WAG Maybe a silly leo question?

[Orangesoda]

Would it be in poor taste for my almost 5yr old to wear a leo with her old gym's name on it...to our current gym? We've been at our current gym for a few months now, in a pre-team class, and I've avoided having her wear it. She asks to wear it quite a bit though because "it has jewels on it!!" And of course I don't know how to explain to her that it might not be PC. But I must say I paid good money for it and it's just fabric and thread, ya know? Maybe a coach or two could chime in and tell me how this kind of thing is perceived? #firstworldproblems

Thanks.

 

[Committed]

I wouldn't. When it comes down to it, they are running a business. It's distasteful to advertise a different gym.

 

[Sasha]

I wouldn't if it was a nearby competitor as she is on team track. I might not care if it was rec, or if it was a far away gym, or one we never compete with. Seems silly, but I just wouldn't want my child to stand out for advertising a competitor and possibly rub a coach the wrong way. Gyms seem funnier about this kind of thing than perhaps they need to be, but I would avoid the risk in your case. My 2c!

 

[PalmTree]

Yep, as a coach I don't like seeing someone in MY gym working with MY coaches wearing a leotard with someone else's name on it!!

 

[Faith]

Ok-

Put a bit of grease proof paper over the design- press a hot iron on it gently to loosen the glue. Peel off the crystals. Can also be done with nail varnish remover, but you have to be quick and rinse straight away as it can mark the fabric if you're not very careful (and do one at a time!)

Buy a different crystal transfer she likes- eBay or many websites out there. Usually only a few dollars, you can get nice abstract ones, letters, all sorts of designs. You can also buy the crystals and make your own but it can be time consuming!

Iron on to cover any marks from the glue from the old transfer...

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I wouldn't (and I like Faiths advice!!). We have a couple of girls who came to our gym from the rival gym and one in particular wears her old team Leo to practice and I admit it irks me a little bit. We have also lost a few gymnasts along the way and a while back I saw pictures of one of them, at her new gym, wearing our gyms Leo and I feel the same way about that... Like "why? Aren't there other leos you can wear?"

 

[Moxiegrl83]

If it's not a local competitor I don't think it's a big deal.

 

[GymSurvivor]

Personally my answer would depend on your gym switch situation.
Did you switch gyms because you moved to another state? In this case I think it would be fine.
Did you just switch gyms in your area?
In this case maybe not. Some coaches may get touchy about this....
I personally as a coach could care less. As long as they come in a Leo ready to work I don't care what Leo they're wearing.
There is a nationally well known gym near us and there are kids in their Leo's all the time. Whether they got them at a camp, used to take there, got them just because that gym is 'cool' it doesn't really matter. They'll still work the same as the next kid in a leotard from our gym.

 

[pamred4]

Me, and quite a lot of other girls do wear pants with our old gyms name on it and the coaches don't seem to mind... If the gym had pants with their name on then then I would wear them but they are the pants that I have an they are comfy so I'm wearing them!

 

[bookworm]

She's 4 and wants to wear her pretty leo....if adult coaches at her current gym hold this against her, you have bigger issues going on there....

 

[MILgymFAM]

At her age I see no problem with it at all. She likes her sparkles and you DID pay a pretty penny for it. People are so touchy. My DD, at 13, wears her old teams comp leo to practice because it's still brand new (practically) and so pretty. It doesn't have any words on it, but I doubt she would care if it did.

 

[flipflopsalto]

When I see a child in dd's gym with a leo from another gym on I chuckle a bit. I think it is showing that they obviously went to that other gym and for some reason ended up at this one. I view it as bad advertisement for the leo gym. In fact I just argued with dd about her comp. leo from old gym, she wants nothing to do with old gym and says she is NOT wearing it, I was trying to convince her to wear it because
1. it cost me an arm and a leg for 6 meets of wear and 2. It is a very cute leo.

 

[LJL07]

My youngest wears her sister's old team leotard to practice all the time. It's obvious that it's another gym's competition leotard, though it doesn't have the name of the gym on it. I think anyone that holds something like this against a 4 yr old is ridiculous.
#firstworldproblems

 

[berrisweetness]

We had a very good gymnast leave and go to another gym. I don't think the owner was to happy because we have not participated in a meet they hosted. So no I don't think it would be a good idea in my case.

 

[IreneKa]

We don't have a leo, but we have a warm up jacket with the old gym's name on the back. I don't let DD wear it if she is supposed to be anywhere near her current gym.

 

[Orangesoda]

Thanks so much for all your responses. I have to admit, I was hoping for an overwhelming "just let her wear it!" response, but obviously I can see all sides of the issue...which is why I didn't let her wear it in the first place. The gym we switched to is 45 minutes from old gym, and while they are very different gyms (think big fish in little pond moving to little fish in nationally recognized ocean...haha), I think it best to just avoid ANY feelings and not wear the leo in it's current state. I LOVE @Faith 's suggestion and will definitely be getting out the iron and trying it! Thanks so much!

 

[Flossyduck]

Maybe I'm in a minority but I think it would be a bit weird.
Sure a competition leo which is just pretty colours and sparkles - lots of the comp leos are quite similar. But one with the gym's name on... that would seem strange. I know my daughter would be horrified at the thought - she's loyal to the gym she's at and it's her team and she would never want to wear something with another team's name on.
If it's the bling she's after I'd do as Faith suggests, or suck it up and buy her another blingy one.

 

[flipflopsalto]

I did coach a gymnast once who would wear her old gyms practice leo with a piece of duct tape over the logo lol

 

[Justmehere]

What if it was a leotard that says Chows or Texas Dreams that a family member got them because they know it is a big name gym?

 

[Learning Parent GB]

We have this dilemma a bit. DD wears the trousers from her old gym tracksuit, but no the top with the name in bling on the back.

You get prizes for following the next part of the story.

DD started at gym A. She bought a long sleeve velvet leotard that they were selling off cheap at a Christmas fundraiser.
DD moved to gym B and wore the leotard a lot. (Gym A and B actually used the same facilities and were big rivals - which I had no clue until I moved her!)
DD then went for a trial at gym C and wore the leotard. This gym is a 35 minute drive away, but it turns out that this leotard is an old team leo from gym D (local rivals to gym C). She doesn't wear it any more and I am glad because it looks very 70s and is about the only leotard she has that I don't like.

DD still has the team leo from gym A that was bought big to last her. But because she knows it as that gym's comp leo she has never worn it anywhere else. And that is a pretty leotard so it feels like a waste just sitting in her cupboard. If only team A would update their comp leo so that people would forget that this belongs to them she might get some use out of it!