Hockey Academy Kit Supplier
- Est. 2005 · Sialkot, Pakistan
- MOQ 20–25 pcs per design · no limit for brands
- Free 24h digital mockup
- Sample 5–7 days, credited on bulk
- Bulk 15–25 business days · express 7–12
- DHL/FedEx/UPS 5–10 days
- 🛡️ Free remake within 3 days
Why hockey academies deal with the factory directly
A hockey academy buying from ZipaSports is buying from the factory that cuts, prints, sews and packs the kit in Sialkot, Pakistan, rather than from a reseller who sends the order on. That matters for an academy in three ways: the size grading is done by the people who cut the fabric, the print files for each age group are held in one place, and a question about a junior skort length is answered by the production floor within 2 hours on WhatsApp during business hours.
The order terms are the same as for any team: 20–25 pieces per design as the minimum, mixed sizes within that number, lower quantities on request for top-ups, and no MOQ limit for sportswear brands and companies. The design studio produces a free digital mockup within 24 hours from a crest and a colour reference, with unlimited revisions before approval.
The full hockey range, including junior hockey kits, hockey dresses and goalkeeper smocks, is on the field hockey teamwear page.
Term-by-term: when a hockey academy should order
Hockey seasons differ by hemisphere, and the academy calendar decides when the brief needs to reach us. The table works back from the first fixture using the standard lead times: free mockup within 24 hours, optional sample 5–7 days, bulk 15–25 business days, express 7–12 days, courier 5–10 days.
| Academy calendar | Brief us by | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Northern hemisphere autumn season (UK, Europe, Canada, USA) | Late spring or early summer term | Standard production with sample and fitting session |
| Southern hemisphere winter season (Australia, New Zealand) | The previous spring, before the summer break | Standard production; kit arrives for pre-season |
| Indoor hockey block in the winter | Start of the autumn term | Standard production of indoor shirts |
| Tournament or tour announced at short notice | Six to seven weeks before departure | Express 7–12 days plus courier 5–10 days |
| New-intake top-up of an approved design | Any time; no sample stage | Standard or express, lower quantity on request |
The clock starts when the mockup is approved and the size list is received, not when the first message is sent. An academy that spends three weeks circulating a mockup between coaches should count those weeks in its own planning.
The academy hockey kit list, with fabrics and decoration
Hockey kit is more layered than most school sports because the season runs through cold, wet months on water-based or sand-dressed turf. The list below is what a fully equipped academy programme orders over a season; a first order usually covers the top three rows and adds the rest as budget allows.
| Garment | Fabric options | Decoration |
|---|---|---|
| Match shirt, short or long sleeve | Polyester interlock or pin-dot mesh, 140–180 GSM, moisture-wicking | Full sublimation with crest, number, name and sponsor |
| Skort or turf shorts | Polyester interlock or microfibre, 140–180 GSM; inner short in polyester-spandex | Sublimation to match the shirt |
| Knee-length socks | Polyester-cotton-spandex knit, sized to fit over shin pads | Sublimated band or knitted-in colour |
| Training top and bibs | Polyester mesh, 140–180 GSM | Screen print or sublimation |
| Thermal base layer | Polyester-spandex, 180–220 GSM, flatlock seams | Small sublimated crest |
| Quarter-zip midlayer | Performance poly fleece, 240–300 GSM | Embroidered crest |
| Rain jacket | Coated polyester shell | Embroidery or heat transfer |
| Stick bag and backpack | 600D polyester or 420D nylon, reinforced base | Embroidered or sublimated panel |
Youth grading: under-10s to senior in one order
Grading is the part of an academy order that matters most, because the smallest sizes go wrong when they are cut by scaling down an adult pattern. At ZipaSports the youth sizes are separate graded patterns, produced on computerised pattern software, so the shoulder width, sleeve length and skort rise are correct for a child's proportions rather than a shrunken adult shape.
The practical rules: one design can be cut in every size from the youngest age band to adult 5XL within one production run, and mixed sizes count towards one minimum of 20–25 pieces. Skort inner-short length and shirt hem length are set on the size specification, which you approve alongside the mockup. Girls' and boys' cuts of the same design are treated as one design for MOQ purposes.
