WAG $500+ competition leo!?!?

[3gymnastmom]

I really do appreciate all of what you’ve shared. It’s been extremely insightful and helpful.

 

[TheXcelMom]

Our comp leos were $325 last year. We could not believe it...then we checked.
We went onto the GK website and built the custom leo from the ground up...mimicking every single rhinestone, fabric, embroidery and body choice the club made.
It came to about $325.

Try it. Get every single thing the same. If the leo you build is much less, the club is profiting.
If it's the same, then they just customized it a lot.

 

[Tammie]

We just paid for leos today!! $550 for competition leo and jacket(no pants). Level 4.

Level 3 was $500, last year. I'm scared to see the level 6 bill(coming in a couple of months as we are do level 4 this fall & level 6 this spring)-so excited I can't wait!! /s

 

[josie55]

$500 for an excel silver leo is definitely excessive. No question. Whether it’s worth it to change gyms over? Probably not. There are so many costs in gymnastics (training fees, meet fees, travel costs, your own time, your child’s time, gas, mental health, the list goes on.) The cost of the leo is inconsequential in comparison (though on principle it may just be unacceptable; you can decide.) Your instinct is correct that it’s excessive but if that how they want to make money and the rest of your costs are low, then don’t cut your nose off despite your face, you know?

 

[JessSyd]

We just paid for leos today!! $550 for competition leo and jacket(no pants). Level 4.

Level 3 was $500, last year. I'm scared to see the level 6 bill(coming in a couple of months as we are do level 4 this fall & level 6 this spring)-so excited I can't wait!! /s

That is quite something.

Here, the general trend is that gymnasts up to and including level four compete in tank leotards that cost somewhere between 60 and 90 dollars. Then at level five, clubs switch to a fancier long sleeve leo. Varies by club of course - some put even their little ones in long sleeves. I saw a club a few weeks ago that had their sixes in tanks and switches to long sleeved leos at level seven. And the long sleeve leos tend to cost somewhere between $160 and $300. But they are kept for years, and only bought new if there are no second hand ones available.

Massively expensive leotards that change each year or for each level, or just massively expensive leotards in general, seems wrong to me. The sport is already expensive by necessity - high hours, high overheads for clubs. Why be even more exclusionary by making the costs you do have some control over really high too.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

We just paid for leos today!! $550 for competition leo and jacket(no pants). Level 4.

Level 3 was $500, last year. I'm scared to see the level 6 bill(coming in a couple of months as we are do level 4 this fall & level 6 this spring)-so excited I can't wait!! /s

Oy

Our gym basically after Level 3 all have the same Leo. And all levels have the same warm up. The only time we change is when the manufacturer discontinues the materials. So as the kids grow, we sell to the smaller kids. They get a Leo for about 100 and we offset the cost of the new size.

 

[Aussie_coach]

My thoughts are, “really, why?”.

Does a brand new $500 leotard every other year rrally help them win at meets. Is it a contest between gyms to see who can have the most sparkly over the top outfits.

 

[Deleted member 26368]

Our gym has the same leo/warm up from Xcel Bronze through L10. Last ones were pretty blinged out with the gym name in crystals on the back, and we wore it for 3 years. I can't imagine having to get TWO competition sets per year, for different levels! I agree that is unnecessary.

 

[Go Figure]

Optional girls at our gym do have a fancier leo than compulsories but I can’t remember what the xcel girls wear.

Leo is about $400. Also we have to buy a workout leo which is $60. They keep the comp leo for 2 years. The workout leo changed each year lately but I think they will keep the most recent one for longer.

 

[LucyRobinson]

Leotards, warmups, & USAG membership all together is about $500 for us.
Just the comp leo is $350.

 

[Tammie]

That is quite something.

Here, the general trend is that gymnasts up to and including level four compete in tank leotards that cost somewhere between 60 and 90 dollars. Then at level five, clubs switch to a fancier long sleeve leo. Varies by club of course - some put even their little ones in long sleeves. I saw a club a few weeks ago that had their sixes in tanks and switches to long sleeved leos at level seven. And the long sleeve leos tend to cost somewhere between $160 and $300. But they are kept for years, and only bought new if there are no second hand ones available.

Massively expensive leotards that change each year or for each level, or just massively expensive leotards in general, seems wrong to me. The sport is already expensive by necessity - high hours, high overheads for clubs. Why be even more exclusionary by making the costs you do have some control over really high too.

While I actually agree, I see no reason for the "overpriced" competition leos, I don't pick them.

This was our first time buying competition leos, so I didn't know any better. I was told a price & I paid it-assuming this was just normal and what everyone pays(they did not mark them up/make money on the leos, they are just custom GK long sleeve leos and this is what they cost....well, sheer, bedazzled 3/4 sleeve for level 3, full sleeve for 4/5 and optionals-different level of bedazzling).

