When kids are on a sports team, are the uniforms usually provided by the school, or do parents order / pay for them?
I’m thinking sports like swimming, track, where there’s warm up jackets and swim suits or track shorts/shirt.
DS has been provided with uniforms for XC, winter track and spring track. This includes the shorts, shirt, track pants, and jacket. Additionally, the kids drop them off at a place by the gym and they are laundered by the school and returned to the kids.
Team related fun t-shirts are optional and out of pocket.
Uniforms are usually provided; swimming and water polo are generally the exceptions, where the suits are the responsibility of the students/parents. But this may vary by school. Equipment other than uniforms, like cleats and shin guards, are generally not provided.
In my DS school handbook, it mentions specifically what is provided and what isn’t…so you may check there. For example, footwear was not provided but helmets were for some sports. It was much more detailed than I expected. Hope this helps!
At my kids’ school, all official uniforms were provided. However, each team usually liked to order some “team wear” like matching jackets, pullover, or sweatpants, etc. - usually one new personalized item per season. This was informally arranged among the team members and would usually run $50-100 per season.
At Exeter,
Swimming & Waterpolo kids buy school speedos or wear their own - they bring own goggles. Water polo helmet provided. Pool sweat suit provided for between races.
Track: uniforms provided - school does laundry after meets. Kids buy own running shoes.
My kids all bought team gear for wearing on the weekends as well. Ball caps, hoodies etc…
Multi use uniforms and warm ups are provided and laundered at Deerfield. Suits for swimming and water polo are provided but you buy the caps and goggles for swimming. Caps (although they look like bonnets!) for water polo are multi use and are provided. Swim parkas are multi use and provided through athletics as well. Extras like boathouse jackets need to be purchased – and at a hefty cost:).
At our school, they provide the uniform, but parents purchase warm-ups and practice uniforms. For track, there is a school-provided uniform, but students buy running tights, shoes, etc.
Thanks everyone! I hope the sweats and parkas (if applicable) are covered, as they get pricey. DS will probably play water polo (that’s new to him). And swim which is his main sport.
Outerwear is not covered in any instance, even when needed for the sport (like alpine/nordic) AFAIK.
It can depend on the sport and school. My kid was on some teams where a jacket and warmups were part of the distributed team uniform and returned at the end of the season.
Parkas will probably be issued and then returned at the end of the season. My guess for sweatpants is no they are required and you can buy them if your student wants them. Which school?