Parents Leotard Costs

[gymmomtotwo]

Is a $230 leotard really necessary for Level 4 gymnastics? Does an expensive leotard really lead to higher scores? What is the motivation behind this excess? I have paid for 16 hours plus an extra 4 hours for TOPs training without blinking an eye. For some reason this irritates me to no end. I get that there are meet fees, ocaching cost etc. that come with competition and that gymnastics is an expensive sport. I even get that the older optional girls that go onto Level 10 Nationals etc. need to look the part. But for a group of level 4s that range in age from 7 to 10, why is this needed? I know there are less expensive options. The compulsory gymnasts have always had a different leo from the optionals. I assumed that was because they were less expensive. This is our first year of competing, and for some reason this particular expensive seems excessive to say the least. I'd love to hear others thoughts, and even convince me I'm wrong.

 

[Dr Maleficent]

It is completely necessary, and if you do not buy one every deduction will be entirely your fault. The Swarovski crystals (it must be Swarovski, the cheapo ones don't resonate with the correct frequency) are carefully placed to resonate with the kind of harmony needed to produce Olympian determination in your small one. Plus the fabric used is specially designed to support the muscles for maximum effectiveness. The colours fox the eyes of the judges into thinking even the most uncoordinated tot is Nastia, and the stitching is specially calculated to let just the right amount of blood into their legs for balance on the kips. Finally, these things aren't made with just any old plebby threads - that's real gold in them there competition leos.
I mean why else would they be so expensive?

 

[ollieblueeyes]

We had a very reasonably priced leos for old LVL 4 (~40) and new LVL 4 (~80) for each. One was a tank and one a long sleeve. The long sleeve had a fair amount of bling and looked sharp. I have seen much more elaborate leos, but I think our classic reasonably priced leos where great!

 

[tarheel618]

Necessary- NO but it seems to be the way it is in this sport. We use ours for two years and I just wrote a thread a few weeks ago about stressing over picking the right size. The last thing you want to do when your on a two year cycle is to get one that will be too small in a year.

Hold onto your purse strings- it only gets worse.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

It is completely necessary, and if you do not buy one every deduction will be entirely your fault. The Swarovski crystals (it must be Swarovski, the cheapo ones don't resonate with the correct frequency) are carefully placed to resonate with the kind of harmony needed to produce Olympian determination in your small one. Plus the fabric used is specially designed to support the muscles for maximum effectiveness. The colours fox the eyes of the judges into thinking even the most uncoordinated tot is Nastia, and the stitching is specially calculated to let just the right amount of blood into their legs for balance on the kips. Finally, these things aren't made with just any old plebby threads - that's real gold in them there competition leos.
I mean why else would they be so expensive?

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. spit coffee all over my screen!

and yes, it is a racket out of everyone's control. lol.

 

[lovethelord]

That's why our gym gets a new leo every other year. They are expensive but it's nice when they look good and last.

 

[raenndrops]

Our gym spends less than $100 for our team leotards... and they look great. We will have them for at least 2 - 3 more years (as long as Alpha Factor doesn't cancel the design or the colors or make it special order only). We got them for last season. OG chose to go with an ASM (based on measurements, it was AXS, ASM, or AME) and YG chose CL (based on measurements, it was CME, INT, of CL). They were both able to wear them the entire season... but barely for OG - a 3 inch growth spurt made it a little tighter for Nationals than she would have liked. YG will wear the ASM next season and I only have to buy one new one this season

 

[Pea'sMom]

Ours are 'off the rack' and are still $155! A rep was chatting me up at a meet last year telling me all about how she helped so-and-so team build their leo from scratch and she could do the same for our team. The leo had $300 just in crystals on it...I backed slowly away from her, not making any sudden movements lest I accidently order $490 leo's for our girls!

 

[kandkfunk]

Our team leos were always custom ordered and usually in the $180 range. They always had crystals and bling. The goal was to wear them for 2 years, but that only ever happened one time. I've seen some very nice off the rack styles that would have been cheaper, but sometimes it seems like the people who create these things (i.e. coaches/owners) get a little carried away with the customizing and beautifying.

