse apparel program (current rowers + alumni + parents + regatta drops), Pro Shops is a cleaner fit: no minimum order, free per-rower shipping, a permanent team store URL, and per-item margin that flows back to the program.

Custom Ink vs Bear Grips Pro Shops for Rowing Teams

Factor	Custom Ink	Bear Grips Pro Shops
Minimum order per design	6 shirts (most products)	1 shirt
Per-rower personalization	Manual coordinator workflow	Automatic at checkout
Per-rower shipping	One bulk shipment to organizer	Each rower's home, free
Team earns per-item margin	Only with shared markup	$10 to $30 per item
Boathouse store URL	Group Order, time-limited	Permanent branded store
Alumni layer support	No, each order is a new batch	Yes, store stays live for alumni purchases
Delivery time	2 to 3 weeks typical	About 1 week

The Distribution Center Problem

Custom Ink ships the full team order to one address. The team manager has to:

• Receive a 40-shirt box at the boathouse.
• Sort by rower name and size.
• Hand out at practice or chase rowers who miss the handout.
• Handle wrong-size returns manually.

Pro Shops ships each shirt directly to the rower (or parent) who ordered it. The boathouse is not the distribution center. The rower who entered the wrong size deals with his or her own size swap.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

The Group Order Deadline Problem

Custom Ink's Group Order tool sets a deadline. Rowers who miss the deadline cannot get a shirt in that batch. New rowers in week 4 of fall season cannot order through the same batch.

Pro Shops has no deadline. The store stays live year-round. New novice rowers in week 4 of fall, new walk-on athletes in spring, alumni at reunion weekend, and parents picking up a "support the team" tee in February all order from the same store at any time.

Per-Rower Personalization

Custom Ink Group Orders with rower names require manual coordination: collect names in spreadsheet, upload to order, match to size, verify proof. Hours per batch.

Pro Shops sets the personalization field once. Each rower (or parent) types in name, seat position, class year at checkout. The shirt prints with that info. Manager does nothing.

When Custom Ink Still Fits

• Single one-time event where all 30 shirts go to one address.
• Specialty products outside the Pro Shops 63-product catalog (specific dye-sub jerseys, varsity jackets, certain mascot items).
• Familiar mainstream brand preference and no need for the merch-store model.

For recurring boathouse apparel programs with rowers, alumni, parents, and regatta drops, Pro Shops is the cleaner fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pro Shops cheaper than Custom Ink for rowing teams?

Often yes, especially below 24 shirts. Custom Ink prices per shirt rise sharply below 24-shirt batches. Pro Shops prices per shirt stay flat at any quantity.

Can a small high school crew of 12 rowers use Pro Shops?

Yes. No minimum. A 12-rower team can run a full apparel program at the same per-shirt price as a 100-rower program.

Can the team manager see who has ordered through the store?

Yes. The team dashboard shows every order with rower name, size, color, and date.

Can rowers, parents, and alumni all order through the same Pro Shops boathouse store?

Yes. One store URL serves current rowers, parents, alumni, and friends-of-the-club. Each buys directly.