Category Archives: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Let’s Talk Cheer Signs

Posted on by BBS Flags Admin
Let’s talk Cheer Signs. Once upon a time, long, long ago, high school and college cheer leaders hand made all of their signs. Once technology in the printing world caught up, most cheer signs were professionally printed on the standard 4mm corrugated plastic. Those signs looked great, for a little while but they bent easy and after a few weeks of use, they more closely resembled a wet lasagna noodle than a cheer sign. With the cheer world constantly striving for improvement, sign companies began experimenting with stronger materials. 10mm corrugated plastic became the go to material. It still bent but not as easily and was still fairly light weight. Some also experimented with two pieces of 4mm corrugated with flutes that ran 90 degrees to each other to spread the strength of the flutes in both directions. This was better but not good enough. Enter 6mm pvc board. The PVC board looks great, it is smooth and rigid albeit a little heavy. PVC board looked like the best option until it was discovered that PVC board shatters when it gets cold which not only renders the sign useless but also presents a danger of sharp shards of plastic, causing injury. Here at the Booster Banner Store, we struggled, along with everyone else, continually looking for the best, most durable material for our signs. WE FOUND IT! We have a new circular flute material in a 4mm thickness that is strong, flexible and light weight. As a bonus, each of the small circles that make up the core, act like tiny little drums so when the board is slapped against the thigh, it is significantly louder than any of the other materials. The reason most companies don’t use this PERFECT material, is that they don’t have the equipment to cut it effectively. WE DO! The Booster Banner Store can print and cut your sign out of any material up to 4 feet x 8 feet in any design or shape you need. Give us a call or send us a note and let us get to work designing your new signs. www,boosterbannerstore.com
Cheer Flag, Field Runner, Spirit Flags, Uncategorized

Cheer Flags a.k.a…

Posted on by BBS Flags Admin
Team Banners and Flags, Field Runner, field runners, Cheer Flag, cheer flags, Cheerleader Flag, cheerleader flags, battle flag, battle flags, spirit flag, spirit flags, team flag, team flags, running flag, running flags, custom flag, custom flags

So, what is a Cheer Flag?

What do you call the flag on the long pole that leads the team out onto the field?  

What do you call those large flags that have individual letters on them that the cheer leaders run down the sideline after the team scores a touchdown?  

What do you call those flags that competitive cheer teams use during their competitions?

 I call them Field Runners I am not emotionally attached to the name so if you prefer Cheer Flag or Team Flag or Battle Flag or Mascot Flag or Spirit Flag, that is fine with me, I just want to make sure that we are all on the same page when you are in the market for that type of flag.   For the purpose of this article, I am going to use the more accepted name… Cheer Flag.

A little history on the Cheer Flag.  Long ago, Cheer Flags were mostly made with simple designs and that design was cut out of fabric and appliqued onto the square or rectangle fabric that was being used for the background.  These were great for their day but they were heavy, costly and frankly the designs were pretty basic. With the advent of modern printing methods, we can now produce Cheer Flags with high quality, crisp and vibrant images with unlimited colors.

So, let’s talk about double sided flags.  Often, I get a quote request that has the phrase, “and I want them double sided”.  The problem with the phrase “double sided” is, it can mean different things to different people.  Almost every flag flying in the world today is “double sided” much like an American Flag is “double sided”, but, the most flags are a single ply of material so, obviously, the back side is a reverse image, just like it is on the American Flag.  This can present some problems when you are using letters or words.  

So, why don’t we just use 2 plies of material and print them correctly on both sides?  The first answer is, we do, we don’t like to for reasons to follow, but if you want them printed two sides correct, we will certainly do it. 

Why don’t we like to? 

They are heavy:  To make it work without the two images conflicting with each other, we either have to use an opaque material (very heavy) for the 2 plies or we need to use a third layer in the middle that is called a blockout ply and prevents the light from causing the two images to conflict.  So, you either have 2 very heavy plies or 3 moderately heavy plies, neither is a good option.  You might think you can just get a larger, stronger person to run the flag and that would be a good option except the problem with the weight is that is requires much more air passing by to make it fly properly so what you need is a bigger, stronger person that is also a track star…hard to find.

They look goofy.  Believe me, when I began this business back in 2009, I was so sure that I knew best, that I went against all recommendations and printed 500 flags for our booster club, backwards.  My idea what that we would alternate the flags so, no matter which way the wind was blowing, half of the flags would be read correctly.  Boy was I wrong.  Putting the end that should be trailing in the wind, up against the pole is the same as the back side of a two-side-correct flag.  Imagine an American Flag with the stripes against the pole and the blue field with the white stars whipping in the wind…it just looks terrible.

They are expensive.  The cost to print doubles, the cost of the fabric triples, the cost to sew them together doubles.

