AYSO Region 1447 Uniform Policy

 Replacement uniforms are only provided if the largest uniform size for a division is undersized. Oversized uniforms are not eligible for replacement. 

The uniforms are deliberately sized a bit large to accommodate the growth of players over the course of the season. This has the added benefit of allowing warmer clothing to be worn under the jerseys during inclement weather.

 Uniform requests should be made by Coaches and are verified by Registrars and/or Division Commissioners (DCs). The communications protocol for uniform issues is Parent to Coach, Coach to DC (or Coach to Uniform Manager, cc DC). Parents should not contact the Uniform Manager directly. Please include your DC on all communications (e-mail) regarding uniforms. If your DC is not available then include the Boys or Girls Coordinator as appropriate.

Uniforms are made to order – not off the shelf. It takes about 2 weeks for delivery of individual uniform requests. The uniforms will be mailed directly to the team coach.

 The factors that influence the AYSO Region 1447 Uniform Policy

1 - Timeline of events: At the end of the spring half of the season (end of April); Region 1447 immediately begins registration for the fall. About a month (early August) before the fall season starts (early September), we have the Coaches meeting to distribute information, uniform team kits and provide training. Our uniform supplier asks for a minimum of 6 weeks lead-time to process the team kits in time for distribution at the Coaches meeting. This means the order for the majority of uniforms/team kits needs to be placed by early June based on the registration numbers available at that time. This initial order is only an ~80% solution as registration/team formation continues up to the beginning of the season.

 2 – Coaches: Each year there is a mix of new and returning Coach Volunteers. New Coaches have no idea of the uniform sizes for their teams, so orders are based on historical sizing data for the divisions. The historical sizing data works for 98% of players. Unfortunately, some players do fall outside the normal size distribution for a given division. Custom sizing of uniforms or jersey numbers is not an option for the Core Program. Uniform orders placed after early June will not be available in time for the Coaches meeting. 

3 – Region 1447 size:  Region 1447 has several programs for our players including our Core Program, VIP, ACT and United.  Of the 4 programs hosted, the Uniform Manager is responsible for providing uniforms. This currently amounts to ~1200 players (ages 4-18) and ~100 teams. With that many kids and teams, it is logistically impossible to gather individual player sizes to custom order team kits.

4 – Volunteer Time Constraints: Region 1447 only has one Uniform Manager (UM). During the summer and immediately before the season starts the UM must focus on orders, inventorying and distribution for uniforms. During this critical time, individual uniform issues are lowest priority and can only be addressed if it is a valid issue (see policy statement above).