Bear Grips Pro ShopsPole Vault Coach and Camp Shirts
- Pole vault coaches run year-round programs across school, club, and camps
- Camp shirts are the cult-of-the-event piece for the broader vault community
- Design ideas: camp date and location, "Camp X Vault" type, lifetime alumni list
- Vault community is small and loyal, merch revenue trickles in year-round
Pole vault coaches run a different annual cycle than other field event coaches. The vault community is year-round, the vault camps draw athletes from across the country, and the vault culture is the strongest in the field events. Custom apparel for vault coaches and vault camps becomes a year-round community signal. Here is the apparel guide for vault coaches and camp directors.
Pole Vault Coach Apparel for Year-Round Use
Pole vault coaches wear their program apparel across multiple contexts: school season practice, off-season club work, summer camps, and college recruiting visits. The apparel needs to read appropriately across all those settings.
Most vault coaches settle on:
- Heavyweight team hoodie for cold meets and practice waits.
- Team polo or quarter-zip for warmer meets and on-camera coach interviews.
- Athletic shorts and joggers with the program mark for warm-ups.
- Embroidered cap with the program logo.
Vault Camp Shirts: The Cult-of-the-Event Piece
Vault camps (summer pole vault camps, weekend clinics, elite vault training weekends) are the cultural epicenter of the vault community. Athletes from across the country travel to specific camps year over year. The camp shirt becomes a long-term community marker.
The camp shirt template:
- Front: Camp name and year ("Camp Mt. Vault 2026").
- Back: Camp date, location, optional list of camp coaches.
- Sleeve: Camp number ("Camp X" for the 10th edition).
Vault athletes collect camp shirts from year to year. A senior vaulter showing up to a college recruiting visit in their "Vault Camp 2019, 2021, 2023" shirts signals to the recruiting coach that the athlete is part of the year-round vault community.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Vault Camp Merch Revenue
Vault camps run 30 to 100 athletes per session at $300 to $800 per athlete. The camp shirt is typically included in the registration fee, with optional add-ons (hoodies, hats, additional tees) sold separately.
| Camp Size | Camp Shirt (included) | Add-On Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| 30 athletes | 30 tees included | $200 to $600 in add-ons |
| 60 athletes | 60 tees included | $500 to $1,500 in add-ons |
| 100 athletes | 100 tees included | $1,000 to $3,000 in add-ons |
Run the Vault Shop Year-Round, Not Just at Camp
The vault camp shop should stay open year-round, not just during the camp week. Vault athletes order shirts as gifts, parents order for senior nights, and the broader community trickles in orders throughout the year.
Past camp shirts can stay live as SKUs for several years. Athletes who attended a 2019 camp may want to reorder a 2019 shirt as a gift or replacement. The Self-Service VIP plan holds 200 active products, more than enough for a decade of camp shirts.
Set Up Your Vault Camp Shop
Year-round vault community apparel. Camp tees, coach polos, athlete hoodies. No minimum.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Should we include the camp shirt in the registration fee?
Most vault camps include 1 tee in the registration fee. Hoodies, hats, and additional tees are sold separately as add-ons during registration.
How long should we keep past camp shirts live in the shop?
Indefinitely. Vault athletes order past camp shirts as gifts and replacements. The Self-Service VIP plan holds 200 products, enough for many years of camp inventory.
Can we add a coach-only embroidered apparel line for camp coaches?
Yes. Some vault camps run a coach-only apparel line with custom embroidery and personalized year markers for returning camp coaches.