So, how do we tackle flags with wording or letters on them?  We do them like every other flag and our amazing brains just fix it for us.  This has never been more evident to me than the day I went to see Texas Tech play Baylor in the Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium.  The cheer team for Baylor had 5 Cheer Flags that spelled B E A R S.  The cheer team for Texas Tech had 7 cheer flags that spelled R A I D E R S.  The teams ran onto the field from different corners and no matter what direct they were running, there was no doubt in my mind that the flags spelled out BEARS and RAIDERS.  You probably have not noticed this in the past but, next time you drive by a Subway sandwich shop, take a look at the feather flags that say SUBWAY on them, they are backwards on the back side and yet, you still know it is Subway.

Now that we have beaten the double-sided issue to death.  Let’s talk about fabric.  When I get a specific request about types of fabric is it always Nylon that is requested.  Nylon is a requested fabric because it is light weight and is associated with strength because it is used for sails on boats.  The problem with Nylon is that it is made of slick plastic strands and because of that, it does not soak up ink well.  This means that, if you want to put a detailed image on it, you must use paint which is expensive and not at all durable.  

We use polyester for our flags.  Polyester is lightweight, extremely durable and strong.  It also takes ink very well so we can print vibrant images to help you support your program.  We use different types of polyester for different types of flags.  For our Cheer Flags, we use 140gsm knitted polyester which has a high sheen and gives us the best durability that still allows a good bleed through of the image to the back side.

We make our Cheer Flags with 6cm pole sleeves that are closed on top and we put a tether strap on the bottom to secure it to the pole.  The 6cm pole sleeve is able to accept up to a 1-inch diameter pole, if you want to use a larger pole, we can adjust the size of the sleeve.

Size does matter.  For our college and pro teams, we recommend our 8’x12’ Cheer Flag.  Our most popular Cheer Flag for high schools is our 5’x7’.  Most middle schools use our 4’x6’ Cheer Flags.  Having said all of that, we can make them any size or shape you need so just let us know and we will work up a quote for you.

Last but not least, we are proud of our products and proud of our prices so we put all of them on our website for everyone to see.  Check them out at https://cheer.boosterbannerstore.com/product/field-runners/ or www.bbsflags.com

Banner, Field Runner, Flag POle, Flags, Uncategorized

Let’s Talk About Field Runner Flag Poles

Posted on by BBS Flags Admin
Team Banners and Flags, Field Runner Flag Poles

Let’s talk about Field Runner Flag Poles.  A Field Runner or a group a Field Runners is a must for any Sports Team.  Field Runners energize the crowd and show the Team’s colors.  You might know them as Spirit Flags, Spirit Banners, Team Flags, Team Banners or Battle Flags.  Whatever you call them, you need high quality Flag Poles to run with them effectively.

 In the past, many teams used PVC pipe for Flag Poles.  You can always tell who is using PVC because the pole bends and the Flag drapes instead of standing up tall and proud.  The other problem with PVC is transporting it because it does not break down into a manageable length so you have to find a vehicle that enables you to stuff a 10’ pole inside.  A better alternative to PVC was metal conduit, it solved the bending problem but they are heavy and also difficult to transport.  

After years of being asked, we finally got together with a company right here in the USA and collaborated to make the Ultimate Field Runner Flag Poles.  A Booster Banner Store Exclusive, our poles are the best in the industry.  Our Field Runner Flag Poles are made of 1” Aircraft Aluminum and break down into 24” sections for easy transport.  The pole sections are held together with shock cord so assembly and dis-assembly are a snap.  The poles are strong enough to run with our HUGE 8’x12’ Field Runner and keep it flying tall and proud.  They come in standard 10’ and 12’ sizes but we can make them in any length.  Just click on the “Field Runner” tab or “Field Runner Pole” tab, to order.

If you are in the market for a custom designed Tee or Sweatshirt, visit our friends at https://www.titustdesigns.com/

Field Runner Pole
Uncategorized

How to run an effective Booster Club

Posted on by oldadmin
run an effective booster club

We’re here to show you our best tips on how to run an effective Booster Club.

High School Booster Clubs have two basic functions.  It is debatable which of the two functions is most important.  The two functions are; raising money, to purchase items for the team that the school either will not or cannot purchase and supporting the team or teams by increasing community support.  In Texas, the University Interscholastic League (http://www.uil.utexas.edu/policy/booster_clubs.html) is a government body that sets standards for booster clubs and produces a list of rules that booster clubs must follow.  Not following UIL rules in Texas can put individual players and programs at risk of loosing eligibility so it is important that they be followed.  One basic way to stay out of trouble with the UIL is to ensure that the booster club does not pay for anything for the team directly.  The UIL rules state that we can donate money or merchandise but cannot pay for items directly so it is important that you make sure that anything that you supply to the team is in the form of a donation to the district.

Legal

501c3 (non profit) – There are two types of 501c3 filings with the IRS, 501c3 Corporation and 501c3 Association.  The Association is less expensive and easier to file as well as easier to run on a day-to-day basis.  The filing for a 501c3 costs about $750 and the paperwork, though time consuming, is not difficult to do on your own.  The 501c3 gets you out of paying income taxes but not sales tax.  To get exempt from sales tax you must also file for a sales tax exemption with the state comptroller.

