Why Do Gymnasts Wear Leotards?
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Written by Madison Hartman
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Written by Madison Hartman
Most sports have some sort of uniform that you wear when participating - whether that is at practice, in a tournament, or at a competition. Gymnasts usually wear a leotard. Why do gymnasts wear leotards?
@little_gymnast.ls
Let’s start with what a leotard is. A leotard is a bodysuit that covers the torso and fits close to the body. Leotards come as sleeveless tanks, with cap sleeves, 3/4 length sleeves, and even with long sleeves. Some leotards have a pair of shorts or pants added to the garment to create a unitard or biketard style. All of these variations fit snugly to your athlete’s body.
Why does a gymnastics leotard need to fit close to your athlete’s body? There are a few reasons.
- With a close fit, your gymnast’s coach can see how your athlete is moving and where their body placement is. This allows them to give accurate corrections to ensure your gymnast practices skills properly and safely.
- Loose clothing makes it more difficult to spot an athlete. When learning a new skill, coaches will spot your gymnast. Loose clothing like t-shirts can hinder this process if the coach’s hands cannot reach where they need to when spotting. Whether this is for a back tuck, flyaway, or even a cartwheel, safety comes first.
- When judging competitive gymnastics, judges need to be able to see your athlete perform without loose clothing in the way. Similar to when a coach needs to see how and where your athlete is moving during practice, a judge needs to accurately judge a competitive gymnast.
@laura_marjorie
If your gymnast prefers more coverage during workouts or practice, it is also common to add a pair of shorts over your leotard. Gymnastics shorts are added on top of leos for more coverage and a close fit for safe practices.
