High School Team Practice Clothes

[uwont4getme]

I coach a high school team and they had 5 practice outfits that they rotated through. I put out calendars that had the practice outfits on them so there was no excuse to be in the wrong outfit. It made practice so much easier and more unified and taught them responsibility (and even some of them to do their own laundry). If they wore the wrong outfit they did 10 jumps of my choice (so if your pike isn't looking too hot...you're doing 10 pikes). We haven't moved on to bows yet...but maybe next year

 

[0riginal]

Couldn't that money be put to better uses? Uniforms? Mats? Over time those clothes have to add up, especially if you have varsity, JV, and freshmen...
I understand it looks good and can even help catch some mistakes, but if someone doesn't know a dance, isn't sharp, or doesn't know what to do in stunts, they're going to stick out anyways. I just feel like it would be the least of my concerns.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

Couldn't that money be put to better uses? Uniforms? Mats? Over time those clothes have to add up, especially if you have varsity, JV, and freshmen...
I understand it looks good and can even help catch some mistakes, but if someone doesn't know a dance, isn't sharp, or doesn't know what to do in stunts, they're going to stick out anyways. I just feel like it would be the least of my concerns.

In my opinion, the team needs to purchase these clothes for camp. They should be using them!

 

[Corsicab]

It couldn't go towards uniforms because the school pays for those as well as mats and I'm sure the parents wouldn't want to pay for something they didn't get to keep. But some years we have decided not to get practice clothes just because we were trying to keep costs down. Usually the girls just end up spending money at cheer comps buying random t-shirts and I'd rather they all match. We usually just get 3 t-shirts and then require a certain color shorts (black, green, etc.) because the girls usually have enough pairs of shorts that they don't have to buy new every year and if they don't have them they can get Soffee shorts just about anywhere.

I've seen some high school's packets for the beginning of the year and their costs for "camp clothes" or practice clothes are $150 or even more. I personally can't ask parents to spend that much money on practice clothes. I don't like to spend more than $20 or so on a nice shirt, to spend that much money or more on a t-shirt is outrageous to me.

I do like having a couple choices of shirts for the girls to wear to match if we are doing an event or traveling together though. I coach at a small private school so we only have one team. If they really like one of the shirts we might just use the same one the next year and just order for the new girls.

 

[Tosh]

Couldn't that money be put to better uses? Uniforms? Mats? Over time those clothes have to add up, especially if you have varsity, JV, and freshmen...
I understand it looks good and can even help catch some mistakes, but if someone doesn't know a dance, isn't sharp, or doesn't know what to do in stunts, they're going to stick out anyways. I just feel like it would be the least of my concerns.

I actually think it makes the girls take practice more seriously, and not play around so much. It's like you know you have to act a certain way when you're in uniform and this translates into practice. I feel practice is more organized, and is taken more seriously. As far as the cost goes, it only costs about $50-75 for 4 T's and one outfit (top and squork), and this is for the year. And for my school, the parents pay for these items because the girls keep them. I don't mind it at all. I remember when we work any thing we wanted to practice and it was crazy; girls made fun of what someone else is wearing, or someone has on something inappropriate, shorts way too short, etc. 45 minuites of practice is instantly wasted on the "I can't believe what she is wearing" conversations.....

 

[0riginal]

No, I wouldn't mind it either. I just think it's an extra, unnecessary cost.
Our school doesn't pay for uniforms our OR our mats, so every penny counts even if parents are buying it or not. And everyone on my team takes practice very seriously. It's disrespectful to the coaches and a waste of everyone's time otherwise. After one or two conversations about it, it sinks into girls' heads. If it takes an outfit to make a cheerleader/team to take a high school practice seriously, I don't see the point in even cheering. People goof off at games, so why not at practice?

I can also understand it teaching responsibility to maybe middle schoolers, but probably not 14-18 year olds. And teenagers are going to be teenagers, no matter what. If a girl is going to make fun of someone, she'll find a way despite if they're matching or not. I'm not trying to hate, I do agree with everyone that it looks better, but I just don't see it as being a necessity or a priority.

And yes, if you're purchasing them for camp then I think it's perfectly reasonable to use them for practices after you've gone!

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Couldn't that money be put to better uses? Uniforms? Mats? Over time those clothes have to add up, especially if you have varsity, JV, and freshmen...
I understand it looks good and can even help catch some mistakes, but if someone doesn't know a dance, isn't sharp, or doesn't know what to do in stunts, they're going to stick out anyways. I just feel like it would be the least of my concerns.