Socks deserve a line of their own. Hockey socks are knee-length and worn over shin pads, so the calf circumference and foot size are graded separately; we ask for shoe sizes with the size list. A size set of physical samples in 5–7 days, tried on the smallest and the tallest player, is the practical way to settle the chart. The size chart guide explains how to take the measurements.
Match shirts and training tops: fabrics for wet turf
Water-based turf keeps hockey kit damp for the whole game, so the fabric choice for an academy is about drying speed and durability against repeated washing rather than about weight alone. The two fabrics we use most for hockey playing kit are both 100% polyester with a moisture-wicking finish, and both take sublimation dye without fading or cracking.
Polyester interlock at 140–180 GSM is the standard match-shirt fabric: a smooth, closed knit that prints crisply and sits well under a base layer in cold months. Pin-dot or bird-eye mesh in the same GSM range is more open and dries faster, which suits training tops and summer-term shirts, and it is what we suggest for academies in warmer parts of Australia and the USA. Both are described on the polyester interlock and polyester mesh pages.
Layers under and over the shirt use different fabrics. Base layers are polyester-spandex at 180–220 GSM with flatlock seams. Midlayers and travel wear use performance poly fleece at 240–300 GSM or cotton-polyester fleece at 280–350 GSM, and those carry an embroidered crest rather than a sublimated one. Sublimated fabric is wash- and colour-fastness checked before it is cut.
Numbers, names and crests: which decoration goes where
Hockey academies ask two decoration questions more than any other: whether the back numbers stay readable after a season of turf and washing, and whether the crest on the fleece will match the crest on the shirt. The answer to both comes from choosing the right method for each fabric.
| Element | Method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Back number and player name on the match shirt | Dye sublimation, in the print file | Dyed into the polyester; cannot peel or crack; nothing applied on top to lift |
| Academy crest on shirt, skort and socks | Dye sublimation | Pantone-matched across every garment in the run |
| Crest on quarter-zip, rain jacket and tracksuit | Multi-head embroidery | Fleece and coated fabrics do not take sublimation dye |
| Initials on midlayers and bags | Embroidery or heat transfer | Small runs of individual text on non-polyester fabric |
| Sponsor logos | Sublimation on playing kit, embroidery or DTF on training wear | Matches the base garment's method |
| Training bib numbers | Screen print | Fast, durable on plain mesh bibs |
The embroidered crest is digitised once and kept on file, so the crest on next season's midlayer is stitched from the same file as this season's. Method detail is on the dye-sublimation and embroidery pages.
Goalkeepers, umpires and coaches: the pieces academies forget
A hockey academy order that covers only outfield players usually needs a second order for the pieces that were missed, so it is worth listing them at the brief stage. Goalkeepers need a padded smock or an oversized goalkeeper shirt in a clash colour, cut wide enough to go over body armour, plus goalkeeper trousers. Because each age group has one or two keepers, these are made in small numbers as part of the main order rather than as a separate design run.
Umpires attached to the academy wear a umpire shirt in a colour that clashes with both teams; academies that host their own fixtures usually order a handful. Coaches and team managers wear gilets, polos and bench coats with the embroidered crest, and a parent supporter hoodie can be added to the same order.
Every one of these pieces is made from the same colour and crest files as the playing kit, which is the reason to order them from one factory rather than two.
What you need to send us
The brief for a hockey academy is short. The items below are what the studio needs to produce a mockup within 24 hours and what production needs before cutting; the right-hand column shows what we do when an item is missing.
| What to send | Format | If you do not have it |
|---|---|---|
| Crest | Vector file (AI, EPS, PDF) or high-resolution PNG | We redraw it as vector free of charge |
| Colours: home, away and goalkeeper | Pantone references or a photo of the current kit | Matched from the photo and confirmed on the mockup |
| Age groups and squads | A list of teams and rough player numbers | Used to plan sizes and goalkeeper quantities |
| Size list | Spreadsheet: player, age group, size, shoe size, name, number | We send youth and adult charts to measure against |
| Garment list | Which rows of the kit table you want this order | We propose a first-order bundle |
| Sponsor artwork | Vector files with placement notes | Placed on the mockup for approval |
| First fixture date | Date, plus destination country | We recommend standard or express production |
Send everything in one WhatsApp thread or one email. An existing size chart, tech pack or last season's supplier spec is welcome and we work to it; the tech pack guide shows what a complete spec contains.
