While most of Australia packs the footy boots away for summer, the Territory is just getting started. The NTFL season runs from October to March, through the Wet, a schedule shaped by hard grounds in the Dry and the need to keep the cricket season in its place.
For one member of our team, the new season means more than fixtures and ladders.
Meet Luke
By day, Luke Hodges is one of our Digital Printing Specialists, the person who makes sure your colours land exactly where they should. On training nights and game days, he’s the coach of the Under 13s at St Mary’s Football Club.
Luke doesn’t make a fuss about it. Anyone who has coached junior sport knows what it involves: early starts, kit bags, lost boots, nervous first-timers and a lot of encouragement. It’s the kind of quiet, steady commitment that makes a real difference to young people in the Territory. We have played sports as kids and understand what a good coach means to our lives.
So when Luke asked whether we could print water bottles for his team, the answer was an easy yes.
“Every team gets their own set of water bottles and I’d like to label ours so they don’t get mixed up with the team name and the club logo on it. It sounds small, but it’s one less thing to forget, and the kids love having something that’s theirs. It makes them feel like a proper team.” Luke Hodges, Digital Printing Specialist and Under 13s coach
A bit of innovation behind the bottles
Rather than a standard promotional run, our team took a different approach. The designs were printed on our HP Latex R2000, a printer built with parts from the circular economy, onto vehicle wrap material, then applied to each bottle.
It’s the same durable film we use to brand fleet vehicles that spend years on Territory roads in full sun and Wet season downpours. That makes it well suited to a water bottle that gets left in the sun, rained on and thrown into a kit bag every week. HP Latex inks are also water based, which makes for a healthier print room for our team.
It’s a small job, but it shows how we like to work: using the right equipment and materials in new ways to get a better result.
Why a water bottle matters more than you’d think
Playing footy in the Top End Wet season is no small thing, especially for young players. Kids aren’t as good as adults at regulating their body temperature, which puts them at greater risk of heat stress.
According to the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, children are also at higher risk of dehydration because they lose more fluid through their skin, can’t always tell you they’re thirsty and rely on adults to make sure they’re drinking enough.
A few facts every parent and coach can use:
- Water comes first. Water is the drink of choice for junior sport. Sugary drinks and sports drinks are generally best avoided at this level.
- Daily needs add up. Children aged 4 to 8 need around 5 cups (about 1.2 litres) of fluid a day, and 9 to 13 year olds around 5 to 6 cups (1.4 to 1.6 litres), mostly from water. Training and heat add to that.
- Don’t wait for thirst. Kids often keep playing well past the point they should have stopped for a drink. Regular drink breaks matter.
- Know the signs. Watch for dizziness, headaches, nausea, a dry mouth, poor concentration and dark urine.
- Every player needs their own bottle. Having a personal bottle on hand at every drink break is one of the simplest habits a club can build.
That last point is where print comes in. A bottle with the club’s logo isn’t just a bottle. It becomes part of the kit, as essential as boots and a mouthguard, and much harder to leave on the bench.
This is general information only. Speak to your GP if you have concerns about your child’s health.
Kids, clubs and community
Around 36% of Australian children aged 0 to 14 take part in organised sport outside school at least once a week. Behind every one of those games is a club, a volunteer coach and a group of parents doing the drop-offs. We have all played some sort of sport in our lifetime at junior level and we all feel part of a club that is well organized and was well branded by someone like Colemans in the background.
For many NT businesses, those clubs are the heart of the community. Supporting them is something the Colemans team does willingly, and it’s something we can help other businesses do too.
Merchandise that feels like part of the team
Club merchandise works best when it’s practical, well made and genuinely wanted. Our team helps clubs, schools, sponsors and local businesses with:
- Water bottles and drinkware, including custom wraps printed on durable vehicle wrap material
- Club and sponsor banners for game day
- Signage for grounds, canteens and clubrooms
- Branded merchandise for fundraising, presentation nights and volunteers
- And our grand final banners are for the best of the best in the competition, not just for AFL-NT teams but for many other sporting codes.
We’ll help you choose products that suit the climate, the age group and how they’ll be used, and make sure your logo looks right on everyone.
Good luck to every team this season
To Luke and his Under 11s, and to every junior player, coach and volunteer across the NTFL: have a great season, and don’t forget your water bottle.
If your club or business needs merchandise or signage for the season, get in touch with our team.
Article written by Magdaline Coleman, with permission from Luke Hodges.
