HELP! I'M HOLDING DYNAMITE

MY UNIFORMS AREN'T HERE AND I DON'T

KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!

Even if you've run the "playbook" correctly, mistakes can happen and companies change direction and discontinue product, boats sink on the high seas from the far east and product gets held-up. Of course, it always happens to your product!

1. Take a deep breath and relax; thank goodness, no one have ever died as a result of not having a uniform. I once played in white Hanes undershirts purchased at K-Mart fifteen minutes before a game (our opponent had the same exact jersey and we didn't have a second jersey). We creatively used a black sharpie to write our numbers on the back. Despite conventional wisdom, it is the player that makes the jersey - not the other way around. And, yes, amazingly, we won 2-1!

2. Consult with your vendor to assess the situation; is the delay short-term (you'll have them next week) or long-term (your uniforms sank aboard the ship)

3. Resolve the immediate need first

   1. Travel/Club solution: Purchase t-shirts in your opposite or away color and put a number on the back; great for tournament use or as a makeshift second jersey

   2. Recreational: Use pinnies to differentiate teams; play smaller sided games if you don't have enough pinnies and rotate the kids through the game

4. Long-term Delay

   1. Who is responsible? Based on your assessment, consider a change in style, brand or vendor that can deliver in an "emergency" manner

   2. Worst-case scenario: Look-up "Screen Printer" in your local phone book and buy t-shirts that will get you through the situation until you can re-group and re-consider at your next Board Meeting

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