Syracuse Still Number 1 in College Basketball
Thundersticks
Syracuse is holding their #1 spot for the 5th week in a row with Kentucky right on their heels. But the question is, “Can they hold on to the top spot?” Well, according to their schedule they should easily be able to win their games over the next few weeks since their schedule is so weak. Kentucky, on the other hand, has a bit tougher schedule coming up, so if Kentucky wins their next few games too, will it be enough merit topping Syracuse in the polls? We shall see soon.
I’ve seen plenty of fans from the games on television banging thundersticks and waving pom poms. It reminds me of my college days when I use to attend all of the home basketball games at Mississippi State University. Fun times. There were spirit items galore, mostly being sold as fundraisers for the team.
So, if you get to attend college basketball games, count your blessing and enjoy the games. And be sure to proudly wave your spirit items and promote your favorite team. College basketball season goes by quickly.
Comparison of the Different Types of Spirit Pom Poms
One of the classic spirit items for any football, basketball, baseball, volleyball or soccer team is pom poms. Custom printed pom poms are not only great items for businesses to mass market to the crowd, but they are also great fundraising spirit items for schools and booster clubs. All of these types discussed are available in most of the color represented by the major Universities. But, what type is the best pom pom to get? Well, below are 6 of the most common types of pom poms along with some facts about each type to help you make your decision.
- Rooter Pom Poms – These are the poms that have the long handle and are the ones most commonly
seen at games. - 12 inch long handle which is rounded on the end for safety and practically unbreakable.
- Durable 12″ plastic streamers which can come in up to 4 different colors at no extra charge.
- 500 count 3/16″ wide streamers (750 count also available as an option).
- Available with the option of glitter on the streamers.
- Imprint area of 3 3/8″ W x 1/4″ H on the handle.
- Made in the USA.
- Solid Handle Pom Poms – These have a rectangular shaped handle with rounded corners and allows for
a slightly larger imprint than the rooter handle poms. - 4 inch Wide by 1 3/4 inch handle that is virtually unbreakable
- 500 count 3/16″ wide streamers (750 count also available as an option).
- Durable 12″ plastic streamers which can come in up to 4 different colors at no extra charge.
- Available with the option of glitter on the streamers.
- Extra large imprint area of 3 3/8″ W x 1 3/8″ H on the handle.
- Made in the USA.
- Ring Tab Handle Pom Poms – These pom poms have handle with a hole for your finger and the handles
have a split in the middle so fat fingers won’t get stuck. - Ring tab plastic tab handle that is virtually unbreakable
- 500 count 3/16″ wide streamers (750 count also available as an option).
- Durable 12″ plastic streamers which can come in up to 4 different colors at no extra charge.
- Available with the option of glitter on the streamers.
- Imprint area of 1 5/8″ W x 1/2″ H on the top tab and 1 5/8″ W x 1/2″ on bottom tab.
- Made in the USA.
- Coupon Handle Pom Poms – These are great poms to get business sponsors to help cover the cost of the
poms. They have a pop out disc that can be used a coupon for a FREE drink or discount offer. - Pop-out coupon disk on a handle that is virtually unbreakable
- 500 count 3/16″ wide streamers (750 count also available as an option).
- Durable 12″ plastic streamers which can come in up to 4 different colors at no extra charge.
- Available with the option of glitter on the streamers.
- Imprint area of 1 3/8″ W x 2″ H on handle and 1 1/8″ D on pop out disk.
- Made in the USA.
- Mascot Handle Poms – These pom poms are a little more unique since the handle is molded in the
shape of various mascots such as Bulldogs, Hornets, Eagles, etc, as well as some basic shapes such as a football helmet, basketball, or cancer awareness ribbon. - Seventeen different popular mascot shapes on a handle that is virtually unbreakable
- 500 count 3/16″ wide streamers (750 count also available as an option).
- Durable 12″ plastic streamers which can come in up to 4 different colors at no extra charge.
- Available with the option of glitter on the streamers.
- Imprint area varies on each shape but is approximately 3 1/2″ W x 1 3/4″ H.
- Made in the USA.
- Klicker Pom Poms – These products are a pom pom and a noisemaker all in one. When you shake the
pom pom, the clicker mechanism on handle makes noise and is very loud in combination with a stadium full of the Klicker poms. - Built-in clicking mechanism on the handle.
- 500 count 3/16″ wide streamers (750 count also available as an option).
- Durable 12″ plastic streamers which can come in up to 4 different colors at no extra charge.
- Available with the option of glitter on the streamers.
- Imprint area is 1 3/4″ W x 7/8″ H on the rectangular clicking mechanism.
- Made in the USA.
Get Prepared for Football Season 2011
Well, it’s finally here. The time when all of us College football nuts get so excited. The first games will be starting on September 1, so make sure and get prepared if you run a booster club. High school football as already started for many schools. School spirit items are so important for your school and are the life blood of your team. These spirit items help to encourage your team’s fans to cheer louder and more often than they would do without any spirit items. Plus, these spirit items are excellent ways to raise money for your club. There are many different items to choose from and below is a list of many different items to choose from. Be sure to try something different and have a wide variety of products available for your fans. The more you have to choose from, the more you can sell and keep the fans cheering.
Comparison of Stadium Seat Cushions
Before buying stadium seat cushions for your next sporting event or booster club fundraising event, make sure you know and understand the different kinds and sizes of seat cushions. Some sizes are suitable for selling in a school booster club store whiles others aren’t and are strictly meant for giveaways. If you buy the sizes and thicknesses better suited for giveaways, and try to sell them your sales will suffer.
