WAG Competition Leotards

[justkeepswimming]

How tight are your competition leotards? My daughter received hers and it literally ripped when she raised her arms. Everything ordered for her is too small in my opinion, but I am being told she just isn't used to how leotards should fit. This is not our first gym, or her first comp leo...and she has never had them rip from lifting her arms, or had them leave deep red marks from every seam. Maybe I have a misconception of how they should fit? How do your leos fit? Comp and gym ones (we have two, and both are super tight.)

 

[raenndrops]

They should not rip from raising arms (if the leotard is all the way on).
Once, YG had to squeeze into a too small leotard for a VERY SHORT meet (30 minutes total) and i had to peel it off her afterwards She had marks from the seems. 2 months later, she had another meet and the leotard she wore was 2 sizes bigger than the one she wore before and IT was competition fit... not baggy, very smooth looking with no wrinkles or gapping.

I would suggest looking up the size chart of the brand of competition leotard she has and compare that to her measurements.

 

[M2Abi]

That's ridiculous. Coaches size the team girls for leotards but parents have the final say. Your daughter should be able to move normally.

 

[justkeepswimming]

I'm stuck. I've tried asking for help to resolve it and they just say I will never be happy. I will be happy, if my daughter has a leotard to wear that fits...I don't know what to do. It is so unfair to my child to face having to scratch and even switch gyms over something so stupid! They will not budge. I have been told she wears it ripped or repaired, but she will wear the exact one ordered, which they sized.

 

[raenndrops]

I'm stuck. I've tried asking for help to resolve it and they just say I will never be happy. I will be happy, if my daughter has a leotard to wear that fits...I don't know what to do. It is so unfair to my child to face having to scratch and even switch gyms over something so stupid! They will not budge. I have been told she wears it ripped or repaired, but she will wear the exact one ordered, which they sized.

What brand? What size?

 

[justkeepswimming]

What brand? What size?

Ozone - comp leo ordered CS, and spirit leo ordered CM. The sizers were even super small because one of my daughters friends needed a CL and an AXS, and she is barely bigger than my daughter.

 

[raenndrops]

Ozone - comp leo ordered CS, and spirit leo ordered CM. The sizers were even super small because one of my daughters friends needed a CL and an AXS, and she is barely bigger than my daughter.

Any chance you could order a new one on your own... and in a larger size (using your DD's actual measurements and the size chart)?

 

[justkeepswimming]

Any chance you could order a new one on your own... and in a larger size?

It is custom and won't be done until December they said. She finishes her season in November.

 

[raenndrops]

It is custom and won't be done until December they said. She finishes her season in November.

that sucks... any chance of borrowing a teammate's that competes a different session/day some meets?
just braistorming

 

[Seeker]

I would do what you need to do to get thru this season and then seriously think about whether or not you can stay long term at a gym that is so rigid about something so ridiculous. If she can’t raise her arms, she can’t do gymnastics in the leo.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Ozone - comp leo ordered CS, and spirit leo ordered CM. The sizers were even super small because one of my daughters friends needed a CL and an AXS, and she is barely bigger than my daughter.

Yes, our comp leos are ozone, and they are cut very small. The child small looked like a toddler could wear it. In reality, there is no reason to scratch, because there is no rule that states that all the leos must match. I judge many teams where it looks like a new girl may have joined because her leo is not the same. But I'm sure that is your gym's rule. Its a shame they are being so unconcerned. I sized team leos for years and always had anxiety until they came in, because I so wanted them all to fit. I always go with: If they are to be worn 2 years and it's the first year, lean toward the larger size as long as it isn't hanging off her. If it is to be worn for 1 year, or is the 2nd year of a 2-year leo, then get the one that fits right now. It's really a stressful thing, that leotard sizing. I feel for you. My dd is skinny, skinny, and she needed an Ozone CM, but could have gone with the large if I wanted to. They are just cut so small. But their practice leos seem to fit fine and comparable to GK and others.

 

[justkeepswimming]

I would do what you need to do to get thru this season and then seriously think about whether or not you can stay long term at a gym that is so rigid about something so ridiculous. If she can’t raise her arms, she can’t do gymnastics in the leo.

I agree....I am dumbfounded...

