Sandlot Sports

What Sandlot Sports does

Sandlot Sports is a privately held custom apparel decoration company founded in 2008 by Ryan Dost and Adam McCauley in Saginaw, Michigan, operating as Sandlot Sports LLC. The company provides screen printing, embroidery, sublimation, team uniforms, and promotional products through three physical retail/production locations in the Great Lakes Bay Region (Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland) plus a self-serve online channel. Its customer base spans youth and high school sports, small businesses and corporate accounts, community organizations (fire departments, church groups), and event-driven buyers such as 5K organizers and rock bands, with named engagements including Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo Academy of Rock, Bell Landscaping, and multiple regional school teams.

The technical core combines physical decoration equipment (screen printing presses, embroidery machines, sublimation heat-press workflows) with an in-house graphics team capable of producing custom artwork from sketches or templates. Ordering is delivered through free Custom Online Stores and Corporate Online Stores built on InkSoft's platform, enabling teams and businesses to collect orders and payments without direct sales interaction. The company also acts as a regional channel for major athletic and workwear brands including Under Armour, Nike Golf, Adidas, Asics, Rawlings, Callaway, Carhartt, Mizuno, and others.

Sandlot's revenue model is primarily transactional and project-based: customers pay per piece for screen-printed or embroidered apparel, per-uniform packages for teams, and unit pricing for promotional merchandise, with promotional items ranging from under $1 to premium branded goods. The business is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional funding, and has grown organically over 17 years alongside regional awards (Michigan SBDC Best Small Business 2017; Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch 2025).

Name

Sandlot Sports

Legal name

Sandlot Sports LLC

Website

https://sandlotsports301.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sandlot Sports is a privately held custom apparel decoration company in Michigan that provides screen printing, embroidery, sublimation, team uniforms, and promotional products to youth sports, small businesses, community organizations, and event buyers through three Great Lakes Bay Region locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Apparel Decoration Services

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (339920), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423910)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail (CRAMABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team & School Athletic Uniforms Retail (CRAMACAJ), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK), Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE), Team Sports & On-Field Performance Apparel (CRAAAEAE)

Keywords

• Custom screen printing
• Custom embroidery
• Apparel decoration
• Promotional products
• Team uniforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Saginaw

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Screen Printing: Primary revenue stream for bulk apparel orders. Customers pay for custom-printed garments with pricing based on quantity, colors, and design complexity. Works best for cotton and blended fabrics with bold, vibrant color output.
2. Custom Embroidery: Embroidery services for premium apparel including polos, jackets, hats, and corporate wear. Provides raised, textured professional look with long-lasting durability.
3. Promotional Products: Sale of promotional merchandise including corporate giveaways, lanyards, coozies, stickers, branded items. Offers items at various price points including options for $1 or less.
4. Custom Online Stores: Free online storefront platform for teams and organizations. Orders placed through stores generate revenue. Simplifies ordering process for bulk team gear.
5. Sublimation Printing: Full-coverage dye sublimation on polyester or performance fabrics. Suitable for small-batch or on-demand orders with unlimited colors at no added cost.
6. Team Uniforms: Complete uniform packages for sports teams including jerseys, pants, hats, and warm-ups. Serves youth leagues, travel teams, high schools, and adult leagues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sandlot Sports is a custom apparel decoration company that provides screen printing, embroidery, sublimation, and promotional product services to teams, businesses, and community organizations. The company operates three retail/production locations in Michigan's Great Lakes Bay Region and offers free Custom Online Stores for team and corporate ordering with in-house graphics and artwork creation.

Product overview

Sandlot Sports is an apparel decoration company offering a comprehensive suite of customization services organized around two primary decoration methods (screen printing and embroidery) plus value-added fulfillment platforms. The core product portfolio consists of Custom Screen Printing and Custom Embroidery, supplemented by specialty services including Sublimation for all-over print designs and Event Tees and Apparel for special occasions. Fulfillment is supported through Custom Online Stores (powered by InkSoft) and Corporate Online Stores, enabling team and business clients to manage apparel orders through dedicated e-commerce portals. Additional offerings include Team Uniforms for multiple sports, Promotional Products for corporate giveaways, and a Retail Apparel location. The company also serves as a distributor for brand partners including Under Armour, Nike, Adidas, Carhartt, Callaway, and Rawlings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Screen Printing Traditional screen printing service that pushes ink through mesh stencils onto apparel, producing bold, vibrant designs on t-shirts, hoodies, and other garments. Best suited for cotton and blended fabrics.
• Custom Embroidery Professional embroidery service using machines to stitch logos, names, and designs onto fabric for a raised, textured, durable finish on polos, jackets, hats, and uniforms.
• Sublimation Dye sublimation printing service that transforms ink into gas to bond directly into fabric fibers, creating all-over print custom shirts, performance apparel, and designs with unlimited colors without cracking or fading.
• Custom Online Stores Free custom online store platform allowing teams, clubs, and groups to place orders through a dedicated e-commerce portal with in-house graphics and templates.
• Corporate Online Stores Branded online store solution for companies and businesses to promote their brand with custom apparel and promotional products.
• Team Uniforms Custom team uniforms for sports including baseball, softball, football, soccer, track, lacrosse, and volleyball, featuring jerseys, pants, shorts, warm-ups, and caps.
• Promotional Products Branded promotional merchandise including lanyards, coozies, stickers, custom corporate giveaways with name-brand items like Titleist and Maglite, and items priced under $1 for budget-conscious marketing.
• Event Tees and Apparel Custom event t-shirts and apparel for 5K races, golf outings, charity events, festivals, and special occasions.
• Retail Apparel Retail location offering a wide variety of tees, hoods, pants, caps, and stylish team and school apparel ready for purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of shirts printed for various customers including fundraisers, teams, schools, companies, tournaments, and events

