WAG Coaches, parents... Need help on sizing for competition Leo - adolescent growth spurt

[gymgal]

Dd was sized for leos last week and she is in between sizes. I am not sure what to do. All of her measurements fit into a child xl on the chart, except her torso, which is at the upper edge for jr medium. normally, I would go the size up, maybe even go to an A-small (there is no a-xs) so she might get 2 years from it. But the difference in the measurements for the chest and hips are 3-5" each, even with the Jr medium! While I know she will continue to grow in the next year, I don't anticipate that huge of a change. I had been hoping that she could keep her Leo from this year, but she informed me that it is riding up too much - according to the size chart, the torso is already about an inch too short for her and she is still 6 months away from comp season.

So, given all that info, should I go with the JrMed, and hope she doesn't grow too much, or go with the adult small and maybe look to have a seamstress take it in at the hips/shoulders and hips?

 

[2G1B]

that is tough! Do they not send trial leos for you to try on for size? That is what they did last year for the girls. This year we lucked up and got used leos for both girls (changed gyms and are coming in on the 2nd year of a "leo cycle").

If there is no chance for trying on, I'd probably go for the larger size and plan for alterations. Is it not just one size up from what she currently has? If the one she has is riding up I'd guess the next size up would fit...

FWIW, my mom had thought that we could have the new leo taken in if I couldn't get the smaller size to fit my younger DD (she is an "intermediate", the medium was too big in the shoulders). When she saw it she realized that with all of the embellishments that taking it up wold be really hard. Depending on how detailed the leo is, alterations might be tough...

 

[Carolinmk]

Ask if they can a some length to the torso. I know last year some our girls had the same issue and the Leo rep said they would add and inch to length.

 

[gymgal]

The new leos are from a different company than previous years. Dd did try on the Jr med and the ad small. She said the adult fit better in the length, but that both were very lose in hips, chest, shoulders.

I hadn't thought about not being able to alter due to the embellishments, but you are right, this may be an issue. I have not seen the new design so I don't know.
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[gymgal]

Ask if they can a some length to the torso. I know last year some our girls had the same issue and the Leo rep said they would add and inch to length.

Hmm, never thought of that. I know GK elite does short and long torso in their charts but never thought to ask as a special request.

 

[profmom]

I know what DD's coach would say -- go with the one that fits tighter, because baggy leos look awful. I, too, wonder if there's any way to try on the proposed leos. GK's styles for comp leos, despite those lovely charts, don't all fit the same way. If not, it sounds like she might be fine with just one size up from what she's wearing now.

(A little surprised you're the one making this decision -- we are certainly not trusted to do so, which is how my eleven year old ended up spending last season competing in a GK CHILD SMALL!!)

 

[Seeker]

Yeah....we have/had zero input. I do agree with the size the coach chose for my DD, but that decision was made without me. I have also noticed that diff styles of leos fit differently so it would be really good to have a try on leo. It will stretch as she wears it and I also HATE that baggy look, so I would also go with the smaller size. 2 sizes up seems like it would be too big unless she has grown significantly in the last year.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Our coach doesn't allow parents any input either--she sizes them and makes the decision. Makes me wonder what size my child will get (she's tall and skinny!). Baggy leos look awful. I would see if they can make the slimmer one extra long, like someone else suggested.

 

[kandkfunk]

We usually don't get any say either. Last year, my daughter ended up with an Adult Large comp leo, which was way too big. She is normally an Adult Med. You wouldn't think that one size up would be such a big deal, but she was contantly adjusting the leo because it didn't fit correctly. It was way too big in the bum, which made it ride up. And it didn't fit right in the shoulders, so she was always moving it to cover her bra. By the end of the season, we were all watching and waiting for the massive adjustments that would come right before she competed on any event. Sometimes, she even enlisted team members to help get her leo situated. It would have been funny if it wasn't such a huge expense. My daughter has been done growing for several years, so I'm not sure why the coach decided she needed such a big size. Thankfully, this year, they ordered an Adult Medium so we can hopefully avoid all the picking and moving.

We've had several girls in your situation and they usually went with the bigger size. However, our old coach was really into allowing room for growth, even if it meant baggy (and often uncomfortable) leos.

 

[gymgal]

Thanks everyone. I had her try on the sample leos again so I could see. Even though the measurements on the size chart were so much bigger than dd, the fit of the adult small really wasn't that bad. There was no baggy look, which is what i was afraid of, except for a little extra material in the shoulders but we should be able to take that in if its still big come comp season in 6 months. And if not, due to the designs on the Leo, it won't look bad. They seem a lot more stretchy than her previous brand, which would have showed the baggy look if it was too big.

As for parent input, our gym had us sign off on the sizes. Not sure why they started it, but I like it because the parents are better able to know how much a child will grow during the year and whether they will need the next size up or not.

