Impressions - Team & Activewear Summer 2021 - 25

to provide lettered jerseys to a local pro team.
" Th e jersey-lettering side started to grow
pretty quickly, and I felt the pull to come
home and make the family business my career, "
McFarland Jr. recalls. " Truthfully, neither
my dad nor myself had any idea that this
would become a full-time, sustainable business.
Taking the Next Step
A lot has changed since 1972, a year that
saw Major League Baseball teams roll out
bright-colored polyester jerseys, which would
soon become the norm for professional and
Little League players. A gallon of gas cost 36
cents. Atari had just released Pong, a crude,
electronic tennis game.
Ultimately, market demands led Sportshaven
to focus on teamwear and varsity jackets.
Local teams were desperate for quick turnaround
times on soft goods. However, ordering
custom jerseys from a manufacturer required
long lead times and the decorating component could extend wait
times up to 50%. Th e McFarlands began decorating in-house, which
greatly reduced delivery times on team and school varsity jackets.
Eventually, this led to bringing chenille and chain-stitch work inhouse
alongside tackle twill.
McFarland Jr. says high-quality heat transfers and precut materials,
such as letters and numbers, have helped the business the most
and made embellishing with quality graphics easier. He also says the
ability to get large quantities of numbers in multiple fonts - in short
timeframes - from companies like Stahls' has been a game changer.
Bringing in an embroidery machine to support in-house jacket
orders also was a big time-saver. Mixing media like twill and
CAD-CUT rolled goods off ers the ability to provide diff erent
looks and multiple price points.
Customer Camaraderie
Identifying new opportunities has long been a hallmark of Sportshaven's
success. McFarland Jr. says the easiest way to identify new
trends is directly from his customers.
" By having the customers in your shop and talking face to face,
you have a chance to see what products and styles the customer is
wearing, " he explains. " Student athletes often drive styles and trends,
so having youth-sports teams buying teamwear helps us keep connected
to current trends. "
While Sportshaven has thrived for nearly 50 years, there has been
plenty of competition from big-box retailers, home-based businesses
and online stores, the latter of which provides the most competition
- especially those operating overseas. McFarland Jr. acknowledges
that low-priced products from overseas suppliers have hurt the
business, but he refuses to compete on price alone.
" If the customer's only criteria is price, and they will accept a
poor-quality garment with sub-par decoration, that is a customer
you probably would not have reached in the fi rst place, " McFarland
Jr. says.
Such Internet bargain shoppers often show up at Sportshaven
looking for an add-on or trying to replace a misprinted product.
When asked why they didn't contact the online shop from which
they bought the product, many complain about how long ordering
A Supplement to impr ession s
Sportshaven's biggest sellers remain varsity
jackets and personalized teamwear and
uniforms. Photo courtesy of
Transfer Express.
replacements takes - usually a minimum of six weeks - or that
the website has disappeared into thin air.
" Th e customer that takes the time, weighs all the factors - not
just price - will be much happier, " McFarland Jr. says. " Local shops
often allow you to use sizing samples, allow you to do add-ons, and
give you the opportunity to see the quality of garment and decoration
materials. Shops that decorate in-house are often also able to quickly
huddle reorders or mistakes because they did the work on-site. "
Sportshaven takes great pride in its customer service and quality
work. Also, McFarland Jr. doesn't accept jobs he doesn't think he
can deliver successfully. Th e shop's biggest-selling items are varsity
jackets, along with personalized teamwear and team uniforms. In
the future, McFarland Jr. is considering expanding the wholesale
lettering end of the business.
A Challenging Year
COVID-19 adversely impacted business during the past year. Sportshaven
relies heavily on orders from school and youth sports programs.
Because they were unable to operate, they had little need
for product.
Suppliers also have been aff ected, either unable to provide products
or experiencing signifi cant delivery delays. As the economy
reboots, the supply chain will be critical to decorators' ability to
quickly, safely and securely deliver goods.
In a sense, the pandemic has underscored Sportshaven's dedication
to customer care and workmanship. McFarland Jr. plans on
resuming normal operations as soon as it's safe and demand ramps
up again. He still believes in providing a face-to-face shopping experience
when possible. Multiple generations of customers agree
with him, as evidenced by their continued patronage.
" We have a large number of grandchildren of our original customers
coming in to buy varsity jackets and have jerseys done, " McFarland
Jr. says. " We even have a few great-grandchildren as well. " 
Chelan David is a freelance writer based in Kansas City. His work has appeared
in such publications as Smart Business, Entrepreneur, The Seattle Times,
Writer's Digest, and Apparel. In his spare time, he enjoys running, watching
sporting events, and traveling.
Summer 2021 * 25
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