SIZE: Most vinyl covered stadium seat cushions come in either a 12 inch square size or a 14 inch square size. I think we can all agree that butts in America are getting larger and larger; therefore, the 14 inch size is most suitable. Even narrow butts like a little wiggle room on their cushions, so the 14″ size works best. The 12″ size is only recommended as a free giveaway when budget is a big factor. You can get the 12 inch size seat cushions for much less; however, these are terrible for selling due to the smaller size.
SHAPE: The typical vinyl covered stadium cushions come in either Square, Round, Rectangle or Football shapes. The square is the most popular shape for football, while the round stadium seat cushions are often used for basketball and baseball since the cushion can be made to look like either a basketball or a baseball. The football shaped cushions are used almost exclusively for football since those can be printed with the seams to look like a football. The rectangle shaped cushions are typically used for any events where kneeling is involved.
THICKNESS: Stadium seat cushions range in thickness from 3/4″ thick to 2 1/2″ thick. Obviously from a buyer standpoint, the thicker the better. Going back to the smaller 12″ square cushions, they typically only measure between 3/4″ to 1″. The best seller is the 2″ thick option, with the 2 1/2″ option being a little more premium. Typical thicknesses are 1″, 1 1/4″, 1 1/2″, 2″, and 2 1/2″. Not all thicknesses are available in each size or shape.
CUSHION COLOR: Of course, color does vary depending on the manufacturer. In most cases, you can get two-tone cushion colors at no additional charge. The two-tone colors are a great way to get all of your school colors on the cushion without paying additional money to print in mult-icolor. The stock colors of the stadium cushions we sell most often cover most school colors whether college or high school. Here are the stock colors available: Bright Gold (PMS 123C), Orange (PMS 165C), Red (PMS 711C), Royal Blue (PMS 654C), Navy Blue (PMS 532C), Kelly Green (PMS 555C), Forest Green (PMS 627C), Maroon (PMS 209C), Purple (PMS 268C), Silver (PMS 877C), Metallic Gold (PMS 872C), Black, and White. The PMS number is the reference to the approximate color of the vinyl color and can be viewed from a PMS color chart.
IMPRINT COLOR: Ideally you want an imprint color that will compliment your school colors. Some schools have 2 official colors, while others have 3 official colors. Use the cushion color to meet one of your colors and the imprint color to meet the other color. The cushions that we most commonly sell allow for you specify and exact PMS color, FREE of charge, so we can match your official school color. The last thing that you want to do is use a color that ends up looking like your arch rival’s color. That can sometimes, inadvertently, happen if you have to settle for a stock color.
Cushion Style:There are many different types of stadium seat cushions. Due to cost factors, the most popular style is the vinyl covered foam insert, which work great for most events. There are other premium type stadium seat cushions. Some have backs, some are made of polyester, and some have premium padding side. These premium version, of course, all go for a premium price and typically start around $8 upwards to $30-$40 each, which is why these don’t typically go over very well for most fundraisers.
How To Make Money From Football Games With Mini Footballs
I’m not talking about betting here but making money by throwing out mini footballs. Football season is starting this month for many high schools so now is the time to take advantage of this opportunity. Mini footballs typically come in either a 6″ plastic size or a 7″ vinyl size. The vinyl is, of course, softer, and is only a few cents more per ball. The main idea is to have some promotional mini footballs printed with your logo printed on one side of the football and a special offer printed on the 2nd side. You definitely want to put an expiration date on the special offer, so someone doesn’t try to redeem it years later. Here are some ideas and some examples that other businesses have used in the past:
- Smoothie chain: Bring in this football for a FREE smoothie of your choice.
- Oil & Lube Shop: Bring in this football and receive an oil change for only $10.
- Nail Salon: Redeem this football for a FREE manicure.
- Hair Salon: Bring this football for FREE standard hair cut.
- Restaurant: Bring this football in for a FREE appetizer.
- Restaurant: Redeem this ball for Buy 1 Get 1 FREE entree of your choice.
- Grocery Store: Redeem this football for a FREE Grocery Tote on your next shopping visit.
- Bar: Bring this in for a FREE draft beer.
- Convenient Store: Redeem this football for a FREE fountain drink.
- Bank: Bring in this football and receive a $20 deposit with any new checking account.
- Print Shop: Redeem this football and receive 100 FREE business cards.
- Hair Salon: Bring this in to receive $20 off any hair coloring.
- Restaurant: Redeem this for a FREE kids meal with adult entree purchase.
- Fitness Center: Redeem this football for a FREE 2 month membership.
- Massage Therapist: Bring this in for a FREE 10 minute massage.
- Fast Food Restaurant: Redeem for a FREE small order of fries.
- Church: Bring this in to learn how to receive FREE eternal salvation.
- Sandwich Restaurant: Redeem this ball and receive a FREE 6″ sub with any purchase.
- Car Dealership: Redeem this ball and receive FREE oil changes for 1 year with car purchase.
- Bank: Redeem this and receive a $500 discount on closing cost for home mortgage.
If you notice the examples above, the majority of the offers have a common theme: FREE. Free gets people in your door. Once they are in, it’s up to you to up sell them or cross sell them. Ideally, they will have a great experience with your business and become a regular customer. Mini footballs are cheap and schools love getting them donated. The cheerleaders will gladly throw the footballs into the crowd each time their team scores. The fans absolutely love catching the footballs and will love it even more when they see the great offer printed on the football. Don’t be afraid to give away products or services for free, just have a plan on what you will do with those customers when they come into your place of business to redeem their coupon. This is a great opportunity to market your business and bring in loads of new faces into your business, so make sure and take advantage of this and make some money!
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