We get the choice to put our fundraising money towards team apparel if we want to. Personally, like it. When watching videos back of practice its easier to see when someone makes a mistake because you aren't distracted by the different colors. And its nice because we just take the same practice outfits to nationals with us. And we use the same color shorts every year so it only costs about $30 for the 3 practice shirts, which are almost always paid for by the car wash fundraisers we do in the summer. Also, our coach lets the girls design the practice shirts and we all vote on which we like best, which makes it pretty fun for me because I'm good at designing t-shirts

 

[Tealxblack25]

I try to get my girls I coach to all wear the same practice clothes but thenI start to hear it from the parents that this isnt the army or oh well I cant afford to buy that matching shirt... I dont even know how to buy shorts offline ? are these shorts ok? and its like writing on the butt Im like uhmm... nvm .. just wear whatever ! haha

 

[TheVipersMom]

I know this is high school but I'll put in my own 2cents even though it has to do with Allstars.

My cp the last 2 seasons has went to a gym where practice clothes weren't required.
This coming season the gym were going to does have practice clothes that I have to purchase.
At first I was like man I hate this but I have been thinking.

I want my cp to have the best clothes. I don't want her wearing outfits more then once in a 2 week period. (she was on 2 teams and practiced Monday- Friday. So that's at least 10 outfits.) Then because some days one team had practice, some days the other team had practice. I would have to write it down what my cp wore. Because I wouldn't want you to see my cp on a Monday wearing something then 2 weeks later see my cp wearing the same thing. So I was trying to spread out what she was wearing. Lol I know I'm weird.

This has led to me buying 100$ outfits multiple times that match with a matching bow. Then buying stuff from pro shops so my cp wouldn't have the same shorts on from Justice that every other mini purchased. I'd buy whole Nike pro outfits so she could have the best clothes.

This has lead to over 1500$ in two years in clothes for cheer for a little girl who was 5 and now she is just turning 7.

When my daughter "likes" people's status on Facebook for those "TBH" posts this is why all my daughters peers at the gym always write:

Now I know I'm an extreme case of crazy but I know I'm not the only mom. If I purchase practice wear and they tell us when and what to wear then I won't be all worried on a Wednesday trying to figure out what she wore last wednesday so people won't think she only owns 2 outfits.

 

[MissBee]

Couldn't that money be put to better uses? Uniforms? Mats? Over time those clothes have to add up, especially if you have varsity, JV, and freshmen...
I understand it looks good and can even help catch some mistakes, but if someone doesn't know a dance, isn't sharp, or doesn't know what to do in stunts, they're going to stick out anyways. I just feel like it would be the least of my concerns.

The school budget (or booster's fundraising) pays for things like mats that will be used year after year. Clothing is paid for by each girl, because it's their clothes. As mentioned, you buy the matching outfits for camp (doesn't have to be all customized through Varsity-you could just say black shorts and red top, could be tshirt or tank) and then you use those matching camp outfits throughout the year as your practice wear. At the school where I teach, all of the sports teams have matching practice wear (teams like soccer, field hockey, lacrosse-they all have practice jerseys/shirts, but can wear whatever shorts they want).

 

[SmileyRyleigh]

Kris10boo my mom does the same thing with me! Lol must be an awesome Tennessee mom thing!!

 

[bestbackspot]

we get clothes at camp, and we have to match at camp, but after that at practices were allowed to wear what we want! Usually girls wear cheer realated clothing or the shirts and shorts we get at camp, but its not required

 

[SparkleSpankies]

I just took a new position and the girls are already used to wearing certain colors so instead, I am going to have 4 t-shirts purcahsed, they are responsible for their shorts (unless it is a different color then their norm) and they will have everything they need for practice for a season.

I also think once every 2 weeks on the calendar will be "free day" where they can wear whatever they want like tshirts purchased from competitions or things like that. And on occassion even a theme day!

 

[12mowerd]

i wish we had practice outfits. my flyer wears field hockey shorts that are mesh and my base says when she catches her it chafes her arm haha. so whenever my flyer wears them my bases starts cringing

 

[westviewwildcat]

Do you require your team to wear the same outfit on the same day? Or do you just let them wear whatever? Do they have to be wearing something team related but they don't have to match?

We've gone back and forth with having them wear matching outfits one year and then just having them wear something team related. I personally want them to match every practice but the other coach doesn't always agree with me. Maybe it's just because the girl with the neon pink shorts distracts me when I'm trying to watch the routine.

What does your team do?

We have open dress during tumbling practice and run-throughs but we have a specific practice outfit for every day of the week we have practice. These outfits are strictly enforced with conditioning or extra laps. Personally I love it because we look so unified as a team, it's easier to spot mistakes, and it teaches the cheerleaders responsibility and accountability