Insurance

It is important to protect your club and the officers of the club from liability.  Insurance specific to booster clubs is available from many sources and there are companies that specialize specifically in booster clubs.  Policies that should be considered are Officer protection and General liability.  There are other policies that can be considered as well.

Community Support

The most important job of the booster club in my opinion is community support.  Next is a list of ways to increase community support but this area is limited only by your imagination.

Marquee messages – Make a list of businesses in your area and visit each of them to ask that they put sayings on their marquee that supports the school team.  This has been very effective in our town and the messages range from a simple “Go Pirates” to a more elaborate electronic board that has moving graphics with the school logo and game times.  This might seem like a small item but team spirit is contagious and the best way to spread it to everyone in your community is to constantly bombard them with small reminders.

Spirit flags – This has been the most effective support campaign we have run.  We purchase 1500 – 2000 flags each year with sayings and logos in support of our teams and we sell them to the local community with poles made of 1/2 inch metal conduit.  We also put 60 up on our stadium and have a dozen for each team to take to away games.  We put 100 flag pole holders on the telephone poles in town and we put up 100 flags each Thursday and take them down each Saturday after the game.  This flag program has really galvanized our community support.  The spirit flags can be purchased on line and you can find them for $5.50 each by searching for www.boosterbannerstore.com. ; These flags have become so commonplace in our town that it is impossible to travel any route to any place in the city limits without seeing one.  Kids have them hanging in their rooms, one school receptionist even made one into a window shade.  They can be strung together to hang across the basketball gym etc.  Our booster club sells them for $10 each and earns about $6,000 per year just on the flags.   Some clubs sell them for $10, some for $20 and recently some have been selling them for $25 each.  Having been involved with the flags for 7 years now, my belief is that $10 is the perfect price.  People feel that they are a good value and the booster club more than triples its money.  For those clubs that cannot afford the initial outlay to purchase 1000 flags, I suggest getting a local business to buy the flags and put their logo and contact information on the lower left corner of each flag.

Shirts for Staff – Our club recently got the local hospital to purchase 1000 collared shirts in our school color with the school logo embroidered on the left breast and the hospital logo on the left sleeve.  These shirts were handed out to all employees of the district by the football players at convocation prior to the start of school.  The employees are required to wear them on Fridays and the entire district is purple.

Travel uniforms – To be successful your team needs to look the part.  This year we purchased 150 collared shirts and had them embroidered for the team to wear as a travel uniform.  They wear khaki pants and the collared shirts to school on game days and then wear them on the bus to the game and they look very sharp.

Action shots – Each week we pick two action shots taken by local photographers and get 18”x24” pictures made to hang in temporary frames at the entrance to the locker room.  The next week, those two pictures are removed and hung permanently behind Plexiglas in the hallway and two new ones take their place.

Fundraising

T-shirts, Hoodies etc. – We purchased a vending trailer for $4,500 and have it stocked with all types of merchandise for sale.  This comes under the heading of support and raising money as we typically double our money on each item sold.  Our goal is to put a shirt with our logo on every back and a sticker on every car window in town.  You need to restrict the number of people involved in the merchandise sales due to the large amount of money involved (typically $20,000 to $25,000 per year) .  I recommend that you find one couple that will be able open the trailer before every Varsity game and close it at game time.

Discount cards – There are many companies that specialize in producing discount cards for teams to sell.  The cards typically have a dozen or so merchants listed with discounts for presenting the card.  The cards sell for $10-$20 each and the team typically gets 60% of the money.  This can turn into a real hassle if the card company is a drop-and-go type that just drops the cards off and has you mail them the check.  When interviewing companies for the job, be sure to insist that they will be there to hand out the cards and to collect the money, there is a lot of money to be made and they need to earn it.

Sponsorships – We contacted a local sign company and had them make us 6 sponsor boards that are mounted on the side of the stadium.  Each board is a different sponsor level ($5000, $2500, $1000, $500, $250, $100).  We formed sponsor packages that contain different perks for different levels of sponsorships.  The top three levels get a full-page ad in our program, the $500 level gets a half page ad and the $250 level gets a quarter page ad.  In addition they get their business name on the appropriate board as well as other items such as parking passes, season tickets etc.  This typically nets us about $25,000  – $30,000 each year.

Programs

This is a full-time job and requires someone with good computer skills and business savvy.  The printer needs to be chosen early (January) and they need to be easy to work with and willing to help.  The ad/sponsor sales need to begin in January when the businesses have a fresh advertising/donation budget.  You need to organize the parents and the team to get out and sell sponsorships and ads early.  There needs to be a deadline for sales and another for ad copy submission.  The sales should be halted in mid July and the absolute last day for ad copy has to be not later that August 1st or you will never get your program printed by the first home game.  There are as many ways to produce a program as there are printers to print them but one thing that you must keep in mind is that this is a service, not a money maker.  Our programs cost between $10 and $12 each to print and we sell them for $6.

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