If you want to do a professional looking job follow the style guide from FIRST.
I would suggest doing the following:
This website has the official graphics and style guides for logos.
http://www.usfirst.org/community/res...er.aspx?id=650
We work with the eps files as a starting point using Adobe Illustrator to manage the images. From there we can create anything we want at maximum resolution except for embroidery files. We cannot create embroidery files but have to have them converted.
A service bureau, like a embroidery shop can then take a jpeg file and create the file for the embroidery machine. Make sure that the jpeg file has sufficient resolution to allow them to do an accurate job. If you are doing a small logo on a shirt or something then the electronic app jpeg on the FIRST site should be sufficient for the shop.
I would suggest paying the shop the $ 50 buck to do the file conversion to their embroidery machine. The program they use is fairly expensive but it converts to their specific embroidery machine, not some generic format and would give you the best result. If you provide a generic file but it doesn't quite work then you will waste time and material trying to start up the project.
Yes, I know it is $ 50, but the alternatives are much worse. Better yet, try to bring them on as a sponsor, get them to donate the digitization and maybe give a 10% educational discount for the team.
Please read the usage documents on the FIRST site link above also. It is important that the community maintain the branding standards of FIRST so that we can maintain a top quality brand image.
Ed