It is POSSIBLE that things are a bit different at our gym as they have coached olympians. They are former olympians themselves. So the perspective on what is ok might be different-I don't know.

I do know that someone is using our level 3 leo this year so they don't need to buy one(my kid wanted to keep it as a keepsake, so we are not selling it outright, just lending). However we can afford new leos, so we have never been offered to use someone else's or buy one second hand. I am sure if I balked or asked, there would be other options for us.

P.S. I was told she would keep her level 4 jacket for spring/level 6, the leo will be $650....making my leo total 1200 for the year. However the good news is that she should keep the level 6 leo for a minute(until they change styles-done every 3-4yrs, which likely means next year or 2 for us-since it's been the same style for a while...but there IS an end in sight!!)

 

[Tammie]

My thoughts are, “really, why?”.

Does a brand new $500 leotard every other year rrally help them win at meets. Is it a contest between gyms to see who can have the most sparkly over the top outfits.

I will never argue that point!!

I DO believe that some of it is so that all the girls kinda match and we have optional girls that are going to nationals/classics and I think they figure our little level 3s enjoy matching them. I dunno.

As I have said, I believe our gym is a bit different because our HCs were former olympians & have coached olympians. So I think this might make a difference on what they find acceptable.

However, being our first year of competition, I truly did not realize it was over the top or more than what anyone else paid. I was told an amount and I paid. This year our total fees(with leo, coaching fees, entry fees, etc)is around 2500. For optionals, it will be around 3500 plus 600 for a choreography fee every other year. I don't know if this is more or less than anyone else, just how it is at our gym....and I wouldnt want to be anywhere else-so we pay whatever we are told to pay.

 

[3gymnastmom]

$500 for an excel silver leo is definitely excessive. No question. Whether it’s worth it to change gyms over? Probably not. There are so many costs in gymnastics (training fees, meet fees, travel costs, your own time, your child’s time, gas, mental health, the list goes on.) The cost of the leo is inconsequential in comparison (though on principle it may just be unacceptable; you can decide.) Your instinct is correct that it’s excessive but if that how they want to make money and the rest of your costs are low, then don’t cut your nose off despite your face, you know?

Thanks for your reply. When first learning about the leo cost and hearing from all of you, it was just about the leo cost. But now that I, and some other moms of this gym, are looking into other gyms in the area, we see we are paying waaaay more in meet fees, monthly tuition and other apparel. We likely won't change, at least not this year. But next year is another story. Thanks again!

 

[Tammie]

Thanks for your reply. When first learning about the leo cost and hearing from all of you, it was just about the leo cost. But now that I, and some other moms of this gym, are looking into other gyms in the area, we see we are paying waaaay more in meet fees, monthly tuition and other apparel. We likely won't change, at least not this year. But next year is another story. Thanks again!

While I would NEVER tell another parent what is right for their child/family/situation, I do want to caution you on the possibility of being "pennywise and pound foolish"

I will preface this with saying that I know nothing about your gym, however sometimes entry fees are more because of the competitions you are attending(is one gym usag vs another not?? Did the coaches pick these competitions for a reason??-better judges, better awards, better facilities, whatever. I am learning that competitions are not always equal). Most often you are paying the entry fee asked for by the host gym.

Coaching fees are also not always equal-i know ours are more than most, BUT our coaches are only there for our kids. You won't find our coaches getting wasted at the hotel bar the night before competition or doing anything else for that matter. This is explained to us at the beginning of the season, that our coaching fees may be higher, but there is a reason.

Overall, even if you are paying a few hundred more, there may be reasons for that and it may be worth it(or it might not be, I don't know).

Just something to think about & an alternate perspective Good luck to you and your daughter this competition season and beyond!!

 

[PeanutsMom]

Yes, $500+ just for the leo…and it could be more than $500 since they said the $250 deposit will hopefully cover 1/2 the cost. They also said we need new bags as well and that they’ll be ~$100. I am NOT getting a new bag, my daughter just got her brand new team bag with her name on it in late January. They also mentioned new warmups being required, but said that in an effort to help with costs, new warmups won’t be until next year. I’m envisioning $500 warmups for next year…hope I’m wrong.

Our gym told us $455 for the entire kit for new team members (warm ups, backpack, leo, shoes, etc). If you were a returning team member the new leo was $300. The gym also gives us an itemized list in case you need to replace anything (outgrew your warm ups? New ones cost XYZ, but hey, this younger teammate needs warm ups, so you can sell them down to off set the cost).

 

[Deleted member 26368]

New competition package at DD's gym is $675. Ouch. Glad I started saving a long time ago, but still. I may have to cryogenically freeze her or something so she won't grow out of it during the next 2 years, LOL.