 

[justkeepswimming]

Yes, our comp leos are ozone, and they are cut very small. The child small looked like a toddler could wear it. In reality, there is no reason to scratch, because there is no rule that states that all the leos must match. I judge many teams where it looks like a new girl may have joined because her leo is not the same. But I'm sure that is your gym's rule. Its a shame they are being so unconcerned. I sized team leos for years and always had anxiety until they came in, because I so wanted them all to fit. I always go with: If they are to be worn 2 years and it's the first year, lean toward the larger size as long as it isn't hanging off her. If it is to be worn for 1 year, or is the 2nd year of a 2-year leo, then get the one that fits right now. It's really a stressful thing, that leotard sizing. I feel for you. My dd is skinny, skinny, and she needed an Ozone CM, but could have gone with the large if I wanted to. They are just cut so small. But their practice leos seem to fit fine and comparable to GK and others.

I am afraid if we show up in a different leo, they won't let her compete. I wish they would...I would agree to anything that fit at this point.

 

[bookworm]

Could you take the leo , and your daughter, to a seamstress/ tailor to repair it ...and while there, ask if any type of panel or gusset could be inserted to make it wearable without ripping? You'd be surprised at what could be done...

 

[M2Abi]

I'd probably suck it up and deal this year, but unless I was thrilled with everything else about the gym, I'd be looking for a new gym when competition season was over.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I'm assuming she did not have a growth spurt after being sized..?
So small that it rips or leaves red marks is NOT how a leotard is supposed to fit, and I am pretty picky about comp leos being right and tight with no wrinkles or bagginess (I help size leos at our gym and have a long background in sewing and costuming). If there is a question, we always go with the larger size because most kids won't shrink over the next year or two..! Hoever, I do like comp leos to fit *perfectly* and won't order the next size up just because parents may want to save themselves from having to buy a new one next year.
I will absolutely agree that some gymnasts (especially if new to team) don't really know how leos are supposed to fit and many wear them too big IMHO... but so tight the gymnast cannot move is never right!

 

[duyetanh]

I would do what you need to do to get thru this season and then seriously think about whether or not you can stay long term at a gym that is so rigid about something so ridiculous. If she can’t raise her arms, she can’t do gymnastics in the leo.

WORD! And gee....what if during her floor routine it rips even more? And becomes a bit, er, shall we say, indecent? Surely they would not want your child to be embarrassed, would they?

 

[coachmolly]

Have the coaches seen her in the leotard? Maybe they think you are blowing it out of proportion but will change their tune when they actually see the kid in the leo? We had a class kid a few weeks ago try on every leo we had in her size convinced none of them fit (despite multiple coaches telling her they were fine) just because she wasn't used to leotards, so maybe this is the kind of scenario the coaches are imagining?
Ill fitting competition leos are no fun. I competed for a club that got leos from the UK (The Zone) and even with measuring and ordering according to size chart, the leos all came too small and fitting all wrong. I had to have a coach basically lift me up by the shoulders of the leo to get it on the first time. They rode up like crazy when we competed in them and gave us wedgies so severe it was borderline obscene. I was at a high school meet a few years ago and a team was wearing new Ozone comp leos and they were having very similar problems, I was embarrassed for the girls. So your issue with Ozone running small is a very real one!
Like someone else suggested, could she find a teammate who competes in a different level to borrow from for the remainder of the season? Maybe the coaches are just being harsh because they know there is nothing they can do about it at this point?

 

[Carly]

Our competition leos are very tight. The girls are sized by the coaches and the parents have no input. They get a new one every year so they don't worry about them growing. DD's have always been tight so when she gets a new one, I have her wear it around the house with a tank leo under it to try to stretch it out a bit. One of the other team moms also suggested putting something in the crotch while it's hanging up to stretch it. One year it was extra tight in the shoulders so I stuffed it with socks to stretch it. It seemed to help a little.

I agree with the other poster that said to try a seamstress. Hope you can get this resolved quickly!

 

[Seeker]

Our competition leos are very tight. The girls are sized by the coaches and the parents have no input. They get a new one every year so they don't worry about them growing. DD's have always been tight so when she gets a new one, I have her wear it around the house with a tank leo under it to try to stretch it out a bit. One of the other team moms also suggested putting something in the crotch while it's hanging up to stretch it. One year it was extra tight in the shoulders so I stuffed it with socks to stretch it. It seemed to help a little.

I agree with the other poster that said to try a seamstress. Hope you can get this resolved quickly!

I know competition Leo’s are somewhat fragile and you need to be careful, but I have had some success with soaking for a short time in some lukewarm water and hair conditioner (softens the fibers). Rinse and then stretch it while still damp. Putting something heavy as suggested above is a good idea as well.