More Than a Uniform: A Conversation with Excel Athletics Founder Ajay Samra

I recently asked Ajay about his history in sports, why he started Excel Athletics and what still makes the work meaningful after more than a decade in business.

Adam: Let’s start with your own connection to sports. How far back does it go?

Ajay: I have been playing organized sports since I was five, so sports have really been an integral part of my life. Growing up in Canada, my first passion was hockey. I played minor hockey in Vancouver and eventually made it to the semi-professional level with the San Francisco Spiders. I also played on multiple travel teams for roller hockey.

It wasn’t only hockey, either. I played organized soccer, baseball and football from my youth through high school. Over the years I have also coached and volunteered, so I have experienced sports from several different sides.

Adam: With that background, starting a sportswear company sounds like a natural fit. What actually pushed you to create Excel Athletics?

Ajay: It was a natural transition because I had always been passionate about sports, but the company really came from my own experiences ordering uniforms.

You would place an order and then hope everything arrived. You hoped it would be correct, that the quality would be what you expected and that there wouldn’t be problems when the team needed it. After going through a number of disappointing experiences, I felt there had to be a better way.

I started Excel Athletics in 2012 because I wanted teams to have peace of mind. The goal was to provide quality products, good service and a process people could depend on without having to worry about every part of the order.

Adam: Custom uniforms can easily become pretty generic. How do you prevent every team from looking like it ordered from the same catalogue?

Ajay: We focus on custom sportswear because every team should be able to have its own look and design. A uniform should reflect the identity of the team wearing it.

We want the players to be excited when they see it, but we also want the coaches, parents and even the other teams to notice it. There is something special about seeing a team step onto the field, court or ice wearing something that was created specifically for them.

Adam: You’ve been doing this since 2012. What part of seeing the finished product still gets you?

Ajay: For us, it is watching the little kids put on the uniform. You see the look on their faces, the smile and the excitement.

People say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that expression really does say everything. Seeing how excited the kids are never gets old. It is something we look forward to every time.

Adam: Plenty of companies can print a jersey. What separates Excel Athletics from a company that simply takes the order and sends it into production?

Ajay: We build relationships. It is not just an order coming in from a customer. It is a team, it is a group of people and every team has its own story. Every player has his or her own journey as well.

We have coaches and teams that we have worked with for 14 years. Over that time, we have developed real bonds and created long-lasting friendships through the work. Those relationships are something we genuinely cherish.

Anyone can make a uniform. What matters is the process, the communication and the relationship you build along the way. For us, it has always been about more than simply producing the product.

Adam: Fourteen years with the same teams is unusual. Do you think that changes how you approach an order?

Ajay: Absolutely. When you work with people for that long, you understand that you are not dealing with a one-time transaction. You get to know the coaches, the teams and what matters to them.

Teams evolve, players grow up and new people become involved, but the relationships can continue. We want our customers to know that we care about how the entire experience goes, not only how the final uniform looks.

Uniforms Made for Real Teams

What stands out after speaking with Ajay is that Excel Athletics was not built around the novelty of designing jerseys. It was built around fixing a frustrating process he had experienced personally as an athlete.

The company produces custom uniforms, youth and adult team apparel, school and spirit wear, wrestling singlets, referee jerseys and specialty sportswear. The products may vary, but the operating philosophy is consistent: communicate clearly, create something distinctive and give the people organizing the team confidence that the job is being handled properly.

That may also explain why some Excel Athletics relationships have lasted almost as long as the company itself. The finished uniform matters, but so does everything that happens before the box arrives.

You can explore Excel Athletics, see examples of its custom work and connect directly with Ajay through the company’s public page on the LawnJobOS Social Booking Platform:

https://excel-athletics.lawnjobos.io/