WAG Unitard update

[raenndrops]

One question - are turquoise and yellow your team colors? And can you get samples to size with? Okay, that was 2 questions.

I actually really like them though I would have them stoned. But around here, image DOES matter in the impression you give at a meet. $160 doesn't seem so bad to me. (Oh how far we have fallen) Our comp leos this year cost over $300. My advice? Don't ask the parents' opinion. You'll get a million of them and you can never please everyone. Especially with the price. YOU decide and TELL them that this is what they will wear.

Adding bling of stones would jack the price too much. This is for an Xcel team in its infancy. They don't want to price the leotard out of the range of the gymnasts' families. Our team leotards were less than $80 this year (after some girls having to pay $175 the previous year when GK discontinued our team leo out of nowhere... as we were starting our 2nd year of that design). We have our compulsory, optional, and Xcel girls all in the same leotard. HC's stated goal is to keep leotard costs under $125 a year (and preferably under $100), so the increase in the price of the GK the previous year really stung. We looked at Snowflake and found 2 that we liked for $89 -$94, but the Alpha Factor with Sequinz was even less expensive, but looks more expensive.

 

[ivyagogo]

We don't have team colors. We have never had a team! I showed the two designs to a few people and they all really loved the lime and turquoise.

If I can have my way, I like the design on the leg. I think it brings the whole thing together.

As for the cost, I'm not asking parents for their opinions. It's just that we are having them go from $220 every 10 weeks for once a week hour lessons to $230 every month plus leotards, warmups, gym bags, meet fees, etc. I'm just trying to be mindful of the costs associated with this. I know a lot of girls want to join the team but I also know some won't because their parents can't afford it.

 

[ivyagogo]

I sent an email to Alpha Factor asking if they could make me a biketard and I got a form email back telling me I had to send them letterhead, a cancelled check, a URL for our gym and done other stuff too just to get a catalog with pricing. I was so put off by it that I called Snowflake and they have been really accommodating.

 

[billise]

I really like these!!! Takes emphasis away from the crotch/booty area which is what I assume GO is looking to do. And, with these "unitards" the girls don't have to worry about being exposed and needing tug their leo out of their behind half way through their floor routine. Which is something I've seen multiple times at every meet I been to.

I'm not an opponent of the leo but personally I wouldn't mind seeing more gyms go this route!

 

[ivyagogo]

I think they need a new name. Somehow leotard is okay because everyone says leo, but unitard sounds yucky.

Funny how different my two threads are. In the first one everyone, myself included, was freaking out about how awful the idea of a uni would be and in this one with a nice mockup everyone really likes it. Even I'm coming around to it. I really hope my girls will embrace it.

 

[raenndrops]

I sent an email to Alpha Factor asking if they could make me a biketard and I got a form email back telling me I had to send them letterhead, a cancelled check, a URL for our gym and done other stuff too just to get a catalog with pricing. I was so put off by it that I called Snowflake and they have been really accommodating.

Yah, I wanted access to the Alpha Factor online pricing to work on designs to show HC... they asked what gym I was with and informed me that HC had an account and I needed to ask her for access... come on - how is someone starting a new team supposed to get anything done. I know their prices are better than Snowflake, but agree - too many hoops to jump through.

 

[2G1B]

One thing.... Have the girls buy a biketard and wear it for practice. Both of my girls refuses to wear them at around 6 years old. They complained that they were very uncomfortable.

 

[raenndrops]

I think they need a new name. Somehow leotard is okay because everyone says leo, but unitard sounds yucky.

Funny how different my two threads are. In the first one everyone, myself included, was freaking out about how awful the idea of a uni would be and in this one with a nice mockup everyone really likes it. Even I'm coming around to it. I really hope my girls will embrace it.

Everyone thinks unitard = long legged.
This is a Biketard... much better = looks like a leo with shorts.
And as for the design on the leg bringing it together, I understand. AND they DO actually make shorts that would match a design from a regular leo... so it would be like that.
We have a team we compete against... with snowflake leotards... colors are black, lime and turquoise... the 2nd leotard (I am now POSITIVE) is theirs.
Good luck.