 

[raenndrops]

For the first time, our coach measured all the girls (biggest team we have ever had with 50+ gymnasts). She also gave parents a copy of the size chart and asked what size they wanted. Switching from GK to AF this year. She spent the last 2 years in a GK size CM thanks to a "lovely" GK rep who thought she knew her better. We ended up borrowing a AXS for Nationals and it looked really good. Since I am privy to a lot more than some ppl, I wrote in the size I want for each of my girls on the official size chart. Younger gymmie is INT for bust and waist, CME for Hips and top end of CME for torso. Because of the torso issue and I know mystique is tighter fitting, we are going with a CLA Older gymmie is right around AXS and ASM in her measurements and at the low end of ASM for torso, so that is what we are going with. In GK, she is AS/AM depending on material. We also hate the baggy bottom look, so we are just hoping she doesn't have ANOTHER growth spurt.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

We also have to sign off on sizing this year. There were some issues last year and quite a few crazy gym moms came out of the woodworks.

 

[gymgal]

For the first time, our coach measured all the girls (biggest team we have ever had with 50+ gymnasts). She also gave parents a copy of the size chart and asked what size they wanted. Switching from GK to AF this year.

in case you haven't had experience with AF in the past, they run very small. I went by their charts for a couple practice leos a couple years ago and went up a size from where dd should have been, to give growing room and they were still too small. She was fitting in Child large on the charts and had to have an adult small in real life.

 

[raenndrops]

in case you haven't had experience with AF in the past, they run very small. I went by their charts for a couple practice leos a couple years ago and went up a size from where dd should have been, to give growing room and they were still too small. She was fitting in Child large on the charts and had to have an adult small in real life.

Thanks. I was worried about that... which is why I wrote in their sizes on the Coach's official AF order paperwork (shhhh, don't tell her)
The coach's daughter actually got to try on the exact one we are getting at YMCA Nationals. She is basically the same size (or just slightly bigger) as younger gymmie and tried on the CLA, so I know hers should fit. Older gymmie loves her leos to be tighter and even more fitted, lol. She will still wear GK Child Large leotards - Adult Small to practice... and her little sister is complaining that the Child Large are too small and insists on wearing AXS whenever possible.

 

[Mustanggal99]

I'm the coach and sizing time is my least favorite time of year! I'm always afraid of what y'all are stating- that I will order a size too small for a girl by the end of the year. Last time, we did not get sizes and that was a mistake! Being able to put them in a Leo and see the fit makes all the difference. On almost every girl this year I gave "growing" room. They aren't saggy booties but have a little room as these have to last to may! I have no problems what so ever with a parent input on this as they pay for them! I learned a long time ago that its easier to put a kid in a slightly baggy leotard and make that cgm happy than to fight it. Typically by state (in April) it fits right anyway.

 

[sglemon]

The company you are ordering from should send some samples to try on. I had a huge issue with the Leo last year. My dd was between two sizes. The coaches wanted her in the smaller size. I argued with them because my dd is a fast grower, 2-3 inches every year, she should get the larger. She was just under 5 ft at her 10 yr check up for reference, with no butt, just thighs up to her waist. LOL They argued that the judges want the leo to look sleek, no wrinkles. Anyways, I gave in to the coach and boy did I ever regret that. By the time she started competing in December, she had a constant wedgy. By the time states rolled around it was so awful, when the snapped a picture of her doing a cartwheel on the beam, her lady parts were barely covered. In hind sight, I would gladly have her take a small deduction for a wrinkle in her Leo, then, seeing every professional picture of her competing at states, with her butt hanging out.

 

[my4buffaloes]

My dd got a long torso leo last time because of exactly what you have stated. It worked great. We don't have input into the size unless the child is right on the edge of 2 sizes and they don't know which to get. So glad they asked me because this year all of dd's sizes were a CL and they wanted to put her in a CM for the 5th year because the demo leo CL was way too big. Ugh! The demo leos are so stretched out. She hasn't fit into a CM in years because of her long torso. We ordered the CL. I hope you get the size you want!

 

[txgymfan]

Please don't order leos that are way to small. I understand sleek fit but the videos and still pictures from nationals each year show that many elite gymnasts and coaches take the high cut, sleek fit to indecency.

 

[saddlupasb]

Funny I think AF runs big. My DD who usually wears an AS it AXS in GK had a well fitting CM from AF last season.

I personally hate baggie leos and am very happy that our gym gets new leos every season.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[gymgal]

. I personally hate baggie leos and am very happy that our gym gets new leos every season.

. At $300 a leo? I try to get 2 years I can from them. But I definitely agree, not if that means she has the baggy look. I want the first year to fit well with a little room and hope she can squeak with it a second year.