Delivery to the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Europe, and the Quality Guarantee
Finished hockey kit leaves Sialkot by DHL, FedEx or UPS and reaches academies in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Europe in 5–10 days with door-to-door tracking. The shipment travels with a commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin, and any import VAT or duty at the destination is paid by the academy as importer unless another arrangement is agreed at quotation. Large multi-squad orders can go by sea in 3–6 weeks. Country pages for the UK, Canada and EuropeIrelandNew ZealandUAESaudi Arabia cover the local detail.
The Quality Guarantee covers every academy order: if any garment arrives with a manufacturing defect, we remake it free of charge — the remake goes into production within 3 days of your report. Misprinted numbers, open seams, a skort cut outside the approved size specification or the wrong quantity against the approved order are all defects. Report with photos and the order reference within 7 days of delivery on WhatsApp or email; we confirm within 24 hours on business days, remake the affected pieces and ship the replacements at no charge, or issue a credit if the academy prefers. Made-to-order kit carrying your crest cannot be returned for change of mind. The full terms are on the Quality Guarantee page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one order cover our under-10s, under-14s and senior squads?
Yes — one hockey shirt design can be cut in every size from the youngest age band to adult 5XL within a single production run, and all of those sizes count towards one 20–25 piece minimum. Youth sizes are graded as separate patterns, not scaled-down adult ones.
What is the minimum order for a hockey academy?
The minimum order is 20–25 pieces per design, with sizes mixed freely inside that number. Top-ups of an approved design for new intake players can be lower on request, and there is no MOQ limit for sportswear brands and companies.
Do you make hockey skorts and shorts in junior sizes?
Yes — hockey skorts with an inner short and turf shorts are both cut in youth and adult sizes, with the inner-short and hem lengths set on the size specification you approve. Girls' and boys' cuts of the same design count as one design for the minimum order.
Are the hockey socks long enough to go over shin pads?
Yes — field hockey socks are knee-length in a polyester-cotton-spandex knit and graded by shoe size and calf, so they fit over shin pads on a ten-year-old and on a senior player. Send shoe sizes with the size list and they are matched to each player.
Will the crest on the fleece match the crest on the shirt?
The shirt crest is sublimated and the fleece crest is embroidered, so they are made by different methods, but both come from the same artwork and Pantone references. The embroidery file is digitised once and kept on record, so the crest matches across garments and across seasons.
How far ahead of the season should a hockey academy order?
Brief us a full term ahead for the standard route: mockup within 24 hours, sample 5–7 days, bulk 15–25 business days after approval, then 5–10 days by courier. If a tournament is announced late, express production takes 7–12 days at additional cost plus the courier time.
Can we order a few goalkeeper smocks with the main kit?
Yes — goalkeeper smocks, shirts and trousers are made in small numbers as part of the main academy order, one or two per age group, in a clash colour and cut to fit over body armour. They do not need to reach a separate minimum of their own.
What fabric do you use for hockey match shirts?
Match shirts use 100% polyester interlock or pin-dot mesh at 140–180 GSM with a moisture-wicking finish, which dries quickly on water-based turf and takes sublimation dye without fading or cracking. Mesh suits warm climates and training; interlock suits cold-season match shirts.
Do you ship hockey academy kit to Australia and the USA?
Yes — kit ships from Sialkot, Pakistan by DHL, FedEx or UPS to Australia, the USA, Canada, the UK and Europe in 5–10 days with tracking, plus commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin. Import duty or tax at the destination is paid by the academy unless agreed otherwise.
What if a shirt arrives with the wrong number printed?
A wrong number against the approved list is a manufacturing defect under the Quality Guarantee. Send photos and the order reference within 7 days of delivery; we confirm within 24 hours on business days and remake the affected shirts free of charge, with replacements shipped to the academy at no charge.