One Tough Year
Today marks the one year anniversary of Total Team Sports being open for business. It has been a tough year, but we have survived and as of this date, I am as busy as I’ve been in years. That does not mean I don’t need your business. I most certainly do. Check out the apparel links to the left.
I wanted to thank the people who first gave me an opportunity to serve them this past year.
In alphabetical order:
Advanced Electrical Contractors, Inc.
Ansbach High School(Germany)
Campbell HS Soccer
Chattahoochee HS Football
Chattahoochee Jr. Cougars Football
Department of Forensic Cleaning, LLC
Etowah Baseball Boosters
Georgia Mustangs, Inc.
Haralson County Football
Hillgrove Gridiron Club
Hillgrove High School
Kennesaw Mountain Football
Lassiter HS Football
Marietta Fast Pitch
Marietta Heat(AAU)
Marietta HS Football
Phil Gingrey
Pope HS
R and D Automotive
Shorter College Football
South Cobb HS Track Boosters
Trinity Chapel Academy Soccer
Tucker HS Football
Union Grove HS Football Boosters
Walton HS Dugout Club
Woodland Football Boosters
Woodland HS Track Boosters and many, many individuals that I can’t really name here. Thanks to all of you.
It’s a great start, but we have a long way to go. I am actually considering taking on some sales people, so if you know someone who is looking for work and is well connected in athletic circles have them email me at rexrobinson5@gmail.com.
Gem City to Classic City and Back
The next few days in the Dawg Nation will be ones to remember. I can’t remember a stretch over a weekend with such promise. The Rotary Club of Marietta Park to Park Fun Run is the first of what I hope will be many race tee shirts for me. The starting line is at the First United Methodist Church in Marietta and begins at 8:00 AM.
After that, we’ll head to Athens to meet Chris Troxel of the Retractable Awning Canopy Company to see a great product that I hope to at least promote if not sell through Total Team Sports. Chris will be at the Tate Center Parking lot before the game and East Campus after.
Look for him!
We may have to stop by Glory Glory in Lawrenceville on the way to see the Lewis’. I can never drive that close to such a great selection of Dawg Stuff and not stop in. We may try and run by The Blind Pig Tavern to see the DawgVent folk. They kinda scare me so that is subject to change.
Oh yeah, then the G-Day Game!
After the game, I need to run by and see some old team mates at the Lettermen’s Bar-B-Que, but I want to go see the baseball game. Tomorrow, Chance Veazey is throwing out the first pitch. You should all come support the Diamond Dawgs and Chance. I know a lot of you are planning to anyway.
As Ole Lady Luck would have it, both of my sons will be in Athens tomorrow. Ryan lives in Athens and works for UGA, Sean will be coming up from Milledgeville(Georgia College and State University). I may get the see them as well.
How’s that for a Saturday.
Sunday, I will be out with some kickers in the afternoon. I start with a new kid from Wheeler HS. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.
Monday, I will be playing in The Boy’s and Girl’s Club Golf Tournament at The Marietta Country Club. You may want to avoid the vicinity. My old room/team mate, Frank Ros is playing this year.
Have a great weekend Dawgs! As the kids say, it could be epic!
Total Team Sports is Hot
SnowSham 2010 was a major disappointment here in Atlanta. Just enough precipitation combined with frigid temperatures to be a pain in the butt, but not enough to really enjoy it. All the schools and systems that I do business with are closed today, but this week has been a great start to 2010.
New customers and vendors are evidence of continued growth for Total Team Sports.
I am thankful.
I have created ad links to many of my suppliers on the blog as well a listing of apparel suppliers in the left side-bar. Ash City was my first supplier of corporate apparel and it’s been a great fit. I have used Sanmar as a supplier of tee shirts, sweats and other athletic apparel. Augusta Sportswear has uniforms and coaches gear at great prices. Stewart and Strauss is my primary source for custom lettermen’s jackets. Just this week, I have added Game Sportswear as a supplier of warm-ups, jackets and corporate apparel. I have sold their products before and they are top quality and unique.
The other new relationship is taking me in a new direction, promotional products. Norwood is a fantastic resource for ad specialty items for corporate and/or booster club applications. I also hope to supply items for fundraising and charity golf tournaments around the southeast. If your company needs golf balls with your logo, call me.
All in all, 2010 is off to a tremendous start.
Let me know if I can be of service to you.
2010 Will Be Better
The year 2009 will go down as an off year, a down year, for Georgia Football and life in general. The Dawgs should recover nicely with the changes that are imminent. New coaches, a new attitude that is apparent from Coach Richt and the likelihood of a renewed focus on every level. But hey, 13 consecutive years with 8 or more wins ain’t bad.
I feel the same way about my life. I started Total Team Sports in early 2009 and while things have gone well, in looking back, I made a lot of mistakes. In the sporting goods business these days, having access to “brand name” merchandise is crucial in certain circumstances, but as a new “Team” dealer without a retail presence, I can’t get every single brand out there.
I will continue to provide practice gear for every sport and especially in packages for fund-raising efforts. No need to go to the “BIG BOX” stores and pay retail when you can put it in a practice pack and pay a “team price”. Contact me for details at rexrobinson5@gmail.com or click here or here for just a couple of examples.
