Participating in high school sports comes with many benefits, like better overall health, teamwork skills and academic performance. In fact, studies have shown that high school athletes have an average GPA of 2.84, compared to the non-athlete average of 2.68. What’s more, by age 30, former student athletes typically earn higher salaries than their non-athletic peers.
South of the border, high school sports participation has been on the rise for 29 straight years, with almost 8 million participants last year. But things are different here in Canada. Participation rates have been dropping. As kids age, they stop participating in sports—the peak ages for athletes are 10 to 13. Now there’s a growing push to reverse this trend. Groups like Paradigm Sports are encouraging teen athletes to get active, since the benefits of high school sports participation are so great.
Of course, sports participation comes with costs—for equipment, training and travel. If you’re looking for new ways to raise money for your school’s sports teams, we have fundraising promotional products and ideas that will help you finance these important programs
Flock of flamingos
The premise is simple: People give donations to your team for the opportunity to have another person’s house “flocked” for a day—that is, covered in pink flamingo lawn ornaments. That person can choose to leave the flamingos or give a donation to ‘flock it forward’ (sending the flamingoes to someone else’s yard). This fundraiser will really draw attention! Offer donors a flamingo pen to thank them for their generousity (and for being a good sport!)
Temporary tattoos
Create a temporary tattoo of your school logo or team mascot and sell them to parents, students and other fans of your sports teams. This budget-friendly fundraising gift is sure to be a hit for all ages.
Car wash
This one is a classic for a reason—it’s easy! All you need is soap, water and a little elbow grease. Encourage athletes to tell all their friends and family about the event. Give thanks for every donation with fundraising gifts like a bumper sticker or air freshener.
Banner ads
The same sponsorships that work in the big leagues can also work at your local school. All you need is a sponsor and a place to hang a banner thanking them for their support. With funds for you and impressions for their brand, it’s a win-win situation.
Fun fundraisers bring in fresh funds
Supporting local sports team can have a big impact on students. And with the help of these fundraising promotional products and some fun fundraising plans, you can help make sure student athletes have the best season ever.