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Under ArmourcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 October 2017Sandlot Sports partnered with Under Armour to bring this premier brand to customers in all realms of their business. Under Armour prides itself on innovation and highly engineered performance apparel. This partnership demonstrates Sandlot Sports' ability to secure relationships with major athletic brands.
• InkSoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 10 August 2017Sandlot Sports uses InkSoft's Online Stores platform, which made the buying experience easier for customers. The company was featured on the InkSoft podcast discussing this integration.
• AdidascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSandlot Sports has partnerships with some of the biggest brands including Adidas for performance apparel and sports equipment.
• AsicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for athletic footwear and apparel serving sports teams and organizations.
• RawlingscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Rawlings for baseball and softball equipment and uniforms.
• Nike GolfcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for golf apparel serving golf outings and events.
• EastonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for baseball and softball bats. Hosted bat demo events allowing customers to try out Easton and Rawlings bats before purchasing.
• MajesticminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for athletic apparel and uniforms.
• Augusta SportswearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for sports apparel and team uniforms.
• Holloway SportswearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for sports apparel including custom jackets and outerwear.
• MizunominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for athletic footwear and apparel.
• AllesonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for athletic apparel and uniforms.
• RussellminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partnership for athletic apparel.
• CallawayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-branding partnership for premium golf apparel. Callaway offers sophisticated and performance-oriented polo shirts for businesses projecting an upscale image.
• CarharttminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-branding partnership for durable, rugged workwear. Carhartt polos blend practicality with professionalism for construction, manufacturing, and outdoor services businesses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CustomInk: National online custom apparel platform offering screen printing and embroidery for groups, teams, and businesses — the most direct competitor to Sandlot Sports' team and corporate order book, scaled to a national audience.
• Underground Printing: Michigan-founded custom apparel decorator serving college, Greek, and corporate markets with screen printing and embroidery — highly comparable in capability mix, customer profile, and Michigan origin to Sandlot Sports.
• RushOrderTees: Online-first custom screen printer focused on speed and small-to-mid batch orders for groups and businesses — directly competes with Sandlot Sports on turnaround, online design tools, and team/small-business customers.
• BlueCotton: Online custom screen printing and embroidery company focused on groups, teams, schools, and events — comparable customer base, decoration services, and order profile to Sandlot Sports.
• Logo Sportswear: Custom team and athletic apparel retailer offering decorated uniforms, fan gear, and accessories — directly comparable to the team uniforms and spirit wear side of Sandlot Sports' business.

Broad incumbents

• Vistaprint (Cimpress): Mass-market custom printing platform under Cimpress, offering apparel, signage, and promotional products for SMBs — overlapping capability set but serving a far broader small-business audience at scale.
• 4imprint: Large direct marketer of promotional products and decorated apparel — directly comparable on the promotional products/corporate gifting side of Sandlot Sports' catalog, but at national scale and with much broader SKU range.
• HALO (HALO Branded Solutions): Large-scale distributor of branded merchandise and apparel for enterprise clients — competes with Sandlot Sports' corporate online stores and promotional products business at the high end of the market.

Emerging players

• SquadLocker: Online team apparel platform that lets schools, clubs, and youth sports organizations run custom-branded stores — overlaps with Sandlot Sports' Custom Online Stores concept, especially for youth and high school team accounts.

Regional players

• Premier Sports + Apparel: Regional custom apparel and team uniform provider serving schools, leagues, and businesses — comparable customer mix and service offering, but operating in different geographies rather than competing head-to-head with Sandlot Sports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SandlotSportsMI
• Facebookfacebook.com/sandlot.sports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sandlot-sports-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/sandlot_sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sandlot Sports