Deciding to update your current gym banners is a big step and is a big purchase for most athletic programs. The key for any athletic director or coach is to be sure and get it right the first time so they proudly display team records for years to come rather than needing to redo the project in the near future. There are several things to consider and they all contribute to making the right decision.
CHAMPIONSHIP BANNERS
Individual championship banners versus add-a-year banners
The first step is to decide what type of banner you would like to display. Individual championship banners are great for large bold displays of individual teams or players. Add-a-year banners are a great way to consolidate your championship banners into a cost and space effective project. Wall space is usually a big factor in deciding between these two. If you have a lot of championship teams you are going to run out of space in your quickly. In this case, add-a-year banners may be the right type for you. They display perfectly in any gym and are easy to read.
For the majority of schools we recommend add a year gym banners for the more common accomplishments such as league, district and regional championships. Then we advise them to get individual championship banners for the most difficult accomplishments like state championship wins. This is a great way to combine the two and properly display all of your accomplishments.
Size considerations for athletic banners
What good are the banners if your fans have trouble reading them from their seats? For this reason, viewing distance is a major factor in deciding what size banners are best for your gymnasium. The first factor to consider is the size of your gym or athletic facility. Try to figure out how far away the audience will be from the banners to help determining the necessary size. Typically individual championship banners can be a little smaller. The amount of information allows for larger fonts, so you can typically get away with a 3’x5′ or 4’x6′ sports team banner in a typical gym.
As for the add-a-year high school gym banners are concerned, there can be a little bit of homework involved. Multiple factors weigh in for these. The size banner that will work best depends on the number of accomplishments you want to recognize. Typically we suggest that a banner has at least a 2” to 2.5” tall font size. This can be seen from 67′ – 84′ away by 93% of the population. We typically suggest one of three sizes for add-a-year championship banners 4’x6′, 4’x7′ or 4’x8′. Keep in mind, your banner provider is your best source for recommending the correct size banners.
ATHLETIC BANNERS
Material options for school championship banners
The final major factor in deciding what the best type of team sports banners are for you is what kind of material they’re made with. There are three major types that are offered including felt, nylon and vinyl. Felt banners have been around for years and have been the standard in the past, but many schools have moved away from them. The two issues commonly seen with this material are they are costly to update and tend to accumulate dust and mold over time. Also, to have them updated takes getting them down off the wall and sending them back to the manufacturer to have the updates sewn on. This is time consuming and can be very costly.
Nylon championship banner material are the latest style, and in our opinion the greatest. They offer the feel of cloth like a felt banner, but don’t gather dust like felt does. Best of all, these banners are easily updated by you or a member of your staff, most of the time without even having to take them down off the wall. Most reputable companies offer free updates for these banners until they are full. Nylon banners are more expensive than the third type, vinyl banners, but the cost isn’t that significant when you consider that they are going to be used for many years. Vinyl banners have been around for a long time as well. This material is commonly used on advertising banners, often outdoors. This material is the most cost effective solution and is easy to update, but lacks the feel of cloth that is so popular amongst sports professionals.
These are the top things to consider when looking at championship banners for your school or team. Be sure to discuss all of these factors with a professional banner provider that has the experience and expertise to steer you in the right direction. Whatever direction you decide to take with your championship banner project, know that rows of championship banners will not only WOW your fans and proudly display your athletic legacy, but also inspire your athletes to strive for greatness.
If you have any questions or would like more information on championship banners for your athletic program, please contact the experienced professionals at Team Fitz Graphics, LLC. Team Fitz also offers many other types of banners and flags such as breakaway banners, cheerleader flags and team banners.