What to Wear
Once you've found a gym and enrolled your child into an introductory class, you'll want to make sure s/he has the right clothing. Most gyms have strict clothing policies for safety reasons, so you may want to check with your club to see what its particular policies are.Typical expectations are:
- Girls wear a leotard
- Boys wear a t-shirt and athletic shorts or sweat pants. T-shirts should not be baggy, and shorts/sweat pants should not have zippers, snaps or anything else that could get caught on the gymnast, apparatus or instructor.
- Long hair is pulled back and out of the face
- No jewelry at all
- No socks
Other Equipment
As your child progresses in gymnastics s/he may need equipment such as:- Handgrips: worn on the uneven bars (women), high bar and rings (men)
- Beam shoes: worn to protect female gymnasts’ feet on balance beam
- Rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon: the equipment for rhythmic gymnastics. This is usually provided for beginner rhythmic gymnasts, and then purchased by the gymnast when she enters competitions.
Usually, these types of equipment can be bought through the gymnastics club.