 

[3rd_time_around]

They're just too expensive all the way around. A decent tank leotard is $30, and that's the plain ones. But if you go to the non-top 2 companies, you can get some very nice leotards at very good prices. Melody Leotards are $50-$60, wear well, and are pretty, and can be custom designed without the price changing. Snowflake Leotards used to be very reasonably priced, but lately they are like GK and Alpha Factor. You can buy stock leotards from AF at reasonable prices, but most gym owners want a custom look. We keep ours for 2 years at least. But not good when your daughter has one year left and it's a new leo year.

 

[MaryA]

Have you ever done major home renovations? You get to the point where the difference between buying a $500 sink and a $100 sink seems like chump change because you are spending money in such huge amounts already. Gymnastics is the same way. You are only mentioning the leo because you are new to team and haven't become properly numbed to gymnastics spending yet. Give it another year and you won't bat an eye.

 

[tarheel618]

Mary A that is a great analogy and sadly so true.

 

[Ali'sMom]

It is completely necessary, and if you do not buy one every deduction will be entirely your fault. The Swarovski crystals (it must be Swarovski, the cheapo ones don't resonate with the correct frequency) are carefully placed to resonate with the kind of harmony needed to produce Olympian determination in your small one. Plus the fabric used is specially designed to support the muscles for maximum effectiveness. The colours fox the eyes of the judges into thinking even the most uncoordinated tot is Nastia, and the stitching is specially calculated to let just the right amount of blood into their legs for balance on the kips. Finally, these things aren't made with just any old plebby threads - that's real gold in them there competition leos.
I mean why else would they be so expensive?

OMGosh! I just laughed so hard, after the split second where I took the first line seriously

 

[flipflopsalto]

I keep telling myself "at least they wear them more than once". DD did dance for a while and the recital costume was about the same as leo cost and she only wore that for one day.

 

[SignHere]

Mary A. .... Your analogy about the home improvements is SO true. After $495 per month in training fees, $200 per month in booster club fees, a $75 training tank Leo and $200 warm ups - wouldn't ANYTHING for a competition Leo seem like a drop in the bucket?

 

[3rd_time_around]

Mary A. .... Your analogy about the home improvements is SO true. After $495 per month in training fees, $200 per month in booster club fees, a $75 training tank Leo and $200 warm ups - wouldn't ANYTHING for a competition Leo seem like a drop in the bucket?

Holy crap! How can you pay this???? You pay $695/month, every month???? I am soooo thankful for our gym and "low" tuition. We pay $320/month (20 hours/week), no booster club fees, and after our meet fees ($900) and leo & warm-up every 2 years ($350) that's all we pay. My dd would have definitely never been on team with those kinds of costs. I don't know how you do it!!

 

[LucysMom]

DD's gym has custom Leos that are $255 new. That cost is a shocker and hard to deal with for a lot of new team parents. We do use the design over several years. I think the most difficult thing is selling one to a smaller gymnast when your DD outgrows it and the craziness of trying to find a good used next size for a decent price! If you can't find one then you have to buy a new one.

 

[SignHere]

Holy crap! How can you pay this???? You pay $695/month, every month???? QUOTE]


It's the frog in the boiling water analogy! You don't start out at pre- team at those costs, that is for upper level optionals.

 

[3rd_time_around]

"It's the frog in the boiling water analogy! You don't start out at pre- team at those costs, that is for upper level optionals."

I get that, but I'm talking about Level 10. I'm amazed when I see what some pay for training.

 

[wheezy]

That's BS.
Should be $75 to 150 tops for compulsory, and then above that for optional. Most compulsories don't make optionals so it would be an acceptable expense at the higher levels but to ask introductory athletes to pay this is too much.
You CAN make a very nice GK or AF or even DL leo with alot of stuff on it for $125.... Of course, I don't know what your gym is marking up. Ours typically marks up about $10 per Leo. We have it around $100 for comp. and 175 for opts.
A leotard for a little girl!!!!!!! it will be used maybe 15 times!!!!!!!