Late in the year, the opportunity to sell a great quality lettermen’s jacket presented itself. Stewart and Strauss has sold directly to the public for over 30 years on a retail basis. I contacted them in the summer and I am now one of only six dealers in the country that sell their jackets on a “wholesale” basis. I am very fortunate in that regard. There is no doubt, 2010 will be a huge year for lettermen’s jackets for Total Team Sports.
Another major difference in where I am headed with TTS is corporate apparel and not just athletic gear. I can supply any need for your business. For corporate, industrial, and institutional applications, I have some great alternatives. Just click on the Total Team Sports, LLC ad at the top of the page or here.
Just like with the 2009 Georgia Bulldogs, the main thing is to learn from the mistakes that were made and not repeat them. Learn, make adjustments and move forward, never looking back. Get better every day.
Happy New Year and Go Dawgs!
Roughing The Kicker – Bye Week
Since the Dawgs are laying low, so am I. Heck, I need to make some money. It’s letter jacket time and basketball and wrestling seasons are right around the corner. I gotta get busy.
Come back soon.
Hey Georgia, You Gotta Have the Gear!
It really sounds like it’s been a great week for UGA Football…practice started and the entire DawgNation has been a-woof…I was going to say a-buzz but that Dawg won’t hunt. Let’s just hope we can maintain the focus and energy til January…whaddaya think?
Just this week I have updated the links to the right. These are my sources to everything from uniforms to workout gear to letter jackets. Some of these sites are e-tailers, but I can sell their gear at “TEAM” prices(25%=30% off) for orders of 12 or more(Teams) duh! You may have heard of some of these companies, but I’m betting you have not heard of all of them. A couple of the links are online catalogs for your convenience.
Check them out and call me if you have questions….404.455.0393
Total Team Sports, From Georgia to Germany
I don’t want to annoy readers with posts about my businesses. But if I don’t sometimes, I will not be able to afford to keep them going or keep this blogging experiment alive. For those of you that don’t know, I sell sporting goods, uniforms and other athletic apparel. Congressman Phil Gingrey is seen wearing a baseball uniform I provided for him recently. I started Total Team Sports to try and provide an alternative to traditional dealers and the same old products they provide. I have posted a link for the first time to my online catalog for corporate apparel. My primary customers have always been schools and youth organizations, but when I started Total Team Sports in January I wanted to do more with small businesses. I can do all types of screen-printing and custom embroidery. I have a couple of great companies that I contract with to do these services for me. Both have top-notch artists and production people. Traditional sporting goods dealers are usually very limited in their screen-printing capabilities and with their artwork.
I have virtually no limitations on artwork…try me!
Many smaller screen-printers may only provide up to four to six colors in their printing options, if that. How many do you need? 10…12…14? Okay, I can do that with no problem. No matter where you are located, I am as close as the computer. Emailing of orders is common place. From Georgia to Germany, I can help. That’s right I have customers at the American schools in Germany. A few years ago I had the opportunity to coach at a football camp in Wurzburg, Germany. The camp was for the Department of Defense schools in Europe. There were over 400 campers and I worked with 25-30 kickers, including Lones Seiber, who now is the the kicker for the University of Kentucky. Now several of those “DoDDS” teams are customers.
I sell a lot of hats, including custom hats. A few months ago I established a new relationship with a hat manufacturer that allows me to obtain custom hats at a ridiculous price. How about $5.99 for a custom hat. Not just some generic hat with your logo slapped on, but truly custom. The price can go even lower for larger purchases. It’s almost factory direct from China, where most of the world’s quality hats are made. This supplier is great option for booster club purchases and corporate applications where you need greater quantities. Custom hats made by The Game will always be my mainstay. You just cannot beat the quality and the minimum is just eighteen hats.
Lastly the newest addition to my product mix is a new type of lettermen’s jacket. Although these are not shown in the catalog, they warrant a mention. They soon will be a major part of what I do. From traditional looks to an awesome hooded version, these are some great award jackets, something your school or team or even company will be proud of. I have already gotten commitments from two new schools for these great jackets and one local company in Roswell will buy them as Christmas gifts for employees. Great idea!
The Lettermen’s Jacket…More Than a Symbol
There is little that signifies the pride of accomplishment for an athlete more than THE LETTERMEN”S JACKET. As far back as the 1950′s I guess, these jackets were a symbol of being a part of an exclusive club. A well deserved award for the sacrifice and dedication inherent in not only making the TEAM, but making a contribution to the success of the TEAM.
I am very excited to be able to provide Custom Lettermen’s Jackets for guys and girls at very, very competitive prices. Remember I said “CUSTOM”. Lots of people can sell stock lettermen’s jackets, and I do as well. But there is nothing like a one of a kind jacket for your school or even as a gift for your customers or employees.
The other thing I’m extremely excited about is a new style of letter jacket. I now have access to a true “hooded” jacket that is really in tune with todays styles that kids love. They are really cool jackets.
Call me today at 404.455.0393 for a great alternative for this year’s team.
Tell me what you really think!