All-Star Practice Wear: Is It Necessary?

[Fierce_Elite]

@Fierce_Elite I agree completely!

I just really don't get it with the fashion show down! A good set of practice wear, would be CJA's all girl level five gunz. They wear something fancy for comps, but that's it. As for the metallic and rhinestones and such, what's the point?


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[Official OWECheer]

I just really don't get it with the fashion show down! A good set of practice wear, would be CJA's all girl level five gunz. They wear something fancy for comps, but that's it. As for the metallic and rhinestones and such, what's the point?


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YES YES YES 100000X YES!!!

I was watching clips from the show yesterday and marveling at how clean, simple and likely inexpensive their practice wear is!

 

[SparkleSpankies]

I don't get super flashy practice wear. Again, something that makes cheerleading not respected. Just my opinion.

 

[Fierce_Elite]

I don't get super flashy practice wear. Again, something that makes cheerleading not respected. Just my opinion.

Couldn't agree more. I think the main reason why the sport is overly expensive, is because of the amount of practice wear. Plain and simple practice wear is fine. It won't kill you not to have metallic colors or a rhinestone showdown for practice wear. uniforms are fine. Those should be pretty and nice looking. But practice? Who are trying to impress? It's practice. Not project runway.


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[NatalieB97]

i love having practice wear. ive had new practice wear for the past 2 years. during the time in the new season when we dont have our new practice wear, we have to wear certain colors but any bow. but as soon as practice wear comes in, we have a scheduled day to wear each outfit and bow. but i like feeling unified with my team

 

[Pebbles49]

It seems there is an evolution for practice wear. When my daughter was at her old gym, everybody wore the same uniform-T-shirt and soffee short w/ gym name only and same bows, I think, I paid $35 at most...
Now, it seems the big thing is the practice wear with every team have 3 different outfits, their own design, colors, etc... and of course, the gym's name somewhere plastered on the clothes-- and the cost is like $150-200.
I think, practice wear has become more of a vanity thing now and works toward separating the gym into small cliques with plastering team's name on the clothes--I noticed that people are actually judging and only socializing within certain constraints, which is wrong and I had situations where a person does not know what team my child is on and we are engaging in pleasant conversation and once seeing my child with the practice wear on, the conversation shifts quickly into something weird and the person moves away I guess to get back with their clique...

So, answering the OP question- Yes, practice wear is necessary for sake of the whole gym, but No, practice wear should not have team's name on it...

1 unify uniform for the whole gym...

 

[CheerBank]

It seems there is an evolution for practice wear. When my daughter was at her old gym, everybody wore the same uniform-T-shirt and soffee short w/ gym name only and same bows, I think, I paid $50 at most...
Now, it seems the big thing is the practice wear with every team have their own design, colors, etc... and of course, the gym's name somewhere plastered on the clothes-- and the cost is like $150-200.
I think, practice wear has become more of a vanity thing now and works toward separating the gym into small cliques with plastering team's name on the clothes--I noticed that people are actually judging and only socializing within certain constraints, which is wrong and I had situations where a person does not know what team my child is on and we are engaging in pleasant conversation and once seeing my child with the practice wear on, the conversation shifts quickly into something weird and the person moves away I guess to get back with their clique...

So, answering the OP question- Yes, practice wear is necessary for sake of the whole gym, but No, practice wear should not have team's name on it...

1 unify uniform for the whole gym...

I see both sides of this argument.
Our gym uses 1 practice outfit for everyone. We do however have non-mandatory clothing items available in in the gym store that have individual team names on it, and many kids including my own cp have sports bras and sweatpants specific to their teams. This year our two highest senior teams will have a new uniform while the rest of the gym will be getting theirs next year. Although this was truly done to minimize cost for parents with crossovers, I wonder if it will also have an unintended outcome as well.
You are at a gym that is known for it's elite teams. That is just the reality you live in. When they go to camps, other people want to know which WC team it is. Within your gym, I am sure for many athletes those are the teams they strive to make as they advance in their skills.
I think the problem lies more in the parents and their feelings of elitism with their athletes being on the premier teams rather than the actual individual team practicewear. I do not think these parents would have changed attitudes if your whole gym wore the same practicewear; the individual practicewear just makes it easier to gage their true emotions.

 

[Official OWECheer]

It seems there is an evolution for practice wear. When my daughter was at her old gym, everybody wore the same uniform-T-shirt and soffee short w/ gym name only and same bows, I think, I paid $35 at most...
Now, it seems the big thing is the practice wear with every team have 3 different outfits, their own design, colors, etc... and of course, the gym's name somewhere plastered on the clothes-- and the cost is like $150-200.
I think, practice wear has become more of a vanity thing now and works toward separating the gym into small cliques with plastering team's name on the clothes--I noticed that people are actually judging and only socializing within certain constraints, which is wrong and I had situations where a person does not know what team my child is on and we are engaging in pleasant conversation and once seeing my child with the practice wear on, the conversation shifts quickly into something weird and the person moves away I guess to get back with their clique...

So, answering the OP question- Yes, practice wear is necessary for sake of the whole gym, but No, practice wear should not have team's name on it...

1 unify uniform for the whole gym...

Seriously? People getting cliquey over team association? Embarrassing.

 

[seein_starz]

I personally don't think it's necessary unless you are practicing at a big competition in front of a bunch of other teams (such as worlds, summit, or any big nationals like jamz) because even if your gym does enforce you to wear the practice wear you bought, there will always be those girls who never wear them anyways.

 

[CheerBank]

I personally don't think it's necessary unless you are practicing at a big competition in front of a bunch of other teams (such as worlds, summit, or any big nationals like jamz) because even if your gym does enforce you to wear the practice wear you bought, there will always be those girls who never wear them anyways.

Not sure about your gym, but when our gym tells the girls to wear their practice uniforms, they all do. They typically do it the last practice before a competition. It definitely unifies them. As a parent, I pay too much $ for it for cp not to wear it whenever the opportunity comes up.

 

[seein_starz]

Not sure about your gym, but when our gym tells the girls to wear their practice uniforms, they all do. They typically do it the last practice before a competition. It definitely unifies them. As a parent, I pay too much $ for it for cp not to wear it whenever the opportunity comes up.

I always wear mine and a lot of the other girls do, but there's always like 5 girls on each team who never wear them

 

[Official OWECheer]

I always wear mine and a lot of the other girls do, but there's always like 5 girls on each team who never wear them

How are they still on the team?

 

[seein_starz]

How are they still on the team?

Our coaches aren't super strict on it but they really would rather have us wear the practice wear. And they always wear it when it's mandatory.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I personally don't think it's necessary unless you are practicing at a big competition in front of a bunch of other teams (such as worlds, summit, or any big nationals like jamz) because even if your gym does enforce you to wear the practice wear you bought, there will always be those girls who never wear them anyways.

The gym I cheered at had a couple extra sets of the practice wear in each size and if you didn't wear your practice outfit you had to buy a new one to practice that day. I don't think something like not wearing the right practice outfit would ever get someone kicked off a team, but the coaches wouldn't be too happy with them.

 

[CheerBank]

Seriously? People getting cliquey over team association? Embarrassing.

Saw this first hand in our second gym. The highest senior team got their team name on their uniform sleeve for the first time ever. After that it was like the beast was unleashed. The parents went crazy with clothing items with their cps' team name on it. It definitely made for a huge divison in the gym. Unfortunately it was encouraged by the head coach for that team who was also an owner, so complaints would have fallen on deaf ears.