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The Black Forest Lumberjacks e.V. from Freiburg im Breisgau are on a winning streak. In just one year, the mixed 5-on-5 flag football team has evolved from a university sports initiative into a serious club with nearly 30 members. Their sporting goal for this season is clearly defined: promotion from the Regionalliga Baden-Württemberg to the 2nd Flag Football Bundesliga (DFFL 2). However, this was exactly where the project almost hit a wall – all because of a few centimetres of fabric.
When Kit Regulations Decide Promotion: How the Black Forest Lumberjacks funded their gear through crowdfunding
In amateur sports, it is often not just athletic performance that determines the next big step, but the logistical framework. A real-world example from Freiburg shows how a young club successfully overcame a bureaucratic hurdle using community power, Fairplaid, and spized.
The Kit Trap: When the rulebook demands new gear
Those aiming for promotion in the league system must adhere to strict regulations. For the DFFL 2, a specific rule regarding playing kit applies: the numbers on the front of the jerseys must be at least 15 centimetres high. However, the Lumberjacks' previous black-and-red jerseys only featured digits 7 to 8 centimetres in height. This meant that although the team has the sporting potential to beat even first-division sides on their day, the old tops were simply no longer compliant with the rules. A new team kit was required, ideally featuring the newly redesigned club logo to present the club in a modern light at tournaments such as the "Big Bowl" in Walldorf.
The Sponsorship Dilemma in Niche Sports
New jerseys mean new costs. The classic solution in amateur sports is searching for local sponsors. However, in an exclusive spized interview, board members Julia Gauweiler and Viesturs Leibold spoke transparently about the hurdles that niche sports face in this regard.
"Flag football is still a niche sport. Since we have a maximum of one home game per season, we are unfortunately not that attractive to smaller local sponsors, even though we actively offered to integrate logos onto our jerseys and shorts." – Viesturs Leibold
The Solution: Community Power and 100% Success via Fairplaid
To ensure their sporting goals wouldn't fall through due to a lack of funding, the club took a modern approach: crowdfunding. Using the platform of our partner Fairplaid, the Lumberjacks launched a campaign to raise the necessary funds for their new spized jerseys and additional training equipment.
And the plan worked: the response was overwhelming. Within a very short space of time, the club mobilised its entire community. Support came directly from the heart of the club and beyond: family, friends, and the strong network of the South German flag football community showed enormous generosity.
The result: the target amount was reached, making the campaign a complete success. This cleared the way for the "New Teamwear" project. The custom kits from spized were able to go straight into production — 100% compliant with 2nd Bundesliga regulations, of course.
Creating Visibility for the Sport
For the founders, the new jerseys are about much more than just ticking boxes for regulations. It is about representing an inclusive and growing sport. As the only senior flag football team in Freiburg — and particularly as a rare opportunity for women to actively play the sport in a mixed setup — the club is doing vital grassroots work.
"It’s just a great feeling to see that such a small club receives so much support from so many different sides and that so many people want to help the sport and us move forward. It is also about the visibility of the sport. Our ambition is not to stay small, but to grow step by step." – Julia Gauweiler
Conclusion: Entering the New Season with the Wind in Their Sails
The story of the Black Forest Lumberjacks impressively demonstrates that when traditional sponsorship falls through, a strong community is worth its weight in gold. Thanks to the successful crowdfunding campaign and the partnership with spized, the team from Freiburg can now focus entirely on what matters most: their sporting promotion. We are incredibly excited to see the Lumberjacks on the pitch soon in their brand-new look!