 

[3gymnastmom]

While I would NEVER tell another parent what is right for their child/family/situation, I do want to caution you on the possibility of being "pennywise and pound foolish"

I will preface this with saying that I know nothing about your gym, however sometimes entry fees are more because of the competitions you are attending(is one gym usag vs another not?? Did the coaches pick these competitions for a reason??-better judges, better awards, better facilities, whatever. I am learning that competitions are not always equal). Most often you are paying the entry fee asked for by the host gym.

Coaching fees are also not always equal-i know ours are more than most, BUT our coaches are only there for our kids. You won't find our coaches getting wasted at the hotel bar the night before competition or doing anything else for that matter. This is explained to us at the beginning of the season, that our coaching fees may be higher, but there is a reason.

Overall, even if you are paying a few hundred more, there may be reasons for that and it may be worth it(or it might not be, I don't know).

Just something to think about & an alternate perspective Good luck to you and your daughter this competition season and beyond!

While I would NEVER tell another parent what is right for their child/family/situation, I do want to caution you on the possibility of being "pennywise and pound foolish"

I will preface this with saying that I know nothing about your gym, however sometimes entry fees are more because of the competitions you are attending(is one gym usag vs another not?? Did the coaches pick these competitions for a reason??-better judges, better awards, better facilities, whatever. I am learning that competitions are not always equal). Most often you are paying the entry fee asked for by the host gym.

Coaching fees are also not always equal-i know ours are more than most, BUT our coaches are only there for our kids. You won't find our coaches getting wasted at the hotel bar the night before competition or doing anything else for that matter. This is explained to us at the beginning of the season, that our coaching fees may be higher, but there is a reason.

Overall, even if you are paying a few hundred more, there may be reasons for that and it may be worth it(or it might not be, I don't know).

Just something to think about & an alternate perspective Good luck to you and your daughter this competition season and beyond!!

Hi there.

While I would NEVER tell another parent what is right for their child/family/situation, I do want to caution you on the possibility of being "pennywise and pound foolish"

I will preface this with saying that I know nothing about your gym, however sometimes entry fees are more because of the competitions you are attending(is one gym usag vs another not?? Did the coaches pick these competitions for a reason??-better judges, better awards, better facilities, whatever. I am learning that competitions are not always equal). Most often you are paying the entry fee asked for by the host gym.

Coaching fees are also not always equal-i know ours are more than most, BUT our coaches are only there for our kids. You won't find our coaches getting wasted at the hotel bar the night before competition or doing anything else for that matter. This is explained to us at the beginning of the season, that our coaching fees may be higher, but there is a reason.

Overall, even if you are paying a few hundred more, there may be reasons for that and it may be worth it(or it might not be, I don't know).

Just something to think about & an alternate perspective Good luck to you and your daughter this competition season and beyond!!

Hi there. Sorry for the delay, I’ve been gathering additional cost info for comparison. So the annual cost for my daughter in xcel silver at our current gym is $1,650 greater than the next closest gym. And $2,800 greater than the 2nd closest gym.

 

[JPC13]

Hi there.

Hi there. Sorry for the delay, I’ve been gathering additional cost info for comparison. So the annual cost for my daughter in xcel silver at our current gym is $1,650 greater than the next closest gym. And $2,800 greater than the 2nd closest gym.

What are their facilities like? I'd hope they're amazing and that they have a strong history of way above average development. Otherwise, they're way overpriced.

 

[3gymnastmom]

What are their facilities like? I'd hope they're amazing and that they have a strong history of way above average development. Otherwise, they're way overpriced

What are their facilities like? I'd hope they're amazing and that they have a strong history of way above average development. Otherwise, they're way overpriced.

First off, sorry, this post thread is doing something weird and when I try to undo or back out, it’s posting part of my response. Anyway, sorry for that. OK, the facility is average. It’s clean. The reason we are there in the first place is b/c of my boys. There aren’t as many choices for boys teams and when our first gym closed a few years ago, the boys head coach along with almost 100% of the boys team moved to this one. And the boys annual cost is high, but not ridiculous. I think most of that is b/c the head coach is a reasonable man and carries some weight in what sort of costs the boys team is going to pay.

 

[JPC13]

First off, sorry, this post thread is doing something weird and when I try to undo or back out, it’s posting part of my response. Anyway, sorry for that. OK, the facility is average. It’s clean. The reason we are there in the first place is b/c of my boys. There aren’t as many choices for boys teams and when our first gym closed a few years ago, the boys head coach along with almost 100% of the boys team moved to this one. And the boys annual cost is high, but not ridiculous. I think most of that is b/c the head coach is a reasonable man and carries some weight in what sort of costs the boys team is going to pay.

The quote function on here is weird and glitchy. Don't worry about it.