 

[Kiwi]

Funny how different my two threads are. In the first one everyone, myself included, was freaking out about how awful the idea of a uni would be and in this one with a nice mockup everyone really likes it. Even I'm coming around to it. I really hope my girls will embrace it.

It looks really pretty, and the legs are quite short so it is not that far off a leotard anyway. I hope the girls like it.

 

[raenndrops]

It's not my daughter, it's my team. The two who have seen it do like it. I did a mock up with the design on the legs and arms too and it is so pretty. I need to save some money on costs. I am pricing it with the design on the legs as well, but no rhinestones. This would be my preference, but it is $160 like this and I just don't know if my families will balk at that price.View attachment 4403

IF you feel its too expensive, lose the arm banding and it will save you like $45... so, keep the leg design and it will be about $120 - VERY Reasonable for a CUSTOM leotard Especially with the crystals!

 

[ivyagogo]

I'm getting pricing tomorrow with all kinds of options. Like I said earlier, Snowflake has been amazing to work with so far. Alpha Factor wanted me to jump through hoops just to talk to me.

 

[purpleleomom]

I was skeptical before, but the mock ups look really nice. I don't especially mind leotards, but these would be a great alternative for various reasons. You may start a trend!

 

[ivyagogo]

The real issue our GO has with them is that they are inequitable. The boys wear shorts or long leggings and the girls private areas are too much on display. I don't really see that it is an issue for these girls, but as long as I can find something that makes everyone happy, that's okay with me. Here is what I'd like to do as a package for the girls. The leotard will be somewhere around $120-$130. If found the warmups for $35 and the bag for $15. I need to have the image screened on but I am hoping I can convince a local printshop to do it for me nominally.

 

[coachmolly]

That looks like a nice set, and very reasonable costs. One thing the HS team I coach did is get jackets/sweatshirts and have the girls just wear black yoga pants/leggings to save on the costs of warm-up pants. Pants are usually the less expensive part of a warm-up set, but it's an idea if you are trying to cut costs where possible.
I really don't understand the issue with leotards as I feel it's somewhat obvious why boys wear shorts and girls do not, and since girls in Xcel have the option to wear shorts over their leo, it really seems like a non-issue, but hey, if this means girls get to compete who wouldn't otherwise why make a big deal of it? I admire your willingness to be compromising with the GO while also looking out for the wants/needs of the girls.

 

[ivyagogo]

I emailed the regional director about shorts over Leo's and unitards and he first told me neither was allowable. I told him that the usag women's handbook said unitards were allowed. He had to ask his national director and got back to me telling me that unitards of any length were allowable but shorts over leotards wasn't.

I was a bit rattled that he didn't know this in the first place. I sure hope all the judges do!

 

[raenndrops]

I emailed the regional director about shorts over Leo's and unitards and he first told me neither was allowable. I told him that the usag women's handbook said unitards were allowed. He had to ask his national director and got back to me telling me that unitards of any length were allowable but shorts over leotards wasn't.

I was a bit rattled that he didn't know this in the first place. I sure hope all the judges do!

If I were you, I would take a copy of the rule (and actually the entire Xcel Code) with you just in case... We had a judge at one of our meets that wasn't giving SR for casts on bars in Xcel Gold if they didn't hit horizontal (they are supposed to get the SR if they are within 45º, they are supposed to get the SR, but up to -0.2 amplitude). HC submitted an informal inquiry and was told it was the cast... if she had the rules with her, she could have gotten the scores changed for 4 of our girls.

 

[ivyagogo]

I just read this in the rule book. I can't wait to get started!

 

[raenndrops]

Hi

I just read this in the rule book. I can't wait to get started!

Highlight anything you think might be important (anything that is different from JO)... make sure you keep up on all updates at the USAG website... and use sticky notes to mark important pages (uniform rules, cast rules, etc.)

 

[ivyagogo]

I don't know what is different from JO since we don't have a JO team. Good idea with the stickies though.

 

[seoulmama]

Just my two cents-since the concept of a biketard is so new, I would consider starting off with the first picture that has less detail on the bottom. The second picture with the details on the leg makes it REALLY look like a biketard/unitard. The first picture can almost pass for a regular leo, which is what most judges/spectators expect. Maybe that doesn't matter-but it might make the girls feel like the are blending in more???