Custom Merch for High School Athletes: The Complete 2026 Guide

A high school athlete can have their own custom merch store: their name and number on real hoodies, tees, and hats that family, friends, and fans can buy. The designs are made for you, there are no order minimums, and it costs nothing to set up. Here is how it works.

What "custom merch" actually means

Your store is a personal line of gear built around you. It carries your name and number on real products people can wear to your games. That is different from team spirit wear, which usually means a bulk order everyone chips in on. A custom store is yours, it stays up year round, and supporters can grab a hoodie or tee whenever they want one.

You do not design anything yourself. The Athlete Merch team makes the designs for you, with hundreds of options, and handles printing and shipping.

How it works

1. The Athlete Merch team creates your custom designs for free.
2. Your store goes live with your name and number on 40+ products.
3. You share it with family, friends, teammates, and local fans.
4. Each item is made to order and arrives in about 10 days.

Athletes set up and run their store from the Athlete Merch app, which is launching this summer.

What it costs: nothing

Setting up a store is free. No upfront cost, no order minimums, and the custom designs are free. Nothing is printed until someone places an order, so there is no risk of being stuck with unsold inventory.

You do not need a big following

You do not have to be a star for this to be worth it. The people who buy your gear are the ones already in your corner: family, friends, teammates, and local fans. A parent buying a hoodie with their kid's name on it is not counting your followers.

What you can put your name on

Athlete Merch has 40+ products, including hoodies, t-shirts, hats, bags, and drinkware, with more added over time. Every item can carry your design, so supporters pick what they actually want to wear.

Age rules for high school (and younger) athletes

• You must be at least 13 to use the app.
• Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to set up the account.
• A child under 13 cannot use the app, but a parent can set up a store for them.

There are no other requirements. If you play, you can have a store.

Is Athlete Merch legit?

Yes. It is a fully US based company built by the team behind the #1 app for college athletes, which more than 650,000 athletes use. Today Athlete Merch supports 100,000+ athletes across 60+ sports. Checkout runs on Shopify, and orders ship across the US, with international coming soon.

Common questions

Does it cost anything to start? No. Setup is free, there are no minimums, and the designs are free.

Who sets up the store for a younger athlete? A parent or guardian. Anyone under 18 needs one to set up the account, and a parent can set up a store for a child under 13.

How long does shipping take? About 10 days. Each item is made to order.

See it for yourself

Take a look at athlete stores to see what they look like, or read more on our about page. The Athlete Merch app is launching this summer.