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What Are Enamel Pins and Why Are They Great for Your Softball Team?
What are enamel pins and why are they great for your softball team? Learn more about how enamel pins can be great for bringing a team together.
It's that time of the year again. Summer softball tournament season. And, the most important tournament of them all is fast approaching.
When it comes to fastpitch world series tournaments, there's a particular energy in the air. Adrenaline is pumping, coaches are wired, and players are ready to give it their all.
The usual scents of hot dogs and freshly cut grass are stimulating your senses. But there's something new, too. All around you'll find teams prepared for the most beloved tradition of the world series tournament: trading pins.
In preparation for world series tournaments, every team designs an enamel pin to trade with other teams either in a pin parade or after games.
Now, you might be wondering: What are enamel pins? If so, this article is for you. It will cover the different kinds of enamel pins and how they benefit softball teams from around the world.
The enamel pin itself is a pin with an enamel finish that displays your softball team's name and logo. However, there are two different types of enamel: hard and soft. Each type will give your team logo a particular finished look.
Soft enamel pins are textured. If a pin is soft enamel, this means that the metal edges are raised between the coatings of colored enamel. The reason for these raised edges is because the metal enamel is baked in an oven to harden before the color is placed.
Hard enamel pins are smoother. Some choose hard enamel because it's a shinier, cleaner look. Hard enamel is made to be scratch resistant as well.
Rather than having the metal enamel baked first, the color is filled in and baked while the pin is flat. This is why the hard enamel is smoother.
Choosing between soft and hard enamel is a personal choice. Most pin designs can be done in either enamel style. The more exciting choices to make in regard to pin style would be if you wanted to add an effect to your pin.
These stunning effects might include glitter, chains, spinners, etc. As a team, you can choose the type of enamel and effect based on what your collective style is.
You'll find that the best part about trading pins with other teams is seeing how each team chooses to represent itself. Generally, the team colors will be included in their logo.
However, some teams choose a pin design that showcases an important element of where they're from. For example, if a team is from Louisville, KY they might have a pair of Louisville Slugger Bats crossed behind their team name. Or, they might choose to include the outline of their state behind their logo.
Now that you know what an enamel pin is, let's talk about how they make world series tournaments exciting. More than anything, a world series softball tournament brings people together. There's competition, but it's also a place where new friends and ideas can be shared.
A world series tournament brings together some of the best teams from all around the world. Every team must qualify based on USSSA fastpitch standards to enter a world series tournament. This means every team who participates is there to win.
In this situation, tensions are high and the competition is stiff. The tradition of trading pins helps to ease some of this tension and allows players to branch out. Meeting other softball players while exchanging pins builds a sense of community.
Sometimes, goodie bags will accompany the enamel pins. These bags might include typical softball snacks like sunflower seeds. Or, they might include something to represent where the team is from.
Overall, the pins and the goodie bags create a sense of camaraderie.
While pin trading builds a sense of community, it also gets players excited to start playing ball. When you see how many great teams are around you, it motivates you. Everyone wants to be the last team standing with a big trophy over their heads.
Establish a Team's Legacy
Enamel pins are very durable. They're meant to be collectible items that other teams can keep forever. Having this type of memorabilia creates a legacy for your team.
Regardless of whether or not your team makes it all the way, other teams will know that you were talented enough to participate in the world series tournament.
And let's say you do win. People will point to your team's enamel pin later and say: "They did it. They won the world series."
Let's not forget what pin trading can do for your team. The energy that encapsulates a world series tournament is something you never forget. The same goes for the memories that you make while you're there.
Trading pins with other teams means that you'll also leave with a collection of pins. These will forever remind you of the experience you had at the world series. Even if you don't come out a champ, you'll have team memories you can cherish forever.
Once you collect all of your world series tournament pins, you'll need a place to put them. There are plenty of ways to display them, but here are the three best ways for softball players.
Many world series tournaments will have tournament towels with the tournament location and year on them. These towels are great to buy so that you can place all of your tournament pins on them. Then, you have them all in one place and you can remember where they came from.
If your team competes in more than one of these tournaments, having a pin towel helps you to keep your pins organized based on which world series tournament they are from.
This is something you can order online if you desire. A decorative pin box will keep pins safe if you'd like to keep them on display in your home.
This one's tried and true. Some players decide to put all of their tournament pins on their softball bags. This allows them to see the pins every time it's time to play.
The only risk with this is that you might lose some pins with all the moving around that you do from dugout to dugout. While this is the most stylish option, it isn't necessarily the safest.
There's more answer than one when someone asks: What are enamel pins for? You don't have to be participating in a world series tournament to have a team pin.
Sometimes, these enamel pins are fun to give out as you play teams in other tournaments. Or, you might want to create a team pin for the same reason that you have team sweatshirts. Wearing one on your shirt at school can advertise team pride.
So, now you'll never have to ask what are enamel pins ever again. And, you know what makes them so exciting and unique. Are you ready to create a customized pin for your softball team?
Softball Trading Pins is at your service. We specialize in creating the best enamel pins for softball teams all over the world. We offer soft pins, hard pins, and every special effect under the sun.
It's game time. Contact us today to find the perfect personalized pin for your team.